Vol. XXII. No. 4.] 



POPULAE SCIENCE NEWS. 



63 



patient has used coffee to stimulate his brain 

 during mental strain, his condition is that of the 

 gourmand whose system requires unloading, and 

 who, instead of rest, should be made to exercise on 

 low diet, with coffee left out. 



In the Anatomischer Anzeiger is a curious 

 article on " Epidermal Pigment and Epidermal 

 Alimentation." Experiments by Karg, KoUiker, 

 and Abey demonstrated that the skin of a white 

 person transplanted on the skin of a negro became 

 as black as the skin of the negro. On the contrary, 

 the skin of a negro inoculated on the skin of a 

 white person lost its pigment, and became as white 

 as its surrounding tissue. 



Gersung, Cenlralbl. f. Chir., employs wicking 

 impregnated with iodoform, in place of strips of 

 gauze, as a tampon for wound-cavities. Many dis- 

 advantages are pointed out connected with the use 

 of gauze, especially in cavities; while the advan- 

 tages claimed for the wicking are, that a sufficient 

 length of the wick may be used to fill up the 

 cavity, while the end left to protrude is no larger 

 than a drainage-tube, and its removal is readily 

 accomplished. This dressing is said to have been 

 adopted in several Vienna hospitals. In Billroth 's 

 Clinic an iodoform-tannic wick is employed as a 

 tampon, made by sprinkling iodoform wicking 

 with tannic acid. If the discharge from the wound 

 is great, a drainage-tube should be combined with 

 the medicated wick. 



The sulpho-benzoate of soda for the dressing 

 of wounds was particularly lauded by Dr. Heckle 

 at a recent meeting of the Academy of Sciences, 

 Paris. The results claimed has been so satisfac- 

 tory, that the doctor considers this agent far supe- 

 rior to any and all antiseptics now in use, and 

 with none of the objections pertaining to most of 

 them. 



—* — 



[Original In Popular Science Nnot.] 



MEDICAL MISCELLANY. 



BY DR. S. F. LANDKKY. 



Sick-Headache. — The headache of indigestion, 

 accompanied by scotoma, or scintillations and daz- 

 zlings of light before the eyes, is always due to 

 acidity and evolution of ga.ses in the stomach. 

 When not accompanied by aphasia or by a want of 

 co-ordination, it is easily cured by common salera- 

 tus or supercarbonate of soda. Let the patient 

 take one-fourth of a teaspoonful in much water, 

 — say, four to six tablespoonf uls, or more, — wait 

 a few minutes, and if not relieved repeat the dose. 

 The glimmering soon ceases, and the pain forgets 

 to follow. Hot water can be used if the stomach is 

 very weak, and Bondault's pepsin will sometimes 

 relieve it without the soda. 



fiLYCEHiNE AS AN Infusoricide. — The Writer 

 would draw attention to the fact that glycerine is 

 a potent destroyer of infusorial life. To a micros- 

 copist every thing visible becomes a subject for 

 microscopy. Hence, in passing a turbid mud-hole 

 by the roadside, a small vial of the filthy water 

 was secured, to ascertain " what was in it." 

 Euglenias, rotifers, kolpodes, and all manner of 

 curious animalcute were found. After enjoying 

 the sight for a while, like any other child, I desired 

 to tear down the cob-house my fancy and micro- 

 scope had built up for observation. One agent after 

 another was tried on .separate portions, till finally 

 glycerine was obtained, and a drop of it in their 

 midst worked wonders. It must have effectually 

 shut out the air, as grease does when a fly drops in 

 it ; for no sooner had it mingled with the water 



than " every mother's son " of an animalcule died, 

 nor could the addition of fresh water bring them 

 to life. Numberless experiments confirmed the 

 results then obtained. Glycerine, however, will not 

 destroy vinegar eels. 



Overheat as a Cause of Disease. — Coup 

 de soleil is an acknowledged cause of many deaths, 

 and a fruitful source of cerebral trouble in after- 

 years to those who survive a severe attack of what 

 is popularly known as sunstroke. But let me add 

 a word of caution to women who cook and have to 

 toil over heated stoves, and in the close, hot air of 

 overheated kitchens, against coup d'e'tuve, or stove- 

 stroke. Before the old-fashioned open fireplace 

 our mothers and sisters suffered much from the 

 effects of direct heat in the face; and in browning 

 coffee, boiling, and baking, they would often be well- 

 nigh overpowered with the heat. Here, however, 

 was an occasional relief, by the moving of cold 

 currents to the open fire, that worked to their 

 benefit. Moreover, with the introduction of stoves 

 came the building of smaller rooms for kitchens, 

 and the consequently greater accumulations of heat 

 about the stoves, especially when washing, ironing, 

 and baking, that in time proved a prolific source 

 of bronchitis, asthma, headaches, and disturbed 

 circulations. Diseases have multiplied aggres- 

 sively with the increase of patents, till at present 

 it is no uncommon thing to find abundant work for 

 those who treat respiratory diseases in almost 

 every household where stoves are commonly used 

 Especially is this the case where proper ventilation 

 is not secured, and ample room giveil to cooks to 

 occasionally escape the effects of direct stove-heat. 



I slept one night in a small bedroom in which 

 was a small stove. The night was a cold one in 

 winter. The stove was filled with wood, and all 

 the dampers closed to prevent rapid burning. It 

 proved, however, to be full of open joints, and at 

 length a furious fire was the result. I awoke 

 bathed in sweat, suffocated almost to smothering, 

 roaring in the ears equal to' a railroad train, 

 dizziness so great I could hardly get out of bed 

 to attend to opening doors and cooling the stove. 

 What I suffered has given me a sympathy for those 

 who must endure, only in less degree, the heat of 

 kitchen stoves. No wonder that apoplexy, epilepsy, 

 cerebral congestion, and congestive headaches, 

 severe colds, and bronchitis, are the common ail- 

 ments of those who suffer from coup d'eluve. 

 Beware of overheating yourself or your babies; 

 keep baby's feet, and not its head, toward the 

 stove. 



Milk Sickness — The English synonymes of 

 sick stomach, swamp sickness, tires, slows, stiff 

 joints, trembles, puking fever, river sickness, aptly 

 describe some of its symptoms. It is about the 

 only word, as the name of a disease, for which 

 Dunglison could not find, or at least does not give, 

 about seventy-Jive Greek, Dutch, Latin, French, 

 and German synonymes. Most of the works on 

 medical practice wholly ignore its existence, or 

 show their wisdom in ignorance by saying nothing 

 about it. 



Dunglison says truthfully, "It is attributed in 

 cattle to something eaten or drunk by them, and 

 in man to the eating of the flesh of animals labor- 

 ing under the disease." But he makes another 

 statement, "It is endemic," which is not borne 

 out by experience: for, out of a hundred head of 

 cattle grazing over the same ground, perhaps not 

 more than six to a dozen will become affected; 

 and of those families who use the milk, some will 

 not feel any serious effects, others will be pros- 

 trated, and others again in the same family, per- 

 haps, be slightly nauseated, and feel badly for a 



few days. But to those who are in a susceptible 

 condition, and receive a sufficient quantity of the 

 poison, it is certain death without speedy and in- 

 telligent relief. 



The symptoms are those which the same author 

 gives for acronarcotic poisons. In 1854-56 Carroll 

 County, Ind., near Lockport, was much annoyed 

 by this fearful ailment. In company with my 

 preceptor, Dr. M. A. Parr, I visited a great many 

 who were thus afiiicted. But we never gave an 

 emetic, except at the very commencement. Emet- 

 ics are too exhausting, and the patient's strength 

 must be well husbanded, or in the relapsing stage 

 he will sink from sheer exhaustion. I have seen 

 a hollow in the epigastrium that would receive a 

 good-sized cup, and the bowels so dry they would 

 almost rustle like autumn leaves. Mucilaginous 

 drinks, an active purge, followed, if ineffective, by 

 large clysters of soap and water, or salted gruel, 

 repeated till effective, followed by supporting treat- 

 ment of tonics, ammonia, beef-tea, etc., never 

 failed, except when the patient was already beyond 

 the reach of help. The cause of milk sickness is 

 the Rhus toxicodendron, the leaves of which are 

 eaten by cattle, and communicated to their calves 

 through their milk, and to humanity through both 

 milk and flesh. I suggested the above to my pre- 

 ceptor, and we tried and proved it to be true, and at 

 this late day I give it freely, that others may know 

 the cause, and be able to save lives that may be in 

 jeopardy. 



Retreating Foreheads. — Business-men gen- 

 erally recognize the importance of active mental 

 powers and perceptivity in their subordinates. 

 Thinkers will always be in demand; but the more 

 active seamen, laborers, bookkeepers, typewriters, 

 shorthand writers, telegraphers, clerks, ticket 

 agents, and rapid as well as accurate talkers, 

 writers, and accountants, will be in still greater 

 demand. With the increase of inventions, the in- 

 troduction of new machinery and newer methods 

 of business, come also the well-trained, active 

 hands, brains, and tongues of those who are to 

 take the places of the slow-plodding, old-fashioned 

 business-men. Men must now know what they are 

 doing, and what they will or can do under all the 

 possible changes and environments of their situa- 

 tions in life. Deception, sharp trading, adultera- 

 tion, and often unprincipled competition, face 

 honest men. With these overwrought but dis- 

 honest perceptive intellects, sharp as an edge-tool 

 in their specialties, must the fair-minded and 

 slower-acting but more deeply thinking men 

 compete. Fortunes are often made or lost on the 

 spur of a moment. Quick apprehension, rapid 

 decision, far-seeing, comprehensive thought, — fem- 

 inine intuition, one might say, — that decides 

 first and thinks afterward, is what the business- 

 men of to-day need and seek : an accuracy of 

 observation that decides of a man, whatever his 

 pretensions may be, at a single glance. The war 

 of secession dried up many of the fountains of 

 extravagance and ignorance. Utility came to the 

 front. Men of beauty, thought, talents, and wealth 

 were tried and condemned. "What is he?" 

 " what does he know? " " who were his ances- 

 tors? " were seldom asked. " What can he do? " 

 became the question of the hour. He only who 

 could accomplish was in demand. By the people 

 only real necessities were asked for or purchased, 

 and really perceptive men were those who reaped 

 the harvests during the war. Men of retreating 

 foreheads made the war, fought it through, reaped 

 its benefits, and settled down to think after the 

 work was done. We do not mean that reason was 

 ignored, nor that these retreating foreheads lacked 

 in intellect or wisdom ; but we do say, and mean 



