92 
POPULAR SCIENCE l^I^EWS. 
[June, 1891. 
[Specially Compiled for Popular Science News.] 
MONTHLY SUMMARY OF MEDICAL 
PROGRESS. 
BY MAUKICE D. CLARKE, M. D. 
Old Age and Surgery.— A recent number of 
the Medical News contains a paper on old age as a 
factor in surgery, by N. F. Graham, M. D., of 
Washington, D. C. The changes in the tissues 
and organs of the body which accompany old age 
are believed, both popularly and by a large part 
of the profession, to constitute almost impassable 
barriers to recovery from surgical diseases of a 
grave nature. This idea is being greatly modifled 
by the profession, and people are beginning to 
appreciate that old age of itself does not neces- 
sarily imply that there is little power to recover. 
Briefly stated, the changes which occur with 
age are as follows : The cells become smaller 
without change of structure ; the spleen and lym- 
phatic glands, as well as the villi and glands in 
the digestive tract, diminish greatly in size. Later 
on we have fatty degeneration of the muscles, 
nerves, vessels, and glands, and calcareous depos- 
its in the muscles, ligaments, cartilages, heart, 
and blood vessels ; at the same time these changes 
work a gradual impairment of all the functions of 
the body. In inflammation the same changes take 
place in the cells and blood vessels as in younger 
subjects, although the cellular elements are lesser 
in size. 
The cellular structures of the old will return to 
the embryonic state ; though not so quickly as in 
younger subjects, yet with as much certainty. 
While the other nutritive forces are failing, those 
connected with repair remain in quite a good con- 
dition. 
As there is a strong tendency to diseases of the 
heart and vessels, shock is not so well borne, and 
the reaction from it is but feeble and slow. If, 
however, the heart and nerves are found sound, 
and the pulse is firm and regular, there need be 
no hesitation in operating. 
Aside from this, there are certain conditions of 
the body which give the aged a positive advantage 
over the young. Excitability is lower and slower. 
They are not so liable to hemorrhages, whether 
primary or secondary, or to acute inflammatory 
troubles. Sensation is more obtuse, and they are 
therefore not as subject to acute nervous affec- 
tions, such as tetanus and painful muscular 
spasm, as are younger subjects. 
Though the number of cases of surgical disease 
' requiring operation after the age of seventy is not 
large, yet, when they do occur, operative meas- 
ures are apt to be decliued on the plea of old age ; 
but If the patient's general condition is fairly 
good, and there is hereditary tendency to long 
life, the plea is a very poor one, whether the object 
of the operation be to prolong life or to relieve 
suffering. 
The aged tolerate pain better than the young, 
and they endure operations for pathological con- 
ditions, such as the removal of tumors, cancers, 
etc., very well, because there is a certain toler- 
ance to the gradual change and tissue metamor- 
phosis which render the operation necessary. 
They do not recover from wounds so rapidly, 
because the tissues are more rigid and the soften- 
ing process of inflammation is slower. Tissue- 
genesis predominates over suppuration, and there 
is less waste from pathological conditions. The 
tissues being less excitable, the process of repair 
can take place more readily, and the recuperative 
pow"""" "'•'' improved. 
To sum up, the greatest danger to the aged 
from surgical operation lies in shock, and if the 
patient rallies the prognosis may be considered 
good, so far as repair is concerned. 
Effect of Light on Acuteness of Vision. 
— Inasmuch as the battle between gas and electric 
lighting is still on, it will not come amiss to con- 
trast the hygienic qualities of the three principal 
sources of light, — daylight, gaslight, and the elec- 
tric light, — with regard to their influence upon the 
acuteness of vision. A paper by Dr. von Petten- 
kofer (Munch. Med. Woch.) considers the question 
in a very practical manner. By gaslight the 
acuteness of vision is lessened by about one-tenth 
as against daylight, while it is increased with the 
electric light, especially as regards the distinction 
of colors. The effectiveness of the electric light, 
however, is much diminished by fogs, but this can 
be easily offset by increasing the intensity of the 
light. The glare of the electric light finds many 
objectors, but this can be avoided by means of a 
glass ball, lessening the brightness of the light 
about twenty per cent. The brightness of the 
white and violet rays of the electric light is best 
overcome by a yellow shade; the yellow and red 
of gaslight, by a blue shade. In using gaslight it 
must be kept at a certain distance, on account of 
the immense amount of heat evolved; while in 
using the electric light it may be brought near by, 
the disagreeable intensity of the light being les- 
sened as much as necessary. According to the 
investigations of Renk, a gas-jet furnishing as 
much light as an Edison burner will give off 
twenty times as much heat as the latter.* The 
Munich Court Theatre was the scene of some in- 
teresting experiments to prove this point. The 
theatre, while empty, was lit up with gas, and in 
an hour the temperature in the gallery was raised 
from 16° to 27° R. ; with electric lights of the 
same power the change was from 16° to 17°. 
When the house was filled the difference was not 
so great, for human beings also produce a great 
deal of warmth; with gas the final temperature 
was 22.8° R., — a distressingly warm temperature, 
— while with electricity the last temperature was 
17.6° R. (72° F.), a temperature which is easily 
borne. 
Bassorin Paste.— This is a new base, for use 
in dermatological practice, which is highly ex- 
tolled by Dr. George T. Elliot (Journal of Cuta- 
neous and Genito- Urinary Diseases'). It is com- 
posed of bassorin, water, glycerin, and dextrin. 
The advantages of this paste are thus summarized 
by the author : 
1. Bassorin paste, is a perfectly neutral sub- 
stance which of itself produces no irritation what- 
ever, and when used alone it acts simply as a pro- 
tective to the skin. It does not become rancid, or 
decompose, or undergo change when kept for a 
length of time, unless it be exposed in an open 
vessel. When this is done it becomes dry and 
hard, but even then rubbing it with a little water 
renders it again as serviceable as at first. 
2. It is easy and simple in application, requir- 
ing to be spread upon the skin with the finger or a 
brush. It dries in the space of a few minutes if 
so applied, adheres closely, does not rub off and 
soil the linen, but forms a flexible coat, which 
does not interfere with the movements of the 
body. When its removal is desired, the prepara- 
tion can be washed off with a little water, or a 
damp cloth or sponge. It remains in situ without 
change for a variable length of time, depending 
upon the condition of the surface on which it has 
been applied. 
3. With the bassorin paste almost any drug 
can be incorporated ; those which exist in the 
form of powders or in solid forms in any amount 
desired, the tars, ichthyol, and oily substances in 
smaller percentages, but sufficient for all practical 
purposes. 
4. The action of drugs incorporated with it 
and their effect upon disease apjjears to be as 
good as when such are used in other excipients — 
or perhaps better in some cases. 
5. It is of wide applicability, and of value in 
both acute and chronic forms of disease, its use 
being limited only by the degree of moisture on 
the surface being treated or to which it may be 
exposed. 
The Electric Light as a Therapeutic 
Agent.- — In the Revista de Oiencias Medicas, Dr. 
Estanislao von Stein reports a number of neuras- 
thenic, hysterical, and rheumatic affections suc- 
cessfully treated by illuminating the surfaces 
with the electric light. His apparatus consists of 
an incandescent light of twelve volts, supplied 
with an infundibuliform reflector and a handle. 
Illuminating a painful joint or nerve, as sciatica, 
for two to five minutes, has yielded him surprising 
results. The alterations, especially of the nerves, 
which take place are probably of a molecular 
character. 
I 
The Gastric Juice. — Dr. Kianouski, in an 
ai'ticle on the "Microbicide Action of the Gastric 
Juice," comes to the following conclusions : The 
empty stomach of a healthy man contains innu- 
merable organisms. The gastric juice, and prin- 
cipally the hydrochloric acid, possesses microbi- 
cide properties. The microbes take no active part 
in digestion. Persons who, on account of some 
affections, secrete little hydrochloric acid, are 
easily intoxicated, by means of the micro-organ- 
isms in the stoipach. Therefore, the stomach 
should not remain in an empty condition for any 
length of time, and during an epidemic, food 
should be taken at frequent intervals, and, if 
possible, sterilized. 
Hypnotism in Its Relation to Surgery. — 
Dr. Lanphear, of Kansas City, reports a case of 
double talipes, iu which the subject had chronic 
Bright's disease which contra-indicated the use of 
ether, and at the same time he had an organic 
heart trouble which prevented the safe use of 
chloroform. The patient wanted to be operated 
upon, and Dr. Lanphear hesitated to give the 
ordinary an;esthetic, and so hypnotized him. Con- 
trary to the generally accepted idea that at the 
first seance a sufticient degree of anaisthesia can- 
not be produced to perform an operation, the doc- 
tor got a sufticient degree of annesthesia by sug- 
gestion, by which he performed the operation for 
talipes, and the patient lay upon the table as 
fixed and immovable as marble during the whole 
operation.- — Cincinnati Medical Journal. 
Vaccination. — Surgeon Parke, who accompa- 
nied Stanley's Emin Pasha relief expedition, 
brings back with him an additional proof of the 
value of vaccination. Before the expedition 
started, the majority of the men were vaccinated 
by the doctor. In the wilds of Africa an epi- 
demic of small-pox broke out, and only four of 
the vaccinated men were attacked by the disease, 
and none died, while the camp followers, wlio had 
not been vaccinated, took the disease in its most 
virulent form and died in great numbers. — Am. 
Lancet. 
