V. 



oi,. XXIII. No. 2.] 



POPTTLAR SCIENCE NEWS. 



29 



n^ediciije and Pliannacy. 



THE HYGIENIC ADVANTAGES OF 

 COUNTRY LIFE. 

 Tiip; comparative advantages of a residence 

 in the coiintr}- or city, is a subject tliat has re- 

 cently been considerably discussed in the col- 

 umns of medical and scientific journals, and 

 almost invariablv in favor of the former. 

 Nevertheless, the tendencv of mankind is to 

 collect themselves into cities. There is a 

 constant emigration from the rural districts 

 towards the great centers of population, which 

 more than supplies the loss from their greater 

 death-rate, so that they continually increase 

 in size, while the prosperous farming re- 

 gions of former days are, in many cases, al- 

 most deserted. Man is evidently a gregari- 

 ous animal, and his natural tendency is to a.s- 

 sociate himself with others of his kind for 

 mutual protection and enjoyment. The 

 crowded tenement houses of our large cities 

 are an unpleasant proof of this, for, although 

 the philanthropist may inveigh against the 

 owner.s of such buildings, and their " gra.sp- 

 ing oppression " of the poor tenants, the fact 

 remains that the most miserable tenement 

 house is but a result of the law of supply and 

 demand, and that with an entire continent 

 waiting to be settled, no person need occupy 

 such body-and-soul-destroying quarters against 

 their will for a single day. It is the occu- 

 pants, not the owners, who are responsible 

 for the existence of such places. 



It is not, however, with the social or eco- 

 nomical side of the subject, but with the hy- 

 gienic elVects of the conditions of modern life 

 that we have to deal, and the first point to be 

 noted is that many of the conditions of life in 

 cities are i<HnaturaI. The wild animal con- 

 fined in a menagerie soon droops and dies, 

 and man, whose whole system is adapted to 

 a free and active existence in the open air, 

 cannot submit to the requirements of city life 

 without more or less injury. The city dweller 

 breathes in air more or less impure, his op- 

 portunities for exercise are limited, the con- 

 stant noise and disturbance must eflect his 

 nervous system to a greater or less degree, 

 and the greater competition and intensity of 

 tlie struggle for-cxistence, while it necessarily 

 developes his intellectual faculties to an unu- 

 sual extent, does so at the expense of his bod- 

 ily welfare. 



And yet tlie hygienic conditions in the 

 countrv are not in every case superior to those 

 of the city. The average farm-house is not 

 by any means a sanitarium. Often imper- 

 fectly constrLicted, it is an insufticient protec- 

 tion against the cold and storms of winter, 

 while a damp cellar filled with decaying veg- 

 etables, a sink-drain discharging upon the 

 surface of the ground directly under the 

 kitchen w indow, aud a shallow well in close 

 proximity to the barnyard or outhouse, often 



furnish an abundant crop of typhoid fever, 

 diphtheria and consumption. 



It must be remembered, however, that all 

 these sources of danger can, in the country, 

 be easily avoided at a small cost. A dry, 

 clean cellar is but a matter of a few hours ex- 

 tra work, and a proper disposal of waste, and 

 an uncontaminatcd water supply are very sim- 

 ple problems in connection with the isolated 

 farmhouse. Pure air, agreeable sights and 

 sounds, a sense of personal security, and op- 

 portunity for leading a natural untrammeled 

 life, are within the reach of every dweller in 

 the country, while the inhabitant of a crowd- 

 ed city, no matter how wealthy he may be, 

 can only obtain these advantages to a very 

 limited degree. 



In connection with the increase of railroad 

 and other rapid transit facilities in recent 

 times, the remarkable development of su- 

 burban towns aroimd our larger cities is a 

 matter of much interest and importance. 

 Numerous beautiful villages and small towns 

 are growing up around them, the residents of 

 which make of the neighboring city a place 

 for business only, returning each day to their 

 country homes. Communication is cheap, 

 swift, and frequent, and all the business, so- 

 cial, and other advantages of the larger city, 

 are at their disposal, while the healthful con- 

 ditions of country life can be enjoyed inuler 

 the most favorable conditions. The increase 

 of such suburban communities is a most en- 

 couraging sign, and under the somewhat on- 

 erous conditions imposed upon us by our 

 modern civilization, they give, perhaps, the 

 mode of life best adapted to our necessities, 

 and best fitted to increase our physical and 

 mental growth. 



[Specially compiled for The Popular Science News.'\ 



MONTHLY SUMMARY OF MEDICAL 



'PROGRESS. 



BY W. S. WELLS, M. D. 



At a late meeting of the Medical Society ot" Lon- 

 don. Dr. Stoker showed a patient who had suffered 

 from goitre, but in whom repeated applications of 

 the galvano-cautery to the nasal passaged had re- 

 sulted in a complete disappearance of the growth. 

 The patient came under his care at first in April, 

 and various modes of treatment afforded no relief. 

 In June there were symptoms of rhinitis, and con- 

 siderable thickening of the turbinated bones was 

 found. The hypertrophied tissues were punctured 

 and scarified with the galvanic wire. After a few 

 applications the goitre Ijegan to diminish, and it 

 has now disappeared. The cauterizations had been 

 continued up to the present time, at fortnightly in- 

 tervals, other treatment being suspended. Dr. 

 Stoker suggested that the nasal treatment h.ad pro- 

 duced reflex irritation of the vaso-motor nerves, 

 causing constriction of the blood vessels in the 

 gland, and diminution o( the hypertrophy, show- 

 ing the intimate connection between the func- 

 tions of the thyroid body and the vaso-motor sys- 

 tem. 



The danger of applying cantharides blistering 

 over the region of the heart in certain cases of dis- 

 ease of this organ, is called to the attention of the 



profession by Prof. Jacoud of Paris. The princi- 

 pal contra indication is the presence of albumen in 

 the urine. It is most important to ascertain the 

 state of the kidneys in these subjects. If there be 

 discovered in the urine even the smallest trace of 

 albumen, the use of blisters to the pnecordium 

 ought to be strictly avoided. Neglect of this rule 

 has led frequently to aggravation of the case. It is 

 easy to substitute iodine paint to the praxordiuni if 

 cantharides be contra-indicated. 



The treatment of ascites by faradization was re- 

 commended by Tripier, but Salfanelli was the first 

 to report a favorable result from such treatment. 

 The case was one of cirrhosis of the liver, and every 

 means had been tried in vain to effect the removal 

 of the fluid by increased diursis. An increased ex- 

 cretion of urine was noted after the first applica- 

 tson of electricity, and after four seances the ascites 

 had entirely disappeared. 



As the causal hepatic condition remained im- 

 changed, however, the fluid re-accumulated. 



Dr. Muret (/Jei- Foiischritt) has recently reported 

 two cases of ascites, one following tubercular peri- 

 tonitis, and the other an enlarged spleen. In both 

 cases a' complete, though temporary, disappearance 

 of the ascites was obtained by Faradization. 



In bronchorrhcea excellent results from the use of 

 Terebene have been obtained by Dr. Martin of Lon- 

 don. He mentions one very aggravated case of 

 longstanding, in which it was given in a mixture 

 as follows: — Terebene, M.X. ; spirits chloroform, 

 M.X. — Mucilage of Tragacanth. 3i- — Syrup. 3ss. — 

 Water, to § i. Four doses and sometimes five 

 were given in the twenty-four hours, and proved 

 most palatable to the patient. 



The eft'ect upon the bronchial secretion was im- 

 mediate and steadily' maintained. The heart also 

 seemed to respond to the stimulant nature of 

 the drug, and its effects upon the atonic flatulent 

 condition of the bowels and stomach were remarka- 

 ble. The tongue cleared, the appetite increased, 

 digestion became comfortable, with consequent in — 

 crease in general strength ; and from the d.ay the 

 terebene was ordered there was a steady impro\e- 

 ment. 



Dr. Stroinovsky. in the Moscow monthly No- 

 rosti Terapii, draws attention to a powerful con- 

 tracting action of Hydrastis Canadensis on the 

 blood vessels of the bladder. 



He describes a case of intense vesical hematuria 

 in an infant seven days old, in which the bleeding 

 was completely and permanently arrested by four 

 doses of the following mixture : — R. •, — Fl. Extr. 

 Hydrastis Canadensis, Gtt. vi. — Emulsionis Anivg- 

 dahf Dulc — F§i — M. A teaspoonful every hour. 

 A warming compress over the vesical region was 

 used, also. 



The local treatment of diphtheria by spray of 

 solution of Sulphuret of Calcium is recommended 

 by Dr. Geo. E. Hubbard, New York. The solution 

 is prepared as follows : — Take of Lime, one part; — 

 Sulphur, two parts; — Water, twenty parts. Slake 

 the lime with some of the water, then add the re- 

 mainder and the sulphur. Boil to twelve parts and 

 filter. 



Under the use of ths solution, in spray, even 

 sparingly applied, the diphtheretic patches undergo 

 a change in a few hours. The temperature soon 

 subsides, and a general improvement in the condi- 

 tion soon follows. In some cases the patches dis- 

 appear entirely in a day. 



If the false membrane has developed rapidly be- 

 fore the physician has seen the patient, this spray 

 will even then be eftectual in arresting systemic 

 poisoning, and soon the tough membrane will be- 



