38

—streptococci and staphylococci in great number, some Ipneumococci, and few micrococci tetrageni. The pus from i

’the abscess contained streptococci and staphylococci aurei. In empyemata of the nasal sinuses the pus rarely yields pure cultures but several microbes which are normally present in-,the naso-pharyngeal cavity I

PRACTICAL POINTS FOR PLUMBERS.

THE series of lectures for plumbers which has been com- menced under the auspices of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers is an excellent departure. The first of these lectureswas given at King’s College, London, on June 20th by Mr. E.

h’

Russell, B.Sc., F.I.C., the senior demonstrator of state

medicine at the college, who chose for his subject" Physi0s and Chemistry in Relation to Plumbers’ Work." The lecture n

was illustrated by diagrams and practical demonstrations. N

In dealing with the action of water on metallic lead the lecturer pointed out the effect of very soft waters upon leadand of acid waters, while the protective action of lime salts which give water an alkaline reaction was demon-

strated. The part that gases play in this action was also discussed. The action, for instance, of beer highly charged pwith carbonic gas upon the lead of the beer-engine was p- quoted. It was stated that cabmen served with thefirst draught of beer in the morning get a largeamount of dissolved lead but that after the firstserving the beer runs quickly enough for practicallyno action to take place. The lecturer also referred to

T

-other sources of the metallic contamination of water and 0]

in one instance he traced the perforations in a galvanised iron tank to a galvanic action which had been set up by vthe copper ball-valve. The lecture was given in the simplest

t]

terms and was listened to with evident interest, a short

discussion following. We wish the movement every success t

.as a very practical step in education. 0

___

F

FLUORIDES IN BUTTER.

DOUBTLESS the anticipation that the Preservatives Com->mittee of the Local Government Board might be led to p- condemn the use of the most common preservative, borax, m,prompted certain butter-makers to look further afield for a a

preservative which so far would be beyond legislative control. For this purpose sodium fluoride appears to have bbeen tried with some success. According to Mr. Otto pHehner, in a paper read at a recent meeting of the a

Society of Public Analysts, the use of fluoride for qthis purpose is at present confined to certain French

butters, but it is not unlikely, especially in view of o

the fact that a small quantity of the fluorides suffices and ’I

that the determination of the actual amount is not easy, that lithe practice may spread. Fluorides are not interdicted in C

.any way in the recommendations of the Departmental Com- v

mittee and it seems to us that before these recom- pmendations are resolved into regulations under the c

Board of Trade the question of fluorides should be a

considered and determined. These salts have not been

very fully studied in regard to their action on the organism t:

but experiments have already established that they are p

inhibitory to the digestive processes even in the very small pamounts used. In view of this fact it would be very n

regrettable, we think, if the Departmental Committee did t

not take cognisance of this matter before allowing its a

recommendations to become part of the statutes regulating a

the sale of foods. We cannot understand why the recom- ij

mendations thus laid down have so far not been put into c

effect although the report was published over six months ago. c

The delay, however, is perhaps fortunate in one respect, for c

it will enable the committee to deal with fluorides in the v

same way and in the same category as the better-known f

preservatives. It is quite probable that the fluorides maynot in the small quantity necessary for the purpose be anyworse than borax, but it is desirable that the use of all

antiseptics in food should be brought under effectual control.

PARALYSIS OF THE OCULAR FIBRES OF THESYMPATHETIC NERVE IN PULMONARY

TUBERCULOSIS.

AT the meeting of the Société Mérlicale des Hopitaux ofParis on May 23rd M. A. Souqes called attention to a

complication of pulmonary tuberculosis which appears not tohave been previously observed. He showed a man, the subjectof chronic pulmonary tuberculosis, who presented symptomsof paralysis of the left cervical sympathetic nerve-myosis,narrowing of the palpebral fissure, and retraction of the eye.Nothing in the history or condition of the patient pointedto any of the usual causes of this paralysis-affections ofnerve roots, pachymeningitis, myelitis, or bulbar lesions.M. Souqes was wondering whether there was any relationbetween the paralysis of the sympathetic nerve and thetuberculosis when he found in two other cases of

pulmonary tuberculosis the same nerve symptoms. The

pupil-dilating fibres of the sympathetic pass out from the

spinal cord principally, if not entirely, by the ramus com-municans of the first dorsal nerve, to the first thoracic

ganglion of the sympathetic, thence they pass by theinferior cervical ganglion to the cervical sympathetic trunk.The first thoracic and inferior cervical ganglia are so nearone another that they are often confounded as one underthe name of the ganglion of Neubauer. This ganglion is

very close to the apex of the lung. Hence inflammation of

the latter may give rise to pleuritic thickening and adhesionswhich may involve and paralyse the pupil-dilating fibres ofthe cervical sympathetic either in the rami communicantesor in the ganglion. In the absence of necropsies the exactposition of the lesion cannot be stated.

A BLEACHING POWDER EXPLOSION.

SINCE bleaching powder is not a particularly stable com-pound it is not difficult to imagine conditions under which itwould evolve gas and cause an explosion. Neverthelessaccidents of this sort do not appear to be of frequent occur-rence, which may be attributed to the fact, perhaps, thatbleaching powder is commonly sold to the public in a loosepackage. When the powder is contained, however, in anair-tight tin the gas evolved may accumulate in sufficient

quantity to give rise to pressure. This apparentlywas what happened in a case which was the subjectof an action in the King’s Bench Division on June 30th.The plaintiff stated that she purchased a tin of chlorinatedlime at a branch establishment of the Army and NavyCooperative Society. The tin was provided with a lever topwhich on being eased was suddenly forced outwards and aportion of the contents of the tin went into her eyes andcaused great pain. Evidently something of the nature ofan explosion had occurred, for the floor was coveredwith white powder within a radius of seven feet fromthe tin aod the lid of the tin was found in the fire-

! place 10 feet away. Eventually the jury awarded the

. plaintiff .S175 damages and no doubt they were verymuch impressed by an experiment made on behalf ofthe defence. A witness for the defence proceeded to open

: a similar tin in court and as soon as the lid was eased.

a quantity of the contents was discharged and scattereditself on the witness’s clothing. Strong freshly preparedchlorinated lime does undoubtedly give off oxygen gas undercertain circumstances. We have known a mixture of

. chlorinated lime and bicarbonate of soda to explode, violently. The moral of this case would appear to be that

fresh chlorinated lime should not be packed in absolutely air-