284 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



was small, yet it was sufficient, by the aid of 

 the sun of last October, to produce steam 

 enough to keep a sewing-machine in con- 

 tinuous motion, cook food, and boil water. 

 M. Mouchot's machine consists of a reflector 

 in the form of a truncated cone, which con- 

 centrates the rays of the sun upon a kettle 

 placed in the axis of the cone, with a bell- 

 glass to cover the kettle and protect it from 

 external cooling. Such machines are not 

 likely to be of much practical use in tem- 

 perate climates, where the sun is compara- 

 tively weak and often clouded ; but in hot, 

 arid regions, like the deserts of Africa, they 

 may possibly yet be employed advanta- 

 geously. 



Consumption and Climates. Dr John 

 C. Thorowgood, of the London Hospital for 

 Diseases of the Chest, in a paper on "At- 

 mospheric and Climatic Influence in the 

 Causation and Cure of Pulmonary Disease," 

 distinguishes between two classes of phthisis, 

 or consumjition of the lungs, in which the 

 operation of this influence is very difi'erent. 

 The first kind, the consumption which ori- 

 ginates in catarrh, cold, or some inflamma- 

 tory attack, prevails in raw, cold climates, 

 and is relieved by going to a mild climate. 

 The second kind, true tubercular consump- 

 tion, comes on insidiously, often from no 

 cold caught, from no privation of food, but 

 simply from some inherent, perhaps heredi- 

 tary vice in the system, and is a febrile dis- 

 ease, having much the character of rapid 

 blood-poisoning. It is not peculiar to cold 

 climates, and is not relieved by sending the 

 patient to a mild one. The worst that can 

 be done in coses of either form of disease is, 

 to confine the patient closely to one room, 

 and let him breathe over and over again the 

 same atmosphere, while the cough is kept 

 checked by opiates. In this way, says Dr. 

 Thorowgood, consumption may be cultivated 

 and developed from the first class into the 

 more serious form of the second class, so 

 that it becomes a fearfully destructive mal- 

 ady. " In the cases of young children who 

 are kept very close in heated rooms, and 

 who are said to be always taking cold, we 

 often see most obstinate cough and catarrh, 

 due to the throwing off from the air-pas- 

 sages of a weak, poorly-nourished epithe- 

 lium, which in time may choke the air-cells, 



and so lead to pulmonary consumption. The 

 cure consists in laying aside paregoric and 

 squills while we feed the epithelium with 

 pure air. Appetite soon returns, and the 

 cough speedily takes its flight." The ten- 

 dency of confinement in a close atmosphere 

 to cause blood-spitting and consumption has 

 been demonstrated by the statistics obtained 

 by Dr. Gray when engaged in investigating 

 the effects of certain trades on the health 

 of those employed. The author of the pa- 

 per under notice has seen excellent results, 

 in removing lingering inflammation after an 

 acute attack on the chest, follow a sojourn at 

 Torquay, Ventnor, and similar mild, warm 

 health-resorts ; but when the disorder has 

 passed from the inflammatory stage to one 

 that involves the general nutrition, and is 

 marked by softening and breaking down of 

 lung-tissue, with night-sweats and copious 

 purulent expectoration, he has never seen 

 any good come of a residence in a mild, sed- 

 ative climate. On the other hand, he tells 

 of several cases in which persons suffering 

 from the latter form have been relieved, and 

 have even recovered after being sent to a 

 cold, bracing climate, or to a high mountain 

 elevation. The author's views were confirmed, 

 in the discussion by the medical society be- 

 fore which it was read, by several speakers. 

 The president of the society mentioned three 

 cases of complete cure of decided pulmona- 

 ry consumption of non-catarrhal origin by 

 change of air in one case to Moscow, in 

 two others to Canada. Another speaker 

 mentioned cases of. catarrhal phthisis that 

 had been cured by sojourn at mild resorts. 



Effect of Physical Training on Respi- 

 ration. M. Marey has made an investiga- 

 tion of the modifications which are induced 

 in the respiratory movements by the fact of 

 muscular action. It is well known that mus- 

 cular action provokes, in those who are not 

 accustomed to it, panting, that is, a respira- 

 tion stronger and more frequent than the 

 normal respiration. This is in consequence 

 of the greater rapidity of the current of 

 blood which in its abundance demands, in 

 order to pass through the lungs, more fre- 

 quent or more ample respirations. The habit 

 of muscular exercise, running, for example, 

 has the effect of gradually adapting the 

 respiratory function to the most rapid cir- 



