Vol. XXV. No. 12.] 
POPULAE SCIENCE NEWS. 
189 
Goat Vaccine. — M. ^rvieus, in a lengthy pa- 
per on goat vaccine, read before the Aeademie de 
Medicine, conies to the following conclusions : A 
goat inoculated with cow or human lymph fur- 
nishes lymph exactly similar to that of the cow ; 
vaccination direct from the goat succeeds as well 
as from the cow, if the lymph is used quite fresh. 
Vaccination witli goat lymph, after it has been 
used to vaccinate a human subject, gives the same 
results as cow lymph. In consequence of the dis- 
cussion at the Academic de Medicine concerning 
goat lymph, Mii. Berlin and Picq asked that their 
pli cachete, deposited at the Academic last Janu- 
ary, should be opened. Its contents may be 
summed up as follows : Tuberculosis may be 
transmitted to the human subject by cow lymph ; 
goats, which are refractory to tuberculosis, should 
be substituted for cows; the latter may be tuber- 
culous and j-et be apparently in perfect health. 
MM. Berlin and Picq are continuing their experi- 
ments on the cow and the goat, to ascertain if 
tuberculosis can be transmitted either by virus or 
vaccine. — N. Y. Med. Times. 
TuE Treatment of Epithelioma by Magne- 
sium Sulphas. — Dr. E. E. Graves reports eight 
cures where the treatment was three drachms of 
sulphate of magnesia to one pint of water, a tea- 
spoonful of the solution taken four limes a day. 
After the parts have been cleaned, a little dry 
boric acid or a small amount of carbolic acid oint- 
ment w.as used. No other local treatment was 
given. In most of the cases when the disease was 
first observed by the patient, it was manifested as 
a hard scale on the surface of the skiu, or situated 
on a button-like eminence on the face, which had 
been there for many months and perhaps years. 
Some slight itching or stinging sensation might 
cause the patient to remove the scale for several 
times, and it might become a little thicker and 
harder each time, when finally on being removed 
there would be found a moist ulcerating surface 
which soon became deeper and broader. The 
edges became indurated and elevated, and we 
finally had a growtli of a nodular character, 
wliicli by commensurate increase on its circum- 
ference kept a little in advance of the destruclion 
which was going on in the center. There may 
hsve been a mistake in the diagnosis of all these 
cases ; but it is a fact that whereas we had 
growths or enlargements of an elevated character 
with round or oval bases, whose summits were 
elevated and dark in color, with a disciiarge of an 
icliorous character, and those growths increasing 
perceptibly from one week to another, both in 
depth and in circumference, and pain of a prick- 
ing character, we now have a surface which is 
natural and healthy in appearance, and nothing 
to show that it was ever diseased in the least. — 
Boston Med. and Surg. Jour. 
[British Medical Journal.] 
ETHER OR CHLOROFORM? 
Dr. .Julliard, after narrating a case in which 
death occurred during etherization, gives twenty 
cases of death by chloroform, seventeen of those 
being published for the first time. Of the twenty, 
no fewer than fifteen occurred before the opera- 
tion had commenced. He then sums up his argu- 
ment by stating : (1) that anyone who is ana;sthe- 
tized by chloroform or by ether risks his life ; and 
(2) that the risk is five times less with ether than 
witli chloroform. If, then, ether is less danger- 
ous, why is it not preferred? Tills leads Dr. .lul- 
liard to discuss tlie objections to ether, and his 
fairness is indicated by his careful consideration 
of no fewer than eighteen objections : 
1. Ether is disagreeable. This is a matter of 
taste, and is hardly worthy of consideration, in 
view of the risk. 
2. Ether is difficult to administer, requiring 
complicated apparatus. Dr. Julliard gives it with 
a very simple mask containing gauze and flannel, 
and covered with macintosli cloth. 
3. Ether is less active than chloroform, and 
the anajsthetic eftect is more slowly produced. 
True; but the little delay is more than compen- 
sated by the additional safety. 
4. Ether does not pioduce a sufficiently deep 
anresthetic effect. Denied ; objection not consist- 
ent with experience, if a sufficient dose be given. 
5. Stronger preliminary excitement witli ether. 
Excitement occurs in about the same number of 
cases with lioth anicsthetics. Dr. Julliard finds 
that a preliminary subcutaneous injection of mor- 
phine in most cases prevents excitement. 
6. Vomiting is more common after ether. Sta- 
tistics show that tills occurs in one in nine cases 
after ether, and that the proportion is about the 
same after chloroform. 
7. Ether is inflammable. True ; and therefore 
it should not be used where the thermo-cautery is 
to be employed in operations on the head. As a 
matter of prudence, chloroform is to be then pre- 
ferred. 
8. Ether causes coughing during the operation. 
True; but this may be diminislied by breathing at 
first tlirough the nose a vapor not too concen- 
trated, and by a subcutaneous injection of mor- 
phine. 
9. Ether salivates. An exceptional phenome- 
non, occurring in one in twenty cases, and disap- 
pearing during deep anaisthesia. Wliere it is 
necessary to guard against it, a subcutaneous in- 
jection of morpliine and atropine is efficacious. 
10. Ether excites bronchial secretions. This 
occurs rarely, and the tendency is much dimin- 
ished by the subcutaneous injection of morphine 
and by breathing diluted vapor. It occurs chiefly 
at the beginning of the administration, and dis- 
appears in deep amesthesia. 
11. Ether causes cyanosis. This occurs yi 
nervous and alcoholic subjects. When observed, 
stop the administration, and recommence when 
the cyanosis has passed oft'. Cyanosis only occurs 
in cases in which any anaesthetic is more than 
usually dangerous. 
12. lather asphyxiates. This accident may 
occur in one of two ways : (o) by an arrest of the 
respiratory mechanism ; or (6) by tracheo-bron- 
chial hypersecretion. It is not common. Stop- 
page of administration and artificial respiration 
are the proper procedures. 
13. Vapor of ether disagreeable to other pa- 
tients, nurses, etc. This is largely avoided by 
using a proper mask. 
14. Ether causes severe muscular tremors. 
This occurs rarely, cliiefly in alcoholics, usually 
in tlie lower limbs, ceases during deep anajsthesia, 
and it may pass oft' on strong flexion of the great 
toe. It is very rarely seen after subcutaneous 
injection of morphine. 
15. Etlier is eliminated more slowly. It is 
true that patients recover more quickly from etlier 
than from chloroform, but occasionally cases 
occur in which the recovery is not complete for 
several hours. These cases are very rare, and 
have no disagreeable conclusion. The rule is 
rapid recovery. 
16. Etlier lowers the temperature more than 
chloroform. This is also true, but the difl'erence 
is so small as to be of no account. 
17. Pother causes nephritis, pulmonary conges- 
tion, bronchitis, even pneumonia. Not admitted. 
Dr. Julliard, in all operations of long duration, 
gives a subcutaneous injection of one-sixth to one- 
third of a grain of morphine. He finds that this 
calms the patient, notably diminishes the quan- 
tity of etlier necessary, and sometimes produces, 
after a few whiffs of ether, a remarkable condi- 
tion of analgesia, or insensibility to pain without 
loss of consciousness. The latter condition is 
undoubtedly the ideal anresthetic state. The in- 
jection is given to the patient in a quiet room, 
and he is encouraged to close his eyes and to 
sleep. In about twenty minutes he is carried to 
the operating table, where in quietness and with- 
out excitement he is etherized. Julliard narrates 
seven cases of analgesia with ether and one case 
with chloroform. In all these cases the patient 
was conscious but felt no pain, and in several he 
was able to aid the surgeon by voluntarily making 
convenient movements. 
In conclusion. Dr. Julliard denounces the 
method of giving a concentrated vapor of ether 
at the beginning of the inhalation, with the view 
of quickly producing anaesthesia, as being likely 
to cause any or several of the accidents of ether 
administration. He also views with disfavor 
Kocher's method of giving chloroform at the be- 
ginning, and of continuing the anesthesia with 
ether, designating the method as the combination 
of the dangers of chloi-ofoini with the disadvan- 
tages of ether. 
[Notes on New Remedies.] 
A FEW CORN CURES. 
IIV n. M. WHELIM.EY, PH. G., M. D. 
It must not be forgotten that the conditions 
which caused the corn in the fiist place will in- 
duce its return uTider like circumstances. Always 
impress the customer's mind with this fact. The 
use of the surgeon's knife in removing toes is the 
only means of preventing the return of corns on 
some people's feet. But then the druggist need 
not worry over that, for the trade is a source of 
revenue, if properly handled. 
Probably the most popular corn cures depend 
on the action of salicylic acid. Among the many 
therapeutic properties of this comparatively new 
remedy is its power to disintegrate epithelial tis- 
sue. It is usually combined with Cannabis Indica. 
The form I have found useful is to mix nine parts 
of salicylic acid with one part of extract of Can- 
nabis Indica and forty-eight parts of collodion. 
This is applied to the corn every night with a 
caniel's-hair hinsh. The foot should be clean be- 
fore it is applied and the mixture permitted to 
thoroughly dry before it comes in contact with 
clothing. 
I am aware that there are several other formulas 
published for this same mixture, and that they 
usually call for less of the salicylic acid ; but I 
believe the above amount should be used in order 
to get good results. 
A salicylic acid corn plaster is made by mixing 
six parts of resin and adding five parts of balsam 
of fir, and then stirring in ten parts of salicylic 
acid as it cools. This can be spread on any suita- 
ble medium for a plaster. When used, the corn 
must not be rubbed with the shoe. 
lianolin forms the basis of another salicylic acid 
plaster, and cocaine is added with the idea of 
making it painless. To form the plaster mix six 
drachms of salicylic acid thoroughly with ten 
drachms of lanolin. Dissolve five grains of hy- 
droclilorate of cocaine in a small quantity of warm 
alcohol and mix the solution with one fiuid ounce 
of creosote. Mix one-half ounce of melted white 
wax with one-half ounce of vaseline and add the 
