80 
POPULAE SOIEI^CE NEWS. 
[May, 1890. 
craving, entered upon a course of treatment, the 
results of which were most astonisliing to her phy- 
sician. Tlie next time he saw her was about a week 
after she began taking buttermilk. She then told 
him that since she had been taking it she had 
passed large quantities of urine, of a healthy color. 
"It is needless to say," writes Dr. White, "that I 
was surprised at the result, as I had never in my 
reading seen any reference to its use." To satisfy 
himself as to the cause of the gratifying change in 
the patient, the buttermilk was stopped for two days. 
The urine at once became scanty and high-colored ; 
while, on returning to the use of the buttermilk, the 
urine increased in amount and became of normal 
color. Since that time the patient has taken no 
medioine of any kind, and has almost lived on 
buttermilk, never taking, however, more than two 
quarts a day. The bowels have acted naturally, the 
oedema has almost entirely subsided, the ulcers on 
the legs have healed, and the patient said she had 
not felt so well for years. Dr. White disclaims any 
attempt to explain the action of the buttermilk on 
the kidneys. "I merely give this," he remarks in 
closing, "as an example of its use as a diuretic, 
when everything else had failed. Whether it will 
have the same effect in every other case of chronic 
Bright's disease, I am not prepared to say, as I have 
not had enough experience with it yet. At any 
rate, it seems worthy of a trial." 
MiiyjEL AND RuEFF, after a long series of careful 
observations, {Therapeutic Gazette), recommend the 
inhalation of biniodide of mercury in pulmonary 
tuberculosis. Often after the first administration, 
they say, the cough is relieved, and the expectora- 
tion — even in cases in which there are large cavities 
— becomes reduced in quantity and less offensive in 
odor. Further administration, it is claimed, stops 
the night sweats, increases the bodily weight, and 
improves the general condition. Their method is 
to dissolve one part each of biniodide of mercury 
and iodide of potassium in a thousand parts of dis- 
tilled water. The resulting solution is used in the 
form of a spray, at first once a day, and afterwards 
— when the patient has become accustomed to the 
treatment — twice daily. If too irritating, the 
strength may be reduced, even one half, since it is 
claimed that this preparation of mercury is destruc- 
tive to bacteria in proportion of one to forty thous- 
and. The treatment should be persisted in for long 
periods, if necessary ; patients may be subjected to 
it a year or more without suflering any evil effects 
from it. "If we admit that phthisis is due to the 
presence and growth of a bacillus, the use of such 
a bacteriocide would be indicated on theoretical 
grounds, and, as the authors' experience seems to 
prove that its use may be persisted in without 
danger to the patient, it is certainly worthy of a 
trial." 
Bromoform in Whooping-cough. — Dr. Stepp 
{Deutsche Mediciniscke Wochenschrift) claims to have 
treated one hundred children with thi.s remedy, with 
successful results in every instance. The bromoform 
was given in a pure form, dropped into a teaspopn- 
ful of water. Being of greater specific gravity than 
the water, it sinks to the bottom, and gathers in a 
mass, which is easily swallowed. The dose for an 
infant three or four weeks old is one drop three or 
four times a day ; older infants may be given two or 
three drops three times a day; children between 
two and four years old, four or five drops three or 
four times daily, — and so on up to children of seven 
years, for whom the dose is six to seven drops. 
The cough. Dr. Stepp reports, was at once relieved, 
and cure was complete in from two to four weeks. 
No undesirable after-efl'ects were observed. More 
than two grammes of the liquid should not be pre- 
scribed at one time, because of the readiness of the 
bromoform to decompose. It should not be exposed 
to sunlight, which sets free the bromine. 
Silicate of Magnesium is Chronic Diarrikf. a. 
— Dr. Dehove claims excellent results in this obsti- 
nate affection from the use of silicate of magnesium 
suspended in milk. The dose is from half an ounce 
to an ounce and a half to the quart. 
According to Dr. L. G. Doane, of New York 
City, a neat way of giving quinine is as follows : 
R. Qiiinine, i grain 
Chocolate, i scruple 
Children, he says, will take quinine in this form, 
and cry for more. 
Chloral hydrate is said to be almost a specific 
for quinsy, in its early stages. It is to be dissolved 
in glycerine — three or four grains to the ounce — 
and used as a gargle. It acts as an antiseptic, 
astringent, and sedative. 
Dr. Marcell Hartvvig, of Buffalo, N. Y., pro- 
poses a plan for raising the standard of the medical 
profession in this country, which, he claims, is 
more practicable, as well as more consistent with 
the liberty of the citizens, than any heretofore advo- 
cated. A separate class of practitioners should be 
established by the State; "State physicians" they 
might be called, unless some better designation be 
suggested. This class should be open to all upon 
passing an examination before a board appointed 
by the Governor. Entrance to this class should be 
a prerequisite to the holding of public medical 
office, and to the appearing in courts as expert wit- 
nesses. Other practitioners might exist, as now, 
and the people enjoy the right to employ them, if 
they choose, in preference. But the " State physi- 
cians" ought soon to stand enough higher with the 
people to make it almost a necessity for a medical 
man, who would succeed, to gain entrance to the 
more reputable class. 
A philanthropic Englishman, whose name has 
not been published, but who is said to be the Duke 
of Westminster, has recently given half a million 
dollars to found a convalescent home for the poor of 
London. Only those who are familiar with the 
crowded state of most of the large hospitals for the 
poorer classes in large cities are in a position to 
appreciate what a useful adjunct to them such a 
charity must be. Many a poor man, after recover- 
ing from a serious illness, has had to give place, in 
the hospital, to some more urgent case, before, 
however, his own health was fully re-established, 
and has had to go forth, unfit for work, but unable 
to live without work, only to suffer a relapse, which, 
if not fatal, ends in confirmed invalidism. In many 
of our American cities the establishment of such an 
institution would be of greater benefit to the work- 
ing poor than an increase in the number of hospitals. 
A Good Suhstitute for Mother's Milk. — Add 
a pint of boiling wafer to a pint of pearl barley; 
allow it to cool, and then strain. Mix one-third of 
a pint of this barley with two-thirds of a pint of 
fresh, pure milk, and sweeten with a teaspoonful 
of milk sugar. A mixture will be produced which 
strongly resembles human milk in color, taste, and 
consistence, and which has been extensively and 
satisfactorily used as a substitute. — Medical Sum- 
mary. 
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Publisljers' CoIuiqr. 
*' What a remarkably neat hand you write." Yes, I always 
use an Esterbrook Pen. 
Attention is called to the advertisemunt of the Kstey 
Okgan on the next page. An investigation of its merit is 
equivalent to a purchase. 
An infant recently born at Mason City, West 
Virginia, weighed at birth but one pound. 
Schools and laboratories in need of chemical apparatus will 
do well to communicate with Messrs. Kichakds & Co., New 
York. They are a thoroughly reliable house. 
Dk. Benj". II. Briggs, Selma, Ala., writes: *" Colden's 
Liquid Beef Tonic* is an excellent preparation, whose com- 
position is known, and one that physicians can intelligently 
prescribe. I have found it of great service in my practice." 
In some southern cities the distilled water which is a by- 
product of the artificial ice machines, is sold for drinking and 
culinary purposes at a large profit. One factory using a ma- 
chine manufactured by David BovLE,of Chicago, nets $250.00 
a month from this source, in addition to the regular sale of the 
ice. 
"Gems and Precious Stones" is the title of a book piib- 
Hshed by the Scientific Publishing Co., New York, which 
should be in every library. The illustrations arc exceedingly 
fine, and the whole work is magnificent. The several Agassiz 
Association Chapters should have a copy of this book for 
reference and study. 
"A Year Among the Trees" is the title of a book for- 
merly published at $1.50, but now reduced to 75 cents. The 
matter contained in this volume ot more than 300 pages is taken 
wholly from " the woods and by-ways of New England," and 
will prove especially interesting to the members of the A. A. 
Educational Pu»lishing Co., Boston. 
D. C. Heath & Co., Boston, issue this week Deuttsche 
Literufurgesc/nchte, Vol. 1., by Prof. Carla Wenckebach of 
Welleslej College. The purpose of this work, which is to be 
in three volumes, is to offer students a history, in the Gertnan 
language, of the growth of German literature. While the book 
aims to be popular, it is not on that account less scientific. The 
best authorities have been canvassed, and it is believed that it 
is in harmony with recent investigations. Mehterstucke »nr 
Litentturffescfiic/ite, Vol. I., is bound with Vol. I. of the 
Literaturffischii.hte. 
I^itthll's LiviNci Age. — The numbers of Thf Living Aye 
for April 5tlrand 12th contain Wallace on " D-invinism," by 
the Bishop of Carlisle; On Books and the Housing of Them, 
by Mr. Gladstone, and On Justice, Niiutei-nth Century ; The 
llesults of European Intercourse with the African, and Dr. von 
Dollinger, Contemporary; The Mother of the Strozzi, and The 
Centenary of White's *' Selborne," Nutional; The Lyrism ot 
the English Bomantic Drama, Fortnightly; The Ways of the 
East, Temple Bar; Curiosities of Schoolboy Wit, /.onymans; 
A Tale of Ma«.y Monkeys, Ckambera^ ; The Cave of the Croco- 
diles, St.James\- On the Verge of Spring, Spectator; with the 
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sixty-four large pages each (or more than -3,300 i>ages a year)' 
the subscription price ($8) is low. Eittell & Co., Boston. 
