646

endeavour should be made to clear out all fissures and

furrows, whether natural or artificial, and to render the skinof the hands as soft, smooth, and pliant as possible. In

order to prepare Schleich’s "mechanical disinfector" 750parts of resinous soap (clear yellow in colour, freshly made,and cut up into small pieces), having been dissolved in 1500parts of hot water, should be placed upon a fire with 150parts each of stearine and wax. As soon as the last-named

substances are melted 700 parts of powdered marble shouldbe poured in very slowly, the mixture meanwhile beingcarefully stirred. The loss from evaporation (usually about300 parts) should next be made good and then boiling beallowed to continue until the mixture becomes of the con-

sistency of syrup, the last part of the process generallylasting about half an hour. As soap produced in this way issaid to cause slight epidermic erosions in tender skins it

would be prudent to avoid making use of it in laboratories

where preventive serums of an infectious disease were beingmanufactured.

___

SPECIAL OPHTHALMIC NUMBER OF THE

"INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE."

IN the January number of the Indian Medical Gazetteit is announced that a special Ophthalmic Number willbe issued in a few months. Evarything will be done tomake this forthcoming number representative of ophthalmic-surgery in India at the present day, and circulars have beensent by the editor to ophthalmic surgeons throughout Indiainviting information on points of interest in connexionwith diseases of the eye and its appendages, and especiallyon the subjects of cataract, trachoma, and errors of refrac-tion. The replies to these circulars are to be addressed toMajor W. J. Bachanan, I.M.S., Editor Indian Medical

Gazette, Bhagalpur, E.I. Railway, or to the Editor, IndianMedical Gazette, care of Messrs. Thacker Spink and 00.,Calcutta. On account of the great field for ophthalmicoperations which exists in India our contemporary’s collec-tive investigation cannot fail to be of practical importanceand will form an interesting contribution to ophthalmologicalliterature. Last year the same journal brought out a special inumber devoted to the treatment of stone in the bladder,allusion to which has already been made in our columns.1

CREASOTE IN PNEUMONIA.

IN a paper read before the Central Texas Medical AssociationDr. J. L. Van Zandt drew attention to the advantages to beobtained by the use of creasote or preferably creasotal inpneumonia. After giving his own experience, which he saidwas satisfactory. Dr. Van Zandt quoted several passages fromthe writings of other physicians, all speaking highly of thismethod of treatment. Dr. Van Z3.ndt spoke in enthusiasticterms of the results he had obtained. At first he gave one

drop of the drug every three hours, but latterly he had

prescribed seven and a half minims of creasotal. This

appears to be a large dose, but he states that "others

give larger doses with possibly better results or no

harm." He adds : "I have had cases in which the feverwas gone in from 24 to 48 hours, and I am now some-what disappointed if my patient is not ready for dismissalby the third or fourth day." In conclusion, Dr. Van Zandtexpresses his opinion ’’ that the use of creasote or carbonateof creasote in the treatment of pulmonary inflammation is

one of the greatest life-saving discoveries of the centuryjust ended." We cannot adopt Dr. Van Zandt’s extremelylaudatory attitude towards creasote, but in some affections,notably of the gastro-intestinal tract, it is undoubtedly a mostuseful drug. At one time it was extensively used in pulmonarytuberculosis, but is now not nearly so frequently employed ;

1 THE LANCET, Jan. 19th, 1901, p. 193.

indeed, many authorities consider that its great advantagein cases of tubercle is not due to any selective action in thebacillus of tuberculosis, but to its preventing fermentativechanges in the digestive tract, thereby greatly improvingthe power of digestion or absorption of food. With regardto its use in pneumonia we prefer to suspend our judg-ment. The recognised treatment of this affection is mainlyexpectant-to preserve the patient’s strength as far as

possible and to endeavour to lower the temperature should itcontinue raised too long. We think that creasote might betried in this country more extensively than it has been,for the evidence brought forward by Dr. Van Zandt is

certainly strong. -

MILK-SUPPLY AT ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE.

AT the lait meeting of the town council of Ashton-under-Lyne an important step was taken towards reducing one ofthe factors contributing to the high infant mortality so dis-creditable to our manufacturing districts. The sanitary com-mittee have been recommended to purchase " two ’ Wyvern’sterilisers complete, one milk receiver, one measuring andmixing tub, two cream cans, one bottling machine, one3-h.p. boiler, and other apparatus." A shop is to be takenfor sterilising and humanising milk, and a competentmanageress is to be obtained. Mr. Shaw, in moving the adop-tion of the minutes, contended that the proposed scheme wasclosely related to the question of the infant death-rate, andthe committee had adopted what they believed to be oneof the best schemes in the country. The milk is to be

called" modified," not "humanised," and it is to be soldnot only in bottles for infants’ food, but in pints and quartsfor general use. The whole of the medical profession inthe town are said to support the scheme. Mr. Shaw

anticipated "that eventually it would become a source of

profit." Indirectly it will almost certainly become profitableby diminishing sickness and lowering the death-rate, pro-vided that it is efficiently carried out and made use of by thepeople, and we may wish for it every success.

PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE STRAITS SETTLE-

MENTS.

THE estimated population for the whole of the StraitsSettlements for 1899 was 604,916, as compared with an esti-mated population of 592,587 for 1898. The number of births

registered during 1899 was 14 537, and the number of deathsregistered was 19,150, giving a birth-rate of 24 03 per 1000of the population and a death-rate of 31’16 per 1000. In

his "Annual Medical Report on the Straits Settlements CivilHospitals for the year 1899," Dr. Max, F. Simon, the principalcivil medical odoer, says that small-pox was the only epidemicdisease prevalent during the year, over 300 cases occurringin Singapore. The whole number of admissions to hospitalduring 1899 was 22,835, and the number of deaths was 3432.The five diseases under which the greatest number of admis-sions to all the hospitals was returned in 1899 were as follows :venereal diseases, 2523 -(with 88 deaths) ; malarial fevers andcachexia, 2336 (with 148 deaths) ; beri-beri, 1793 (with 589deaths) ; rheumatism (acute and chronic), 1137 (with twodeaths) ; and dysentery, 913 (with 313 deaths). The hos-

pitals in Singapore of which statistics are given are theGeneral Hospital, the Prison Hospital, Tan Tock Seng’sHospital, the Leper Hospital, the Lunatic Asylum, and theMaternity Hospital. In Singapore the highest shade tem-perature for the year was 88° F. in May and the lowest was71° in February. The total rainfall was 103-36 inches. A

small outbreak of plague which happened in Penang duringMay, June, and July is reported on by Dr. T. S. Kerr, thecolonial surgeon. There were 49 cases, including 46 Chinese,one Malay, and two Tamils ; 39 died. A large proportion 01