142 



POPULAE SOIEISTCE NEWS. 



[Sep 



TEMHER, 



1889. 



the skull. Now, with the fingers of the left hand, 

 determine the junction of the occiput with the first 

 cervical vertebra, posteriorly, and at this point intro- 

 duce a thin steel instrument, — anordinary awl being 

 of the proper type, — carrying it at once forward to 

 median line until its point rests on the basilar pro- 

 cess of the occipital bone, and then move it from 

 side to side in such a way as to break up the sub- 

 stance of the medulla, when all movements of respi- 

 ration will cease instantaneously, and, if the animal 

 chosen be a cat, its "nine lives" will have all been 

 destroyed by an insignificant instrument and a slight 

 movement of the wrist. The writer has "pithed" 

 animals without using an aniesthetic, but, in order 

 that the results may be determined with accuracy, 

 the administration of ether is advisable. The 

 experiment, as explained, will be found especially 

 adapted to class demonstration, and, to this end, 

 may be rendered more complete by hinging a long, 

 light stick near the animal, so as to allow the free 

 end to extend over the body, thus making a conve- 

 nient indicator for magnifying the respiratory 

 movements. 



Having now seen how that when the respiratory 

 centre is broken up, both the power and the stimu- 

 lus to breathe are at once taken away, and how the 

 animal dies, without any appearance of suffering, by 

 want of aeration of the blood, which leads after 

 some moments to arrest of the circulation, let us 

 now see how the respiratory centre is destroyed by 

 hanging. This may result, first, from the fractur- 

 ing of one or more of the cervical vertebra;, and the 

 consequent protrusion of the fragments of bone into 

 the medulla ; or, secondly, from the dislocation of 

 the atlas and axis (the first and second cervical ver- 

 tebne), when, as a natural result, the odontoid 

 process of the axis is thrust backward and upward 

 into the substance of the medulla, destroying the 

 continuity of the parts and breaking up this vital 

 centre. What more could be desired.' Indeed, a 

 study of the arrangement and functions of these 

 parts seems to reveal an ingenious construction, 

 providentially provided, in order that by hanging 

 capital punishment might be meted out with an 

 unequalled humaneness! Those who oppose hang- 

 ing may cry aloud against it, but they cannot re- 

 move by hopes and theories that which investiga- 

 tion, experiment, and practice prove to be all that 

 can be desired when skilfully applied. What we do 

 need is more science and skill in the management 

 of hanging, and not new methods of execution. 



J. H. E. 



BACTERIA IN MILK AND ITS PRODUCTS. 



During the past year investigations on the bacte- 

 ria of milk have been carried on in the laboratory of 

 Storr's School Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 under the direction of II. W. Conn, prolessor of 

 biology in Wesleyan University, and we deem the 

 subject of sufficient medical importance to call atten- 

 tion to some of the more interesting results, which 

 have already been published in the bulletin of the 

 station for July. 



It has been found that milk is a medium in which 

 bacteria grow with the greatest readiness. Some 

 thirty or forty species were found floating in the air 

 in the vicinity of the station. All of these were to 

 be found in cream. Although they grew readily in 

 milk, yet cream seemed to be a better medium ; 

 probably because it kept longer without putrifying, 

 and thus allowed some of the slower growing species 

 time to develop. Butter is not so good, apparently 

 from a deficiency of albtnninous matter. The sweet- 

 est butter always contains some bacteria; when they 

 become numerous, the butter becomes tainted. 



Milk when first drawn from a healthy cow is free 



from bacteria ; but the short exposure to the air in 

 the act of milking is sufficient to contaminate it. 

 Of eight sterilized tubes having milk drawn directly 

 into them from a carefully washed teat by clean 

 hands, and each tube then plugged with sterile cot- 

 ton, seven became sour within a few days, and were 

 found to contain many bacteria. The eighth re- 

 mained sweet for a long time, yet it eventually also 

 changed. Ordinarily, however, the number of bac- 

 teria in the air is of little importance compared to 

 those from unclean vessels, which are the great 

 source of infection. In ripened cream each drop 

 has been found to contain from 10,000 to 100,000 

 bacteria (more of the larger number) , and of about 

 thirty species. 



Two or three of the species usually found in milk 

 are characteristic. Of these, one — the bacillus acidi 

 lactiti — produces the ordinary souring of milk. 

 Another — the oidium lactis — grows rapidly, yet 

 seeiTis to produce no important change in the milk. 

 The first is always found to be very abundant in the 

 air in warm weather, but at times during a cold 

 winter it is almost absent. Then milk could be ex- 

 posed in a perfectly clean ves.sel to the open air for 

 two weeks without going through the characteristic 

 change of souring, yet it would finally curdle with a 

 peculiar odor of decay. 



Considered as to their mode of action , four differ- 

 ent classes of bacteria were met with in milk. Some 

 induced, at ordinary temperature, the change com- 

 monly known as souring. Some others would grow 

 rapidly at such a temperature, but would produce 

 like results only at some higher temperatures. 

 Others would not decompose the milk sugar with 

 the formation of acids and curds at all, but would 

 leave the milk fluid, and sometimes decidedly alka- 

 line ; still others, though making curds, would pro- 

 duce no acid, but make the milk alkaline instead. 

 The larger number of the species, however, produce 

 both acid and curds at some temperature. 



The manner of curdling was found to differ 

 greatly. In .some cases a hard curd with a clear 

 whey is formed ; in others the curd has no clear 

 whey separated from it, while in other cases the 

 whole milk is turned into a semi-gelatinous mass. 

 With some bacteria the curd is easily broken or 

 cracked, while with others it is very tenacious, 

 sticky, and slimy. Sometimes the curd was dis- 

 solved in a few "days, the milk becoming a clear, 

 transparent fluid. In these instances the curd seemed 

 to undergo a change similar to digestion, that is, 

 conversion into peptones. 



A characteristic odor was also given off, which 

 differed widely with the varying species of bacteria, 

 smelling like sour bread, soft soap, salt mackerel, 

 pigs, or a barn-yard, and often of putrefaction. 



In so-called ripened cream, bacteria in almost in- 

 conceivable abundance are always to be found. The 

 more important results of the process in the cream 

 are the souring, the decomposition of the albuminous 

 matter present, and the development of the desirable 

 flavor. The decomposition of the entangling fibrin 

 liberates the fat globules, whereby their collection 

 together by churning is greatly facilitated. A but- 

 ter made from such a cream may keep the longer, in 

 that it is more free from the albuminous matter 

 necessary for the growth of bacteria, although it 

 would contain a greater number than a sweet-cream 

 butter would in the beginning. 



The use of sal-soda in washing, and of "live 

 steam" in the after-drying of milk vessels are of 

 great practical importance, in that the former can 

 thoroughly remove both the fat and curds left 

 from the milk, while the latter will effectually 

 sterilize anything which may be left. — Boston Med- 

 ical and Surgical Journal. 



THE POISONOUS EFFECT OF EXHALED 

 AIR. 

 In a paper by Brown-Sequard and d'Arsouval, the 

 relation between exhaled air and certain forms of 

 disease was investigated. In recent researches the 

 same writers show that this air contains a poison 

 (either simple or complex) which can produce death 

 even when not directly injected into the blood. The 

 effect of breathing this air was investigated by 

 means of an apparatus, the essential parts of which 

 are as follows : 



A series of air-tight metallic cases were connected 

 with one another, and a current of air drawn 

 through the series by means of a suction pump. 

 Into each of these cases was placed a rabbit. The 

 rabbit in the first case thus breathed only pure air; 

 those in the succeeding cases breathed the air which 

 came from the preceding cases, which was therefore 

 more and more contaminated. Young rabbits (from 

 five to seven weeks old) died very quickly, with the 

 exception of those in the first and the second cases. 

 Those in the last two cases sometimes died in two 

 or three days. If a dying rabbit was removed and 

 placed in pure air, it recovered after five to ten days. 

 With large rabbits the general results were the 

 same, and only differed in 'regard to the time. 

 There was never more than six per cent, of carbon 

 dioxide in the last of the cases, but it was deemed 

 advisable to prove that this did not cause the death 

 of the rabbits. The air could not be passed through 

 caustic alkali in order to remove the carbon dioxide, 

 for the alkali also destroyed or absorbed the jioison. 

 By passing the air through a tube filled with glass 

 beads moistened with strong sulphuric acid, the 

 poisonous matter was destroyed and the carbon 

 dioxide left unchanged. By placing such a tube 

 between the sixth and seventh cases, it was found 

 that the rabbit in the seventh case did not die, thus 

 proving that carbon dioxide was not the cause of the 

 death of the rabbits. In a number of other experi- 

 ments the authors have shown that air containing a 

 considerable percentage of carbon dioxide (free 

 from hydrochloric acid) can be breathed with im- 

 punity by men, rabbits, dogs, etc. They themselves 

 remained for sevei'al hours in an atmosphere con- 

 taining twenty per cent, of carbon dioxide [carbonic 

 acid gas] without experiencing the slightest incon- 

 venience. 



If the poison contained in exhaled air be absorlied, 

 and the solution injected into an animal, death 

 generally results. The solution may be heated to 

 100" C. without destroying its properties in this 

 respect, thus showing that its effects are not due to 

 microbes. — American Chemical Journal. 



[Origi11.1I in The Popular Science News.] 

 PUBLIC HOT BATHS IN CHINA. 



The following is a brief account of the Chinese 

 baths, taken from personal observation. The baths 

 being all of the same general character, it will suf- 

 fice for me to describe one, situated in the town of 

 Shanghai. There are two outer rooms, used ibr 

 undressing and dressing; the first and larger is for 

 the poorer classes, the second for those who con- 

 sider themselves more respectable and who wish to 

 be more private. As you enter the larger of these 

 rooins, a placard which is hung near the door inlbrms 

 you what the charges are, and a man stands there to 

 receive the money on entrance. Arranged in rows 

 down the middle and around the sides of both 

 rooms, are a number of small boxes, or lockers, fur- 

 nished with lock and key, into which the visitors 

 put their clothes, and where they can make sure of 

 Ihem when they return from the bathing-room. 



The bathing-room is entered by a small door at 

 the further end of the building, and is about thirty 

 feet long and twenty wide ; the bath occupying the 



