11 



both for shot and for the armour plate made to resist it. Aluminium 

 is found to be usefully alloyable by copper. A. boat built of plate 

 from ^th to xirth of an inch in thickness is 50% lightei" and runs 

 3^ knots faster than a similar boat of steel. 



And another result of these wonderful processes — one that is 

 perhaps destined one day to work a great change in the com- 

 mercial world, is the manufacture of diamonds. Nothing 

 approaching the size of the Koh-i-noor has as yet been obtained, 

 but although those which M. Moissan has made in his electric 

 furnace are small, very small in fact, yet he has doubtless shown 

 us how the Koh-i-noor was made in the laboratory of nature. 

 Now I turn to another branch. 



Nosubject hasmade greater progress than that of Bacteriology. 

 It is now so generally practised, that in mostly if not in all of the 

 large hospitals a room is set apart for the breeding of bacteria. 

 Many diseases, the origin of which was obscure have been traced to 

 the presence of micro-organisms, and now we may hope to bring 

 near a curative system founded on our knowledge of these 

 creatures. No disease has baffled the medical profession more 

 than diphtheria which threatened to become a scourge. I refrain 

 from giving statistics from a belief that it would be impossible in 

 the time at my disposal to present figures which would not be 

 fallacious, but I may say shortly that since the introduction of the 

 anti-toxic treatment the rate of mortality from diphtheria — when 

 the treatment has been tried — has been greatly reduced. The 

 horse has, after repeated expsriments been found the most suitable 

 instrument for the production of the curative fluid. The horse is 

 to a great degree proof against the action of the diphtheritic 

 bacillus, and the serum of a horse's blood when injected into 

 human veins produces little or no effect. It is as well that it 

 should be known that beyond a slight local swelling accompanied 

 by a rise of one or two degrees in temperature the animal suffers 

 nothing in health. 



The horse thus being made immune, the blood is drawn off 

 and cooled until a clot is formed, and the serum, in which are 

 the anti-toxic properties, is separated. This serum is distributed 

 in different strengths, and is found not only to modify existing 

 diphtheritic disease, but (and this is worthy of esjjecial attention) 

 to act as a preventive when no disease exists. 



A powerful anti-toxin has been prepared by electrolysing 

 diphtheria bouillon culture.s, but nothing definite in this direction 

 has yet been reached. 



Closely connected with this subject are the results obtained 

 by Fraser from his enquiries into snake poison and its remedies. 



