New-York tribune., 1872-07-29
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL NOTES.

SNUFF TAKING FOR BRONCHITIS AND CoNsoMf
TIoN-Dr John Murray, one of the best known a'uo"e
European medical authorities asserts that ne mas sc
the progress OF consumption arrested by praouos .
habit of snuff taking, which is equally etelent III INC
case of bronchitis He says that by tickling the hnh
membrane OF the nostrils snuff acts as powerful De
ryativc and oOunterirriant, and IT'S use WI n1 10 iv
the more important and suseepIuie rtiI %
mucous membrane from harm. The sneeIhg Wu,ch SUI
ceeds the un2ccusOmed application vi @ tuo ~
the cough which IS Induced W1el " 10 tbiDl,s he
of av in like manner as sea sickness Is be eNed
10 be- i'm cectng the elimination OF albumenoid matter
tbe precursor of tubercer0m thu lungs before IL has
had time 10 ill the air cells ana minute bronen and CO.
ogulate
zinc CWATER-TANKs.-Of the unhealthfulness
or these for domestic purposes there would seem TO he
no doubt recent French periodical contains an article
bv NJ Zinrck, who had examined water which had long
been kept in such tanks and who has found that the
water dissolves much the more zinc as II contain
more ohorides such, for example, the chloride Of
sodium The water also takes up larger quantities Of
zinc In proportion 10 the length OF contact Boiling does
not however. precpitate the zinc from water charged
with the metal sample Of the former was tired IN
which the chordes were in small proportion Dut whch
had been long time in zinc tank as much as 5 grains
OF zinc found in each quart To prevent tins state
OF things, NJ Znrek advises th9t the tanks oe coaSd
Inside with oil paint. with ocher or asphalt for the
base but miuum ceruse or carbonate Oi zinc should
be used. Fifteen grains in quart seem an enormous
proportion Ought not the use Of such tanks to be ds-
carCed altogethert
HEALTH AND SPECTRUM ANALYSIS. - The
quarterly Journal of Science mentions most ingenious
use of the spectrum ANALYSIS which VIII doubtless sug'
gest extending its application 10 the eucdation of many
inqurcs where il has heretofore not been appealed to-
The case referred 70 is substantially follows: The
water used by inhabitants of crowded court among
whom several cases typhoid fever had appeared was
drawn from a rather shallow wei, and Was highly
charged with various unOXdized compounds OF nitrogen
IL suspected that from some defect the contents OF
public uTual obtained entrance TO the WELL The TACT
that the well water contained seven times as much com
mon sat the normal water of the vicinity was some
confirmation of the suspicion. Prof. ChGrcn ODtlheu
absolute proof by the following method: lie introduced
two gIammcs of ithium salt into the urina ana, TWO
hOars LATER enable readily TO detect Win te use
Of the SpCcTOScOpe, the presence OF thlun IN Aer OF
the well water although previous eXalnlnaon q tne
latter, made in thorough manner, had shown no trace
Oi this substance.
SOMETHING ABOUT PILLs.-The modern era
Of explosions influences the contents of the piibox
Some pills prescribed by physician IN England con
taucd it is reported half grain nitrate OF silver,
ouesixh gram extract vOnica, and one-ha gram
murate Of morphine together with cons rOS. and eX-
tract of gentian. They exploded in very short time,
evolving a considerable amount of heat A similar case
reDUItcd 20 have occurred at Nottingham, IhgIdhu
where the physician prescribed pills containing 1Our
grains OF nitrate Of silver. grain mur1ate OF mOrpha
and tract OF geutian. The lady patient, who had the
box about her person. was Dady burned Oy Une cnlO
sion Despsng all such chemical, detOnatlng pellets,
Clinaman in for those OF thoroughly amman
character. Thus, druggist at NngpO invites pubic
TO swallow pills manufactured out of whole stag,
slauuhtered with purity Of purpose, on propltOus
day" appears that the wealthy wholesale druggists
are IN the habit purchasing large and handsome sas
"a propus day" is selected for the animals conyer-
sion into pills, when he is deliberately pounded enure
into pulp from which pills made After all THESE
must be greatly preferable to the explosive sort