694 



PHYSIOLOGY. 



criminate use of these agents is to be regarded 

 as objectionable and a proper subject of sani- 

 tary inspection. 



Nutrition. The results of an investigation of 

 the effect of the Russian bath on nitrogenous 

 metabolism have been published by Dr. Mako- 

 vetski, of St. Petersburg. The subjects were 

 four student friends in perfect health. The 

 baths were given daily for five days ; perspira- 

 tion in a hot chamber was induced with the 

 usual amount of shampooing, but without the 

 use of steam. It was found that the assimi- 

 lation of the nitrogenous parts of the food 

 was diminished, while the nitrogenous metab- 

 olism was increased. The loss by the lungs 

 and skin was increased to a marked degree, but 

 the urine was diminished.; and the uric acid 

 was diminished during the days when the baths 

 were given. The baths have the effect of 

 strengthening the muscular and nervous sys- 

 tems, and of increasing secretion when there is 

 much muscular work, especially when the food 

 is deficient in nitrogen, when there is a large 

 amount of nervous and mental activity, and 

 when there is deficient action of the secretory 

 organs in consequence of preceding hyperse- 

 cretion, or morbid conditions, such as chronic 

 catarrh of the bronchi, stomach, intestines, or 

 genito-urinary tract, chronic hepatic, renal, or 

 splenic affections. In these cases, together 

 with the baths, fat and hydrocarbons are re- 

 quired in the food. As centra-indications, 

 theory would lead us to conclude all conditions 

 where the nitrogenous metabolism is dimin- 

 ished, and also those where artificially induced 

 diminution of it appears to act prejudicially. 



After an investigation of the qualities of 

 vegetable albumens, Dr. Rutgers concludes, in 

 the " Zeitschrift f ilr Biologie," that they, are 

 capable of supplying the place of the ordinary 

 albumens which we are accustomed to con- 

 sume as food, without causing any disturbance 

 in the nitrogenous balance of the economy; 

 that beans and peas overcharge the alimentary 

 tract, because both of their solids and of their 

 disposition to develop gas, while meat and rice 

 cause no disturbance. There are consequently 

 various contra-indications as to an exclusively 

 vegetable diet. The acidity of the stomach 

 and of the urine are much less upon a wholly 

 vegetable than upon an ordinary mixed diet. 



Dr. R. Schneider has experimented upon the 

 absorption of iron and on its occurrence as 

 oxide in the organs and tissues of animals. 

 All the animals examined whether living in 

 water, mud, or underground contained oxide 

 of iron. It was detected by employing ferro- 

 cyanide of potassium and dilute hydrochloric 

 acid. Among vertebrates, oxide of iron was 

 found in the alimentary canal, in the liver and 

 spleen, occasionally in the kidneys and teeth; 

 and in the proteus it occurred throughout the 

 whole skeleton. Among the invertebrates it 

 was found in the cells of the liver and intes- 

 tine, in the respiratory organs, the shells, and 

 the chitinous envelopes. It occurred chiefly in 



the protoplasm of the cells, but also frequently 

 in the nuclei. 



Muscular System. The researches of Profs. 

 Horsley and Schafer (see " Annual Cyclopae- 

 dia," for 1886) on the character of certain 

 muscular contractions are supplemented by 

 observations of Mr. "W. Griffiths, to determine 

 the influence of strain in modifying the number 

 and character of the waves seen in the myo- 

 gram of a voluntarily contracting muscle. The 

 author concludes that the waves seen in the 

 myogram represent contraction and not vibra- 

 tion waves ; that the number of these per sec- 

 ond varies in different individuals ; that the 

 number of muscular responses per second in a 

 voluntarily contracting muscle varies with the 

 weight lifted, increasing with the weight up to 

 a certain maximum, beyond which a decrease 

 takes place ; that the number of responses va- 

 ries with the time during which the muscle is 

 made to contract; a similar course is observed 

 with increased activity to that described in 

 connection with increased weight ; and that 

 the number of responses per second presented 

 by an unweighted muscle and the same muscle 

 in a state of dead strain is fairly constant, and 

 is the lowest number of muscular responses ob- 

 tained fron* a voluntarily contracting mnscle. 



The experiments of Horsley and Schafer 

 have led them to conclude that the normal 

 muscular rhythm is about ten per second. 

 Charcot, studying the differences in the rates 

 of muscular movements in different forms of 

 tremor, has determined tremors of slow rhythm 

 four or five per second in paralysis agi- 

 tans and multiple sclerosis ; and of rapid 

 rhythm eight or nine per second in alco- 

 holic and mercurial tremors and the tremor of 

 exophthalmic goitre. Drs. R. N. Wolfenden 

 and Dawson 'Williams urge that these distinc- 

 tions must be taken with reserve, and main- 

 tain that the rate of the normal tremor is pre- 

 served in pathological conditions, but with 

 variations in amplitude. While the apparent 

 rate is five or six per second in the tremors of 

 old age, a careful study of the curves will 

 show that the apparent single vibrations are 

 really made up of two, and that the slow tre- 

 mor is therefore one of normal rate in which 

 every other vibration is imperfect. 



An attempt has been made by Dr. G. F. 

 Yeo to settle "the doubt which had arisen in 

 regard to the duration and significance of the 

 latent period of excitation in muscle contrac- 

 tion. He finds that as the intensity of stimu- 

 lation increases up to the injurious point, the 

 duration of latency decreases, but beyond this 

 point the latent period becomes longer. Also 

 that if the weight with which the muscle is 

 loaded be suspended by an elastic band from 

 the axle of the lever belonging to the appa- 

 ratus, difference of tension no longer seems to 

 influence the duration of latency. lie lias not 

 recorded less than '004 of a second as the nor- 

 mal time of latency, and no reliable measure- 

 ment (without heating) of a less duration can 



