New-York tribune., 1896-02-05
MEDICAL AND SANITARY NOTES.

TROPICAL REMEDIES-Amougt the most noted
plants employed incidentally in parts OF ASIA In
cases OF hydrophobia lcprOsy, snake bite. etc, IL
the hOangnan. a plant placed by botanists among
the strychnr. VI. Sve~serteur. as illustrating its
efficacy gives an account Of the cure n Tonquin OF
the bite OF the black viper by OF this plant.
and two cases OF the Of the bite OF the cobra de
capea in India the bite OF which reptile, he asserts
means simply death within half an hour. Further.
NJ Feron Of India gives the case Ct boy seventeen
years OF age who bitten on the heel by cobra.
the lads leg In few minutes becoming swollen up
as far as thigh in less than ten minutes his sight
being completely gone. The first three pills re-
stored his sight and reduced the swelling of the leg
to below The knee two more reducing II TO the sole
OF the foot At tho end OF half an hour pain wds
felt except that which was occasl0ned by the lesion
of the tendon Achilles. this pain disappearing gradu-
ally ana entirely the wound proceeded TO cicatriza-
uon.
PURIFYING ADVANTAGES OF ALt'M.-Accord-
ING to Professors Austen and Wilber the public have
readily available a method by which they can purify
their drinking water in simple cheap. ehlcaclous
and expeditions manner, and the material for this
purpose Is alum. Chemically speaking. 1t Is Il
double sulphate OF potash and aluminium ard In this
use breaks into potassium sulphate which remains
I'm solution and basic sulphate and this basic sui
phatc of aluminum-thc composition OF which Is
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS as more less gela-
tinous and nocculcnt mass and carries down with II
the for,ign matters and humus bodies; sulphurc
e dlumtutC
suphate attacks the earthy and alkaline carbonates
which are always present, and forms with them
sulphatcs settling carbonic acid free the aluminic
suiphate acting like alum. For some years exen-
siye us, OF alum has been made in the various
processes OF purifying water, sewage. etc. the pre-
sumption being that. aside from Its effect IN pre-
clpitslting matter mechanically by development
with the precipitating basic alumnc sulphdte. the
| alum exerts distinct coagulative action on
the albuminous substances In the water rendering
them insolube. and thus causing their precipitation
BY the addition Of minute amount OF alum water
IS rendered capable OF complete mechanical hltra-
tion.
IMPURE WELL WATER.-There Is no well water
that Is absolutely pure. as Is well known. the char
acter Of the soil being. OF course important factor
! In the case II sandy. and the water will quickly
disappear from the surface after a rain the we'll vii
drain the soil for long distance around it, the con-
| sequence being that large portion OF the soluble
filth OF the soil must find its way into the well. al
though the water may appear sparkling and bright
/ II has been assumed that the soil removes all the
| impurities from the water. but this depends upon
whether the soil by long continued absorptiJ IN be not
already thoroughly saturated with impurities as
! TO refuse to take up That the soil does not
n well has been recently dug. has been demonstra tel
By saturating the surface earth at distance from
the well with kerosene OIL which gradually found IL
way TO the well-having been washed down by the
! rnins-and impaired its odor TO the water. II the
soil be OF heavy clay. the danger Is. OF course
tion OF the water is inevitable. No manure heaps
privies sinks other receptacle for filth or refuse
OF any kind should any account be near-tht
further of the better.