N. MATERIA MEDICA, THERAPEUTICS, AND HYGIENE. 559 



is applied first as a caustic, and then administered internally 

 in a dose of fifteen to thirty grains in twenty-four hours. In 

 one instance four butchers were attacked with malignant pus- 

 tule, derived from infected cattle, and two were attended at 

 home, while the other two were carried to the hospital, and 

 placed under Dr. Declat's care, and treated with the carbo r 

 late of ammonia as above described. These were entirely 

 cured in a reasonably short space of time; while the others, 

 who were treated at home by the ordinary methods, suc- 

 cumbed to the malady. 13 2?, October 18, 1873, 319. 



PROPER APPLICATION OF THE CAUTERY. 



Dr. Camden, in a communication to the Medical Times and 

 Gazette, in reference to the cautery for snake-bite, etc., calls 

 attention to the fact that when this remedy is applied the 

 iron should be of an intense white heat, as in this case it pro- 

 duces in many instances absolutely no pain whatever, while 

 if the iron be simply red-hot the effect is almost agonizing. 

 He has noticed the difference in numerous instances in man ; 

 and in one case when the application was made by a white- 

 heated iron to the shoulder of a horse, the animal scarcely 

 seemed conscious of what w r as done to him. In cases where 

 it is difficult to obtain the aid of a furnace to secure the white 

 heat necessary, Dr. Camden suggests the employment of a 

 large spirit blow-pipe, the iron being held on a piece of pum- 

 ice-stone. 5 A, July, 1873, 320. 



BROMIDE OF POTASSIUM AS A REMEDY. 



Dr. Binz, of Bonn, has lately endeavored to show that the 

 value of bromide of potassium as a drug, in diseases of the 

 nervous system, such as epilepsy and its allies, has been over- 

 estimated, and that the action is probably due to the potas- 

 sium rather than to the bromine ; also, that the therapeutic in- 

 fluence of the bromide of potassium is owing to a general im- 

 provement of nutrition, caused by the addition to the blood 

 of potash salts in excess, and that other preparations with 

 potassium would answer the same purpose. 



To this Dr. Anstie responds by pointing to the uniformly 

 favorable experience of English physicians of the controlling 

 action of the bromide over epilepsy and some other diseases, 

 while it is scarcely less marked in cases of insomnia and rest- 



