October 1, 1886.] 



sciej:^ce. 



297 



•ducted by two Italian physiologists, concerning the 

 physiological action of the thyroid gland. It is 

 known that the views held by the different inves- 

 tigators are very diverging, and that many are 

 obliged to confess, that, though this gland seems 

 to be connected with blood-corpuscles, the exact 

 relation between the two is quite problematic. 

 MM. Albertoni and Tizzoni, the above-mentioned 

 investigators, believe they have found out the 

 xeal function of this gland, and, after a careful 

 study of blood in animals deprit-ed of the gland, 

 they have come to the conclusion that it gives to 

 iemiglobin the faculty of absorbing oxygen. The 

 fact is, that the blood of animals which have been 

 deprived of the thyroid gland contains a very 

 small proportion of oxygen. Their arterial blood 

 •contains less of this gas than does the venous of 

 healthy ones ; and the investigators ascribe the 

 symptoms of acute cachexia strumipriva in dogs 

 to this very considerable diminution of oxygen 

 which always foUows upon enucleation of the 

 gland. 



M. Trouve, the well-known electrician, has re- 

 •cently devised ingenious contrivances for sm-gical 

 diagnostic purposes, in the case of a man who had 

 swallowed a fork and applied for treatment to a 

 surgeon who was afraid of being mystified. But 

 M. Trouve, much more expert in electrical matters 

 than the surgeon, who understood little or nothiug 

 on the subject, and was more than usually igno- 

 rant, reheved the scruples of the latter in a very 

 simple manner. He devised a sonde oesophagienne 

 connected with an electrical apparatus and a beU, 

 and made in such a manner that contact with a 

 metallic substance allowed the passage of the cur- 

 rent, and made the beU ring. The bell was heard 

 very distinctly. In addition, he made some very 

 simple as well as convincing experiments, that the 

 surgeon ought to have thought of. He placed a 

 very sensitive magnetic needle in the vicinity of 

 the patient, and saw the needle turn towards 

 him ; he brought a large electro-magnet into the 

 vicinity of the stomach, and, each time the cur- 

 rent was on, the fork came towards it, upheaving 

 the skin and muscles of the abdominal walls in a 

 marked manner ; and at length the surgeon was 

 convinced, and he performed the operation. 



The twins of Locana, who have been shown in 

 almost every town of Europe as the successors of 

 the renowned Siamese twins, are at present dying 

 in Vienna, or at least are very ill. These twins, 

 now aged ten, are united from the sixth rib down- 

 wards. They have but one abdomen and a single 

 pair of legs. One of these is under Jacob's con- 

 trol ; the other, under that of John. They can- 

 not walk, and cannot easily keep their balance. 

 One is much stronger and healthier than the 



other, and eats more : it is Jacob, and he keeps 

 his brother alive. Some time ago, both quarrelled 

 over a toy, and John got so excited that he fell 

 into a state of syncope, or trance, from which he 

 did not recover till the next day. He had already 

 had an illness of the same kind, and Virchow of 

 Berlin had prognosticated that a second one would 

 kiU him. This Jacob knew well : so, of course, 

 the illness of his brother (an apparently lifeless 

 body) gave him all the more concern, since the 

 death of his brother would but shortly precede 

 his own. The physicians are doing their best to 

 save the unfortunate children. Of course, no 

 operation can be thought of in the present case. 

 Even in that of the Siamese twins, there were 

 great difficulties attending a surgical intervention ; 

 and, before it was resolved to intervene, death 

 had already done its work. If the twins recover, 

 they will go to the states, where they were en- 

 gaged, it is said, at the rate of six thousand dollars 

 per year ; if not, their skeleton is already promised 

 to a London anatomical museum for eight thou- 

 sand pounds. 



A schoolmate of M. Marcel Deprez, the able 

 engineer who conducted the experiments related 

 in one of my last letters, concerning the trans- 

 mission of electric force at great distances, pub- 

 lished some days ago an interesting paper on the 

 biography of his friend. M. Deprez was an un- 

 successful scholar, who failed to enter the Ecole 

 polytechnique, but was remarkably endowed as to 

 scientific and mathematical pursuits. He was 

 extremely religious, and of a very mUitant tui-n 

 of mind. He could never bear discussion ; but, 

 when it came to religious matters, he was a 

 fanatic, and would, in the times when the 

 Inquisition flourished, have been an intolerant 

 and dangerous man. Another singular trait of 

 this able and gifted scientist is his hatred for all 

 forms of art. It must be added that M. Deprez's 

 eccentricities have been considerably modified by 

 age. 



The French government has decided to greatly 

 extend the department of ballooning for military 

 purposes. There are to be eight aerostatic sta- 

 tions ; namely, at Epinal, Toul, Verdun, Belfort, 

 Montpellier, Grenoble, Arras, and Versailles, the 

 principal one being the last named, which is also 

 the only one existing at present. All the military 

 corps will also be shortly provided with the im- 

 plements necessary for strategic ballooning. No 

 further progress has been made in the art of 

 balloon-managing : the problem is considered 

 solved, and only few improvements, of secondary 

 nature, are needed. 



An interesting case of protracted pathological 

 sleep is at present receiving attention in the Sal- 



