474 
ON ANAESTHETICS. 
Percentage of Nitrogen. 
Spalding red. Hallett’s white. 
Translucent.T792 2'088 
Opaque. 1-405 1-521 
It is usually assumed that the percentage of “ flesh-formers” or albuminoids in feed¬ 
ing-materials may be deduced from the percentage of nitrogen by multiplying it by 
G‘25. According to this calculation, we find the percentage of albuminoids in the trans¬ 
lucent grains of Hallett’s white wheat to be 13-OG, while in the opaque grains it is only 
0-51. In Spalding red wheat, the flesh-formers in the translucent grains amount to 
11-20 per cent., and to 8‘78 per cent, only in the opaque grains. Assuming the medium 
grains to be intermediate in composition, it is easy to calculate what amount of nitrogen 
the whole wheat would contain. The calculated and experimental percentages of 
nitrogen are— 
Spalding red. Hallett’s white. 
Percentages of nitrogen calculated . . . 1*598 .... 1-745 
„ „ . . 1*600 .... 1-752 
The chief conclusions at which I have arrived from my experiments previously pub¬ 
lished, from those recorded in the present note, and from others not yet made known, 
may be briefly summed up as follows:— 
1. In a sample of wheat the translucent grains contain much more nitrogen than the 
opaque, but the same percentage of water. 
2. The translucent grains are denser than the opaque. 
3. A larger proportion of the opaque than of the translucent grains germinates and 
fruits. 
4. The yield of dressed corn is greater from the denser seeds, and this dressed corn, 
from the greater perfection of its grains, is itself denser.— Journal of Botany. 
HYPOSULPHITE OF SODA IN DIPHTHERIA. 
Mr. J. C. Maynard, of Wisbeach, in a communication to the 4 Medical Times and 
Gazette ’ of December 30, records the successful treatment of diphtheria by hyposulphite 
of soda. The cases treated by Mr. Maynard, in conjunction with Dr. Tubbs, were about 
fifty in number, all of which, with the exception of one, were cured. The plan of treat¬ 
ment pursued was as follows:— 
“ On first visiting a case, if not very far advanced, and in which only a few spots are 
visible, the throat is dressed twice a day with a strong solution of the hyposulphite of 
soda—viz. 5iij of the hyposulphite, glycerine 3ij, with 5vj of water. This generally 
removes the incipient exudation in forty-eight hours, sometimes in less. But if the case 
is an advanced one and the parasitic plant is making rapid strides, we wash the throat 
well out with warm water by means of one of Maw’s flexible syringes. This is alike 
agreeable and most beneficial to the patient. The affected parts are then dressed with 
the strong solution, and a gargle of 5 SS of the hyposulphite to half a pint of water, with 
gss of glycerine, is given to be used every hour. 
“ In cases of very young children, where it is diflicult to dress and get at the throat, 
we give the hyposulphite internally, from gr. j to gr. iij every four hours, and allow 
them to swallow the gargle, which, by the way, they very frequently do without per¬ 
mission. Dr. Tubbs informs me he is now giving to adults gr. viij every four hours.” 
ON ANAESTHETICS. 
EV J. M. CARNOCHAN, M.D., SURGEON IN CHIEF TO THE STATE EMIGRANTS’ HOSPITAL, 
NEW YORK, ETC. ETC. 
I desire to present, through the pages of the 4 Medical and Surgical Reporter,’ a 
general statement of the facts respecting three surgical operations which I performed, 
