The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-02-05
Written for the CitIzen.l

performed by Jenuer in May 1896.
A recent summing up of the results
shows that the smallpox mortality of
Europe during the previous century
was 1000 per 100000 Inhabitants,
and in the cities alone 5000, while
during epidemics it was occasionally
5000 to 5000. In England, during
permissive vaccination the rate fell to
All, and under compulsory vaccination
since 1871 the mean rate has been fur
ther reduced to SO. In Sweden, the
smallpox death-rate during the quar-
ter century preceding vaccination was
2.045, in 1902 Is it fell to 4S0, and dur
ing II years of compulsory vaccination
(l8l7 to 1894 it dropped to l55.
Prussia's record is the most striking,
the mean rate during the compulsory
period since 1874 having been only l5
per cent. of 1,0O0,0 600 Inhabitants. Vac
cination is not practiced generally in
Spain. and in the single year of 1889
the death rate from smallpox was
$3.50 in Almeria province, 2,570 in
Murcia, and ], 400 in Cordova.
An Indian prince of English educa-
ton, H. H. Sir Bhagvat Sinh Jee, has
written "a Short History of Aryan
Medical Science" from which it APP
pears that the Hindus believe the sci
ence of medicine, like other sciences,
to have been revealed to them. The
Bible of medicine is the "Ayur Veda"
of Brahma himself. The early med
zeal men detected three essences-wind,
bile and phlegm-to which, together
with various minor supernatural agen-
cies, were due all the physiological
manifestations of health and disease.
Excess defect or disorder of these es-
sences produced disease. 1t Is claimed
that the Indian sages anticipated Jen-
ner and Pasteur in prots Give inocula-
ton, Morton and Simpson in anaes-
thesia, Lister in antiseptics, and posi-
bly, Harvey in the discovery of the
circulation. Modern practices like
massage, aud many useful drugs, are
of Indian origin.
In the new smoke consuming fur
mace of Carl Weingnann, of Cologne,
the products of combustion are passed
over wires kept iucandescent by an
electric current. The wires may be in
the chimney, whose draught is inn
proved while perfect combustion is Sc
cured.
Of all animals, the human being is
most subject to variations in proper
ti0ns and symmetry, says DR.. A. G.
Clopton, in the Medical Age. If one
were to take the measurements of all
the individuals IN any one assembly,
perhaps not one would be found with
The two corresponding halves exactly
agreeing. This want of symmetry
systematic course of trailing, espec-
tally during the period of growth,
would correct. The long, lauky,
graceless lad, whose height has out run
his muscle, may be made to become
well-proportioned, graceful man. He
needs the systematic exercise of every
muscle daily; therefore his trainer,
whether physician or parent, must un-
derstand how this is to be done. The
short, stumpy lad, with big head and
chest, with legs out of proportion to
his trunk, ungainly and unsightly,
may be made to represent the highest
type of physical manhood. Here the
legs need more exercise than the mus
Giles of the trunk, and bicycle exercise
should be prescribed early in life. The
power of exercise, rightly applied, to
develop deficient parts without in
creased development of normal parts,
is remarkable. McLaren cites the case
of q lad nineteen years of age, whose
height as not increased by exercise,
but who increased the girth of his
chest four and q half inches in nine
months. A more remarkable case
reported by the same author proves
that the exclusive development of
special parts may be brought about
long after the natural period of growth
has passed. A man thirty-five years
of age, at the end of two months ex-
ercise at the Oxford Gymnasium, had
increased the circumference of his chest
not less than four and half inches.
Specimens of jelly-fish sent to Eng
land at different times have given rise
to the idea that Lake Tanganyika
must have once had some connection
with the sea, its marine fauna being
still partially retained. A report by
Mr.. Moore, sent out in 1895 by the
Royal Society to examine the fauna of
Laker Nyassa aud Tanganyika, con-
firms this view, not ouly remarkable
jelly-fish and deepsea fish of marine
type, but also spoDges having been
found in Lake TaDganyIka.
Cholera vibrios have been found by
Werniche to survive in the mud of
model aquarium for three months, al
though the vessel was exposed TO direct
sunlight. He concludes that cholera
germs in the beds of rivers may pre-
serve their vitality for considerably
longer period.
A newly discovered micro-organism,
Bacillus Solanaceanum," is believed
to be the cause of large part of the
potato rot of the United States.
In his recently reported efforts 10
trace the characteristic influences upon
vegetable life of different light-from
the slow radiations of the red end of
the spectrum to the rapid radiations of
the violet end-M. Flammarion, the
eminet French astronomer, tested SEN
sitive plants under red, green, blue and
white glasses. The results differed
widely, the growth in the height vary
ing in the order of red, green, white,