and sternum. His water was drawn off, and it was like dark tea, without blood. He vomited once when he came in. Subsequently he had a disposition to vomit, but did not bring up anything. When seen about 5 o'clock, by Mr. Rivington, he did not exhibit the usual signs of the injury from which he was suffering; he did not complain of pain in the abdomen; he was not sick, and he was not in a state of collapse. In the course of the evening severer symptoms came on, and he died on the following morning at 11 A.M. At the post-mortem examination the jejunum was found ruptured near the duodenum, and the sternum was fractured.-The Lancet, Dec. 14, 1872.

MEDICAL NEWS.
DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.

Borax and the Nitrate of Potassa in the Loss of Voice from "Colds" in Public Speakers and Singers.-Dr. JOHN W. CORSON, of Orange, N. J., states (Medical Record, Jan. 1, 1873)—

"1. That in sudden hoarseness or loss of voice in public speakers or singers, from 'colds,' relief for an hour or so, as by magic, may be often obtained by slowly dissolving and partially swallowing a lump of borax the size of a garden-pea, or about three or four grains, held in the mouth for ten minutes before speaking or singing. This produces a profuse secretion of saliva, or watering' of the mouth and throat. It probably restores the voice or tone to the dried vocal cords, just as 'wetting' brings back the missing notes to a flute when it is too dry.

"2. Such colds' may be frequently 'broken up' at the very commencement;

and this restorative action of the borax to the voice may be materially aided by promptly taking, the evening previous to a public effort, dissolved in a glass of sweetened water, a piece of the nitrate of potassa or 'saltpetre' a little larger than a garden-pea, or about five grains, on going to bed, and covering with an extra blanket. The patient should keep warm next day. This both moistens the dry throat and further relieves the symptoms of 'cold' and slight blood-poison

Fluid Extract of Castanea Vesca in Pertussis.-Dr. THOMAS S. DAVIS gives in the Medical Times (Dec. 28, 1872) the results of the treatment of 15 cases, with this remedy. The first eleven cases had the characteristic whoop, the remainder had well-marked paroxysms, but not the full spasm, and they recovered without having it. In each case the violence of the spasm was reduced even more markedly than the number of the paroxysms. tanea was continued for a week, after which, in a few cases, a simple expectorant was given. The nurse in charge, who had witnessed many epidemics of the disease, declared she had never seen medicine act like it.

The cas

This medicine is made from the beans of the common chestnut tree, castanea vesca, natural order Cupuliferæ. The preparation used was the fluid extract made by Mr. John M. Maisch, of Philadelphia (see Amer. Journ. of Pharmacy, Dec., 1871, p. 529). The dose is half a teaspoonful to a teaspoonful every three or four hours, for a child six years old.

Dr. VIVIAN POORE explained a simple means of intensifying cardiac murmurs, which is likely to prove useful at the schools as an aid to clinical teaching. He illustrated the scheme by making his patient lie down upon a common mahogany table, placing a walking-stick vertically on the centre of his chest about the level of the third costal cartilage, and balancing upon the top of the stick the soundingboard of a guitar with the orifice downwards. His patient was the subject of an aortic diastolic bruit, and the arrangements made caused the murmurs to be distinctly audible to the members standing around at a distance of several feet from the patient.

Physiology of the Pneumogastric Nerves.As the result of a series of thirty-seven experiments carried on with electricity on dogs and pigeons, Prof. MASOIN, of Louvain, has stated that there is a marked difference of action between the two pneumogastrics on the heart, and concludes that, for weakening and suspending the functions of the heart, the right nerve possesses a power far superior to that of the left one. The greater action of the right pneumogastric, adds M. Masoin, does not exert itself in any peculiar department of the heart, but in block as it were.-The Lancet, Dec. 7, 1872.

The Origin of Giant Cells.—SCHÜPPEL, of Tubingen, has recently published in the Archiv der Heilkunde the results of a

series of microscopical researches touching the origin of giant cells, which he had formerly found to exist in tubercle. His recent researches show that the origin of these cells is due to the transformation of vascular contents, or the organization of elementary granules into giant cells. They are, therefore, formed at the expense of the blood plasma, whether they take rise in the vessels themselves or out of them. The process is, therefore, a free formation of cells.-Lancet, Nov. 30, 1872.

Rheumatism in Whales.-There is, unquestionably, a great deal of unknown and unrelieved suffering in the world. If want of sympathy and difficulty of finding relief add much to physical distress, it is

sad to think of the new field of woe on the largest scale which Dr. Struthers has discovered in hitherto unexplored regions of pathology. In studying the osteology of whales, he has discovered that they are very liable to rheumatism. He has seen many examples of rheumatic ostitis in whales of different kinds. It has been said that animals are not subject to disease until they are brought into connection with man, but this fact contradicts the theory. It is the more remarkable, seeing that whales are less subject than man to variations of temperature. The cold-water treatment does not seem to be efficacious in the cure of the disease.— Brit. Med. Journal, Dec. 21, 1872.

Testing of Urine for Biliary Acids.-M. STRABURG (Repertoire de Pharmacie) uses the following method, which seems elegant, safe, and easy: 1. A bit of sugar is dissolved in the urine. 2. A bit of filtering paper is dipped in the urine and dried. 3. When the paper is dry, one or two drops of sulphuric acid are put upon the paper.

If the urine contains biliary acids, the paper assumes a bright violet color on being examined with a strong light.-The Lancet, Nov. 30, 1872.

A Tale of a Nose.-The readers of surgical works are doubtless familiar with those cases in which the nose is reported, after having been cut off, to have been successfully replaced-in one instance, An inafter a dog had run away with it. teresting example of the reparative power of nature in such an injury is recorded in last week's Wiener Medizin. Wochenschr. by Dr. MALFATTI. On November 13, 1871, Lieutenant Preiser, while in barracks, had his nose cut off by a sabre. The wound passed through the middle of the cartilaginous part of the bridge of the nose, dividing the left ala along its posterior third, the septum through its middle, and the left ala two lines behind the anterior angle of the nostril. The piece cut off was taken up from the ground where it lay, cleaned with cold water, and reapplied, being secured in its place by means of sutures. A week after the injury, a dry scab began to form on the left ala,

Unhealthiness of Sewers.-In our number for September last, p. 157, we copied a statement in regard to the exemption of men working in sewers from fever. We now see it stated (Lancet, Nov. 16, 1872) that Dr. BATESON, Medical Officer of Health for St. George's, Southwark, in his last Report draws attention to the extreme unhealthiness of men engaged in working in the sewers. We regret that it is not stated from what forms of disease they suffer.

Tincture of Chloride of Iron for Corns.— Dr. C. BARBER states (Lyon Médicale)

that he has cured three cases of corns on

the toes by the application of a drop of the tincture of chloride of iron applied on the corns night and morning. This application was continued for fifteen days in one case, when the corns from which the patient had suffered for thirty or forty years were entirely destroyed, and pressure on the part gave not the least uneasiness.

Deaths from Chloroform.-In the Brit. Med. Journ. for Nov. 30, 1872, there is recorded the case of an intemperate hostler, aged 49, to whom chloroform was given for the purpose of painlessly resetting his fractured leg and dislocated ankle-joint. His heart suddenly stopped during the operation, and the usual restoratives were unavailing. A post-mortem

revealed a diseased heart.

In the same journal for Dec. 14, there is reported the case of a labourer, aged 28, who died under chloroform administered for the purpose of painlessly amputating a thumb which had been crushed by an accident.

In the same journal for Dec. 28, still another case is recorded. A man, aged 35, was placed under the influence of chloroform at King's College Hospital by the chloroformist to the Hospital to have

Death from Hydrate of Chloral.—A case of this is reported (Med. Times and Gaz., Dec. 7, 1872) from the administration of two hundred grains prescribed by a druggist.

To Kill Lice.-All kinds of lice and their nits may be got rid of tuto, cito, et. jucunde, by washing with a simple decoction of stavesacre (Delphinium staphisagria) or with a lotion made with the bruised

seeds in vinegar, or with the tincture, or by rubbing in a salve made with the seeds and four times their weight of lard very carefully beat together. The acetic solu

tion and the tincture are the cleanliest and

most agreeable preparations, but all are creatures and their eggs, and even in reequally efficacious in destroying both the lieving the intolerable itching which their casual presence leaves behind on many sensitive skins. The alkaloid delphinia may be also employed-but possesses no advantage, except in the preparation of an ointment when for any reason that form of application should be desired.-Edin. Med. Journal, Nov. 1872.