212 THE AMEKICAN MONTHLY [September, 



Medical Microscopy. 



By F. BLANCHARD, M. D., 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Germ-Free Drinking \A(^ater. — We now know enough about the 

 causation of disease to be certain that a large proportion, particularly 

 of intestinal diseases, are due to organic impurities in drinking water. 



To provide healthy drinking water for dense populations^ is one of 

 the most difficult problems of sanitary engineerirtg. 



While the engineers are solving the problem, and while Philadelphia, 

 Chicago, and Cincinnati are trying to make filthy water fit to drink, it 

 is well enough to remind the individual that, as far as the home circle 

 is concerned, each family may be safe at this point by a very simple ex- 

 pedient, viz., boiling all the water used for drinking purposes. 



Strain or filter ordinary hydrant water, to remove coarser impurities ; 

 boil it for half an hour in the family tea-kettle ; put it in a clean recep- 

 tacle ; cool it by packing ice around it, not by putting ice in it, and 

 you may be tolerably certain that there are no disease-producing germs 

 left in the water. 



When you go away from home, the problem becomes more compli- 

 cated. You must either take your chances, or go to greater trouble to 

 be safe. Coffee is safe. Whisky is worse than bacilli. The side- 

 walk pump and the "• old oaken bucket" are reeking abominations. 

 The public drinking fountain — who knows what diseased lip has 

 touched the cup just befoi^e you .^ 



Away from home, as well as at home, if you want to be safe, boiled 

 or distilled water is still your best drink. 



Phagocytosis. — The impression gained from looking over our ex- 

 changes is that Metschnikoff^'s doctrine of phagocytosis is gaining 

 ground in the estimation of bacteriologists. 



Peroxide of Hydrogen. — If we may believe all that we read just 

 now about peroxide of hydrogen, this antiseptic leaves little to be de- 

 sired as a purifier of ulcers, abscess cavities, etc. The trouble is, we 

 don't know how many of these testimonials are paid advertisements, 

 and how many are honest records. But we are giving it a trial, and 

 we advise the brethren to do the same. 



A Danger in Using the Serum of Dogs' Blood. — When the 

 serum of a dog is mixed with human blood, or when human serum is 

 mixed with dog's blood, morphological changes are induced in the red 

 blood corpuscles, and a peculiar substance is precipitated, which, theo- 

 retically, might be the cause of embolism. — La France Medicate. 



" There maybe valuable curative agents discovered among the pi'o- 

 ducts of bacterial activity, but I have never believed that a disease will 

 be cured by the administration of the very poison which is causing the 

 disease. I say 1 have never believed in ^lis, but I am open to convic- 

 tion on this point, and take much interest in the study of the results 

 now being reported from all parts of the world, as well as in my own 

 observation of the effects of the proposed cui^e. So far, however, I 

 have seen no sufficient reason for any change in my belief on this 

 point." — Dr. Victor C. Vaughati., Bacteriotogicat Woi'td., June., 

 i8gi. 



