Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 25.djvu/291

Rh the earth, occurring most frequently in the autumn and during seasons of drought. It has sometimes been traced with every evidence of probability to decayed wood, and this indicates that vegetable decay is one of the prime sources of its origin—a view which the fact that it has been produced by the drying of ponds does not contradict, but rather supports. A direct connection is traced, in the United States, between the increase of summer temperature and this disease. The curves of normal temperature, of typhoid fever, and of malarial fevers are almost exactly parallel, except that the culmination of the fever curve, in September for Iowa, October for the Eastern States, is behind that of the temperature curve, which occurs in July. A general parallelism, but without the uniformity of the culminating point of fever, has, with the exception of one spot (Munich), been observed in Europe. Since the disease is not contagious, the minute directions for isolation, disinfection, destruction of clothing, etc., so eminently proper in really contagious diseases, are useless in typhoid fever. In our present knowledge of the causes of the disease, but little can be done, and that only in a general way, to prevent it. The principal points are to see that the drinking-water is pure, that the house is well ventilated and not built over a marshy spot, that slops are removed far enough away, and that the drains are kept clean and washed and are occasionally disinfected with copperas; and, when sickness occurs, the patient should be given quiet and plenty of fresh air.

The Weather and Neuralgia.—The case of Captain R. Catlin, United States Army, as reported by Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, affords a curious illustration of a relation between neuralgic pains and meteorological condition. Captain Catlin had his foot crushed by a round shot in August, 1864. His leg was amputated below the knee. Pain was felt early as if in the lost foot, and became severe within nine months, while in other respects Captain Catlin is and has been in perfect health. Since 1871, the captain has kept a regular record of the hours of pain he suffered each year and each month. The maximum of pain was attained in 1874 and 1875. During 1876 the amount of pain fell off 100 hours (from 1,892 to 1,790), with a decrease of mean annual pressure and a corresponding increase of temperature. For 1877, pain and pressure remained constant and parallel, with some increase in temperature. In 1878 the pain decreased 200 hours, while an equally remarkable fall was shown in the barometric curve. The law of relationship of low pressure and high temperature to the amount of pain and the number of attacks of pain and the number of storms becomes more apparent in considering the quarterly and monthly distribution of pain and storm. "The winter months hold the advantage as pain-producers," while in quarterly amounts the first quarter, beginning with the winter solstice, leads; the fourth quarter, ending with the winter solstice, follows; and the second, or spring quarter, is next. In months, March holds the lead, and is closely pressed by January, after which follow November, December, May, February, April, August, October, September, July, and June. The average duration of each attack of pain during eight years was 18·97 hours. The duration also bears a relation to the amount of pain and the number of storms, and is greatest in February. To determine the average distance of the storm-center at the beginning of the pain-attack, sixty well-defined storms through ten consecutive months were taken. The average distance was six hundred and eighty miles, the particular distances ranging from two hundred to twelve hundred miles. It has been observed that eating a meal, when the pain is on, intensifies it, and it is believed that it often hastens the attack. During seven years (1875 to 1882) nine neuralgic attacks of great and unusual power were observed, and a coincidence was traced between them and storms of extraordinary intensity. The best regimen for this neuralgic subject has been found to consist in physical exercise, nutritious food, and light, agreeable occupation.

Dr. Michael Foster on School Examinations.—Dr. Michael Foster, in a recent address before a pharmaceutical school in London, gave a vigorous expression to his views respecting examinations. The passing of an examination was regarded as a mark, stamp, or certificate, of what? He ventured to