Notes and Queries.

Another WEATHER PROPHET, Dr. George Levy, editor of the Revue Illustree de Polytechnique Medicale et Chirurgicale, in his August issue tells us that Professor Zenger, of Prague, believes that he has succeeded in constructing a theory destined to supplant the imperfect systems of Newton and Laplace. This exordium rather takes one's breath away, and it seems

therefore but a small matter when we are told that the Polish scientist has found an explanation of the meteorological phenomena that take place in our atmosphere, and hence has the power to foretell them. Dr. Levy says that for upward of a year he has been in a position to verify Professor Zenger's previsions, to note the occurrence to a day of the predicted cyclones and storms, and, in point of fact, to announce a whole twelve-month of disaster by reason of inundation and famine. After all this it is rather disconcerting to find that Professor Zenger's method of forecasting the weather merely depends on the assumption that the weather phenomena recur at intervals of ten years. The meteorological disturbances which took place ten years ago he believes will be reproduced exactly, save for a very small difference in the time and in the locality, but possibly with additional events, such, for instance, as tempests, storms, cyclones, hurricanes, prolonged and generalized rains, bush fires, earthquakes, and tidal waves. The additions seem to be the greater part of the whole. Dr. Levy quotes a long list of the meteorological phenomena that manifested themselves during the solar periods from September 10th to November 9, 1887, but aside the note of warning that Professor Zenger's forecast being calculated from Prague, allowance must be made in other centers for differences of latitude and longitude.-British Medical Journal.

"COCK-MATRONS."-Subsequent editions of dictionaries of the English language will have to find space for a new compound word, namely, "cockmatrons." Possibly some of our readers will be curious to know whence this term originated. We will enlighten them. The term heads an editorial article which appeared last week in a contemporary published in the sole interests of nurses, called the Nursing Record. This journal, as is generally known, is conducted by a lady, who may be assumed to know something about matrons, inasmuch as she was once matron herself to a large general hospital in London. The article in question altogether disapproves of men having any thing to do with the appointment or selection of the nurses at hospitals. "It has," says the writer, "been proved over and over again that man is rarely a competent judge of the capacities of women for work. Smartness, good looks, a taking manner, or a pretty

bonnet have often turned the scale in favor of a candidate for a post when the appointment is made by men." Upon these grounds, then, "cockmatrons" must be condemned as impracticable hermaphrodite officials, whose judgment would always be certain to be biased and at fault. But perhaps the best way of dealing with this subject is to discuss the objectionable species of "cock-matrons" from a morphological point of view. It is then that the matter becomes very interesting, as those having a taste for morphology will soon discover. Upon the whole, however, we prefer to leave to our readers the pastime of working out for themselves the various problems which it suggests.-Medical Press, August 4, 1897.

SEPTIC IMPETIGO.-A case recently communicated to the Societe de Biologie in Paris by Dr. Triboulet is interesting as affording an example of rapidly fatal impetigo due to the bacillus pyocyaneus. The patient, an infant, aged ten months, was also the subject of acute miliary tuberculosis. Which of these diseases was chiefly accountable for the fatal result is, of course, uncertain. Dr. Triboulet considers that it was the former, and he alleges in support of this opinion the fact that sudden death is not exceptional in generalized impetigo, while tuberculosis as a rule does not kill with the same rapidity. In his case the bacillus was discovered in the fluid exuding from small ecthymatous ulcerations in the skin, and also in the blood of the heart and in the liver and kidneys. Its identity was confirmed by cultures in beef tea, etc., and by experiment on living animals. It was found, moreover, to exist as a saprophyte in the neighborhood of the Trousseau Hospital, where this case occurred, having been discovered by one of the resident physicians on the bark of an adjacent tree. The facts of this case are obviously suggestive in relation to the occasionally surprising virulence of some skin eruptions.-Lancet.

INTESTINAL PARASITES IN CHINA.-It is said that ninety-five per cent of Chinese children suffer from thread-worms. This is supposed to be due to the fact that in China unfiltered water is used, and vegetables are as a rule eaten raw. European residents there boil or filter their water and cook their vegetables, and are free from this trouble. The Chinese, however, who rarely eat any meat other than pork, do not suffer with tapeworm, whereas twenty per cent of the Europeans, who eat a good deal of beef, are especially liable to these intestinal parasites.-Medical News.

NEW CONSUMPTION HOSPITAL FOR VIENNA.-A large hospital for consumptives is to be erected, through the generosity of several citizens of Vienna, at Alland, a small hamlet near the city. It is expected that it will be ready for occupancy by the spring of 1898. It covers a large area, and is sheltered on all sides save the south by hills and forests. The building will accommodate about three hundred patients, but will be enlarged in the future. It will contain all the latest hygenic appliances.

Special Notices.

CONTINUED GOOD RESULTS.-The January 1894 number of The Quarterly Journal of Inebriety, published under the auspices of The American Association for the Study and Cure of Inebriates, Hartford, Conn., U. S. A., says through its able editor, T. D. Crothers, A. M. M. D., "Antikamnia is one of the best remedies in influenza, and in many instances is very valuable as a mild narcotic in neuralgias from alcohol and opium excesses. We have used it with best results." In a letter of more recent date to The Antikamnia Chemical Company, Dr. Crothers writes: "Antikamnia continues to improve in value and usefulness, and we are using it freely." The Edinburgh Medical Journal, Scotland, says, regarding Antikamnia: "In doses of three to ten grains it appears to act as a speedy and effective antipyretic and analgesic." The Medical Annual, London, Eng., says: "Our attention was first called to this analgesic by an American physician whom we saw in consultation regarding one of his patients who suffered from locomotor ataxia. He told us that nothing had relieved the lightning pains so well as antikamnia, which at that time was practically unknown in England. We have since used it repeatedly for the purpose of removing pain, with most satisfactory results. The average dose is only five grains, which may be repeated without fear of unpleasant symptoms."

A HELPFUL PUBLICATION.—Among the publications which reach our editorial desk is a modest monthly of eight pages entitled "Therapeutic Progress," published by Victor Koechl & Co., 79 Murray Street, New York. It is devoted to a consideration of the newer remedies imported by this firm, among which may be mentioned Argonin, Benzosol, Diphtheria Antitoxin (Behring), Tuberculin (Koch), and others. Antipyrine, Lanoline, and Dermatol are also included among the valuable preparations for which the above firm are sole agents for the United States. One particularly desirable feature of "Therapeutic Progress" is the condensation of reports, etc., into as small a compass as possible, all useless elaboration and padding being eliminated. The publishers will be glad to mail copies regularly, free of charge, to any physician who may desire to have it. We have from to time gleaned valuable and practical therapeutic hints from its perusal. Address Victor Koechl & Co., 79 Murray Street, New York.

CHEMICAL FOOD is a mixture of Phosphoric Acid and Phosphates, the value of which Physicians seem to have lost sight of to some extent, in the past few years. The Robinson-Pettet Co., to whose advertisement in this issue we refer our readers, have placed upon the market a much improved form of this compound, “Robinson's Phosphoric Elixir." Its superiority consists in its uniform composition and high degree of palatability.

J. H. GOETHE, M. D., Varnville, S. C., says: Celerina was given to a patient suffering from nervous prostration, the result of habitual alcoholic exeess. Under its administration his system was not only completely renovated, but he was enabled to overcome the habit of indulging in strong drink, and is now enjoying good health. I regard Celerina of great value to the profession.

SANMETTO IN INFLAMMATION of Bladder, OVARIES, OR UTERUS.-Sanmetto is an excellent remedy for all bladder troubles caused by inflammation. I find it acts nicely with tinct. opii to allay pain and inflammation, especially when the ovaries or uterus are affected. The physicians generally about here prescribe Sanmetto. LORENZO SARGEANT, M. D.

Bradford, Mass.

DR. LUIGI SALUCCI, Physician to the Holy Apostolic Palaces, The Vatican, Rome, says: I have given your Bromidia with sucesss as a remedy for insomnia, especially where produced by excessive study or mental work.-September 1, 1897.

Certainly it is excellent discipline for an author to feel that he must say all he has to say in the fewest possible words, or his reader is sure to skip them; and in the plainest possible words, or his reader will certainly misunderstand them. Generally, also, a downright fact may be told in a plain way; and we want downright facts at present more than any thing else.-RUSKIN.

Original Articles.

MY IDEAL NURSE; TWO EPISODES IN HER LIFE.*

BY I. N. BLOOM, A. B., M. D.

It was quite a number of years ago, and in another part of the country, that I first had the opportunity of seeing Miss Forrest at work. I was on the staff of the hospital in which she was student nurse, and during my term of service she was on my side of the house. That which first called my attention to her was her faculty of selfextinction. On service she was appreciable occasionally to one of the senses only, that of sight. If she walked, one could not hear her, and if she spoke at all, it must have been when off duty; indeed, corporeally she was seldom in evidence, never when not absolutely necessary. I appreciated this quality for its rarity, and I resolved that, should occasion offer, I would find out whether this young woman met my ideal of what a nurse should be in other respects. I knew that nursing in hospitals and nursing in private were very different things, and the ideal in the one might fall far short of it in the other.

Soon after Miss Forrest graduated, and had sent me her dainty, modest card, containing her name and address, the opportunity of testing her ability offered in this manner:

Mr. Stubbs was a very prosperous grocer, who by hard work, assisted by a very worthy wife, had become the leading dealer in such articles as green grocers are wont to sell. He had done more; he had

* Read at the graduation exercises of the Louisville Training School for Nurses, 1896.

at this time, by his economy and thrift, become the owner of sundry good properties well located in the city, and it was said, had not a few stocks and bonds in good corporations.

I have said he had done this with the help of his estimable wife; I might have said that she was responsible for the accumulation with his assistance. Stubbs had often told me that when he and his wife were married he had had next to nothing. He had been head clerk in a grocery store, which he left on his marriage to open one of his own. He stocked it on credit. His wife clerked with him, and their lodgings. were over their little shop. He assured me that their living expenses the first year of their marriage were only-well, you would not believe it unless you knew Stubbs at the time I am writing of. Then I veritably believe they were little more, if due allowance be made for the little Stubbses, with one of which Mrs. S. was biennially accustomed to present her husband. But even then no great allowance need be made, for as each of the children, boy or girl, reached the age of twelve, he or she was expected to contribute to the general and individual support by clerking on the lower floor. You can well imagine, from the number of his clerks, that Mr. Stubbs' business must have increased during these later years.

In their new and larger quarters, as in their old, they continued to live over the shop, and it was there I, as family physician, had grown to know the family as only the family physician can―faults and virtues, characteristics and individualities, from the youngest born to the old man Stubbs himself.

Mrs. Stubbs had always interested me most, and as a study of character there was much more in her to occupy one's attention than could be found in honest, sturdy John Stubbs.

The rearing of a large family is always commendable, and Napoleon made no mistake in rewarding those who added most to the census. I believe, though, you will allow that it is not always conducive to the production of the sweetest tempers in the worthy matrons; and when to the family cares the poor woman must add for herself those brought on by the customers she waits upon, and the producers from whom she buys, you will not be surprised when I tell you that although a very worthy woman, indeed a very good woman, Mrs. Stubbs was by no means a saint. She ruled the family with a rod of iron; and honest John bent to the rod. She knew no "velvet paw;" her word was sovereign, and no one ever doubted it; it never occurred to