intervals the skin was soft and sodden, though not wet. Atropia was then tried, 1-50 gr. being given morning and evening, the surface being dusted with a powder of salicylic acid and starch. In an hour after administering of atropia the patient nearly died, but rallied, while the sweating went on as before. Arsenic was then resumed, and accordingly five minims were given twice a day, with Warburg's tinct, and in forty-eight hours the perspiration had ceased and remained away twenty-four hours. They had recurred slightly, but for a week there was so little sweating that recovery was anticipated, when it suddenly recurred worse than ever. During all this time no constitutional disturbance was present, the pulse being 72 and the the temperature normal. The arsenic had to be stopped on account of conjunctivitis, eucalyptus being substituted and morphine being given at night. The sweating continued without abating until he died from exhaustion four months from the onset of the attack. LANOLIN. This is a new fatty substance extracted from sheep's wool and recently brought to the notice of the profession, by Liebreich, of Berlin. Lassar has had some practical experience with it, from which he concludes that it is of value as a basis for ointments. According to Liebreich, the fatty acids are found in combination with cholesterin instead of glycerin, as is the case with ordinary fats and oils. It is found in the hair or wool, hoofs and horns of certain animals, and in the feathers of birds. It is soluble in equal parts of ether and in two parts of chloroform. It emulsifies with alkalies, mixes easily with lard, oil or vaseline, and forms a good basis for ointments, inasmuch as it quickly subdivides powders when mixed with them. It is neutral in reaction and does not become rancid. Such are the claims made for it in Europe by its introducers. Dr. Geo. H. Fox, of New York, in an article recently contributed to the Journal of Cutaneous and Venereal Diseases, has given his experience with it, which goes to confirm to some extent the statements of Liebreich and Lassar. He placed an equal amount of lard and lanolin upon the fore arms of a girl, and after an equal amount of friction he scraped off the two substances and weighed them. While only one-third of the lard was being absorbed, two-thirds of the lanolin were likewise disposed of. A test was also made to determine the comparative rapidity of absorption of lard and vaseline. The experiment showed that the lard was more readily absorbed than vaseline, but the difference was not so marked as between the lard and lanolin. It was noticed that inuctions of lanolin caused more redness of the skin than either lard or vaseline. Liebreich stated that a solution of bichloride 1:1000 in lanolin, when rubbed upon the skin, would readily produce the characteristic metallic taste in the mouth. Dr. Fox says he has repeatedly rubbed an ointment of ten times this strength without getting any such result inhimself or others, but that some subjects of his experimentation were so affected. The same result may be obtained by the use of lard or vaseline perhaps." It seems evident to me that as a means of endermic medication, lanolin will prove more valuable than either lard or vaseline, just in proportion to its greater absorbability. In conclusion, Dr. Fox says: "I have been using lanolin ever since its arrival in this country, and have failed to see remarkable beneficial results from its use. On the contrary, it has proved objectionable in some instances on account of its color and consistence, and in certain cases of acute inflammatory disease of the skin, it has not been found so bland as represented. When a lard or vaseline ointment was used on one side and a lanolin ointment on the other, the patient has usually expressed a preference for the former, and in no case was the rapid absorption of the latter so marked as to attract notice. He sums up as follows: 1. Lanolin is more readily absorbed than any other fatty substance. 2. As a basis for ointments, it is useful when an effect upon the deeper skin, or upon the whole system is desirable. 3. On account of its firm consistency, it is desirable to mix it with a certain amount of lard, especially in cold weather. 4. When applied to the inflamed skin, lanolin may not prove as bland as fresh lard or pure vaseline. 5. Considering its recent introduction, its questionable superiority, and its present cost, it can not as yet be considered the best basis for all ointments. COCAINE IN MECURIAL Stomatitis. Dr. M. Bockhart advises a 5 per cent to 10 per cent solution of cocaine to be applied to the gums with a camel's hair pencil ten minutes before eating, as a means of relief in this painful affection. It will enable the patient to eat his meals in comfort, whereas he could not do so without its use. In some aggravated cases, a 20 per cent solution may be necessary. He directs that the brush be always thoroughly cleansed after use, with carbolic acid, as the bacteria from the mouth very quickly spoil the cocaine solution. [Monatschft f. prakt. Derm. Feb. 1886. (Journal Cutaneous and Venereal Diseases). PAINLESS CATHETERISM. ORIGINAL ARTICLE. AN ANALYSIS OF 1769 RAILWAY ACCI- BY DR. W. B. OUTTEN. Under a careful system of personal injury reports, such as are generally used upon all well regulated and thoroughly systematized railways, an index is given of almost every condition. element pertaining to its physical and actual The climatic surroundings, the condition of its road bed, its grades, hills or plain, the condition of its rolling-stock, the handling of foreign cars, the discipline of its employes, their mental condition pertaining particularly to their aberrations, the period of the year in which the rush of business occurs, the character of the product hauled, its low bridges or tunnels, its unsafe places, the condition of its machinery, the character of the people along the line and even their morals, road, the prevalence of a strike, or its popu the feeling along the line for or against the larity as a route for the omnipresent tramp, all are indicated by the history detailed in these reports without any reference to any one particular point. So that reported accidents occurring upon a well regulated railway unconsciously give its most minute and innate history. An inspection of reports, both personal injury and accident (train) will demonstrate that they embody a reasonably clear history of the road's operation, and even the character of its managemement, and a well framed Dr. Jno. A. Stamps recommends (Med. and surgeon's report will even detail the individSurg. Reporter) the following as an almost ual characteristics of the employe, his vepainless method of catheterizing an hyper- racity, moral character and idiomatic expresesthetic urethra. Inject through the catheter sions. The intimate blending of the various while it is being introduced, water as warm component parts constituting the working force of a railway is certainly well indicated as can be borne. The water regurgitates be-in reports of this character. tween the instrument and the urethral wall, and the warmth of the water will, in many instances, relieve all irritability of the urethra. The following report is condensed where practicable, yet as explicit as the subject will permit of in this form. From a careful analysis it is estimated that upon this road, one out of every 18 employes gets hurt. This is the general average, and for the past eight years it has been almost uniform, and one out of 12.5 are fatally injured, of those to whom accidents occur. Table number 1 gives the number of employes injured monthly and annually for the past six years. It will be found that the three months, November, December and January produce the greater number of accidents, which we conceive to be owing to the fact of adverse climatic conditions, the benumbing effects of cold, uncertain footing, and the absolute effect of cold on the machinery used. August, September and October follow next in sequence as to the number of accidents, and is generally the period of increase in business. The other months, physical conditions are more favorable to work, and surroundings are less fruitful in producing accidents. The gradual increase from 1879 to 1883-4, arises from the fact of increased mileage and the increased number of employes. Table No. 2 will indicate that double the number of employes who get hurt are unmarried, and this is accounted for from the fact that a great majority of the accidents occur in train service, the great bulk of whom are single, and as indicated by table No. 3, between the ages of 20 and 30 years. There is a gradual decline in age in train service as age advances, there being about one-half between 30 and 40 years to what there are between 20 and 30 years. After 40 years they decline extremely rapidly, and but few remain in this branch of the service. vice 914 accidents occurred in the total number of the 1444 accidents, and merely indicates that directly in proportion to the number of employes and the danger of their avocation do accidents occur. As will be noticed, 565 brakemen were injured, nine-tenths of whom were freight brakemen, and are posed to all the vicissitudes of climate, defective machinery and dangerous work. ex Tables marked 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, indicate the number of employes injured at or near each station. Taking No. 5 as an example for the whole, it will be found that in direct proportion to the number of employes engaged at work, and the character of that work, so do accidents occur. Wherever a large number occurs at any given station, it will be generally found that it is a prominent point for the switching of cars and extra work. Thus in this table 168 accidents occurred at DeSoto; a great deal of switching is indulged in at this point, besides the Company shops are situated here. Lesperance street are the terminal yards for the company; Robert Avenue, yards for Main Line and Branch. So with all the rest of the tables above enumerated, where branch roads terminate and switching is indulged in, accidents occur pro17-115 portionately. Table No. 1 showing number of employes injured monthly, from 1879 to 1884, inclusive. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 25-111 38-117 269 244 289 281 1444 Table No. 2 showing social conditions of employes in 20 24 15 1 Laborers, Round House.. 5 3 Line Repairers... 1 10 Machinists.. 34 16 Laborers Ft. Depot...... 7 .565 Night-watchman, Shops.. 1 Bridge Carpenters. 20 Operators, Tel.. 4 jured from 1879 to 1884 inclusive, 9 Total 55 3 4 2 56 Knobel.. Peachorchard 3 Alicia.. 2 Swifton 4 Tuckerman... 13 Newport 1 Oliphant 5 Grand Glaise Bradford 2 1 4 3 5 Delaplaine O'Kean.. 11 Walnut Ridge. 3 2 7 Table No. 14, indicates the manner of injury. It will be noticed that hand-car acci dents make quite a showing, which we presume is explained upon the basis of their number and the number of employes using them. Under the next heading, negligence cuts a 3 large figure; if it were possible to analyze completely these accidents, it would be found that four-fifths were the result of sheer neg. 4 ligence. Under the item "Falling off Trains while in Motion," we have 125 accidents; aside from brakemen running over the top of cars in all kinds of weather, now covered with snow and sleet, now badly loaded, still there might be a considerable element of 316 intemperance in the same. Under the next heading, Struck by Trains and Engines," it will be seen how careless men are, and indifferent to a dangerous locality. It must be a deeply defective mind that would use a railroad track as a sleeping place. 3 6. It will be seen that in the coupling of cars the dangerous nature of the avocation, that almost one-third of the accidents occurring are from this cause. Table No 14 showing the manner in which employes were injured from 1879 to 1884-inclusive. Mablevale 1 2 No. 9-Poplar Bluff Section. Middletroop. 3 Mill Springs.. Pilot Knob.. Ironton.. .23 Williamsville 2 Hendrickson... 1 Hogan 2 Annapolis. Des Arc... Poplar Bluff. Collisions.. 20 Falling off trains or engines in motion... .195 standing.. in motion..... 55 66 standing......... 16 Bird's Point. Charleston. 18 Dexter.. .57 Dudley 4 Attempting to board moving trains or engines.. 35 Jan.. Feb. May. June. 1 0 0 2 1 9 July. 0 0 1 3 3 8 Aug.. 0 3 3 3 18 Table No. 15, indicatos the character of injury sustained by employes. It will be found, as would be naturally expected, that that portion of the human economy brought Apr. into active service suffers most. Thus, the superior extremity received 612 injuries; while the inferior extremity but 330, the rest of the economy 244; and as will be seen, 1329 sustained injuries which were not fatal, and 115 were fatal. The next table, marked No. 16, gives the number fatally injured by Dec....... month and year. And for some unknown reason, the greatest number occur in August; and following this table indicates the manner of accident resulting in death. Table No. 15, showing manner of injury sustained by employes. 4300 CO Table showing how employes were injured fatally. Trains going through trestles.... 1 Falling off trains and engines in motion.. 30 3 4 16 12 Caught in frog and run over.. 2 Arms. 30 Uncoupling.... 1 Hands. 4 Fingers... 255 |