ON A NEW DOMESTIC FOMENTING AND VAPOUR BATH. 185 
had certainly known a good deal of it spoil by keeping. Mr. Groves was quite right in 
not using a mortar for his emulsion. Emulsions could nearly always be made better by 
simply shaking the ingredients in a bottle. 
Mr. Brady regretted the absence of the author of the paper, in which he thought 
there might be descried the elements of an important improvement. Plasma could 
hardly be regarded as giving so much satisfaction as had been anticipated from it. 
ON A NEW DOMESTIC FOMENTING AND VAPOUR BATH. 
Mr. Reynolds introduced to the notice of the meeting a vapour bath, having 
a special provision for applying steam fomentation. It is the invention of 
Mr. R. H. Bollans, of York, and its construction will be readily understood 
from the annexed woodcut. The 
apparatus is made of copper, and 
hence not liable to rust if put away 
w r et, as would be the case with tinned 
iron. The stand is of wire gauze, 
with a door to provide access to the 
lamp, which has three wicks, and 
requires about four ounces of me¬ 
thylated spirit for a charge. The 
boiler is in the shape of an inverted 
cone, having a safety-valve consist¬ 
ing of a brass bullet and spring. 
At the side of this rises a tube, end¬ 
ing in a circular box, the object of 
which is to serve as an intercepting 
chamber, where the steam may be 
medicated by passing over lint soaked in any liquid. When the lid of the box 
is removed, its lower portion serves as a funnel, by which a charge of a pint of 
hot water is introduced into the boiler. In this state, and without replacing 
the lid or connecting the fomenting apparatus, we have a convenient and safe 
vapour bath to put under a cane-bottomed chair, upon which is seated the 
patient, enveloped in blankets. 
To appy the steam fomentor the lid of the box is replaced, and the tubes are 
slipped into their joints. A stopcock regulates the passage of steam into the 
vulcanized india-rubber tube beyond it, and it finally reaches the fomenting-pad. 
This has a convex back of solid tinned copper, its front surface (which is con¬ 
cave, as in the ordinary metal stomach-warmer) being made of wire-gauze, 
through which steam passes freely. A stout felt bag envelopes the whole. 
When the apparatus is in use it may be placed upon the floor; and if the 
patient be in bed some condensed water will return to the boiler, but no incon¬ 
venience is found from too great moisture ; whilst, besides the power of regu¬ 
lating the supply of steam by the tap, additional wrappings may be put over 
the fomenting-pad if the heat be too great. A wooden handle enables the pad 
to be directed at pleasure by the patient or an attendant. To apply to the face, 
a smaller spoon-shaped fomentor is also supplied. 
The apparatus is likely to be of much service in moistening the air of rooms 
where it has become too dry for affections of the respiratory organs. 
From the unsatisfactory nature of the old plan of fomentation, by changing 
a series of cloths wrung out of hot water, when the temperature is mostly too 
high or too low, or the patient suffers a chill during the operation, there must 
