SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
107 
MEDICAL SCIENCE. 
A New Cure for Sea-sickness . — This, which is the salt known as nitrite 
of amyl, has been recommended by Dr. C. Clapham. He says, in the u New 
York Medical Journal ” (October 1875): — “ As to the proximate cause of 
the malady, I entirely agree with Dr. Chapman that it consists of an undue 
congestion of the vessels of the spinal cord. On this point I had an excel- 
lent opportunity of drawing some conclusions from a post-mortem which I 
was fortunate enough to make while acting as superintendent of the Govern- 
ment Civil Hospital at Hong Kong last summer. The case was that of a 
Chinaman who had been killed while in the very act of vomiting during an 
attack of sea-sickness, by the fall of a heavy piece of iron from aloft. I 
found, on making the necropsy (four hours after death), that, leaving out of 
consideration the heart, which had been pierced by the falling iron, all the 
organs were healthy with the exception of the spinal cord, the vessels of 
which were literally gorged with blood throughout its entire length. I was 
struck with the similarity of this appearance to that presented by the spinal 
cord of an epileptic patient who died in the u status,” and upon whom I 
made a post-mortem while at the West Riding Asylum, Wakefield. Coupling 
the post-mortem likeness to the resemblance which obtains in life between 
these two affections (pallor of surface, cold sweat, &c.), it occurred to me 
that the remedy which, in the hands of Dr. J. Crichton Brown, has proved 
so valuable in the epileptic “ status,” might be advantageously employed in 
the treatment of sea-sickness. To test the truth of this surmise, I made 
several trips across the Pacific, and tried the remedy altogether in 124 cases. 
Of these, 121 cases proved eminently satisfactory, there being no return of 
the vomiting after the administration of the nitrite ; the remaining three 
cases being only unsatisfactory in so far as they required a further dose 
or two of the remedy.” We fear, however, that a short experience of 
Dr. Clapham’s remedy will show of how little use it is alone. Certes one 
of the best safeguards is lying perfectly recumbent (before the vessel starts) 
and keeping the body warm and taking a substantial meal about an 
hour before you set sail. The writer has tried these plans in a recent 
stormy passage across the English Channel, and he perfectly avoided sea- 
sickness. Yet on this occasion thirty or more people were violently sick, 
and, what is more extraordinary, he never before escaped sea-sickness in 
rough weather. One thing we had almost forgotten to mention, i.e. keep 
the eyes almost constantly closed, and be as nearly amid-ships as possible. 
Giving Medicines to the Mother for the Suckling Infant. — Dr. Lewald has, 
says the “ Lyon Medicale,” investigated the elimination, by the milk of the 
mother, of iron, bismuth, iodine and its compounds, arsenic, lead, zinc, anti- 
mony, mercury, alcohol, and several narcotics. His numerous experiments 
were made in the goat. A certain dose of the medicine was administered to the 
animal, after which the milk was examined. The principal conclusions 
which the author has arrived at are : — 1. A larger quantity of iron can be 
administered to the infant through the mother’s milk than by any other 
means. 2. Bismuth likewise is eliminated by the milk, but in very small 
quantity. 3. Iodine does not appear in the milk until ninety-six hours after 
