128 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [April 



EDITORIAL. 



Cigarettes. — An analysis at the Department of Ag-ricul- 

 ture showed : Ash 13.00, water 13.00, ammonia .05, nico- 

 tine 1.20, oils and fats 5.00, tiber 6.00, sug-ar starch 50.00, 

 pretreate matter 12.50. No opium or arsenic was found 

 after analyzing- samples of all the common native brands. 

 The opponents should confine their charg-es to the injuri- 

 ous effect of the nicotine upon the nervous system and 

 upon the heart. It disturbs the regular systole and dia- 

 stole of the heart and changes the beat to a muffled flutter. 

 After the cerebral exhilaration and exaltation produced 

 by smoking-, come with the lapse of hours irritating- and 

 debilitating- or soporific effects, which g-ive way under the 

 exhilaration of another smoke but persist unpleasantly 

 unless treatment is granted. A body subject to such 

 alternations cannot stand during- 25 years what it could 

 have stood if freed from them. 



Good Water. — Koch said that water is good unless it 

 contains over 100 microbes to the cubic centimeter. 

 Franland says that there may be many more in good 

 water. 



Typhoid Germs. — Dr. Frankland put typhoid germs into 

 deep well water, into Thames water and into Lake Katrine 

 water. The bacilli died more rapidily in Thames water 

 than in the lake water while they persisted longest in the 

 deep well water. The longevity of the germs was propor- 

 tional to the freedom of the water from other inhabitants. 



MICROSCOPICAL APPAilATUS. 



A New Microscope Lamp. — This excellent lamp, which 

 combines portability with g-reat efficiency, was desig-ned 

 and exhibited at the meeting- of the Quekett Microscopical 

 Club, on the 16th of last October, by Mr. W. Goodwin, a 

 member of the club. 



The lamp which is nickel-plated, is 2y8in. in diameter 

 6>4in. in heig-ht, and weighs about 3oz. A glance at the 



