158 



POPULAE SCIElSrCE NEWS. 



[October, 1888. 



the microscope, for the blood of any animal the 

 corpuscles of which have a mean diameter of less 

 than 55j^ or even ^^^^ of an inch. 



3. (a) If the average diameter of blood-corpus- 

 cles in fresh blood is less than ^j^^jj, then it cannot 

 possibly be human blood. 



(i) If the diameter is more than ^-^^^, then it 

 may be human blood. 



(c) If the blood-corpuscles, after exhaustive 

 measurement, give a mean diameter of more than 

 ^g*j^, then it is human blood (provided it is not the 

 blood of one of the wild beasts referred to). 



The foregoing applies especially to the diagnosis 

 of fresh blood. With regard to dried blood, it is 

 claimed that this can be recognized just as readily, 

 provided it has dried quickly. Blood that has 

 dried slowly, undergoes decomposition, and its mor- 

 phology cannot be made out. A good liquid for 

 remoistening blood is Muller's fluid; but perhaps 

 the best is Virchow's solution, composed of thirty 

 parts caustic potash and seventy parts water. At 

 least five hundred measurements should be made in 

 order to establish the average diameter of the cells. 



If the corpuscles are spheroidal from absorption 

 of moisture, or crenated from drying, they may still 

 be diagnosed, because such changes, as seen from 

 the tables, are the same in the corpuscles of all 

 animals, and have really their proportionate and 

 corresponding ratio of alteration in form and dim- 

 inution in size, the range or scale of diminution 

 being always alike in the same animal. — 



The red blood-corpuscles that have become spher- 

 ical from imbibition of liquid have thus presented 

 in Dr. Formad's experiments the following average 

 diameters in the various animals: — 



1. Man. ^a^iin in. 5. Rabbit, ^1/03 in. 



2. Guinea-pig, 45^111 in. 6. Ox, 5^00 in- 



3. Wolf, jgViu in. 7. Sheep, whm in. 



4. Dog, 4 ,'oTi in. 8. Goat, 5 1'm in. 



These figures show that the diameter of the arti- 

 ficially spherical corpuscles in each animal is just 

 about one-third less than that of the normal bi- 

 concave or disk-like corpuscles of the same animals. 



Dr. Formad is very positive about the value of 

 the microscope and micrometer in determining 

 human blood, taking much the same position as 

 that of Dr. Richardson. Fortunately it is not very 

 often that the microscope is called upon to decide 

 whether a certain stain is that of human blood or 

 of the blood of a domestic mammal. We hardly 

 think that a jury would convict on its testimony 

 that the corpuscles in a clot were -^-^^-^ inch too 

 broad to be those of a dog or guinea-pig. Still, 

 the opinions of experts are becoming more fixed 

 upon this matter, and doubtless Dr. Formad's 

 article will help to give certainty to a hitherto 

 mooted point. — Medical Record. 



MEDICAL MEMORANDA. 



The Peiicentage of Positively Useful 

 Drugs. — Dr. Uhler writes in the Maryland Medi- 

 cal Journal, " Materia medica and therapeutics are 

 more exact than I anticipated; for, after an exam- 

 ination of 324 remedies described in onr text- 

 books, I find that 218 are known to frequently do 

 their work, 116 are untrustworthy, and about one- 

 third of the whole, or 108, are very active: and this 

 is probably the correct answer to Professor Bar- 

 tholow's question of the ' Degree of Certainty in 

 Therapeutics.' " 



Hospital Telephones. — There is a talk of 

 applying telephones to the infectious wards of the 

 French hospitals, so as to enable the sick people 

 isolated in their contagious sufferings to have the 

 comfort of hearing their relatives' voices without 

 any risk of conveying infection by an interview. 

 It certainly is a very humane idea, and would not 



— one would think — be a very costly one to carry 

 out. 



"Recommended by all Physicians." — An 

 English antiquarian has been delving among old 

 newspaper files, and has discovered what he says is 

 the first commercial advertisement ever printed in 

 a newspaper. It appeared in the Mercurius Politi 

 cus of London, dated Sept. 30, 1658. It runs as 

 follows: "That Excellent and by all Physitians 

 approved China Drink called by all the Chineans 

 Tcha, by other nations Tay alias Tee, is sold at 

 the Sultaness Head Cophee House, in Sweeting's 

 Rents, by the Royal Exchange, London." 



Bone-Cutting by Electkicity. — Removal of 

 sections of bone in surgical operations has hereto- 

 fore been a long, tedious process, effected with a 

 mallet, chisel, gouges, etc. It is, perhaps, the 

 most brutal and unscientific method which could 

 be adopted, and sounds like the operative butchery 

 which existed in the last century. This has all 

 been reformed by an invention called the electric 

 osteotome, says the London Electrical Engineer, 

 which is an instrument holding a circular saw at 

 its extremity, revolved with lightning speed by an 

 electric motor. This, when held against a bone, 

 makes a clean cut through it in a few seconds; in 

 fact, its action is instantaneous. By holding the 

 osteotome in a slanting position, wedge-shaped 

 pieces can be cut out with equal promptitude. 

 There is no danger of the saw cutting the soft 

 parts, as they are protected by a retractor, — an 

 instrument which is passed down and under the 

 bone. 



Treatment of Pneumonia. — In the good old 

 days when the accumulation of a winter's debris in 

 the blood was drawn off by way of the roedio- 

 basilic vein, when pneumonia patients were placed 

 in a sitting posture and bled till they fell over, the 

 mortality rate in this disease was something over 

 one in three. AVhen phlebotomy was changed for 

 emetics and purgatives, only about one in four 

 succumbed. Later the "do-nothing plan" re- 

 duced the mortality to about fifteen per cent; and, 

 following this, the supportive treatment has reduced 

 the death rate in uncomplicated cases to less than 

 five per cent. 



— t— 



HUMORS. 



The Deadly Milk-Shake. ^ — A writer in the 

 Medical Reviexe humorously remarks, " The aver- 

 age overheated child or adult who runs the gantlet 

 of corner dairies, soda stands, and their accom- 

 paniments of flies, germs, tyrotoxicon, etc., and 

 partakes of a large glass of cold milk the only 

 merit of which is, that it has been violently agi- 

 tated with broken ice, is likely to become violently 

 agitated himself, with broken hopes, cramp-colic, 

 and intestinal indigestions." 



A Spanish Magistrate, shocked and exas- 

 perated by repeated food adulteration, has issued a 

 proclamation, aflame with righteous wrath, that 

 " all wines, groceries, and provisions which, upon 

 analysis, are proved to be injurious to health, will 

 be confiscated forthwith, and distiibuted to the 

 different charitable institutions." 



A LITTLE boy was taken sick for the first time, 

 and the doctor with much ceremony made him 

 swallow a powder " Papa," said the boy, a 

 minute later, " ain't it time I was taking the shot, 

 now? " — Puck. 



A Mistake in Diagnosis. — " Ifind, madam," 

 said a young physician, "that your husband is 

 suffering from overwork." — " And will he have to 

 give up his place under the government? " she 

 asked anxiously. " What's that? Is he a gov- 

 ernment official? " — " Yes, sir." — " H-m ! I'll 

 diagnose his case again. He probably needs exer- 

 cise." 



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Pu6IiBJ)crB' Colttmn. 



A PEN picture — Esterbrook's display of Steel Pens 

 at the various expositions, Plilladelpliia, St. Lonis, 

 Louisville, New Orleans, at all of which medals were 

 awarded. 



Dr. Benjamin H. Buiggs, Selma, Ala, writes, Col- 

 den's Liquid Beef Tonic is an excellent preparation, 

 whose composition is known, and one that physicians 

 can intelligently prescribe. I have found it of great 

 service in my practice. 



McArthub's Syrup of Hypophosphitks is in- 

 tended for physicians' ii.se only, anil is not in any sense 

 a patent medicine. It lias already l)ecoiiie a standard 

 preparation among the medical profession. 



A LONG list of seasonable books is advertised in this 

 number by Mr. Bradlef. Whidden. All persons in- 

 terested in any department of natural history will 

 find some volume in the list which will be indispen- 

 sable to them in the pursuit of their favorite study. 



An immense advance has been made in breweries 

 in the past six years by the change from ice to ma- 

 chine refrigeration; large gains in storage cajiaoily, 

 lower and more uniform temperatures under perfect 

 control, drier and purer air in cellars, and the absence 

 of dripping ceilings and slushy floors. The machines 

 made by David Boyle of Chicago are extensively 

 used, and give universal satisfaction. 



Fryk's Emulsion of Cod-Liver Oil is made by 

 special machinery, and the emulsifying process is much 

 more complete and thorough than by the old-fashioned 

 methods. In addition, only the very best quality of 

 oil is used, thus producing a preparation of the highest 

 value and ellicacy. 



— * 



Thayer's Nutritive is a preparation which, al- 

 thougli not claiming to be a medicine, must undoubt- 

 edly have great remedial value in diseases where the 

 powers of assimilation of ordinary food are impaired. 

 It posse.s.ses stimulant and nutritive properties in such 

 a form that little work is required from the digestive 

 organs, which are thus given a chance to rest and 

 regain their usual strength. 



A physician writes, " In ca,ses where mental effort 

 has been protracted till a sense of weariness renders 

 its continuance difficult, a dose of Horsfokd's Acid 

 Phosphate, from its stimulant effect, relieves fatigue, 

 and seems to invigorate the mental powers, and ])re- 

 paie the mind for renewed exertion. In the night- 

 sweats attending consumption and other distressing 

 diseases this preparation can be employed with marked 

 benefit." Horsford's Acid Phosphate is very agree- 

 able to the taste, and not nauseous. It is for sale by 

 all druggists and dealers in medicine. 



One of the most popular wines on the market to-day 

 is the Florida Wink Company's Orange Wine. This 

 wine, which is a delightful beverage for table use, and 

 which is also prescribed in several leading hospitals 

 both in Philadelphia and New York, is made at Clay 

 Springs, Orange County, Florida, from the skinless 

 pulp of the richest and ripest oranges. The wine, 

 while having sufficient " body," is at the same time 

 as light as champagne, and slightly aromatic. It is 

 non-intoxicating, containing less than twelve per cent 

 of alcohol. 



