1894.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 221 



An examination of the blood corpuscles in 173 cases showed 

 some interesting data. In only three patients did the red cor- 

 puscles exceed 4,000,000 ; 23 per cent numbering over 3,000,- 

 000 to the cubic millimeter ; 47 per cent over 2,000,000, and 28 

 per cent less than 2,000,000 red blood corpuscles. 



The average gain of red corpuscles during treatment was 

 1,290,000. A boy of 18 years gained 2,542,000; another, aged 

 16, gained during one month 7 pounds weight and 2,208,000 

 red blood corpuscles. The corpuscles were counted by the 

 Thoma-Zeiss method, taking the average of 6 to 10 squares. 

 The average number of Avhite corpuscles on admission was 

 10,860, and the average gain in hospital 5,370. The increase in 

 haemoglobin was from 22 to 32 per cent as shown by Gower's 

 hjemoglobinometer. 



Four gramme doses of thymol will often rid the patient of 

 hundreds of worms. After from one to three doses the micro- 

 scope usually fails to detect any eggs in the excreta. In feeble 

 patients 25 grains of brandy are administered with the thymol. 

 The excrota are disinfected with perchloride of mercury (] in 

 500). 



The microscope proved that the anaemia was best treated 

 with a daily supply of one and a half grammes of sulphate of 

 iron in water in three equal doses. 



A very full and exceedingly interesting paper on this subject 

 is found in the Lancet for June 2, 1894, pp. 1362-1368. 



BACTERIOLOGY. 



Removal of Pathogenic Bacteria from Drinking Water. 

 — This is the title of a paper in tlie December Technological 

 Quarterly^ the author being Mr. Geo. W. Fuller, Biologist of the 

 Lawrence Experiment Station in Massachusetts. He has found 

 that filtration through sand removes the bacteria from water 

 and renders it harmless. The results of his experiments with 

 water infected with typhoid and other germs were extremelj' 

 gratifying. His work, however, is largely confirmatory of 

 European work. The Thames water has been filtered for sev- 

 eral years and the average typhoid fever death-rate in London 

 for 1886-'88 was only 1.6 per 10,000 inhabitants. In 1891 , it was 

 only 1.3 per 10,000, while that of Chicago was, in 1891, 16.0 or 



