VoL. 1 m No. 2. 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTEALASIA. 
.Sdcntifit luit) |1nutvail |lotfs iwb j fgnmilii:, 
“IXEBKIISM: A rATHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHO 
LOGICAL STUDY.” 
This work forms an interesting contribution to the medico- 
legal side of the controversy witli respect to alcholism. The 
author adduces much philosophical argument, as well as a 
"ood deal of scientific proof, to show that the persistent dnink- 
ard is really diseased, and will in all likelihood transmit his 
disorder in a modified form to his descendents. This being 
the case his condition and treatment call for discriminating 
care on the part of the State. The tendency to intemperance 
in its typical form is, according to Dr. Wright, grafted upon a 
neurotic stem. The alcoholic craving is more than a mere per- 
version of taste. It is commonly an impulse to intoxication 
rather than to drink, and is due to a sensation acting from 
without upon brain centres whose vitality has been impaired 
and their power of resistance correspondingly lessened. The 
drunkard is thus in some measure a practical automaton, i er- 
haps too much is made of this view, and too little of the effect 
of will power and of moral influence as a check upon the drink- 
in«^ habit At the same time, it must be admitted that the 
will with all other mental and moral attributes, is weakened 
and'dullcd by the general nervous ana3sthesia, which as stated 
by this writer, form an important consequence of alcoholism. 
The physical and functional effects of intemperance are 
carefully described. The degeneration of brain-tissue and the 
resulting failure in mental, moral, and motor processes, the 
transmission of these defects to posterity, their analogy with 
certain forms of insanity, and their legal significance are uie 
occasion of closely sustained and generally correct reasoning. 
The argument is not without force that the drunkard, and m 
some gIsos even his children, should be disqualified from the 
discharge of civil duties, and exculpated as unsound in judg- 
ment from the full penalty of their offences. There is reason 
also in the contention that “the State has no right to shirk its 
proper share of responsibility (for crime among inebriates) ; for 
the State can, if it chooses, remove the temptations to drink 
which beset the epileptoid inebriate. It can also remove that 
factor of irregularity in human conduct, alcohol, which operates 
in the destruction of honest and healthy motive, and in the sub- 
stitution for it of the passions and lusts and appetites of mere 
sensuality.” — The Lancet. 
MILK. 
The following synopsis by the Sanatarlan of a paper by 
Dr. Doiu^all, of Glasgow, detailing experiments conducted with 
a view to discovering the absorptive power of milk on various 
volatile substances, will be of interest.^ 
Dr Doiu'all enclosed in a jar a portion of certain substances 
givin*" off emanations, together with a uniform quantity of 
milk for a period of eight hours. At the end of that time a 
sample of milk was drawn by means of pipette from the 
lowest stratum of the vessel exposed in the jar; and we find 
that the following were the results of his experiments:-— 
Smell in milk. 
1. Coal gas . . • • * • distinct 
*2. Paraffin oil • . • • strong 
3. Turpentine . . - very strong 
4. Onions . . . . • • very strong 
5. Tobacco smoke . . • • very strong 
0. Ammonia . • • • moderate 
7. Musk .. .. •• T 
8. Assafietida . • • • distinct 
9. Stale urine . . • • faint 
10. Creosote . . •• •• 
11. Cheese (stale) .. •• distinct 
12. Chloroform . . • • moderate 
i:-l. Putrid fish .. •• very bad 
14. Camphor . . • • moderate 
15. Decayed cabbage . . . . distinct 
It thus became obvious that the milk had absorbed the 
emanations of all the substances to which it had been exposed, 
and it furthur transpired that all the specimens examined 
retained their distinctive odors for as long as fourteen hours 
after their removal from the glass jar in which they had been 
exposed. 
Cream, according to Dr. Dougall,may be regarded as acting 
in much the same manner as milk; indeed, although it contains 
less water than milk, yet it has special (iualities of its own 
which may perhaps make it even more liable to retain 
offensive and dangerous emanations than the parent fluid 
itself. Abundant evidence has, however, been given to show 
that far more care is needed in connection with the storage of 
milk than has heretofore been regarded as necessary, and this 
especially where milk or cream is kept in apartments or wards 
occupied by sick persons. If the emanations to which the milk 
is exposed arc of a diseased and dangerous quality, it is all 
but impossible that the sample can remain free from offensive 
and dangerous properties, and it should become an invariable 
rule to keep as little milk as jjossible in sick rooms, and never 
to allow a suj)ply which has thus been exposed to unwhole- 
some emanations to be used for food. 
Under these circumstances it has been lately held desirable 
to boil all milk which is open to suspicion before using it. In 
the course of several epidemics in which milk has acted the 
vehicle of infection, it has been noticed that persons who had 
only consumed it after it had been boiled escaped all ill results 
whereas other members of the same family or community who 
had not taken that precaution had been attacked with deseaso. 
Domestic Salve. — The following makes an excellent general 
ointment for all kinds of wounds, sores, burns, etc. Camphor 
5 parts; Carbolic acid 4 parts; Vaseline 80 i)arts; Diachylon 
plaster 30 parts. Melt together the Vaseline and the plaster, 
and stir in the camphor and carbolic acid ^vhen nearly cold. 
The directions for use should be to apply it on on a piece 
of linen rag, after the wound or sore has been washed with 
lukewarm water. The dressing should be changed every twelve 
hours, washing between each application. 
WnooriNG-CouGii.— The following has been found of great 
service in the treatment of this affection, especially to prevent 
the night spasms II. Pot. broniidi 5 j. Chloral hydratis 9 ij 
Tr. belladonmc 5 ss. Syr. Auranti 5 j. Aq. Cmnan ad ^ 11 j. 
A tcaspoonful at bed-time for a child one year old, and in- 
crease according to age. 
Foil RiNGWoiiM.— The following is highly_ commended as a 
remedy for ringworm: — B. Thymol 5j. to ij. Chloroform 5]. 
Olivc-oil I iij. M. The thymol destroys the fungus, the oil 
prevents irritation and rapid evaporation, while the chloroform 
facilitates the absorption of the active ingredients by acting 
on the sebaceous glands. 
Sea-sickness— Cocaine has proved eminently effective in 
oases of sea-sickness. Dr. Manassein of St. Petersberg has been 
directing discoveries on this point and finds a remedy in a tea- 
spoonful, administered every two hours, of the following mix- 
ture:— Muriate of Cocaine 0T5, rectified spirits of wine (in suf- 
ficient quantity) and aq. dist 150'0. The administration to be 
at starting and has most clearly a prophylactic effect. 
Interesting Exteiuments. — A mixture of ten tiarts of per- 
fectly dry permanganate potassium with two or three parts of 
concentrated sulphuric acid is a most powerful oxidising agent, 
owing to the separation of permanganate acid and its immediate 
decomposition with the liberation of oxygen. Volatile oils are 
violently affected by this mixture if about 10 drops are placed 
in a little dish and then touched with a stout glass rod pre- 
viously dipped into the mixture. The following produce ex- 
plosions, often violent:— Oils of thyme, mace, turps (rect.) 
sjiikc, cinnamon, origanum, rue, cubebs, and lemons. The 
following oils are simply influenced, particularly if poured upon 
blotting paper and touched with the mixture, though under 
certain still unknown circumstances exj)losions may occur. 
Oils of rosemary, lavender, cloves, rose, geranium, gaultheria, 
caraway, cajeput, bitter almonds, and rectified petroleum. Ihe 
following substances arc ignited without explosion : alchoholj 
ether, wood spirit, beimol, chlorelayl, sulphide of carbon, and 
cotton. Gunpowder and guncotton arc not ignited . — Ixevue 
Scientijhjue. _ • 1 . 
Biiun’s Mounting Fluid.— A correspondent wishes to know 
what Brun’s mounting fluid is, and how it is made. The 
name is applied to a mounting medium haying a refractive 
index, the same (or nearly the same) as saliva, mucus, albu- 
men* &c., or about 1*37, and which was suggested by Brun. 
It is composed of 
Grape sugar . . . . parts. 
Glycerine . . . . • • • • . . 1 part. 
Distilled water . . • . • • . . 14 parts. 
Camphorated spirits 1 part. 
