New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-11
MEDICAL AND SANITARY NOTES.

DETRIMENTAL OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the
much discussed question as TO how far organic oyesus
are detrimental to the human system, Dr. Iheo' wen
asserts that except gamboge which has been ueclarcu
10 be poisonous By an imperial German ID" govern
ing the subject and certain berries used for dyehg
wine the natural dyestuTs are entirely nnocuous'
and of the artificial organic dyeStuhs, the law III
question mentions only two as Delhg poi"onous'
namely coralline and pcric acid In regard TO the
general belief that most Of the coal-tar coors are
poisonous,-or, it is commonly termed poisoning
produced by wearing clothing dyed with anime
Dr. We'll is of the opinion that most Of these cases are
hased mon exaggerated statements or incorrect oo-
tervations-because. if the tar colors were really as
detrimental as represented the cases OF POISONING III
view of the almost universal employment OF thoSe
dyes both for coloring fabrics ari food prooucts'
voud he far greater and. in especial the Workmeal
amnIoved in manufacturing them W0uld pc suDl-eI
to Constant illness which does not appear to be their
experience
A RUSSIAN MALADY.-Accordng to the report
made BY Prof. Tester of the medical faculty OF
Lyons, who sent in his professional capacity
IN Russia for the purpose of taking evidence in ne
card N the course of influenza there and the various
conditions of its evolution, Influenza is normal
growth of Russian soil, and when not raging
malady is smoulderng one. Among the contrlDutory
circumstances and influences in this line, as enuIer
eted by Dr. Tessier, are the way the people i've IN
winter locked up in heated houses,-the haness OF
the coil its consequent bad drainage, and universally
sodden condition when the April thaw beglns,-the
6hiness of the farmyards, the village streets, and
the rivers which become suddenly swollen, ana on
falling leave putrid mud behind, etc,-the microDe
of the disease being in fact found in this muu' the
name given to it being strepO bacillus. popularity
mentioned as characterizing this disease is its aance
with this bacillus Of pneumococcus when also , noeo
and thrves in Russian marshes, river mud ana village
pools.
COsTLINEss OF CERTAIN DRUGS.-A recent inves-
tgation Of the drug market in ST. Louis ana the prices
of some of the specially costly articles in that hhe'
showed the following results in values tilee-
Mound bottle of akaOid Of aconotne, S495 So quarter
onDce vial of cheldonne alkaloid new drug used IN
skin diseases scroula and dropsy, S5S cocaine ABOUT
S12O per pound; fve-ounce bottle Of true cotoih'
about $780, crystals of elaerin poison used IN cases
of hydrophobia and locbiaw, prepared from Pla"'
called South American Indian arrow, $40 an ounce
agraricin 41-2 ounces, S43 49, colocynthin, IL
ounces STA IS; conline hydrochorate, ID ounces
sos As: cvclamin, 8 IL ounces, S54 04; diglt0Xin.
12 ounces, o( 40; gentlsln - ounce %
ID ounces $194 So papayotn' used as sovei5t or
the dipthcrlc membrane, l3ounce bottle 5l1 lev o.
ounce vial phy sOs gmne cry stalls for the same pur
pose, S5O3 Is per IL ounce boIte
TIER APEITIC VALUE OF LIQUID sOAP.-IIerT
eaidemann has recently called attention, in vaiu-
able paper on the subject addressed 10 pharmaceuss
and the medical profession to the therapeutic Vae Vi
Iouid scans for which he claims various advantages,
ch a. their being more suitable for Injunction, favor
,fO admxture of medical substances. and being al
,avs nroducbIe from vegetable oils, thus avoiding the
rec 10 animal fats The formula recommended by
him for liauId soap Is to mix part OF caustlc
,o+ash dissolved in an equal weight Of water, with
fur pars of olive oil and oneourth part Of ALCOHOL
followed by vigorous shaking for some ten minutes
the mixture is TO be repeatedly stirred during the
succeeding hour then mixed with an equal quantty
Of water and after standing several Gays, uttered
Herr Sajdemann states that carbOlc @cd incorporate
With pOash soap has its caustic and poisonous prop
critics paraIyzed, while It's disniectaht aclon appears
10 lie increased. II is also stated that ule berHI
district sanitary commission mas iOuhd sOntlOn ~
potash soap in 10000 parts OF water 10 completely
prevent the splenic fever bacillus
INSANITY IN NATURALIZATION has lately been
directed to a report made to convention Of French
nbvscans containing remarkable array Of facts as to
the increase Of insanity In France, and especially as
,bo of that form of the maady due 10 excessive
,ndulqence in alcoholic drinks 1t appears that in sew
enteen years insanity increased throughout the country
IN the extent of thirty per cent, hysx per cent OF
the insane being and fortyfour per cent women.
The increase during the past seventeen years mas III Icl
been almost entirely in the branches Of alcoholic In
sanity and OF general paralysis or pnress only very
little advance being noted in mania, meanchoha ana
chronic dclirum: alcohol and OverwOrk are therefoN
responsible for the greater part OF the Increase OF Sa
fly thus recorded Some fifteen years ago the pro
norton of women among The cases OF aicohoilc INSANITY
was repored TO be sixth while at present Is one
fifth The singular fact IS also mehtloheu tha' t'e
the month OF May seeming 10 inaugurfte annually an
epidemic.