870 
MISCELLANEA. 
Milk a Preservative against Lead Poisoning. —M. Didierjean, a red-lead 
manufacturer, has discovered that the use of milk at their meals, which he has made 
obligatory on his workmen to the extent of one litre daily, preserves those employed m 
lead works free from any symptom of lead disease. He vouches for the truth of this 
communication.— Journal of the Society of Arts. 
The Toxic Action of Quinine.— The following case is recorded in the ‘British 
Medical Journal,’ November 13th, by Mr. W. B. Hemming“ I prescribed for a lady, 
advancing in life, who was recovering from an accident, a mixture containing 1 grain of 
quinine in each dose. The next morning I received an urgent request to visit her, as 
she had passed a sleepless night, and a rash had shown itself all over the body. I found 
the rash was as vivid as in scarlatina, an’d attended with intolerable itching ; there was 
slight puffiness of the face, but no oedema elsewhere; a white tongue, and slight uneasi¬ 
ness in the prsecordia. My patient immediately said, ‘ I know this is the quinine,„as it 
occurred twice before, and more severely, when I took it in France some years ago. A 
minute inquiry as to diet, etc., failed to show anything to account for the rash. The 
rash and irritation were persistent for several days, and then slowly subsided, followed 
by universal exfoliation of the cuticle. The patient took only two doses of the mix¬ 
ture. The above action has been corroborated by the record of several other cases. 
Bronze Powder.—After referring to the history of the first application of the 
scraps and waste of what is commonly called tinsel, or Dutch gold (none of it was oi is 
ever made in the Netherlands ; this industry is confined almost entirely to Bavaria), tne 
author treats of the mechanical means whereby the metal is brought to leaf and powder. 
There are three chief alloys in use, which are designated by the name of the colour, the 
composition of these being, in 100 parts :—For the light shade—copper, 83 ; zinc, 1/ ; 
for the deeper shade—copper, from 90 to 94; zinc, from 10 to 16 ; for deep copper-red, 
no zinc at all. Copper may be obtained, in a finely-divided state, by the following che¬ 
mical means :—By igniting a mixture of chloride of copper, carbonate of soda, and sal 
ammoniac; by precipitating a solution of acetate of copper by means of sulphurous 
acid ; by decomposing suboxide of copper by means of sulphuric acid ; by electrolysis of 
a solution of sulphate of copper; by precipitating a solution of the last-named salt by 
means of a bar of iron wrapped up in filtering-paper or coarse cotton tissue; but all 
the metal thus obtained is hard and crystalline, and unsuitable for the purposes 
it is intended for as bronze powder. The author found that, when oxide of copper, such 
as is used for elementary organic analysis, is submitted, hot, to the action of the vapours 
of ligroine (a light petroleum oil or spirit), it is obtained in an excellent condition, and 
100 kilos, of oxide require, for reduction at red heat, only 8 kilos, of ligroine. Chemical 
News, translated from JBulletin de la Societe d' Encouragement pour T Industrie ]\ at ion ale. 
A New Kind of Wine. —Dr. Thudichum, in his lecture on wines at the Society 
of Arts, introduced a new wine which had been made from tea. He stated that the 
wine was a good stomachic, and would probably be useful both in ordinary diet and as 
a medicinal remedy. 
New York College of Pharmacy.— At a recent meeting, the following gentle¬ 
men were elected Honorary Members :—Daniel Hanbury, F.R.S.; Henry Deane, F.L.S.; 
and Professor Attfield. 
Immunity of a Monkey to Strychnine.— A case is recorded in the ‘ Medical 
Circular,’ quoted from the ‘Indian Medical Gazette,’ of an attempt to poison a lungoor 
( Presbytis entellus) with strychnine. One grain was concealed in a piece of cucumber, 
which the animal ate; after waiting some time, and finding no effect produced, three 
grains were given in the same substance, and the monkey appeared to relish the meal. 
To test the strychnine three grains were administered to a dog, with the usual fatal 
effect. It is supposed that the monkey may take strychnine with impunity, as is said 
to be the case with some of the lower animals with regard to other poisons; for instance, 
