112 



POPTTLAR SCIENCE NEWS. 



[July, 1888. 



majority. After sketching agreeably the pleasure 

 and profit of a change of air, he qualities his eulogy 

 of its therapeutic power by saying, that, in order to 

 be benefited, one must not put one's worries in 

 one's handbag, and carry them about. Many per- 

 sons who are " ordered " to the seashore or moun- 

 tains, go there grumbling under protest, and spend 

 the precious days of would-be recuperation in long- 

 ing to get back to the duties that haunt them. 

 This sort of a " change " is a mere farce, but often 

 it is the only kind that is obtainable. People are 

 too poor to count the outing as a pleasure: it is an 

 expense over which they fret till the last vestige of 

 benefit is worn away. On this account, the physi- 

 cian must beware of flippant advice to try the sea- 

 shore and mountains, when such a change may 

 involve expenses which are hard to bear, and may 

 lead only to heavier burdens thereafter. Unfortu- 

 nately, the people who are overworked, — the mid- 

 dle classes, — who, with the tastes and aspirations of 

 the rich, have only very limited means at command, 

 are the very ones who most need the change, and 

 get it with the greatest difficulty. Before pre- 

 scribing a change of air, it is well to estimate the 

 labor involved in getting it, — as to whether the 

 effect of the tremendous effort necessary may not 

 outweigh the results of the change. 



In ordering change of air, it is wise not to 

 promise too much. Do not pack people off to some 

 distant clime, as some physicians do, because they 

 do not know what to do with them. One ought to 

 consider well before advising climatic changes in 

 the case of a person presumably incurable. The 

 excitement of a journey often hastens death in per- 

 sons who are very low ; and, if death ensues, it is 

 very sad and inconvenient to the friends, and very 

 prejudicial to the physician's fame. At best a 

 change of air ought only to be suggested ; coercion 

 does no good. If the patient doesn't want to go, 

 has whims, fancies, and so on, let her be: a change 

 would effect nothing. So far as it is possible with- 

 out injury, sick people should have their own way. 

 "Taking it as a whole," says Dr. Crespi, "re- 

 garding the matter in the light of a philosopher 

 and of an experienced practitioner, I contend that 

 change of air is a less potent factor for good, a 

 less reliable therapeutic agent, than commonly sup- 

 posed, and that it needs using with consummate 

 care and discretion, always following the patient's 

 tastes, and always having due regard to his circum- 

 stances. In many cases change is inexpedient; in 

 some, most injurious; in others, it should only be 

 permitted after a long and confidential interview 

 with client and friends, and after the latter have 

 been carefully prepared for the probable results." 

 — Medical World. 



A NEW HYPNOTIC. 

 In the New York Medical Record Dr. E. C. 

 Wendt describes sulfonal, a new hypnotic. Chemi- 

 cally this substance enjoys the euphonious desig- 

 nation of " diKthylsulfondimethylmethan." It 

 occurs in the form of large, flat, colorless crystals, 

 which are tasteless and devoid of smell. Sulfonal 

 is soluble in eighteen to twenty parts of boiling 

 water. In tepid water the solubility is only about 

 one to one hundred. The crystals dissolve more 

 readily in alcohol, and alcohol mixed with ether. 

 Acids and alkalies do not affect the composition of 

 the body, which appears to possess considerable 

 chemical stability. The crystals melt at a tem- 

 perature of 275° to 260° F. According to Professor 

 Kast of Freiburg, sulfo.ial is an hypnotic pure and 

 simple. It does not compel sleep through a paralytic 

 effect on the nerve-centres nor through a profound 

 impression produced upon the vascular system. 

 From numerous experiments on animals and 

 many clinical observations on man, the action of 



this new remedy would appear to consist merely in 

 the intensification of those factors that lead to 

 natural sleep in the physiological sense, or in sup- 

 plying the periodical desire for sleep in those cases 

 where it is wanting. It is for this reason, prob- 

 ably, that the range of applicability of sulfonal is 

 a more limited one than that of some other drugs 

 employed as hypuotics. But sulfonal has none of 

 the disadvantages inherent in the deadly narcotics, 

 and it is much more reliable than any of the 

 bromides. This new body does not disturb diges- 

 tion, it is not constipating, it has no unpleasant 

 after-effects, it is perfectly harmless, it does not 

 invite the formation of "a habit," and, finally, it 

 does not appear to lose its efficacy, even when em- 

 ployed for a long period. 



. MEDICAL MEMORANDA. 



Insect-Stings. — The pain, according to Dr. 

 Bernbeck (^London Medical Record), is best relieved 

 by applying flexible collodion containing 35 grains 

 to the fluid ounce of salicylic acid. Pain is 

 quickly relieved, and swelling of the part generally 

 prevented. 



Micro-Okganisms. — M. Vignal, Paris, is accred- 

 ited with the statement, that the mouth contains 

 seventeen distinct species of micro-organisms. He 

 concludes that they play an important part in the 

 digestion of food. 



Mouth- Wash. — The British Dental Journal 

 gives the following : — 



Take resorcin, 2 drachms; vol. ext. eucalyptus, 

 1 drachm; aquam, ad 4 ounces; mix, rub up with 

 magnesium carbonate, 2 drachms, and fllter. One 

 teaspoonful to the tumbler of water, used f e- 

 quently as a wash for spongy gums, stomatitis, or 

 after extraction, will be found valuable. 



Periostitis of the Jaws. — The Re'cue de 

 Tkerapeutique states that commencing superficial 

 periostitis of the jaws may be promptly checked, 

 and the pain cured, by painting with tincture of 

 aconite and tincture of iodine, equal parts. The 

 application should be intrusted to a physician only. 



HUMORS. 



A London druggist displays the following card 

 in his window: " Come in and get twelve emetics 

 for a shilling." 



Composition on Physiology by SmallBoy. 

 — The human body is made up of the head, the 

 thorax, and the abdomen. The head contains the 

 brains, when there is any. The thorax contains 

 the heart and lungs. The abdomen contains the 

 bowels, of which there are five, — A, E, I, O, U, 

 and sometimes W and Y. 



He was Dissipated. — In the chemical lab- 

 oratory: — 



" Professor, what has become of Tom Appleton? 

 Wasn't he studying with the class last year? " 



"Ah, yes; Appleton — poor fellow! A fine 

 student, but absent-minded in the use of chemicals, 

 veiy. That discoloration on the ceiling — notice 

 it?" 



"Yes." 



"That's him." 



The Indiana Medical Juurnal tells of an Amer- 

 ican in Paris who was about to die. He or- 

 dered the following despatch sent by cable as soon 

 as the last breath left his body: " Am dead 

 Corpse will follow by next steamer." 



The cheapest and simplest gymnasium in the 

 world — one that will exercise every bone and 

 muscle in the body — is a flat piece of steel notched 

 on one side, fitting tightly into a wooden frame, 

 and, after being greased on both sides with a bacon 

 rind, rubbed into a stick of wood laid lengthwise 

 of a sawbuck. 



€fjc popular Science l^ctDjef. 



rUltI,[!SHKI) MONTHLY BY TIIK 



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19 Pearl Street, Koston. 



ONE DOLLAR A YEAR, IN ADVANCE. 



SETir C. BASSETT, 

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Pnbltci!)ere' Column. 



For writers' paralysis use a rubber penholder anil 

 Esterbrook's turned-up-polnt pens, Nos. SO!*, 25G, and 

 187G. 



Those wishing a first-class shoe for a little money 

 are referred to the advertisement of Messrs. Sweit 

 & Sherwood. Tlie tirm is a tliorouglily reliable one, 

 and will send their goods by mail to all parts ot tie 

 country. 



♦ — 



Dr. CO. Clark, Oswego, N.Y., says: "Iliavemade 

 sufficient experiment of GoLOEti's Liquid Beef Tonic 

 to enable me to say it is by far the best of all the prep- 

 arations of the kind (fooil aud tonic) that I have ever 

 used. To the sufferer from chronic diseases, or the 

 convalescent, it is invaluable, being both nourishing 

 aud strengthening. 



— • 



A RECENT number of the Scientific American con- 

 tained a full illustrated description of the worlds of 

 Messrs. J. \V. Queen & Co. of Pliiladelphia, one (if 

 the largest manufactories of scientific instruments in 

 the world. In addition they import largely from the 

 best English and European makers. Illu>irated cata- 

 logues of apparatus pertaining to any branch of science 

 will be sent upon application. 



In 1879 David Boyle built tlie first refrigerating 

 machine in the Empire Brewery of the Ph. Best Brew- 

 ing Company, Milwaukee, and gained their confidence, 

 so that they have since then purchased three more fifty- 

 ton Boyle machines, and intrusted the whole refriger- 

 ation of their immense brewery to these machines. 

 They are perfectly satisfied with their macliiuery to- 

 day. 



——* — 



Dr. W. W. Gardner, Springfield, Mass., says: " It 

 seems almost tautological to recommend Horsford's 

 A<uD Phosphate, a valuable local and stomach tonic. 

 I have made use of it iu my family and iu practice for 

 years. I will, however, repeat what my practice con- 

 firms: that I value it, when taken according to direc- 

 tions, as an excellent preventive of indigestion, and a 

 pleasant acidulated drink when properly diluted with 

 water, and sweetened." 



Attention iscalled totheatlvertisement of Messrs. 

 Henry Thayer & Co , Cambridgeport, Mass. Their 

 Nutritive is prepared for use in cases of malnutrition 

 or non-assimilation of food, and especially for use iu 

 convalescence following prolonged sickness. The 

 agents used in its composition seem remarkably well 

 adaptetl for this purpose. 



We notice that the increasing business of tlie well- 

 known advertising agent Mr. J. H. Bates has neces- 

 sitated a removal to more commodious quarters at 38 

 Park Row, New York. Mr. Bates is an old acquaint- 

 ance of nearly all the publishers in tlie country, as 

 well as the leading advertisers ; and we are glad to 

 learn that his honorable and accurate methods of 

 business have secured him a well-deserved success. 



The twenty-first year of the New England Con- 

 servatory OF Music, Boston, which has just drawn 

 to a close, has been the most successful in the history 

 of that phenomenally successful institution. Nearly 

 2,300 pupils have received instruction in its several 

 schools of music, art, oratory, languages, literature, 

 piano and organ tuning, pliysical culture, etc. Every 

 State and Territory, and many other countries, have 

 been represented iu its luills. The ablest artists and 

 teachers are in its Faculty, aud yearly additions are 

 made from American aud European resources. 



