320 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Sept. 



question. This principle has already been applied to in- 

 fluence or cut short disease in man, The author has thus 

 treated 10 cases in Drasche's clinic, the serum being- ob- 

 tained from patients who had just passed throug-h an attack 

 of rheumatic fever. No specific curc^tive action could be 

 proved to exist, although in some cases after two or three 

 injections the disease ended in an unusually short time. 

 In the 10 cases 22 injections were given, and on 9 occasions 

 a favorable effect was noted both as regards swelling- in 

 the joints and pain. In 6 cases no result was visible, and 

 in another 3 an apparent increase in the disease occurred. 

 A fall of temperature thrt)Ug-h 1 to 1>^ degrees C. occurred 

 with sweating in those cases influenced by the treatment, 

 whereas, where no eftect was visible, no fall of tempera- 

 ture occurred. Sixto 10 grammes of the serum were used 

 on an average, IS to 20 grammes being employed in 2 cases. 

 In 1 case, in which an exacerbation of the disease occurred 

 after the injection, a subacute attack developed into an 

 acute polyarthritis. With so few cases no conclusions 

 can be drawn, but even in cases where a beneficial effect 

 was obtained the inflammatory symptons reappeared later. 

 In 2 cases the author injected albumoses, three injections 

 of somatose being given in one case, and two in another, 

 with positive results, but here again the effect was a pass- 

 ing- one. In these injections two results may be obtained: 



1. A specific one. 



2. A general action upon the whole individual. 



The author thinks that the latter occurred in his cases ; 

 naturally, the joints being a place of least resistance were 

 most affected. 



MICROSCOPK AL NOTES. 



French Method of Purifying Water. — The French 

 Aceidemy of Sciences appears to endorse the new method 

 of purifying water by permanganate of lime and bioxide 

 of manganese. According to this method the permanga- 

 nate of lime, coming in contact with organic matter and 

 micro-org-anisms, destroys them and decomposes itself in- 



