8. The intermittency of asthma, the organic lesions being persistent, the most striking of its peculiarities, does not pertain exclusively to this affection, but also to all the neuroses. 9. The therapeutical deductions from these premises are, that asthma is not to be combatted always by the same measures; that the application of specifics is often irrational and illusory; that each of the constituent affections in particular cases, claims its share of curative means according to its predominance or its influence on the other affections, and that in controlling certain united affections we may often succeed in destroying the nervous affection. 10. In conclusion, by a kind of Providential provision, there is a remedy suited to each of these aflections. This remedy is opium, which is equally appropriate to the catarrh, emphysema and the nervous affection.-Gazette Hebdomadaire, from Annuaire des Sciences Medicales, 1856. VARIETIES. From the Virginia Medical Journal. ELECTRICITY.-M. Becquerel has arrived at important conclusions from his researches. He finds that electricity is largely evolved by the contact of earth and water, by the fall of rain, along the banks of rivers, and especially on the sea shore. Investigations of the electrical phenomena of rivers lead to remarkable results. Alkaline streams take up positive electricity. Electrical currents are developed on the margin of rivers sufficiently strong to affect a telegraph needle several miles distant. An indication is here given of the different nature of clouds-the difference of the exhalations. As the water evaporates, it carries off the electricity; hence a source of atmospheric electricity, and a reason why storms are most frequent in summer. M. Becquerel has received the Monthyon prize for his investigations of this interesting subject. NEGATIVE ARTESIAN WELLS.-The Society of Arts of London has published Herr Bruckmann's paper on artesian wells that take instead of giving out water, and thus serve as permanent drains. Mr. Bruckmann, who is a native of Wurtemberg, states that such wells may be established in all loose strata, or where communications exist with fathomless fissures or deep-lying streams, in all "sedimentary formations, tertiary deposits, chalk, Jurassic rocks, etc." He adduces examples of the benefits that have followed the sinking of negative wells in towns and marshy districts. The drainage becomes at once perfect and constant. The subject commends itself to the attention of farmers and those who have in charge the hygiene of cities. BONPLAND. This veteran explorer, now in his eighty-third year, writes from Uruguay that he is about to cross the ocean to offer his collections of botany and natural history to the French government, after which he will return to South America, and end his days on his plantation. BREAD STUFFS.-A chemist announces that the common chestnut furnish glucose, dextrine, oxalic acid, glue, alcohol, a farina of which excellent bread may be made, and a refuse which is a nutritious food for horses. Another hero of the laboratory mixes eight pounds of wheat flour with eight of acorns, mashed, and having been boiled in a solution of carbonate of soda in vinegar, and so produces an economical and palatable kind of bread. FRENCH ITEMS. The prize of 30,000 francs, instituted by the Emperor Napoleon for the most notable discovery in science, has been awarded to M. Fizeau for his experiments on the rapidity of the movement of light.- -Aluminium is now manufactured on a large scale at Rouen.- -The extraction of alcohol from beet root has become an important industrie. Last year 18,000,000 of pounds of beet were converted at two establishments in the Pas de Calais. CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD.-Mrs. Willard, Moses, and Dr. Cartwright, have found an ally in Dr. Waller, who reiterates his notion, announced some time ago, that the movement of the blood is due to the action of the pulmonary cells, and not to that of the heart, his opinion being strengthened by further enquiry. PALEONTOLOGY.-At the late meeting of the British association, Mr. Owen exhibited a portion of the lower jaw of a fossil mammal from the Stonesfield slate, for which the name of stereognathus ooliticus had been proposed. After a minute criticism of the bone and teeth, Professor Owen concluded that this fossil appertained to a diminutive nonruminant arctiodactyle, of omniverous habits. Professor Owen also presented additional specimens of fossil remains of the dichodon cuspidatus and musk ox (bubalus moschatus). SUNLIGHT.-Pouillet says it is desirable to record day by day the amount of sunshine, and, in a paper on solar intensity, describes an apparatus for this purpose-a dark box with a roller inside covered with photogenic paper and moved by clock work. The light beams an impression on the paper during the whole time the sun is visible. LARGE FAMILY.-Mrs. Greenhill, a London matron of the last century, had thirty-nine children by one husband, all born alive and baptized, and all save two at single births. The last child was born after his father's death, and lived to be a surgeon, practicing in Bloomsbury, and author of a work on embalming." In commemoration of this remarkablo fertility the family took for their crest a gryphon with thirty-nine stars on its wings.-Notes and Queries. BLUE DEVILS.-A reviewer in Winslow's Psycological Journul reminds us that "Rosch and Esquirol affirmed from observation that indigo-dyers become melancholy, and those who dye scarlet, choleric. The first observation confirms the statement of the arch-quack Paracelsus, who declared blue to be injurious." This would seem to indicate that our phrase, "the blue devils," may derive its origin from a scientific fact. SEA BATHING.-Horne Tooke ridiculed the practice of sea bathing, and said, if any of the seal species were sick, it would be as wise for a fish physician to order them to go on shore. Porson declared that salt baths were only reckoned healthy because persons had been known to survive them. But Sheridan's objection to salt water was the most quaint. "Pickles," said he, "don't agree with me." INK FOR STEEL PENS. As we observe that some of our correspondents are suplied with very indifferent ink, we shall inform them of a process for preparing an excellent writing fluid with but little trouble or expense. The formula is an old one. It has, therefore, stood the test of experience. We take the following account of the mode of using it from a recent communication by M. Runge to the Repertoire de Pharmacie : Take of Campeachy logwood, rasped, a pound; water, six quarts; yellow chromate of potassa, seventy-two grains. Put the logwood in the water and boil down to a gallon. Strain the decoction, and when cold add the salt, shaking the liquid. The ink is now prepared and may be used immediately. Any addition of gum, etc. is detrimental. The small proportion of the salt of chromium here directed should not be transgressed; in the proportion ordered, the coloring matter is not suspended, like the gallate of iron in ordinary ink, but perfectly dissolved, and hence not liable to form a sediment. This ink possesses other properties. Manuscripts for which it has been used may be washed with a sponge or left in water for twentyfour hours and the writing will not be effaced or even blurred. Dilute acids, which destroy the color of ink prepared from galls and redden that prepared from logwood and vitriol, have no effect on this preparation. It has no action on steel; and does not become encrusted on the pen. New steel pens are covered with a greasy mátter which prevents ink from adhering. To obviate this they may be moistened with saliva and then washed, or, on the large scale, they can be cleansed in a dilute alkaline solution. Thus our readers can furnish themselves with an excellent ink at a merely nominal cost. M. Runge states that he has not renewed his steel pens in the two years he has used this fluid. ULTRA PHLEBOTOMY.- -"I have seen," says Bordeu, "a physician who puts no bounds to his fondness for bleeding. If he had bled a patient thrice, he repeated it once more, for the good reason that there were four seasons in tee year, and tour cardinal points in the compass. After the fourth bleeding, a fifth was requisite, because there are five finger to each hand; to the five he added a sixth, for the world was created in six days; six! oh-there must be seven, since Greece had seven sages; an eighth was necessary to make the number even; and a ninth, quia * * Numero Deus impare gaudet. * BROWN-SEQUARD.-Among the arrivals by the steamer Vigo, from Havre, was the eminent physiologist, Dr. Brown-Sequard. We have kept our readers informed of the researches promulgated with much eclat by our learned friend, during his sojourn in France. We trust that with his return to this country, we shall again be favored by some of his valuable and original contributions. CLINE.-Cline prepared his patients for operations badly. "Now, my man, you must be firm, for I am about to give you much pain," he once said to an Irishman whom he was about to trepan. Och, by Jasus, but you won't though," shouted the terrified Hybernian, as he sprung from the table and rushed out of the hospital. MEDICAL FEES.-"I called one morning (says Dr. Eyre) on my neighbor, Dr. Chambers, then the first physician of London, and congratulated him on his being in the act of making a very large fortune." On his enquiring what I meant, I replied that I had seen many patients go into his house that morning. He said, "listen you may have seen as many as nine this morning; eight of them begged my advice on some pretext or another. The ninth gave me a fee, which I presented to the gentleman who has just preceded you, who is an honest doctor in distress." PLANTING TREES IN CITIES.-There is more than meets the eye in the proposal, recently suggested in the Times, to plant the principal streets of our cities with trees. They would not only help to free the air from the excess of carbon, but from the ammonia the recent researches of Dr. Richardson have shown to be constantly emanating ROYAL VISIT TO CANADA.-The Canadian News says: "There is Albumen, Sugar and Pus in Urine, by ALFRED HITCHCOCK, M.D.... 1 Hydrocephalus and Indigenous Plants, by ARIEL HUNTON, M.D..... 15 RARE CHANCE.-The Editor of this Journal will give an advanced Student an excellent opportunity to pursue the study of the profession |