The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-15
Medical Notes.

$N~NNSN~~~N~N~N~NN~N~~~~
Even in the regular profession men are
not aboFc improving opportunities to ipl-
press their patients by apparent super
human knowledge. Van Dayse, of Client,
according to the British Medical Journal.
indulges in this method as Is shown by
the following story: A lady came to him
complaining of intense pain IN one eye,
when he at once said to her: Madame,
you keep birds. Four days ago you
cleaned out the cage. Since then your
eye has been bad" The patient was as
tonished at this instantaneous diagnosis,
which seemed to her almost miraculous
But the thing was very simple huslz
of grain had become implanted In the
cornea. The lady had evidently blown
into the seed glass and a husk, thus set
flying about, had stuck in her eye. The
cernea showed a grayish halo at the site
of the lesion and was somewhat puffy at
the edge; vascular reaction was begin
ming to show itself in the neighboripg
part OF the ocular conjuntiva and clinical
experience had taught the observer that
four days was about the time necessary
to produce this state of things.
1t is not generally known that potato
leaves and stalks are poisonous, but this
is called to mind by report from Ger.
many that flfty-siX soldiers were recent
ly poisoned by eating potatoes. The sick
ness began with chills followed by fever,
headache, collie, vomiting. and diarrhoea,
leading to collapse and developing jaun-
dice. Upon investigation it was found
that the soldiers had eaten sprouting po-
tatoes and We're thus probably poisoned
by the alkaloid solanine, an irritant and
narcotic poison. 1t is quite probable that
a small amount of this poison is formed
in potatoes during the process of germina-
ton and DIR. Pfuhl believes that mild
cases OF Indigestion, diarrhoea, etc, may
be due to eating terminating potatoes.
This subject is a timely one at this sea-
son of the year and due caution should
be used. The precautions taken in the
German army are to cut out the sprouts
and carefully peel the potatoes, then cut
ting them up and allowing them to stand
all night in water In the morning they
are rinsed off in running water and cook
ed for twenty-five minutes.
-
The fact that the German authorities
at Bonn some time ago had an investi-
cation upon alcoholism among the pupils
IN the primary schools shows startling
state Of affairs. Sixteen children out OF
loo did not drink milk, and absolutely re-
fused TO drink it because it had no SAVIOR
OF 2Sl pupils, seven to eight years of age
there was not one who had
not drank wine, beer, or whisky
although % per cent had never tasted
whisky. but habitually drank beer or
wine. Eight per cent of these
children were given their glass of whisky
every day, by their parents, that they
might become strong. AS a result of
these Investigations it was proved that
children most accustomed to alcohol
showed the least intelligence. children
who had their morning glass OF whisky
and found no SAVIOR in milk showing it
by great inattention during the morning
hours. A curious fact shown by this in
VestigatioM was that young girls, who
took whisky with their breakfast, were
more numerous than young boys.
Dr.. Hills takes a very optimistic view
of the use Of whisky, and claims that
the fusel oil renders it more healthful
and palatable when 1t has properly aged,
the process Of ripening requiring from
ten to twenty years He believes that
properly ripened whisky is not really very
dange rous, and makes a thousand per-
sons happy to one whom it Injuries. In
a state of physical and nervous exhaus-
tion he states that it enables a person
extra length of time, and later prevents
the utter collapse that might otherwise
ensue. These statements are questioned
by many. but there Is no doubt, but that
IN state of exhaustion. due to disease,
whisky or similar alcoholic liquor has a.
beneficial effect, and may be taken for
some length of time without appreciable
injurious effects, without even any signs
of intoXication,
.
A common symptom in some forms of
nervous diseases, especially nervous ex-
haustion, is the belief that the patient
has not slept when in reality he may have
enjoyed a good nights rest Such patients
complain of an inability to slsep and are
honest in their belief and statements
Ertenmeyer, calling attention to this. re-
1ers TO condition occurring in health
IN which the person believes even after
a considerable period of sleep thai he Or
she has not slept at all, a condition that
may occur during a railroad journey, a
person falling asleep and awakening only
When the train stops, without any recol-
lection Of having passed way stations. or
IN Iact OF having been asleep The prac
tlcal application of these facts is that
caution should be used in the use of
sleep inducing drugs which should not he
gwen to nervous patients simply uDon
thelr own statements that they cannot
sleep, but only after they have been
watched
AS the germ theory is comDarative1v
new there is no test of the longevity NJ
germ. La Suisse naTrates an incident