published the result of his studies, and which, as the most reliable work, probably, done in this field, I herewith present in summarized form :

Of 166,812 administrations of chloroform, in the period from 1889 to 1894, there occurred 63 deaths; on an average 1 in 2647 administrations.

During the same period, among 26,320 patients anesthetized by ether, 2 died; that is, 1 in 13,160.

From a mixture of ether and chloroform there occurred but 1 death in 8014 administrations.

From a mixture of alcohol, chloroform and ether, known as" Billroth's mixture," there occurred 1 death in 4190 administrations.

From bromide of ethyl, there occurred 2 deaths in 7541 administrations.

unnuhlishad

Some years ago, Dr. Squibb stated that the deaths from anesthetics would probably be more accurately represented if the published cases were doubled, so as to represent the the rubber; its round end moved about in the powder until it is filled up about one-fourth of an inch; the same end is then reintroduced into the rubber tube, and the flattened end of the glass tube introduced into the nostril. The patient then places the other end of the rubber tube between his lips and gives a quick strong puff, which forces the powder into the naris, some of it usually going through to the naso-pharynx. The patient is also given a solution of one-third of a grain of thymol, with three or four minims of the oil of cloves, to the ounce of liquid albolene, which he is to use in the nose thoroughly as a spray three times daily. Before cauterizing the parts are thoroughly anesthetized with a four per cent. solution of cocaine, applied by means of a small pledget of cotton wrapped upon a flat applicator; this pledget is moistened in the solution and carried quickly to the back of the nasal cavity. In bringing it forward it is rubbed over all the surface to be anesthetized, the application requiring about thirty seconds. At intervals of about a minute, these applications are repeated, and usually two or three are sufficient to produce complete anesthesia; a knife-like electrode, having at its end a No. 21 platinum-wire blade about three-fourths of an inch in length,

is then introduced to the back part of the nasal cavity, and turned against the tissue to be cauterized. The current is then turned on, and the electrode is drawn slowly forward to the anterior end of the turbinated body, burning through the soft tissues so as to just graze the bone in two or three places. Sometimes, when the tissues are thick, the electrode has to be moved slightly back and forth two or three times before the bone is felt. It is my desire in all these cases to touch the bone lightly in the posterior, middle and anterior parts, in order that the soft tissues may be firmly bound down when cicatrization takes place."

From a study of the cases he has treated, Ingals concludes as follows:

1. It is important that antiseptic applications be regularly employed after cauterization of the nasal mucous membrane; and that the nostril be closed by cotton for several days whenever the patient is out of doors, to prevent taking cold.

2. As a rule, at least two weeks should intervene between operations upon opposite sides, and three or four weeks between those on the same side.

3. No serious results are at all likely to follow cauterizations made in this way.

4. Practically all cases of hypertrophic or intumescent rhinitis may be cured by this treatment, though occasionally portions of the turbinated bones must be removed.-American Medico-Surgical Bulletin.

Children of Alcoholics.

A writer in the Quarterly Journal of Inebriety thus discourses upon the children of drunkards:

"A distinguished specialist in children's diseases," he says, "has carefully noticed the difference between twelve families of drinkers and twelve families of temperate ones during a period of twelve years, with the result that he found the twelve drinking families produced in those years fifty-seven children, while the temperates were accountable for sixty-one. Of the drinkers twenty-five children died in the first week of life, as against six on the other side. The latter deaths were from weakness, while the former were attributable to weak

ness, convulsive attacks or to ædema of the brain and membranes. To this cheerful record is added five who were idiots, five so stunted in growth as to be really dwarfs, five when older became epileptics, one, a boy, had grave chorea ending in idiocy, five more were diseased and deformed, and two of the epileptics became, by inheritance, drinkers. Ten, therefore, of this fifty-seven only showed during life normal disposition and development of body and mind. On the part of the temperates, as before stated, five died in the first week of weakness, while four, in later years of childhood, had curable nervous diseases. Two only showed inherited nervous defects. Thus fifty were normal, in every way sound in body and mind."

Insurance people are always preaching against alcohol as a factor of mortality. In the above extract we see its influence upon the growing generation, possible candidates for insurance. Insurance companies are taking notice of these things.-Ex.

The Infectiousness of Milk.

Eight years ago the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture established an experiment station at Forest Hills, and undertook an investigation of the subject of the infectiousness of milk. The work was done under the direction of Dr. Harold C. Ernst, with Dr. Austin Peters, veterinarian, as first assistant. Much help was given also by Dr. Henry Jackson and Langdon Frothingham, D.V.M.

The investigations were confined to the question of tuberculosis. The subject was studied along two lines: (1) As to whether cows with tuberculous udders could infect with their milk; and (2) whether cows with apparently or really healthy udders, but having tuberculosis elsewhere, could communicate their disease. As to the first question, there existed already sufficient facts to prove that the milk from a tuberculous udder was infectious. Most of the work was directed, therefore, to solving the second problem. In order to determine whether the infectious element of tuberculosis ever existed in milk from tuberculous cows whose udders were apparently healthy, inquiries were prosecuted under the following headings: 1.

A careful and persistent microscopic examination of the milk from such cattle; 2. Inoculation experiments with such milk; 3. Feeding experiments with the same milk. In addition to these three main lines of investigation, there was also undertaken: 4. Similar investigations of the milk supply of Boston; and 5. The gathering of as much evidence as possible from medical men and veterinarians as to cases of probable infection through tuberculous milk that had come under their observation.

There were one hundred and twenty-one microscopical examinations of milk and cream made, the specimens coming from thirty-six different animals. Bacilli were found in the milk from twelve animals-i. e., one-third of the total. These animals were all infected with tuberculosis, but their udders were free from disease. In addition to this, eighty-eight guinea pigs were inoculated with the milk from fifteen cows, and tuberculosis developed in twelve guinea pigs. Six out of the fifteen cows communicated the disease. Milk - feeding experiments were made upon rabbits, pigs and calves. About four per cent. of the rabbits, fifty per cent. of the pigs, and thirty-three per cent. of the calves, became infected. An interesting investigation was made also of the general milk supply of Boston. Among thirty-three samples from various sources, tubercle bacilli were found once; and among twentyfive rabbits inoculated with milk from mixed sources, three became infected. One may infer from this that of the general milk supply of a large city three per cent. or upward of the samples will contain bacilli, and prove infectious.

The last branch of the inquiry was clinical in character. Circulars were sent to eighteen hundred medical men and veterinarians, asking if they knew of any cases in which human beings had been infected with tuberculosis through the milk of cows. Among one thousand and thirteen replies from physicians, eight hundred and ninety-three were negative, eleven reported cases of infection by cow's milk, and eight reported cases of infection of a child by the mother. The veterinarians gave much more striking evidence. Among fifty-four replies, fourteen reported positive and nine suspi

cious cases.

The medical profession is quite ready to accept evidence of the dangers of milk from tuberculous cows; but the very thorough investigation made under the auspices of the Massachusetts Society places the matter on a positive basis, and furnishes ample ground for the most scrutinizing attention by boards of health to the subject of the milk supply of the community.-Editorial in Med. Rec.

Acute Diseases of Childhood.

In the treatment of the acute affections of childhood, the physician is often confronted with the problem of how to reduce high fever rapidly and effectively, and without discomfort or injury to the patient.

Among the remedies hitherto proposed, phenacetin still maintains its position as the most eligible antipyretic in pediatric practice. Its popularity is based upon its possession of marked sedative and anodyne properties, aside from its power of reducing fever. Under its influence the restlessness disappears, pain if present is relieved, and the child often drops into a refreshing sleep.

In an interesting article in the Archives of Pediatrics, March, 1895, Dr. C. G. Jennings states that among the coaltar antipyretics "phenacetin has given the best results. Clinicians generally agree that powerful effects, like cyanosis and dangerous cardiac depression, never occur with this drug in reasonable dosage. The beginning dose of phenacetin should never be larger than one-half grain for each year of age; this dose may be repeated every hour for two or three doses. Guided by the thermometer or the relief of the distress and the breaking out of a gentle perspiration, the administration of the drug can be arrested when the result is accomplished." In the treatment of acute nasal or pharyngeal catarrh, tonsillitis, bronchitis, laryngitis, pneumonia and pleurisy in the first stages, the author advises the combination with aconite of one, two or three doses of phenacetin, at hourly intervals, at the height of the pyrexia. After the period of engorgement in pneumonia and any grave inflammatory disease, however, aconite should have no place in its therapeutics, and antipyresis should be accomplished by the bath or phenacetin,