1893.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 45 



tion is to be performed. As few instruments as possible are 

 used and these having recently been sterilized by boiling water 

 or drv heat at the temperature of 220 Fahr. No sponges are used, 

 their places being supplied by the use of balls of aseptic cotton. 

 In the case of an amputation no ligatures are used for the vessels 

 except such as silk- worm, gut or catgut, and these are cut short. 

 No drainage tui:)es are used, or in fact anything that will prevent 

 union by first intention. No plasters are used on the stump for 

 fear of infecting the wound, as it is impossible to sterilize the 

 usual adhesive plasters often used to keep the flaps of the stumps 

 in close apposition. The stump is dusted with iodoform, and 

 iodoform gauze applied ; then a veiy liberal supply of layers of 

 aseptic cotton wool, firmly retained by properly applied bandages. 



The operator must not, of course, touch anything from wliich 

 infection might be conveyed to the wound. He is not allowed 

 even to pass his hands over his own face or to touch any part of 

 his body with his hands during an operation. 



Such minute precautions as these may seem to some needless, 

 but such is not the case, for, as has been w^ell said, " perfection is 

 made up of trifles, but perfection is no trifle." After a somewhat 

 long and varied experience in surgery, I must say that I have 

 never seen such fineness of technique and such magnificent re- 

 sults of surgery as I beheld in the Paris hospital. To Dr. Hart- 

 man, as well as to his assistant, Mr. Wm. S. Magill (hospital 

 interne), I am greatly indebted for so freely showing me the cases 

 in the hospital. 



It is rare to find a surgeon in Paris to have attained any emi- 

 nence before the age of 50 years. Dr. Hartman, I am informed, 

 is only 32 years old, and is now acting as surgeon in three of the 

 Paris hospitals. With hearty good wishes, I venture to predict 

 for him a brilliant and useful career. 



Diatoms of tlie Connecticut Shore. — IV. 



By wm. a. terry. 



BRISTOL, CONN. 



The clayey earth forming the diatomaceous deposits at Morris 

 creek, Branford river. Stony cieek, and Leete's island is of a 

 bluish color, and dries a light gray. The clay when purified 

 from the fine sand and organic matter is purely white. The 

 Leete's island deposit has several strata containing decayed shells. 

 At a point about one mile distant from the open water, at the 

 mouth of the creek, and from five to ten feet below the surface 

 of the deposit, occur strata showing abundance of fragments of 

 shells of the oyster, clam, mussel, water snail, periwinkle, 

 conch, etc. ; proving a considerable depth of salt water here at 

 the time this part of the deposit was laid down, and this is some 



