262 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [November, 



MEDICAL MICROSCOPY. 



By F. BLANCHARD, M. D., 



WASHINGTON, U. C. 



Koch's Lymph. — The Brooklyn Medical Jour tial for November 

 contains an article by Oscar Embden, M. D., entitled " The Wrong 

 and the Right Use of Dr. Koch's Lymph." In Dr. Embden's opinion, 

 the lymph will yet prove a most valuable remedial agent. He points 

 out some of the reasons v\diy it has temporarily fallen into disrepute; 

 such as that it has been used in hopeless cases, and often without the 

 needful adjuvant treatment. With regard to operations upon lung cav- 

 ities, he lays stress upon the fact, which has often been insisted upon in 

 this journal, that it is almost impossible to locate a small cavity accu- 

 rately. In tuberculosis of bones and joints, and in lupus, the lymph 

 injections should be preceded by thorough and energetic surgical 

 measui-es. When this course is pursued, the lymph materialh' has- 

 tens the cure. Another serious mistake has been the employment of 

 too large doses. 



The Sense of Taste in the Larynx. — It has long been known 

 to histologists that the specific end-organs of taste, namely, the taste- 

 bulbs, occur on the inner surface of the epiglottis. Recent experiments 

 by Miche-lson furnish the physiological proof that the sense of taste is 

 actually possessed by the epiglottis. — Ahsti-act in Am. Pract. ana 

 Nexvs., Oct. 10., j8gi. 



EDITORIAL. 



All Facts are Valuable. — Probably the annihilation of the diatom 

 would result in palpable and important changes in the solar system. 

 Perhaps it would require some time to demonstrate this proposition, but 

 it is simply another way of saying that little things are of consequence. 

 Probably every worker in science at times feels like throwing down his 

 tools and crying, " What is the use.? I can contribute only an atom to 

 the sum of the word's knowledge." 



Pick up your forceps and scalpel. It is just that atom that the world 

 wants from you. The structure of our modern cosmos is so intricate 

 that no man can trace all the interdependencies in a given case. You 

 may have made only one original discovery in the year ; but that one 

 new bit of knowledge may revolutionize the policy of nations within a 

 decade. Every fact is wheat, and the only chaft' is untruth. There- 

 fore study, observe, record. 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETIES. 



Microscopical Society of Washington. — At the annual meet- 

 ing of the Microscopical Society of Washington, the following board 

 of officers was elected : President, Dr. J. Melvin Lamb ; Vice-Presi- 

 dent, Dr. V. A. Moore ; Recording Secretary, Mr. L. M. Mooers ; 

 Corresponding Secretarj', Dr. W. W. AUeger ; Treasurer, Mr. J. M. 

 Yznaga ; Curator, Dr. W. H. Seaman. About fifteen members were 



