N. MATERIA MEDICA, THERAPEUTICS, AND HYGIENE. 537 



stump of the tooth remained perfectly healthy, giving no 

 pain of any kind, and that the subsequent experiences of the 

 patients were of the most satisfactory nature. 



POISOiSrOUS mOPERTIES OF GLYCERINE. 



In a paper by Dujardin-Beaumetz upon the poisonous 

 properties of glycerine, it is stated that this substance, chem- 

 ically pure, when introduced under the skin of a dog, causes 

 death in a dose of eight to ten grammes per kilogramme of 

 the weight of the body, the general symptoms of the poison 

 being those of alcoholism. 12 A, July 30, ^^. 



POISONOUS PROPERTIES OF FUCHSIN. 



The question of the poisonous properties of fuchsin, now so 

 extensively used as a dye, as also for coloring wines, has 

 been a subject of much contention by chemists and toxicol- 

 ogists. It is now quite generally accepted that when chem- 

 ically pure it is harmless, being dangerous only when con- 

 taining foreign impurities. This conclusion has quite recent- 

 ly been reached by Poisson, who fed rabbits in successive 

 doses with pills of this substance, chemically pure, without 

 producing an}^ apparent injury. On killing the rabbits the 

 viscera were all brightly colored with violet red, but no in- 

 flammation or lesion was appreciable in any part. 



KEPORT OF MASSACHUSETTS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. 



An important addition has been made to the valuable 

 documents published by the Massachusetts State Board of 

 Health, in the form of a special report on the pollutions of 

 certain rivers in the state, such as the Blackstone, Charles, 

 Chicopee, and others, Avith general observations on water 

 supplies and sewerage, as prepared by Mr. James P. Kirk- 

 wood. There is also an appendix, containing certain anal- 

 yses by Professor Nichols ; " The Drainage and Sewerage 

 of the State from a Sanitary Point of View," by Dr. Win- 

 sor ; and " The Disposal of Sewage," by Dr. Folsom. The 

 report closes with series of summaries and recommendations. 



From this report we learn that the most widespread evil 

 in Massachusetts, as brought out by the investigations of the 

 board, is the dampness of soil arising from incomplete drain- 

 age, or the lack of removal of the water. 



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