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We have taken the pains to note the proportion of waist to height in a number of women who seemed to have the most perfect proportions, and have always found it to approximate closely to that of the Venus de Milo.

Some of our readers may remember the marvelous agility and grace exhibited by Buffalo Bess, who rode, bareback, the wild buffalo in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Certainly any woman might be proud of the wonderfully agile and graceful figure possessed by this young woman. We recently had an opportunity to take. the measurements of her figure, and found them to be as follows: Height, 61.5 inches; stretch of arms, 63 inches (allowing for shortening of left arm, occasioned by an injury); chest at level of armpits, 33.5 inches; hips, 37.5 inches; waist, 28.8 inches; giving a waist proportion of 46.8, a very close approach to the proportions of the Venus de Milo.

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This young woman's profession rendered waist constriction by tight corsets or waistbands impossible, hence the abdominal muscles had an opportunity for the freest and fullest development. At the time these measurements were taken, she was, as she stated, rather thin in flesh, as she was just recovering from a recent illness due to hardship and exposure. There was certainly no superfluous adipose tissue about the abdomen. though she had followed for years a profession which involved the most violent physical exercise, suffering frequent falls, and being once trampled upon and nearly killed by the wild beast she rode, the pelvic organs had never suffered any injury thereby. How absurd, then, to charge upon such gentle exercise as walking up one or two flights of stairs, or lifting a baby, or running a sewing machine, the little health of women, and especially that long list of congestions, inflammations, catarrhs, displacements, hyperæsthesias, etc., which constitute the chief support of a large share of the profession,

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The Mighty Fallen.- John L. Sullivan is said to be a paralytic. For many years, until recently, he has been the champion pugilist of the world. His Herculean frame and enormous muscles have been long thought to be invincible, and he himself has had such confidence in his constitutional powers that he has not hesitated to plunge into every possible form of dissipation, in the intervals between the periods of training to which he has now and then subjected himself in preparation for a contest with some rival. This perpetual soaking of his body in alcohol, however, has not failed to do its work of insidious mischief, even upon the iron frame of the great champion ; and to-day, while a giant in appearance, and with his muscles as large as ever, his strength has departed, never to return. The muscular fibers, under the influence of the alcohol, have taken on that peculiar form of degeneration by which the fibrilla are displaced by the connective tissue elements, so that while they are as large and hard as ever, perhaps even more dense, they are almost powerless. In his last contest, Sullivan found himself so thoroughly unable to command the ponderous muscle which had won for him so many victories, that he insisted that he had been drugged. In this he was entirely correct, he had been drugged, not by his antagonist, however, nor by an enemy, but by himself.

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Umbilical Erysipelas and Tetanus in the Newborn. We still see notices of the occurrence of these two diseases in

the medical press, and not infrequently such cases are brought to our notice in a practical way. It seems to us that if these diseases were thoroughly understood by every physician, neither of them would ever occur again. In the hands of those who do realize their causes, it is seldom that they make their appearance. Erysipelas is undoubtedly due to bacteria of a well-known character, a streptococcus, without which this malady will not develop, and without the products of which the lesions will not appear.

As to tetanus, it has been 'well proven that it is due to micro-organisms, which also produce a septic material capable of causing tetanic contractions. Both of these germs, in the cases we have in view, are introduced into the system by lesions of the umbilicus or through the unbilical cord in the newborn. It is only necessary to know this fact in order to realize the necessity of applying prophylactic measures to prevent the diseases in question. Both of them are infectious, but infection may be absolutely prevented by thorough cleanliness, or asepsis. It is time that physicians who are behind in the study of bacteriology should take a hint of the truth, and study up on this and other microbic affections.

P. P.

REVIEWS.

Addresses and Essays.- By Frank Lydston, M. D. Published by Renz and Henry, Louisville, Ky.

This little volume consists of fifteen important and excellent essays by this well-known author and physician. It is a book of merit which will materially increase the value of any library. The thoughts are largely original, and of much practical utility. All the essays will be read with interest, particularly those on "Aberrant Sexual Differentiation," "Studies of Criminal Crania,' 99 66 Materialism vs. Sentiment in the Study of Crime," and "Sexual Perversion." The other essays are chiefly on some subject of genito-urinary surgery, and are all good.

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The American Microscopical Society. We have received a special circular referring to the Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the American Microscopical Society, in which the writer has been interested since its organization. The list of papers presented at the meeting includes a large number of highly interesting scientific dissertations on questions of an eminently practical character, as well as those of technical value. large number of new and valuable microscopical appliances and accessories were exhibited. A question was raised whether it would not be wise to hold the meetings of the Society at the same time and place as the American Society for the Advancement of Science. The fact that many of the members of each Society are also members of both Societies would seem to indicate the wisdom of this suggestion. The American Microscopical Society has done much to place the science of microscopy in this country upon a footing with the work done by microscopists of England and continental Europe, and we are pleased to note that the Society seems to be in a flourishing condition.

THE LABORATORY OF HYGIENE.

(SANITARIUM.)

J. H. KELLOGG, M. D., SUPERINTENDENT.

MONTHLY BULLETIN.

GRAPHIC STUDIES OF THE SINUSOIDAL AND OTHER FORMS OF ELECTRICAL CURRENTS.

TEN years ago, I began a series of experiments with electrical apparatus of various kinds, for the purpose of determining the physiological and therapeutical effects of the electrical currents produced by different forms of appara

tus.

In the course of these experiments, a peculiarly constructed magneto-electrical apparatus was secured, and the current produced by it tested. The current produced by the machine being too powerful for ordinary use in applications to the human body, and possessing so high a tension that the ordinary water rheostat was quite insufficient to control it, I constructed a water rheostat by means of a narrow glass tube three or four feet in length. I soon discovered that this current possessed qualities of a remarkable character, which I was very glad to utilize, especially in the treatment of certain classes of gynecological patients.

In a paper entitled, "Report of Fortyeight Cases of Alexander's Operation," read before the section on Gynecology, at the thirty-ninth annual meeting of the American Medical Association, in May, 1888, and published in the proceedings of the Association for that year, I described the current used and its action as follows:

"I have employed different forms of currents, the faradic current, the slowly interrupted galvanic current, the galvanic and faradic currents combined, and the dynamic current. The latter, which is

BATTLE CREEK, MICH., JANUARY, 1893.

supplied by a small machine giving a reversing current, I have found the most effective of all means of stimulating contraction in the muscular structures which support the uterus. When one electrode is placed upon the abdomen and the other in the vagina, energetic and painless contractions are produced in the abdominal muscles, the sphincter muscles of the rectum and vagina, and the other muscular structures within the pelvic cavity. Experiments made with this current on a patient under ether and with the round ligaments exposed and isolated, showed contraction of these structures also, when the electrodes were applied as indicated. If it be true, as has been suggested, that other ligaments of the uterus as well as the round ligaments, are to a considerable degree muscular in their structure, I deem it wholly probable that these also participate in the contraction. These contractions occur at every reversal of the current, so that this current not only has the effect to stimulate nutritive changes in the diseased structures, but also affords a most valuable means of securing functional activity in idle and relaxed parts, thus giving them the benefit of a genuine gymnastic exercise. The therapeutic results following the use of this current, justify me in claiming for it a decided superiority over any other form of electrical current for this purpose. I have used this current for medical purposes for the last five years.

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form, as shown by the beautiful regularity proved inconvenient, being too cumberof the curves.

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and sensory effects produced at a given point, are always proportionate to the variation of the potential at the point excited. It cannot be disputed that important physiological significance must attach to the mode of variation in the potential, as well as to the amount of variation, although the latter consideration seems to have received very little attention.

Although recognizing the peculiarity of the current which I had discovered, and continuing to utilize its therapeutic properties with advantage, I was at a loss to understand the reason for its peculiar qualities. Information was sought from the manufacturers of the instrument, but they could throw no light upon the question. The interesting results obtained by M. D'Arsonval with the graphic method, led me to undertake the same mode of investigation, and I accordingly constructed an electrograph by attaching a writing lever to the solenoid of a large and very delicate galvanometer, in such a way as to describe upon the smoked surface of a rotating cylinder the slightest movement of the solenoid. By this means I obtained from my machine the curve shown n Fig. 4. This arrangement, however,

some, and not sufficiently delicate to test the currents of faradic machines and other rapidly alternating currents. I accordingly had constructed by the electrician of the Sanitarium, Mr. H. A. Dow, an apparatus for recording the form of alternating or variable electrical currents, of which the following is a brief description:

A, B, C, and D, Fig. 5, represent the several portions of a soft iron frame. On the two arms, D and E, are mounted two solenoids (E, E), each wound with 106 feet of copper wire of the diameter .032 inches. The two solenoids are connected, and the terminals (K, K), when the instrument is in use, are connected with the poles of the battery, thus producing an electro-magnet, of which A constitutes one pole, and B, B, the other. The arm A is cylindrical in form, and the terminals B, B, are semicircular at their ends, so as almost completely to embrace the arm A, thus producing an annular magnetic field. A small solenoid composed of 10.5 feet of very fine copper wire (.005 inches in diameter) is placed at F. The current to be tested is passed through this solenoid by making proper connections with the terminals (L, L).

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