An elaborate official report has been published on the results of the measures adopted against the spreading of the cattle plague in European Russia during the last twenty-five years.

The plague, from which thousands of cattle perish yearly, is the terror of a Russian landowner, whose property, often only consisting of a few head, is annihilated by it. The Government has fought against this disease with every possible means. In 1876, the Minister of the Interior came to the conclusion that quarantine and the strictest isolation of infected cattle were not sufficiently radical measures for the destruction of the evil; therefore, a number of new regulations were adopted and published, according to which every head of cattle infected with the plague should be immediately killed and burned. This law, however, was put in force only in Russian Poland, and after the lapse of five years a decrease in the spread of the disease was observed. From 1875 to 1879, in forty governments, 180,000 head of cattle were destroyed by the plague, and from 1880 to 1884 it raged to such an extent that in forty-two governments 222,000 head per year were destroyed, so that the Minister of the Interior found it necessary to enforce the regulations in all the forty-two governments, and, from 1885, all over the empire. From that year the plague began to decrease; it appeared only in twenty-eight governments, where the annual average loss of cattle was 141,000 head, valued at $1,452,300. A still greater decrease was observed during the five years from 1890 to 1895; in fact, the disease was disappearing little by little, except in 1891 and 1892-the bad harvest years-when it again increased and invaded the Don region, spreading over the neighboring governments, where it disappeared only in 1894.

During the last five years the loss caused by the cattle plague in the seven infected governments amounted, on an average, to 18,820 head, valued at $193.846 per year. Thus, the loss of cattle from 1887 to 1895 was 253,000 head, worth $2,605,900. But if the plague had continued to rage at its former intensity, the loss in European Russia would have amounted to 1,620,000 head, valued at $16,686,000, so that on account of the strict measures enforced by the Government 1,367,000 head of cattle, worth $14,080,100 were saved to the country. Besides, the Government has paid to the owners of cattle killed the sum of $1,442,000 as indemnity.

Many objections were raised against the killing and burning of the infected animals, it being claimed that the plague would not

cease and that the practice would lead only to ruin of the stock. That such fears were groundless is proved by the official report, which shows what great benefit the measures have secured to the country. From the experience in this country, the only effective measures against the cattle plague is the killing and burning of the infected animals and strict observance of the regulations.

ST. PETERSBURG, April 16, 1896.

JOHN KAREL,
Consul-General

KNEW WHAT HE WANTED.-A sallow individual in a faded brown overcoat sat down on a stool at one of the railway lunch counters the other morning, and said to the proprietor:

"Give me a cup of coffee and one of your expurgated sandwiches."

"One of those vacuum sand

"What kind?" asked the proprietor. "Expurgated," rejoined the other. wiches for which your establishment is justly celebrated." "I haven't any kind but those under that glass there." "That's all right. That's the particular variety I want." He helped himself to one of them and lifted up the upper lid. This is what I call a sandwich, nit," he observed, eyeing it critically, yet approvingly. "There's nothing supererogatory about it. It's one of those hiatus sandwiches. It's a sandwich with an alibi,' he added, replacing the lid, and studying the outer surface of it intently. It's an absent sandwich. It's a sandwich that has failed I have seen times when I would have given worlds

to arrive. to--"

"Say," interrupted the proprietor, "if you don't like that sandwich you needn't eat it. That's all there is about that."

"Who said I didn't like it? Didn't I call for it? I generally know what I want. For this particular occasion and for this specific luncheon I happen to want one of your negative sandwiches, and like a man, sir, I call for it. Anything wrong about that?"

"You needn't get gay," grumbled the man behind the counter. "Did you order coffee?"

"I did. Give me, if you please, a cup of your best suppositious coffee."

"I've only got one kind of coffee," replied the sulky caterer.

"That's the kind I want. A cup of your universally admired non-existent coffee-your famous nullification coffee. Accompanied, if you please, by a small pitcher of your vague, phantasmal, visionary, depopulated cream. I am fasting to-day.'

And while the man in the faded brown coat munched the sandwich and sipped the coffee in a slow, absent-minded way, the proprietor stared at him, and breathed hard and longed to throw him out of the window.-Chicago Tribune.

MEDICAL EXCERPT.

BY T. P. CORBALLY, A. M., M. D.

PREVENTIVE TREATMENT OF EPILEPSY.--Dr. Lemoine, in a recent number of La Clinique, says epilepsy is not a morbific reality, but the result of morbifc conditions. There are, he says, epileptic conditions which are often symptoms of malformations, lesions or functional defects of the central and peripheral nervous system, and sometimes of other organs in the economy. The number of symptomatic attacks of epilepsy increases daily as clinical experience becomes more extensive and better understood, while that form of cases known as essential diminishes. This is a fortunate condition in a therapeutic point of view, for the better the causes of epilepsy are known the better it can be combatted by rational rather than by anti-spasmodic treatment. The doctor who is called to an epileptic patient ought, therefore, before prescribing remedies, to examine all the organs with the greatest care, to see if the disease is not the consequence of some pathological condition which he ought, if possible, to remove from the outset.

In severe cases the patient ought to be subjected to a strict course of moral and physical hygiene. Fatiguing intellectual exertion, reading excessively prolonged, violent or sudden emotions, fits of anger and the like ought, as far as possible, to be avoided. Professions that are exhausting or that require constant activity of thought do not suit his condition.

Sudden and violent changes of temperature, remaining in a place that is too cold or too hot--in a word, violent and sudden physical impressions should be avoided.

He should moderate his appetite, avoid hearty and protracted meals, shun alcohol and strong coffee, watch with the greatest care all the digestive functions, especially those of the intestines. Habitual constipation is the proximate cause of many attacks.

Every epileptic is subject to strong impressions from some particular cause, whether it be moral or physical-these are the causes he must endeavor to avoid with the greatest care.

The author has observed 220 attacks in twenty-four hours in a female patient. Such cases are dangerous and may cause death from violent congestion of the brain and especially of the menin

ges. He has found most relief from injections of chloral and Rata Brom. aa; half a drachm with yolk of egg and milk.

ADDISON'S DISEASE.-MM. Eitlenger and Nageotte presented a report (Le Progres Medical, 5th of December) to the Societie de Biologie on "Lesions of the Central Nervous system in the intoxication following experiments in Addison's Disease (removal of the capsules)." Death always follows the removal of both the suprarenal capsules in animals, and is accompanied with symptoms of paralysis. Abelous and Langlois have demonstrated that it is a case of auto-intoxication. The hystological study of the central nervous system shows that there exists cellular lesions which may be made to prove this, by means of new cytological methods. The lesions consist in deep changes: Ist. In the chromatophile substance of the plasma which is disintegrated as if reduced to powder. 2d. In the achromatic substance, which is deeply fissured in its central parts, accompanied with a general tumefication and a thickening of the protoplasmic prolongations. The cells of the entire cerebro-spinal axis are attacked, those of the brain as well as those of the cerrebellum and the spinal cord. It is quite justifiable to assume as fully established that there is an intimate relation between these lesions and the nervous symptoms accompanying the intoxication in Addison's Disease.

STREPTOCOCCI GENERALLY DIFFUSED.-M. Ch. Levy reports to the Societe Anatomique de Paris (La Revue Medicale, 15th October) the case of a child three weeks old attacked with erysipelas of the gluteal region, in which free injections of the serum of Marmorek were made. At first a slight improvement seemed to follow. Abscesses containing the streptococci soon developed in the neighborhood of the punctures, and soon afterwards the erysipelas reappeared. Injections were repeated; coma and death followed.

The autopsy showed the presence of streptococi in all the viscera, the liver, the spleen, kidneys, etc. The skull was removed and very thick sub-arachmoid exudation was found filled with streptococci.

This is probably the erysipelas neonatorum of the older writers, which has been said sometimes to accompany the birth of the child. In a case attended by the writer the disease began in a child ten days old and proved fatal at the end of the third week. Convulsions followed by coma preceded death.

RESEARCHES ON CHLOROFORM.-M. P. Reynier continues (La France Medicale, Nov. 20) to entertain a decided preference for

chloroform, the use of which in practice is much more convenient than that of ether. Patients recover from the effects of anesthetics very differently. A careful examination of each patient previous to the application of the anesthetic will enable the operator to judge of the effects that are likely to result, before the application is made.

Applying chloroform under normal conditions the cerebral cells are the first to yield to its influence; next, the cells of the medulla, and then the cells of the bulb. According to the greater or less resistance of these different cells, fatal accidents follow the application of chloroform. In alcoholic patients, the cells of whose brains are in a constant condition of hyperesthesia, evidences of delirium may be observed which may go on to delirium tremens. In hysterical subjects all the different forms of an attack of hysteria may be observed, and the effects may advance to the condition of paralysis or even of syncope. The same results will be observed in epileptic subjects. In morphinamaniacs but slightly intoxicated some patients are rapidly and easily brought under the influence of chloroform; in others, on the contrary, its use is most dangerous. In patients suffering with attaxia the period of medullary excitement almost always gives rise to reflex action, which may cause. the arrest of respiration and of the movement of the heart.

These accidents, which occur in the early stages of the application of chloroform, may also take place at the conclusion of the operation; therefore the patient should not be left without strict observation until he has completely recovered from its influence.

INTUBATION OF THE LARYNX.-Professors Robert and Llorente y Magdalena, of the Bacteriological Institute of Madrid, have presented (El Siglo Medico, November 1 and 8), a lengthy and interesting communication to the Real Academia de Medecina de Madrid on Intubation. The following are their conclusions:

1st. The simultaneous use of intubation and the anti-diphtheritic serum-therapy, gives the best results in the treatment of croup. 2nd. The results of intubation are without doubt much superior to tracheotomy; statistics prove this fully.

3d. The members of the Microbiological Institute of Madrid have performed intubation in 31 cases, which they have presented to the Society, and which show its great superiority to tracheotomy.

4th. The families of the patient will accept intubation when they would obstinately refuse to permit tracheotomy; many children. for this reason, die without surgical assistance.