"Glimpses at the Diaries of Gouvernevr Morris," by Annie Cary Morris; "The Story of a New York House," by H. C. Bunner; "Our Naval Policy," by James Russell Soley, U. S. Navy; "The Ducharmes of the Baskatonge," by Duncan Campbell Scott; "After Death," a poem, by Louise Chandler Moulton; "M. Coquelin," by Brander Matthews; "Russian Novels," by Thomas Sergeant Perry. Price 25 cents a number; $3 a year. Address Charles Scribner's Sons, Publishers, 743 and 745 Broadway, New York. SYRUPUS ROBORANS.-This preparation of syrup of hypophosphites is manufactured by Arthur Peter & Co., of Louisville, who claim its flavor and perfection as a pharmaceutical compound; that it is an open and fair formula; that it is made accurately by that formula; that it is the cheapest to the trade, the physician, and the consumer of any syrup hypophosphites compound now on the market; that it is a perfectly stable syrup. This stability makes it readily miscible with liquid pepsin, U. S. P. in from 3 to equal quantities, Fowler solution in from three to five drops to the drachm, and with syrup iodide iron, thus enabling you to unite the hypophosphites as a basis with these important agents to suit special cases. BUFFALO, N. Y., Sept. 27, 1886. Provident Chemical Works, St. Louis, Mo..-GENTLEMEN : Some time ago you very kindly sent me a box of your Crystaline Phosphate. I have not had an opportunity heretofore to give you an ex pression of opinion regarding it. Now that I have given it a fair trial, it gives me great pleasure to say that it certainly is a most excellent preparation, and one of undoubted value in the class of diseases for which it was and is intended. Very truly yours, G. T. WOLSEY, M.D., VERY CORRECT.-The more I see of hernia, the more I am convinced that, if the protrusion does not go back readily and speedily, the best interests of the patient will be subserved by an early oper ation.-P. S. Conner, M.D., of Cincinnati, in the College and Clinical Record. SCOTT & BOWNE, manufacturing chemists of New York, make a specialty of producing an emulsion of cod liver oil with hypophosphites. Their great care in selecting the oil and in making the combination is amply proven by the high therapeutical value set upon the emulsion by the profession. It is no new remedy, but has been steadily growing in demand for a number of years. It is certainly very useful in restoring wasting tissue, and in cases of scrofulous children it acts almost as a specific. They also offer a Buckthorn Cordial, which is highly useful in the treatment of constipation. THE Committee of Arrangements of the Ninth International Medical Congress, at Washington, D. C., which will meet in that city in 1887, is divided, for active work, into the following sub-committees: Congressional Legislation, Finance, Printing, Reception, Entertainment, Transportation, and Place of Meeting for the Congress and its Sections. While this committee is composed of some of the ablest and most influential physicians of the District, a citizens' auxiliary committee has also been formed, to assist, on behalf of the "laity," in welcoming and entertaining the distinguished guests. MIND AND MATTER.-At a recent trial as to the sanity of an individual, which took place in Hopkinsville, Ky., the following laconic replies were elicited from a prominent physician of our sister Commonwealth, who was on the witness-stand as an expert: "What is mind?" "No matter." "What is matter ?" "Never mind." "THE DOCTOR" is the title of a new bi-weekly journal, published and edited by Charles Welles, New York, as "a popular paper for physicians and their friends." Another new journal is the Dental Review, published by W. T. Keener, of Chicago, Ill.; another; the Pittsburgh Medical Review. THE AMPHITHEATRE is a monthly medical journal published in New York City. The medical students and the medical colleges of America are to be its particular source of solicitude. THE "Antiseptic Shake" has become a well-recognized convention in the clinics of the city. The surgeon about to operate extends to his invited guest, not his hand, but his elbow, which is gently seized by the latter, a slight pendulum motion is made, the courtesies of the day exchanged, and then the quasi-anatomical relations cease. Thus it is shown that true courtesy is not inconsistent with micro-parasitical innocuousness.-N. Y. Med. Record. THE superiority of Lactopeptine over pepsine as a digestive agent is everywhere acknowledged, and is rapidiy succeeding it. From extended experience in the use of Lactopeptine, we unhesitatingly recommend it as a most valuable remedial agent in certain forms of dyspepsia, vomiting in pregnancy, and especially in cholera infantum. -Canada Lancet. FIRE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.-The anatomical hall belonging to the medical department of the University of Virginia was destroyed by fire on the 20th of November. The loss is estimated at $8000, a portion of which is covered by insurance. The medical course will not be interrupted in consequence of the loss sustained. PARKE, DAVIS & Co., of Detroit, Mich., have placed both physicians and their patients under lasting obligations for their elegant and eligible pharmaceutical preparations. Most especially so, by means of their excellent capsules, both empty and filled, which have never failed to give the utmost satisfaction. DR. JULIAN J. CHISOLM, Professor of Eye and Ear Diseases in the University of Maryland, has accepted the Presidency of the Section on Opthalmology in the International Medical Congress, to meet in Washington in September, 1887. BY DE WITT C. DAY, M.D., NASHVILLE, TENN. Having already discussed the subjects, "The Water We Drink," and "The Food We Eat," we now propose to consider "The Air We Breathe." Water plays quite an unimportant part as an animal reconstructive, save as it acts as a diluent for the food we eat. An analogy exists between water and the atmosphere in the fact that both consist practically of two gases: water, oxygen, and hydrogen; and the atmosphere of oxygen and nitrogen, and yet in all nature pure specimens of these compounds cannot be found. Both contain what are called impurities; e. g., water contains various salts, ammonia, and other matters absorbed from the atmosphere and surrounding nature. The atmosphere contains at all times and places watery vapor, carbonic acid, earth-dust, germs, and the exhalations of vegetable matter. Therefore it seems that in speaking of water and air we should use the term "normal," and yet this would not be scientifically correct, as both are subject to ever-varying circumstances in the case of the atmosphere, such as elevation, temperature, barometric pressure, the amount of gaseous and solid constituents contained in a given locality, besides various magnetic and electric phenomena. If we remember rightly, the atmosphere we breathe is said to form a great envelope around the earth, supposed to reach about forty-five miles above its crust; its density, all things being equal, decreases as the squares of the distances increase, and it exercises a pressure at the surface of the earth of fifteen pounds to the square inch. We remarked that there was an analogy between water and air; there is this difference, however, in the case of water, the two gases, oxygen and hydrogen, are held together by intimate chemical union, but in the case of the atmosphere not only oxygen and nitrogen, but hydrogen, carbonic acid gas, and all other contained gases, are governed by what is known as "the law of the general diffusion of gases," a law not yet understood and not at all scientifically accurate in its operations. In the case of the atmosphere its elements exist in a state of admixture, and not strictly in chemical union. This admixture, however, is not always the same in a given locality, although governing circumstances being the same it may be said to be approximately so. Carbonic acid, e. g., is much heavier than oxygen, and obeying the laws of gravity may seek a home in the valleys, well or cellar; while hydrogen, being fourteen times lighter than oxygen, may seek a higher locality. Thus we see that the law governing the general diffusion of gases cannot be said always to be perfect in its operations. The composition of the atmosphere is again affected by particular localities. In a large city, for instance, a large amount of oxygen gas is inhaled, and carbonic acid gas exhaled by the animal life they contain, while the reverse obtains in large |