Scarlet Fever.

a great help to the patient, as a therapeutic agent, but disinfects. the scales always thrown off in this disease, and thus renders them harmless. Corrosive sublimate and biniodide of mercury, though very efficient disinfectants, are too poisonous for use in such cases, and many others have proved not only ineffective, as disinfectants, but greatly annoying the patient. Perhaps the most efficient, harmless and grateful application is that used by many in England, and highly commended by Dr. J. Brindon Cargenven, M. R. C. S. It is an entirely volatile disinfectant, consisting of thymal and some essential oils dissolved in the oil of eucalyptus globulus. Dr. Cargenven says:

It is not poisonous, as carbolic acid and the mercury salts. It does not interfere with the action of the skin as fats and fixed oil. Its inunction produces a slight stimulating effect on the skin, and there is a sense of general warmth. The rash appears brighter, but fades away rapidly in ordinary cases within twenty-four hours. The temperature falls rapidly after the commencement of the treatment, and reaches normal, or below ninety-nine degrees from the third to the sixth day in uncomplicated cases. The pulse, under treatment by inunction, falls below one hundred on the third and fourth days, and reaches normal about the sixth or eighth days. Desquamation commences soon after the rash disappears, and occurs only on those portions of the skin occupied by the rash, and it ends from the tenth to the fifteenth day. The falling cuticle does not convey any infection. The patients can safely mix with others after the tenth day. No isolation, as now understood, is necessary, as other children can frequent the room of the patient without taking the disease. Albuminuria is absent, or it appears only in a slight degree, in all the patients treated by inunction, from not later than the second day. The disinfection of the bedding and the room is accomplished pari passu with the treatment of the patient, the volatile oils and their vapor penetrates all clothing and pervades every part of the room."

We commend a trial of this preparation by our local health officers and the physicians of our State, believing that it will be found satisfactory. This combination has not been much used in country, so far as is known at this office, but the eucalyptus is popular, and is becoming quite generally used in infectious diseases, especially in diphtheria.

this

Small Pox.

TYPHOID FEVER.

The cases of typhoid fever are growing fewer each year. It is generally recognized as a "filth" disease, and yet strictly there are few, if any, purely filth diseases. Typhoid fever is always and only produced by a micro-organism-the typhoid bacillus. This organism finds its most favorable conditions for existence and indefinite multiplication in filth, heat and moisture. Hence, where this disease germ, unless sterilized- that is, rendered incapable of multiplication, finds its way into water, or night soil, it increases with wonderful rapidity, and through polluted water or food, finds its way into the stomach and intestines, there to do its deadly work. The preventive measures recommended are the preservation of the soil and water in as pure and healthy condition as possible, and the

THOROUGH DISINFECTION OF ALL THE DISCHARGES FROM TYPHOID FEVER

PATIENTS. Typhoid fever could be effectually and completely annihilated in a few years in this way.

Practicing physicians, health officers and local boards are charged with the sacred duty of guarding the public from this terrible disease. The people at large, especially those having the disease in their families, are the most efficient and essential co-operators in this work. It is hoped that the cheerful and combined efforts of all will say to this disease-"No further!"

SMALL POX.

This disease may be said to have virtually disappeared from the State. Though one of the most contagious, as well as loathsome and dangerous diseases known, it attracts but little-it is feared too little-attention. The health forces of the State, and the rules and regulations, as well as practices of the State Board, ably seconded

Small Pox.

by the local health boards, render it almost impossible for the disease to gain a foothold in the State. The only cases that ever occur are imported, or are occasioned by the importation of infected clothing. So soon as a case appears, and is recognized, prompt isolation is secured, and everybody in any way known to have been exposed is vaccinated. As a result the disease never gets beyond the family where the first patient is taken care of, and seldom beyond the party originally attacked.

This happy condition of immunity results solely from the protective power of vaccination, and from a prompt and cheerful compliance with the rules and regulations of the Board, as applied by the local boards.

Inasmuch as tuberculosis and actinomycosis are common diseases of cattle, and the human family as well, there is prejudice, perhaps justifiable, with many, against the use of vaccine lymph-whether human or bovine. It is probable that the dangers are very much magnified, and it is highly questionable whether the diseases named, or even syphilis, have been, or can be, communicated through vaccine lymph. Still, the prejudice exists. It may be some comfort to such to know that successful efforts are being made to procure lymph from the goat, an animal remarkably free from disease. Should further investigations confirm the favorable conclusions already reached, and the virus from this source be found sufficiently abundant, as well as unquestionably reliable, it will be a great boon to mankind.

The following article by Dr. Daniel F. Wright gives the results of some investigations and observations relative to the possible dangers of bovine and humanized virus, and suggests the possible, if not probable, superior value of that obtained from goats:

GOAT OR COW-CAPRINATION OR VACCINATION.

A question is arising within the profession which is likely to assume considerable importance, and I propose to state in this paper some of the points which have been advanced in relation to it.

The question is, to state it briefly, whether, in the method of prophylaxis against small-pox, known as vaccination, the goat may not be advantageously substituted for the cow; in this case of course vaccination would be a misnomer and we should have to call it caprination.

The considerations bearing upon this question have been for some time accumulating, and have all transpired during the professional life of the present writer.

The first of these was that tuberculosis is a contagious disease.

Small Pox.

Next it was shown that, like some other diseases, it was intercommunicable between man and the cow.

The third discovery, now quite recently made, was that it could not be communicated to the goat while the virus of variola was so communicable, and was, when it had passed through the system of that animal, capable of infecting the human constitution, producing the same effect of prophylaxis as that derived from vaccination.

Of the first principle I need say nothing, as it has now been established to the satisfaction of all intelligent physicians, especially since the discovery of the bacillus tuberculosis and its introduction into other organisms. I shall assume, therefore, that tubercle is communicable to human and other constitutions through the medium of that micro-organism.

On the second proposition I have myself collected some facts and published them in a paper formerly printed in the Bulletin in reference to the much needed inspection of meats. Since then the conveyance of the infection to children and others through the milk of a tuberculous mother, or that of tuberculous cows, has been elaborately investigated, and foremost in this search has been Dr. Harold C. Ernst, of Massachusetts, who was three years ago employed by the Society for Promoting Agriculture for the purpose. Abundant means for persecuting his researches were furnished him, both in the way of animals and a complete laboratory by the society.

In these studies he was ably assisted by Dr. A. K. Stone, who conducted the microscopic examinations.

A special subject for enquiry was the power of milk from tuberculous animals to convey the specific infection to those who drink it. This was completely established.

1. By the demonstration of the bacillus in the milk.

2. By furnishing the milk of tuberculous cows to healthy calves, to pigs and other animals with the result of establishing tubercular disease in the recipients.

3. By the hypodermic injection of milk from tuberculous animals in rabbits and guinea pigs with the same result.

An important statement is made by the examiner here that animals were excluded in which tuberculous disease existed in the udder, with a view to making the experiment crucial as to infection being carried by the milk itself, and, therefore, pre-existing in the blood of the animal. It was also stated that while in many cases the tubercle bacillus was detected in the milk of tuberculous cows, yet, in some cases, its existence there could not be ocularly demonstrated, and yet was proved to be there by the inoculation of healthy animals. This will not surprise anyone who knows the difficulty with which the presence of a small number of such minute organisms can be detected in a large quantity of the fluid examined.

The above facts are derived from Dr. Ernst's report upon the subject made before the Committee on Public Health of the Massachusetts' Legislature. They prove not only that the milk produced infection, but that it was produced from no local cause, but from the milk itself, and must, therefore, have pre-existed in the blood.

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If so, it seems clear that vaccine matter from tuberculous cows is a dangerous medium for vaccination, which is the first point I desire to establish. My next point is that where goats instead of cows are made the medium for developing the variolous lymph, the same danger does not exist. To carry out this point we give the results of some experiments made in France by Messrs Bertin and Picq. They come to us through the excellent Monthly Sanitary Record, published by the Ohio State Board of Health.

It having been doubted by M. Germain Sec whether there was danger of tubercular infection from vaccination, M. Toussaint, of Toulouse, made some experiments which proved "the possibility of the transmission of tuberculosis by vaccine taken from a tuberculosis heifer," but stated that "goats, on the contrary, are absolutely refractory to tuberculosis."

This statement occasioned the experiments of Bertin and Picq, who formulated the following results:

"1. Humanized and bovine virus produce in the goats phenomena which coincide exactly in their march with those in man.

2. Vaccination from goat to goat pursues an evolution similar to that from heifer to heifer.

3. Goats are insusceptible to tuberculous inoculation. They incidentally inform us that goats are also exempt from inoculation by syphilis."

These carefully conducted researches by highly scientific men, urge considerations on the profession which we can in no way afford to neglect. Admitting that tuberculous infection through the vaccine lymph may be quite a rare occurrence, we know now that it can take place, and have no means of knowing how often it has resulted. Have we a right, therefore, to use the vaccine lymph without knowing the condition of the animal from which it has been derived? No doubt the owners of vaccine farms are careful in procuring healthy animals, but where the tubercle has not infected the udder or other local parts its detection is by no means easy. Pressure, therefore, ought, I think, to be brought to bear on the owners of such establishments to bring about the substitution of goats for cows, and this duty seems to me to be specially incumbent on those whose special duty it is to influence publie opinion on sanitary matters, such as the public sanitary organizations of the several States. On this organization I respectfully urge this question.

MM. Bertin and Picq are continuing their experiments on the cow and the goat, to ascertain if tuberculosis can be transmitted either by virus or vaccine.