no 
POPULAR SCIENCE I^EWS. 
[July, 1891. 
week. After the old cuticle had been entirely 
removed, the finger and toe nails began to drop 
off — new nails literally crowding them out. Fi- 
nally the change was complete; the man had a 
new skin and a new outfit of nails, and was ready 
to return to the mines. The shedding began in 
his first year and recurred every July thereafter. 
New York Medical Record. 
Transmissibility op Influenza. — In opposi- 
tion to the theory that influenza is a disease not 
dependent upon personal contact of Individuals 
for its progression, that it is not evolved by the 
intrinsical operations of a specific poison and 
propagated through and by means of the ordi- 
nary channels of human intercourse, may be men- 
tioned that during the late epidemic observers 
have found that the course of influenza was inde- 
pendent of, and quite opposed to, the prevailing 
winds. It travelled slowly in Siberia and Russia, 
but rapidly as soon as it reached the network of 
railways in Central and Western Europe. Its 
course was changed by the mountain ranges of 
Scandinavia, and it invaded Norway, not from 
Sweden, but from Holland and England. Again, 
it was deflected by the Carpathians, turning its 
course in the channels of travel down the valley 
of the Danube, and ultimately following, in direc- 
tion and time, the ocean routes to Africa, India, 
Australia, and this country. In India it has 
shown the same peculiarities in following the 
railway lines as has been observed with us.^ — 
Journal of Americal Medical Association. 
[Medical Eecord.] 
CURE BY MIRACLE. 
The age of miracles was popularly supposed to 
liave terminated some few centuries ago, but such 
is not the case, at least so far as St. Louis is con- 
cerned. The following is a brief report of one of 
the latest and best from that city: "For five 
years Sister Mary Philomena had suffered from an 
abscess that threatened permanent injury to the 
brain. Partial blindness resulted. On Tuesday 
Sister Baptista visited the sick nun, and offered 
up a Novena in private prayer. She also gave her 
a relic. In a paroxysm of pain, Wednesday night, 
Sister Philomena swallowed the relic. When she 
awoke she felt a strange pricking above her eye. 
Lifting her hand to the spot, she felt a needle, 
which she grasped and pulled out, and, transfixed 
on its point, was the relic that the sister swal- 
lowed. The truth of the marvellous miracle," the 
account goes on to say, "is vouched for by Dr. 
Alt and the Mother Superior." We confess our- 
selves glad that the transfixed relic part of the 
story has been vouched for, else 'twere hard to 
credit. Should this fall under the eye of Dr. Alt, 
we sincerely hope he will send further details of 
the relic's progress from the stomach to the eye. 
That the needle should have effected its exit 
through the orbit is not so wonderful, since we 
are told that it is easier for a needle to pass 
through the eye than it is for a rich man; the 
probable interpretation of this being, that if a 
lady gets a rich man in her eye it is harder for 
him to escape than it would be for a needle simi- 
larly situated. Dr. Oliver W. Holmes's hypothe- 
sis of the total depravity of inanimate objects can 
alone account for tlie perversity of the needle in 
remaining in the lady's eye until it was furnished 
with a relic to transfix. Many instances have 
been placed on record of particles of glass passing 
through the eye, but investigation has almost 
always brought out the history of a man with an 
eye-glass, or a man with a glass eye, as party of 
the first part, and a man with a fist, and possess- 
ing a knowledge of its use, as party of the second. 
Miracles are always interesting, and if Dr. Alt 
knows of other instances equal to the one related, 
it is to be hoped he will not withhold them. 
MEDICAL MISCELLANY. 
Smell of Iodoforji. — It is stated that the 
smell of iodoform may be quickly removed from 
the hands by washing once or twice with flaxseed 
meal in water. 
Medical Hats. — It is proposed by certain Ger- 
man physicians that medical coachmen, or rather 
the coachmen of medical men, be distinguished by 
wearing white hats. 
A Chemist's Ruse. — A man named Harry Jar- 
vis was charged at Birmingham with attempting 
suicide. He appears to have gone home in a very 
excited state, said some prayers, and then, hav- 
ing swallowed the contents of a packet labelled 
poison, seated himself to wait results. His wife 
sent for the police, who took the would-be suicide 
to a neighboring chemist's for an emetic; and 
then it turned out that the man had obtained the 
supposed poison from this chemist, who, noting 
that the fellow looked peculiar, gave him a harm- 
less packet of chalk. 
Milton's Homeopathy. — A correspondent of 
the Scientific American points out the curious fact 
that the poetical mind of John Milton anticipated 
the theory of Hahnemann, as is evinced by the 
following extract from his preface to " Samson 
Agonistes." He remarks that tragedy has power, 
"by raising pity or fear or terror, to purge the 
mind of these and such like passions ; that is, to 
temper and reduce them to just measure with a 
kind of delight, stirred up by seeing those pas- 
sions well imitated. Nor is nature wanting in her 
own effects to make good this assertion ; for so in 
physic things of melancholic hue and quality are 
used against melancholy, sour against sour, salt 
to remove salt humors." 
Unique Treatment.— Dr. Tyson records, says 
the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, a unique 
and successful treatment for hysterical vomiting. 
A young girl, fourteen years of age, insisted that 
she vomited everything she swallowed, even water. 
Her statements were found to be true. She had 
every manner of treatment employed, but to no 
purpose. She was blistered, and received strong 
currents of electricity to no eff'ect, and was finally 
discharged. She returned a few days afterwards, 
claiming to be as bad as ever. The resident phy- 
sician, knowing that all else had been tried, told 
her emphatically that whatever she vomited she 
must immediately svvallow. To the surprise of 
all, her vomiting ceased, and since the order was 
given has had no further trouble. 
Dispensing on Board Ship. — It is related 
that a lieutenant in command of one of Her Maj- 
esty's gunboats deemed the responsibility of the 
charge of a medicine-chest too much for him. 
Immediately she was oft" soundings the gallant 
officer mustered all hands, and divided the con- 
tents of the chest equally, so that each had "his 
whack and ua mair." There is another naval yarn 
in this connection well worth mentioning. A 
mau-of-war*doctor, whose name is unfortunately 
lost to posterity, had a simple method of locating 
a man's ailment, and alleviating it (save the mark) 
by drastic and infallible remedies. He would tie 
a piece of tape around the waist of the complain- 
ing mariner, and command him to declare whether 
his pain existed above or below the tape. If 
above, an emetic, and if below, a dose of salts, 
followed as a matter of course. 
The Popular Science News 
Boston Journal of Chemistry. 
A Monthly Journal devoted to the poi'ulai; 
presentation of all the bkanchks of 
Physical and Natural Science, and 
THE results of the latest dis- 
coveries and investigations. 
Popular Science News Company, 
publishers, 
6 Somerset Street, Boston. 
SETII C. BASSETT, - Manager. 
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five Cents to foreign countries in Postal Union. 
ADVERTISING RATES 
For any amount of space or time furnished on application. 
Liberal discounts on yearly contracts. 
No advertisements of doubtful nature inserted at any price. 
p'tibli|,f^ei'§' ©olun^rp. 
A NEW system has been inaugurated by 
the publishers OF THE SCIENCE NEWS, and 
the semi-annual bills have BEEN SENT TO 
DELINQUENT SUBSCRIBERS IN SEALED ENVEL- 
OPES, INSTEAD OF BEING ENCLOSED IN THE 
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WILL BE GIVEN TO THESE BILLS AND AN EARLY 
REMITTANCE MADE OF AMOUNTS WHICH ARE NOW 
AT LEAST SIX MONTHS OVERDUE. ALL REMIT- 
TANCES RECEIVED UP TO JUNE 23 HAVE BEEN 
CREDITED ON THIS MONTH'S LABEL. 
To the point— the points of the Esterbrook Pens, vvhicli 
are smooth and even, producing pleasant and easy writing. 
Don't fail to read the advertisement of the Tyek Rpbeek 
Co. on the last page of this paper. Tou will be sure to And 
something that you need. 
The ice produced by the Ice Machines of David Boyle 
is of such superior purity and quality that it readily brings 
a higher price in the market than that frozen in those of 
other makers, and, in many cases, than natural ice itself. 
The Phosphorole and other specialties of the lirra of 
Billings, Clapp & Co. are well worthy the attention of 
physicians. They manufacture, In addition, a full line of 
the standard chemical and pharmaceutical preparations 
of unrivalled quality and purity. 
The basis of Dixon's Graphite Paint Is an allotropic 
form of carbon, and is unchangeable in form, color, or sub- 
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may be exposed when used for this purpose. In addition 
to this, Its covering power is much greater than other kinds 
of paints, rendering It much more economical to use. 
From having recommended to several of my patients 
COLi>EN's Liquid Beef Tonic, I consider it to be a very 
beneflcial preparation in debility, loss of appetite, or in any 
case requiring a mild stimulant combined with a very 
agreeable tonic; and feel satisfied that wlien the extract 
has been more generally employed it will meet with a very 
large and increasing demand.— W. E. ScoTT, M. D., Mon- 
treal. 
Among the latest and most interesting additions to the 
list of Souvenir Spoons are the Hannah Duston ami 
Bradford Academy spoons advertised in tliis issue. 
Every native of New England is familiar with the st(n-y of 
the heroic Hannah Duston, and tlie hundreds of alumni of 
Bradford Academy in all parts of the country will be glad 
of the opportunity to procure such an interesting souvenir 
of that celebrated educational institution. 
