SYNOPSIS OF CONTINENTAL VETERINARY JOURNALS. 483 
‘Rinderpest and International Sanitary Police.’ Our readers 
well know how M. Zundel in his interesting periodical re¬ 
cords, always endeavours to spread the opinion that the 
different countries of Europe, by arming themselves with 
uniform sanitary regulations, could give each other sufficient 
guarantees that international commercial relations be not 
interrupted by the appearance of rinderpest in any of them. 
If such opinions were general, Russia herself would sen 
opened to her live stock markets at present closed to them. 
M. Zundel reasonably maintains that the countries neigbour- 
ing on Russia would have dangers of invasion by cattle 
plague lessened, if by supervision of the routes of Russian 
cattle towards the places of sale this traffic were regulated 
rather than, as now, by offering an absolute prohibition, 
the considerable bait which allows contraband trade to 
realise the depreciation of Russian cattle which is caused by 
the obstacle to importation. M. Zundel, by constituting 
himself defender of a cause which so largely bears on the 
matter of the food supply of Europe, has well deserved notice, 
especially that which is now accorded to him by the Russian 
Government.” 
The Progres Medicate, of the 31st May, 1879, announces 
the names of four candidates for the Chair of General Phvsio- 
logy, at the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris. The 
names submitted to the Minister of Public Instruction by 
the Professors of the Museum are, first on the list, M. Bouley, 
of the Institut, Inspector-General of the Veterinary Schools, 
second, M. Armaud Moreau. No other candidates had their 
names submitted. We look forward with much interest to 
M. Bouley’s success. 
“On Vaseline,” by M. Weber. The following remarks 
are based on an experience of its use for five months. It 
is not, properly speaking, a medicament, being rather an ex¬ 
cipient. It is a mixture of solid and liquid hydrocarbons, 
introduced by an American, named Chesebrough, and has 
certain of the properties of fats, but with the advantage that 
it does not become rancid. Hence, in many cases it may 
advantageously replace lard. During distillation of petroleum, 
after removal of the more volatile matters, there remains in 
the distilling apparatus a semi-liquid mass, the crude vase¬ 
line ; this is purified by exposure to air decolorised by means 
of animal charcoal. The product is white, inodorous, of the 
consistence of a very greasy fatty substance, melts at 35° C., 
boils at 150° C., and burns without residue. Under the 
prolonged action of light, vaseline acquires a slight odour of 
petroleum, but this will not restrict its use in veterinary 
