298 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Sept. 



is the best, as it has no saline bodies to directly diminish 

 its solvest powers. 



2. Lemon juice. 



3. Remove sulphur foods as far as possible. This is 

 stopping causes and shows the close relation of dietetics 

 to the practice of medicine as curative or detective. 



4. Elimination, as indicated, is secured by the plenti- 

 ful use of hot water, one pint one hour before meals and 

 on going to bed, by hot, dry or vapor baths and by keep- 

 ing the cystin in solution so that it will exosmose into the 

 "primae viae" for expulsion. Solid bodies must gener- 

 ally be liquefied before elimination. If we can judge 

 from experience, lemon juice is the best solvent of cystin. 

 Saline eliminants are not desirable, because there are too 

 many salts in crystal already, and saline eliminants only 

 add to the load already too burdensome to be borne. 



On the Application of a Recently Isolated Abrasive Substance 

 to the Study of Hard Mineral Substances and Metals. 



By K. M. CUNNINGHAM, 

 MOBii,E, Ala. 

 As an introduction to the subject matter of the above 

 title, it may be appropriate to refer to the fascinative 

 power associated with the hope of an artificial synthesis, 

 or production of the diamond in the modern laboratory, as 

 contradistiui^uished from its past production in nature's 

 laboratory. And among all who have been allured by 

 the alchemy of this hope, many have eagerly sought its 

 solution, by operating on the various forms of natural 

 or artificial carbonaceous matter; but apparently in vain. 

 But if electrolytic chemistry has thus far failed to pro- 

 duce pure crystallized carbon, it has nevertheless, in the 

 fruitless search, given to science and the arts, many use- 

 ful substances; more and more aj)proaching to the char- 



