CRYSTALS OF SNOW DUEING COLD WEATHER. 



[1855, 



beiii"' thus, viz.: — Calomel and opium, 59.2 per cent. ; calo- 

 mel (in largo doses), 60.9 ; salines, 62.9 ; chalk and opium, 

 63.2; calomel (small doses), 73.9; castor oil, 77.6; and sul- 

 phuric acid, 78.9 per cent. The superior success of calomel 

 and opium in severer cases thus appears a distinct fact elici- 

 ted by the present inquiry. The relative advantages of the 

 other modes of treatment mark calomel in small doses, castor 

 oil, and sulphuric acid as actually to be deprecated in severer 

 cases. 



Chidk and opium stand at the head of the list in the general 

 percentage, both iu hospitals and private practice, but in the 

 comparison of the collapse cases with the number of deaths the 

 average declined to the fourth rank. 



The success of various modes of treatment in the hospitals 

 follows the same ratio as those in private practice. The great- 

 er mortality in hospitals is to be accounted for by the greater 

 severity of the cases, and the poverty and previous exposure of 

 the patients. 



Iu the 1,100 cases in the hospitals 643 had emetics at the 

 outset, of whom -410 had collapse, 110 consecutive fever, and 

 341 died ; 457 cases were treate '. without emetics, of which 

 803 had collapse, 106 consecutive fever, and 226 died ; out of 

 1,100 cases 102 had turpentine enemata administered. Of 

 these 87 had collapse, and 59 died. Of 998 treated without 

 turpentine 626 had collapse, and 511 died. Of 496 cases in 

 which icewater was given 404 had collapse, and 248 died ; and 

 of 604 cases in which icewater was not given 309 had collapse 

 and 322 died. 



No definite information has been obtained on the subject of 

 " consecutive fever," and of the statistics afforded no use can 

 be made. This defect, however, need be the less deplored, 

 since cholera, in the form of consecutive fever, becomes analo- 

 gous to other fevers, the treatment of which is, or ought to be, 

 generally understood. 



It is to be regretted that the returns are almost silent on the 

 very important topic of simple and choleraic diarrhoja passing 

 into cholera. Some statistical tables are given, but the num- 

 ber of cases treated is so small, compared with the wh, le, that 

 no fair inference can be drawn as to the comparative success of 

 the various modes of treatment, nor do the reported facts war- 

 rant i^ny specific induction. It is hoped that this most impor- 

 tant branch of the statistics of cholera may receive the careful 

 attention of the medical profession when they furnish future 

 returns. 



As regards the cases of simple and choleraic diarrhoea, which 

 have not passed into cholera, it is shown, by a series of state- 

 ments, that the astringent plan of treatment is decidedly to be 

 preferred in the early stages of the disease, or in premonitory 

 diarrhcea. The order of the percentage of failure to stay the 

 disease in its earlier stages, or in that of premonitory diarrhoea, 

 is as follows: — Salines, 13.6; chalk mixture, 8.9; calomel 

 (with opiam), 6,9 ; calomel, 2.4 ; chalk, with opium, calomel, 

 and astringents, 1.5; sulphuric acid, with opium and calomel, 

 1.3; chalk, with opium, ammonia, and catechu, 0.2; sulphu- 

 ric acid, with and without opium, and with calomel as an ad- 

 junctive remedy, 1.33 ; and chalk, with and without opium, 

 together with aromatic confection and ammonia, with catechu, 

 kino, logwood, and calomel as an adjunctive remedy, 1.31. In- 

 cluding the deaths from diarrhoea as failures, the percentage of 

 failure is as follows, viz. : — Chalk mixture, 12.6; calomel and 

 opium, 7.1; opium, 2.6; chalk, with opium, calomel, and as- 

 tringents, 1.7 ; sulphuric acid, with opium and calomel, 1.5 ; 

 and \rith opium alone, 0.8 ; sulphuric acid, with and without 

 opium, and with calomel as an injunctive remedy, 1.54; and 



cbalk, with or without opium, together with aromatic confec- 

 tion and ammonia, with catechu, kino, logwood, and calomel an 

 adjunctive, 1.55. 



The Committee of the Medical Council conclude their re- 

 port by expressing an opinion that, although these and other 

 facts throw a most useful light on the comparative value of 

 different modes of treatment, .still more decisive evidence might 

 be obtained under more favourable circumstances. The inqui- 

 ry was not undertaken till the epidemic had nearly reached its 

 culminating point, and when leisure for pre-arrangement was 

 wholly wanting. They entertain a conviction, which has 

 grown with the progress of the work, that by insuring fuller 

 and more numerous returns to a more complete and distinct 

 form of inquiry, they would, on any future visitation of the 

 disease, be enabled to collect ample store of available facts, and 

 to deduce truths of the utmost importance both to guide medi- 

 cal practice and to enlighten science. 



On the recent Cold Weather, and on the Crystals of Snow 

 observed during its continuance.* 



BY J.VMES GLAISHER. 



[Readbefore the Meteorological Society, London, March 27.) 

 The present year was ushered in with a high temperature, 

 exceeding its average by quantities varying from 8° to 12° 

 daily. On January 10th a cold period set in, together with a 

 dense fog; and the temperature, which was as high as 49°-6 

 on the 9th, fell to 26° on the 10th. This diminution of tem- 

 perature was accompanied by a change in the wind, which, 

 from blowing a compound from the west, changed to a com- 

 pound from the east ; and, with few exceptions, has so conti- 

 nued up to the present time, as shewn by the returns published 

 in the Daily News. On January 12th and 13th the tempera- 

 ture was about its average value ; but after the 14th, when the 

 cold set in, its departures were very considerable, particularly 

 over the south-west and eastern parts of England. Scotland 

 and the northern counties were frequently exempt from any 

 share in the great severity of the period, which was also less 

 severely felt at the sea-side than at inland places. The lowest 

 temperature, viz., 0°-8, took place at Berkhampstead. At dif- 

 ferent places in England, on different days, it was as low as 3°, 

 5°, 7°, and 10°. For a similar period to the one which has 

 just passed, it is necessary to go back to the year 1814. That 

 year, however, commenced with a very low temperature — a 

 frost having set in on December 26th, 1813. The intensity of 

 the two periods was about the same. It ended, in 1814, on 

 March 21st; whereas, with the exception of a short intermis- 

 sion about the first week in March, the temperature of the pre- 

 sent period has descended lower and more frequently than it did 

 in 1814, in which year the coldest day was on January 10th, 

 when the reading was 19°-6. The lowest temperature of this 

 year also occurred in Januarj', and was 19°-2. In 1814 the 

 lowest temperature in February was on the 4th, and was 22°. 

 The lowest reading in this month of the present year was 20°'6, 

 and took place on the 18th ; and this Februarj' was a much 

 more severe month than the February of 1814. The mean 

 temperature of Februar3', 1814, was 32°-4 ; and that of the 

 present year was 29°'3. The remarkable feature of the late 

 severe weather has been the peculiar character and continuous 

 fall of snow; which first made its appearance on January 16th, 

 and laid on the ground from that date till the end of February. 



* AthenEeum. 



