Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
October,  1895.  J 
A  Use  for  the  Rare  Metals. 
and  chemical  salts.  It  is  well  known  that  minerals  which,  in  their 
natural  or  crude  state,  prove  toxic  to  animals  when  chemically  or 
otherwise  combined,  are  found  to  be  highly  useful  as  prophylactics 
against  the  poison  of  germs  and  bacilli,  causes  assigned  by  modern 
theory  as  the  origin  of  phthisis,  diphtheria,  cholera  and  variola.  If 
such  should  prove  to  be  well  established,  the  new  South  will  assume 
a  greater  interest,  and  her  soils  yield  a  deposit  of  greater  value  to 
mankind  and  to  human  science  than  can  be  estimated  or  computed 
by  money  value.  The  letter  of  Mr,  Demming  will  amply  repay  a 
most  attentive  perusal. 
Philadelphia,  August  28,  1895. 
A  SUGGESTION  OF  A  USE  FOR  THE  RARE  METALS. 
By  He;nry.  C.  Demming. 
Microbes  are  coming  to  the  front  in  pharmacy.  The  day  is  not 
far  off  when  the  skilled  pharmacist  will  find  it  necessary  to  have  a 
good  microscope,  as  well  as  much  knowledge  of  botany.  But  he 
will  not  be  able  to  stop  there.  Scientific  research  now  demonstrates 
that  pharmacy  may  soon  require  mineralogy  as  a  handmaid  to  bot- 
any. The  reason  of  this  is  apparent  to  any  one  who  has  kept 
abreast  of  the  strides  of  the  most  eminent  scientists  of  our  day. 
Several  very  learned  and  able  men  found  the  microbe  which  exists 
in  disease;  and  others,  notably  Professor  Koch,  found  the  microbe 
that  exists  in  pulmonary  diseases.  Some  other  scientific  mind  or 
minds  found  that  bacteria  belong  to  the  vegetable  kingdom  ;  at 
least,  that  is  claimed  by  able  investigators  just  now. 
Then,  patient  investigation  has  led  to  the  discovery  of  different 
families  of  bacilli.  For  instance,  one  species  is  dominant  in  pulmo- 
nary diseases,  another  in  diphtheritic  cases,  another  in  scarlet  fever, 
another  in  smallpox,  and  still  another — more  attenuated — in  Asiatic 
cholera.  Possibly  membraneous  croup  has  its  peculiar  bacterium, 
but  I  believe  that  has  not  been  definitely  ascertained.  Neither  has 
it  been  ascertained,  as  yet,  the  peculiar  species  which  may  exist  in 
cases  of  aggravated  diphtheria.  The  molecular  disintegration  of  the 
cellular  tissues  of  the  brain  possibly  has  its  own  peculiar  family  of 
bacteria,  and  even  earache  may  be  traceable  to  a  distinct  species. 
Then,  further  patient  research — and  I  think  much  of  this  is  due 
to  the  labors  of  C.  A.  Mitchell — has  led  to  the  publication  of  the 
fact  that  there  are,  at  least,  seventy  distinct  species  of  color-producing 
