MISCELLANY. 



247 



The total white population of Richmond is 

 given as 3.S,452, and the deaths for Jan- 

 uary 25 males and 16 females. The col- 

 ored population of the same city is given at 

 27,213, and the deaths as 40 males and 36 

 females. Norfolk had, for the same month, 

 in a white population of 12,000, 3 male 

 deaths and 5 female, while its colored popu- 

 lation of 8,000 gave 6 male and 7 female 

 deaths. The white population of Lynch- 

 burg is 6,500, and the colored population 

 the same. Among the whites there were 4 

 males died and 1 female, while among the 

 colored people 8 males died and 10 females. 

 In Richmond, the number of still-born in- 

 fants in the white population was 5, in the 

 colored 11 ; in Lynchburg the number was 

 3 and 7 respectively. In Norfolk the num- 

 ber was even. 



Temporatnrc of the Body in Disease. 



The normal surface temperature of the hu- 

 man body, in temperate climates, is about 

 98.5, any persistent variation from this, 

 whether by depression or by elevation, in- 

 dicating disease. In the tropics, the nor- 

 mal temperature is one degree higher. 

 Hitherto it has been supposed that, when 

 in fevers the temperature rises over 108, 

 recovery is impossible, unless a reduction 

 is effected by the cold bath. The Lancet 

 gives an instance of recovery where the 

 thermometer indicated a temperature of 

 over 122 in the armpit of a patient suffer- 

 ing from injury to the spine. The history 

 of this extraordinary case is as follows : 

 On September 5, 1874, a young lady met 

 with an accident in the hunting-field, where- 

 by two ribs were fractured ; at the same 

 time she complained of- pain in the back. 

 A surgeon, Mr. J. W. Teale, was soon in 

 attendance. A few days after the accident 

 the temperature was 101, but, in the space 

 of a fortnight, it became normal. The fract- 

 ured ribs united, but pain and tenderness 

 still existed over the sixth dorsal spine. 

 On October 3d the temperature rose to 

 100, and then to 101 ; and it still con- 

 tinued to rise in spite of the application of 

 ice-bags to the spine, till, on November 6th, 

 it was 106. After many fluctuations, the 

 temperature, on the 13th of November, 

 reached the astonishing height of 122, the 

 index of the thermometer becomins; buried 



in the bulb at tlie top of the instrument, 

 which registered only up to 122. During 

 that day there was a fall of 8^, but, in the 

 evening, 122 was again reached. 



As a general rule, an increase of 1 

 above the normal temperature is attended 

 with an increase of ten beats of the pulse 

 per minute. In the present case, the pulse 

 appears to have been the same (120) at 

 122 as at 108. The normal temperature 

 was not reached till January 10th, and, 

 during the space of seven weeks, it never 

 fell below 108. We must add here that 

 every precaution was taken against error 

 in the indications of the thermometer. No 

 fewer than seven different instruments, 

 made by Harvey & Reynolds, were used, 

 of which four had received certificates of 

 correctness at Kew. Further, they were 

 inspected by two or three trustworthy wit- 

 nesses before and after each application, 

 and the results were always immediately 

 recorded in writing. Sometimes, when the 

 thermometrical readings were highest, the 

 hands, feet, and forehead, were icy cold, 

 and the patient felt as if " her blood was 

 on fire." 



"Cotton Gunpowder." This is the 

 name given to a preparation of gun-cotton 

 which, by the use of certain chemicals, is 

 rendered perfectly safe for storage or car- 

 riage, though possessing enormous explo- 

 sive power. The following account of some 

 experiments made with cotton gunpowder 

 we take from the Journal of the Society of 

 Arts: "Cartridges were held in the hand, 

 lit with fuses, and burned with "a steady 

 blaze, while, when ignited by detonators, 

 they exploded with a loud report. Ten 

 pounds of the substance was placed on an 

 anvil, and an iron pile-driver weighing one- 

 half ton was allowed to fall 15 feet upon it, 

 without causing an explosion. Two barrels, 

 each containing 40 pounds, were placed in 

 a pile of fagots. Upon these being fired, 

 the powder burned with a steady but in- 

 tense flame, and without any tendency to 

 explosion. A solid block of steel, about 

 one-half ton in weight, was bored to the 

 depth of 6 inches, and a 6-ounce cartridge 

 was inserted in the hole. It was split into 

 two pieces. But the greatest exhibition of 

 force was made in two experiments with 



