POISONS. 



PORTO RICO. 



663 



mann's " Untersuchungen," or researches on 

 the structure, lite-manifestations, and reac- 

 tions of animal and vegetable cells ; Detmer's 

 " Pflanzenphysiologische Untersuchungen," or 

 vegetable physiological researches on ferment- 

 formation and ferment - processes ; Brass's 

 " Beitrage " (or contributions) to cell- physi- 

 ology, and sixteen other monographs ; the 

 structure and general features of the blood by 

 nineteen; the circulation by twenty-two (six 

 of them American) ; the lymphatic system by 

 three ; the physiology of the alimentary canal, 

 digestion, etc., by fourteen (one American) ; 

 of the liver, bile, glycogen, etc., by three ; of 

 the kidneys and urine by twenty-six, memoirs. 

 In the general metabolism of the body fifteen 

 papers are recorded, the most important of 

 which is Pavy's, " On the Physiology of the 

 Carbohydrates in the Animal System " ; in 

 animal heat, five ; in the structure of con- 

 tractile and nervous tissues, three ; in the gen- 

 eral properties of contractile tissues, muscle, 

 and nerve, fifteen ; on the central nervous 

 system, twenty-four (three American) ; on the 

 eye and vision, sixteen ; on the ear, hearing, 

 skin and touch, taste and smell, twenty-one ; 

 on speech, four; on locomotion, three; on re- 

 production, etc., ten (two American) ; on the 

 action of drugs, etc., fourteen; and on fer- 

 ments, germs, etc., ten monographs. 



POISONS. Ptomaines. Attention has lately 

 been strongly directed to this important sub- 

 ject, which threatens to revolutionize our pre- 

 vious ideas with regard to the infallibility of 

 well-known tests for the detection of poisons 

 in the dead body. It has been discovered that 

 there are developed within the cadaver certain 

 peculiar alkaloids, which have received from 

 French toxicologists the name " ptomaines." 

 No corresponding English term has yet been 

 suggested. These "cadaveric alkaloids," as 

 they are sometimes called, can also be obtained 

 experimentally from the decomposition of al- 

 bumen, muscle, brain, etc. They have even 

 been found in the physiological excretions, such 

 as saliva and urine. 



It is of vital importance to remember that 

 these substances may easily be mistaken for 

 poisons that have been administered during 

 life with felonious intent. If a toxic substance 

 be found within the body within from twenty- 

 four to forty-eight hours after death, it is strong 

 evidence that it is a real poison and not a 

 ptomaine. After the lapse of two days, how- 

 ever, there may be considerable doubt, and 

 there is no sure test for distinguishing between 

 the true and the false. Chemical must be sup- 

 ported by physiological tests. 



It is supposed that these mysterious pseudo- 

 poisons may be the cause of many obscure path- 

 ological conditions, especially such as follow 

 the ingestion of bad meat, decayed fish, etc. 

 The importance of this discovery is great, since 

 it throws doubt upon many chemical analyses 

 hitherto regarded as exact in their results, and, 

 while adding to the care and responsibility of 



the analyst, it opens a loop-hole of escape for 

 the guilty, such as an unscrupulous lawyer 

 would not be slow to take advantage of. 



Tuberculosis. Since the promulgation of 

 Koch's parasitic theory of tubercular consump- 

 tion, it has met with strong opposition from 

 several quarters, though it is well to remind 

 the reader that the doctrine has been accepted 

 by the majority of the medical profession. The 

 arguments against the theory are briefly these : 

 It has been proved by numerous clinical ob- 

 servations and experiments that certain men 

 and animals possess a decided " scrofulous hab- 

 it," and that only such individuals have pul- 

 monary tuberculosis. Moreover, both men 

 and animals that were previously healthy, may 

 acquire a tendency to consumption through 

 the agency of bad nutrition and hygienic sur- 

 roundings. Whenever such individuals have 

 an inflammation of the lungs, it is of a tuber- 

 culous nature, or, in other words, without in- 

 flammation there can be no tuberculosis. The 

 presence of the microscopic organisms known 

 as " bacilli " is not necessary for the causation 

 of tuberculosis. They only occur secondarily, 

 and after the lung-tissue has begun to break 

 down rapidly. The diseased lungs merely 

 form a favorable soil for these organisms. 

 Lastly, it is asserted that Koch has not proved 

 either the parasitic nature of phthisis, or that 

 there is any special bacillus tuberculosus. 



It will be seen that the discussion turns upon 

 the point whether the bacilli are the cause or 

 the result of phthisis. As far as the evidence 

 at present before us goes, the former theory 

 may be regarded as still unshaken. 



PORTO RICO, an island of the West Indies, a 

 possession of Spain. (For details relating to 

 area and population, see "Annual Cyclopae- 

 dia " for 1883.) 



Government. The Captain-General (since Nov. 

 23, 1884) is Don Luis Davan ; the American 

 Consul at St. John's is E. Conroy. 



Finanee. The revenue during the fiscal year 

 1883-'84 was $3,863,376, and the expenditure 

 $3,926,065, leaving a deficit of $62,689. The 

 budget of the colony for the fiscal year 1884 

 -'85 estimated the outlay as follows : 



General outlays $1,060,573 



Department of Justice 262.480 



Department of War and Navy 1,247.464 



Department of Finance 241,399 



Department of Administration 534.938 



Department of Public Works 811,976 



Total $3,658,780 



The custom-house produced in 1882-'83 from 

 import duties $2,215,651, and from export du- 

 ties $278,697. 



Commercial Treaties. Details relating to the 

 preliminary treaty, and later the general reci- 

 procity treaty, negotiated by Messrs. Foster 

 and Elduayen, will be found under CUBA. 

 In Cuba the main interest centers on sugar, 

 while in Porto Rico a vast area in the uplands 

 is devoted to coiFee-plantiug, and all coffee en- 

 ters the United States duty free. The committee 

 report addressed to Congress by the New York 



