38 THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 



NEW CURE FOR CHOLERA. 



Successfully Tested in the Clinics at Calcutta. 



Consul-General William H. Michael reports from Calcutta that the 

 new method of treating cholera in India by intravenous or peritoneal 

 injections of strong salt solution is attracting widespread attention. 

 He also discusses the subject: 



The object seems to be to reinforce the fluid constituents of the 

 blood. The Statesman, a local daily paper, says that the Calcutta re- 

 turns show that, in some 175 cases treated by this method in the Cal- 

 cutta Medical College since January last, the mortality .was reduced 

 from about 60 per cent., at which it stood under the methods previously 



in use, to a little over 30 per cent. In other words, whereas two-thirds 

 of the cholera cases terminated fatally before the new treatment was 

 introduced, since its adoption two-thirds of the patients have recovered. 

 Even more convincing is the fact that, at the very time when these 

 results were being obtained in the Medical College Hospital, the re- 

 turns from the Campbell Hospital, where the new system had not been 

 introduced, showed no material change. This would seem to indicate 

 that the treatment, and not any exceptional mildness in the epidemic, 

 was responsible for the high proportion of cures obtained. 



The treatment was first adopted, probably discovered, by Major 

 Rogers, of the medical department, and his success in curing cholera 

 by the use of it attracted attention before he really gave to the public 

 his method of treatment. He wanted to be sure of its efficiency before 

 he gave out his discovery. 



HEKTOGRAPH. 



Recipe for making a Hektograph, or gelatine copying pad : Soak 



1 oz. Cooper's gelatine over night in enough cold water to cover well, 

 taking care all is well covered. Prepare salt water bath by dissolving 



2 oz. common salt in one pint of water ; heat six or seven ounces of pure 

 glycerine over the salt water bath to a temperature of 200 degrees 

 Fah. Pour off from the gelatine all the water remaining unabsorbed, 

 and add gelatine to hot glycerine. Continue heating for one hour, care- 

 fully stirring mixture occasionally. Avoid as much as possible forma- 

 tion of bubbles. Finally, add twenty drops of oil of cloves to pre- 

 vent decomposition. The composition is now ready to pour into the 

 vessel designed to hold it while in use. The following recipe of compo- 

 sition is by Lebacque : Gelatine, 100 parts ; water, 375 parts ; glycerine, 

 375 parts ; kaolin, 50 parts. 



