The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-11
MEDICAL NOTES.

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The question of railway hygiene and
sanitation, although of the greatest i'm
portance to the public has. until re-
Gently, received but little attention.
Aside from the comfort which might be
increased by decreasing the amount Of
dust and cinders there is danger of Sc
rious eye injury and many catch their
death o'cold'' from over-heated, draughty
and poorly ventilated cars. The possibil-
ity of contagious diseases being carried
and disseminated by public conveyances
is beyond any question a real danger.
DR.. Grant, who has investigated these
matters. has found that there are few If
any, regulations or Instructions for the
proper protection of passengers from con-
tagious disease In 1887, however, in
structions were issued by the Pullman
Car company that all cars running into
California or Colorado should be fumi-
gated at least once a month to prevent
the carrying of consumption. BY the
present method of cleansing, by COM
pressed air, dust and light dirt may be
enectually removed, but this has no ac-
tton on disease germs. DIR. Grant sug-
gests a valve-like arrangement of VEN
tilators of fine, wire screen to arrest dirt
and cinders, and appliances to prevent di-
rect currents of air on the passengers.
The use of coke or methods to obtain
complete combustion both Of fuel and
smoke are the most efficacious remedies
gainst dust and cinders, and sprinkling
the roadbeds with crude petroleum will
prevent dirt from that source. Proper
methods of fumgating cars which can
easily be done by portable Tornado
hyde lamps, will effectually protect the
public against infectious and contagious
disease and If not voluntarily done by
railroad authorities should be made obig-
atory by law.
In an editorial in the Philadelphia Med
ical Journal. entitled, Dark Meats,
White Meats or Less Meat" the writer
refers to the prevalent opinion that light
meats are more digestible and contain
less deleteriOus constituents than dark
meats and for this reason are better
suited for the nourishment of sick peo-
pie, especially in certain forms of kidney
disease. Analyses, however, prove that
this IS fallaciOus and that the average
constituents of dark meat and white
meat do not greatly vary Offer and
Rosenquist, who have made experiments,
conclude that 1t is much better to limit
the amount. of meat than to forbid any
dark meat. There can be but little
doubt that certain constituents of meat
do have a bad effect upon certain peo-
pie who eat large quantities of meat and
this is especially true in America from
the fact that our meat supply is COM
pdratiVely large and our people, being
relatively prosperous can afford to buy
larger amounts of meat than people OF
most other nations. Disorders of a Ger,
tain class especially Bright's disease,
would be less frequent if We were accus-
toned to use meat less freely.
Aside from the indigestibiilty of orange
peel there is danger in eating 1t f om
germs which adhere to it. The little black
specks, for example, often found on
oranges, and which, under the name of
rust, is a sort of guarantee mark of a
true Florida orange, are, in reality, colo
MES of fungi, which some experts claim
are similar to the germs causing whoop-
ing cough. DR.. Tachamer, of Graz, who
first discovered this, scraped some Of
these specks from an orange, and sucked
them into his lungs by a deep inspira.
ton. The next day he was troubled with
violent tickling of the throat. and at the
end of the week he had developed an
acute attack of whooping cough. All
70 fruits are liable to carry germs upon the
skin, or to be attacked by fungi, and for
this no fruit should be eaten with the
skin on. Bananas, aside from being the
most nutritive fruit known, are the most
hygienic. for no one would think Of eat
ing a banana peel.
A cut is usually considered of slight i'm
pOrtance and scratch is usually entire
ly dsregarded, but even pin scratch
may be most disastrous in it's results, and
even fatal. According to the germ tn y,
every abrasion of the skin, where It's en-
tinuity is broken, opens q door to mi
crobes. which may thus inoculate the sys-
tenn with disease. 1t is therefore most i'm
pOrtant that all wounds should be sc I pu-
lously cleansed and properly dressed. The
wound should be at once bathed III water
az hot as can be borne, in which a few
drops of carbolic acid or other antiseptlc
have been dissolved, and, having been
sopped. not rubbed dry, a light dressing
should be applied to keep out dit ana
germs.
DR.. Schulz, of Frleburg. has something
to say about the old adage. After dinner
sit awhile, and after supper walk mile
Having made experiments IN two normal
subjects, a few hours after meals, some
of which were followed by sleep and 9TH
ers not he finds that sleep weakens the
stomach's mobility and increases the acid
ity of the gastric juice. Simple repOSe,
however, in the horizontal position, slim
uIates the motive functions of the stom-
ach, but does not increase the acidity OF
the gastric juice. He therefore conc udes
that. while man may stretch himself
out for a rest in the horizontal position
after hearty meal, he should resist the
tempting of Morpheus, especially If there
is any gastric trouble.
simple method of testing suspected
water is to put five ounces in a perfectly
clean. glass stoppered bottle, and add ten
grains of pure graduated white sugar.
This should be set in a we'll lighted win
dow. but not exposed to the direct rays
of the sun, the temperature being kept
as near 10 degrees f. as possible. Organ
&c matter is detected within forty-eight
hours by the appearance on the surface
of many white specks, varying in number
according to the amount of the orgag &c
matter An odor of rancid butter appears
within a week or ten days If the water is
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