362 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Oct. 



minutes, and the pyocyanic bacillus in ten minutes. The 

 non-bactericidal solutions, however, hindered the culture 

 of bacteria. The author thinks that tricresol is a very 

 powerful antiseptic, since a one-per-cent. solution is as en- 

 erg-etic as a three-per-cent. solution of carbolic acid. It is 

 at the same time relatively less dang-erous, for according- 

 to Hammerl, the toxicity of carbolic acid is four times as 

 great as that of tricresol. — JV. Y. Medical Journal. 



The Dirty Sponge. — Prefessor Lang, of Vienna, de- 

 clares that sponges, owing- to the impossibility of destroy- 

 ing- germs in them, have long- since been banished from 

 the surg-eon's table, and should also be excluded from the 

 bathroom and washstand. 



Possibilities of Contagion from Venereal Diseases in 

 Railway Cars. — Dr. Tom.is Noriega, of the State of Chia- 

 pas, Mexico, read a paper before the American Public 

 Health Association, in which he cited the case of a married 

 man, thirty years of age, who arose from his berth in a 

 Pullman car and, as was his custom, wash his face in the 

 lavatory. Two days thereafter he felt the first symptoms 

 of purulent ophthalmia, for which he consulted a physi- 

 cian. The patient was treated energetically, but in spite 

 of all efforts the right eye was lost. Other similar cases 

 were reported. 



Tuberculosis and Telephone. — It is said that Vienna 

 physicianshavetracedcasesoftuberculosisand other conta- 

 g-ious diseases to the use of public telephones, and the sug-- 

 gestion is made that a sponge with a solution of carbolic 

 acid be kept in every station for a daily cleaning- of the ap- 

 paratus. 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETIES. 



Microscopical Societies. 



Postal Club. — After the usual summer vacation, the cir- 

 culation is now being resumed. Any changes of address, 

 or other business concerning the membership or circuits, 

 should be reported at once. 



