The very best answer to this question that can possibly be given consists of an unvarnished citation of the object lesson afforded by Havana, under American military administration. There could hardly be conceived a more severe test. When the United States army pushed the shiftless, thriftless and dirty Spaniards off the island, tumbled them into any old tubs that could be hired to float them back to their benighted, back-number country, they found a city that had practically been a fruitful focus for the dissemination of all the infectious diseases that are fostered by tropic heat in conjunction with human negligence and want of hygienic decency. There were no efficient sewers; sewerage ran in open gutters or stood in stagnant pools on top of the ground throughout the city. Yellow fever and smallpox were annually epidemic, and the death rate exceeded 25,000 every year. The first step of the army officers on taking possession was to establish a system of municipal sanitation. The natives were harnessed for the work, and under compulsion and proper supervision soon revolutionized the situation. Sewers were constructed, streets and cesspools were cleaned, the latter being abolished, the water-supply was looked after, and, lastly, the perennial crop of disease-bearing mosquitoes was at tacked right and left-and what is the result? Malarial diseases have become much more rare and of a milder type than has ever been known in the region; there has not been a case of smallpox for more than a year and a half, and yellow fever has been practically abolished. Havana, from being proverbially dangerous as a place of residence, except for those natives who were iron-clad, has become as salubrious as Philadelphia or Boston. On the 20th of May the island is to pass. under Home Rule. Whether the status attained under American auspices will be maintained remains to be seen. The lesson has been punctuated with sufficient emphasis, it would seem, but it is hard to overcome the habits of two centuries and to substitute private and municipal cleanliness in place of private and municipal shiftlessness. It will be a sanitary revolution and not a natural evolution. Hence we may naturally expect some relapses from this established grade of hygienic grace. But with the compact entered into by the Cuban Constitutional Convention of last June, which compels the Home Government to "execute and extend" the sanitary systems already introduced in all the cities of the island, and the spirit of progress which even Cubans do not ignore, we shall hope much. To further illustrate the extravagance of neglect in matters sanitary we may advert to some recent history. In 1881 Dr. Finlay ventured the announcement that mosquitoes were transmitters of yellow fever. The profession smiled and ignored. For 20 years the scourge continued to reap its harvest. In Havana, in 1900, there were between 1,200 and 1,300 cases with over 300 deaths. Then some dilatory investigator re-discovered Dr. Finlay's discovery. This time the doubting Thomases of the profession rose to the occasion and the scourge that had meanwhile. claimed 8,000 lives, was scotched, with the results already announced. Does sanitation pay? FAKE "FREE" PRESCRIPTIONS. We hope no reader of the GAZETTE has ever been indiscreet enough to invest even postage in trying any of the scores of "free" remedies advertised in so many, both secular and religious journals, by "retired philanthropists," "retired clergymen," with Bible house address-frauds every one of them of the first water (and the longest hair!) whose "sands of life" have been running out for half a century, more or less, and whose only desire is "to serve their Divine Master"-the devil? Here is an example or two that will illustrate the entire riff-raff lot of them: A "Universal Hernia Fluid," emanating from a western genius:-Extract of thuya occidentalis, carbolic acid, creosote, hamamelis, and quercus alba, to which is added two "niggas in the woodpile;" one is called "Sulpho-tannate of Copper," there being, of course, no such compound known to chemists; and the other is a "20-per-cent. solution of oxalic acid in glycerine," another impossibility. Another fellow talks about an "Arabian Red Lava Flower," and another prates about "Bichlorohydrated Siberian Kakiak Grass,” any of which, if your druggist cannot supply, will be sent you at cost of importation, $5.00-it being "a rare plant" (or product). That these sleek rascals continue to find "suckers" is evidenced by the persistence of their advertisements, which cost money— except when they manage to bilk the publishers, too. DIOXOGEN AND DENTAL HY GIENE. THE human mouth harbors many varieties of bacteria. Most of them are harmless, a few are said to be beneficial, but some of them are destructive to the teeth. One species has been aptly named the germ of decay. It is present in all mouths at times, and is always on the alert for business openings. The point of attack is usually between the teeth, the junction of the teeth with the gums, or the neck of the tooth inside the gums. Carelessness in attending to the proper cleansing of the mouth affords the nourishing nidus or soil in which this germ thrives. The tongue, reinforced by the lips and cheeks, and, in health, by an alkaline saliva, keeps the exposed portions of the teeth free from accumulations of food particles, and thus to an extent protects them, but on slight deviations from healthy conditions. this duty is less perfectly done, the partially hidden recesses between the teeth and below the margins of the gums become harbors and culture grounds for these destructive germs. Left to themselves these infinitesimal invaders multiply rapidly, set about their work of destruction, and soon become toothache breeders, disturbers of domestic tranquility and torturers of midnight hours. Healthy mouths that are properly groomed by the aid of a bland but efficient antiseptic resist the inroads of these destructive germs and the teeth are saved from destruction. The thousand and one mouth washes and tooth powders in use all aim to destroy these germs and remove the soil in which they thrive. Some of them undoubtedly do good, but most of them do incalculable harm by hastening instead of hindering the erosion of the protective enamel of the teeth. Ordinary antiseptics, to be effective, have to be used too strong for safety to the teeth or comfort of the user, hence are objectionable. Both theory and clinical tests have proved that in dioxogen we have an ideal detergent and germicide. While it is strongly antiseptic it is wholly unlike all other antiseptics. It is as bland and harmless as water, and yet is as efficient as the most powerful corrosive. It acts by liberating free and very active oxygen the moment it comes in contact with the fluids of the mouth. This free oxygen promptly oxidizes the germs themselves, and their nourishing nidus out of existence, without in the least affecting healthy tissue. By the use of dioxogen, pure or diluted, once or twice daily, aided by a soft toothbrush-stiff ones are a mistake-the mouth can be kept in a healthy and aseptic condition and the teeth from decay. Physicians should especially bear this in mind, for, in this connection, prevention is everything, a cure impossible. SOME INTERESTING QUESTIONS IN MALARIA. THE problems of malaria, says the Journal of the Am. Med. Association, are not yet all solved by the recent advances in our knowledge regarding it. We know the parasite and in a general way its life history, and more important still we know how it is introduced into the human organism and how to avoid it. There are still, however, the puzzling facts of immunity and other questions that require solution. A suggestive article has recently appeared from the pen of Dr. A. F. A. King, who it will be remembered was one of the earliest advocates of the theory of the agency of the mosquito in the transmission of malaria. In this recent paper he adduces facts that seem to him to indicate that the growth of the plasmodium in the blood is influenced by light. Among these are the infrequency of malarial paroxysms in the night hours, the relative immunity of the dark-skinned races, the favoring influence of bright sunny weather as opposed to cloudy weather on the occurence of the attacks, the popular notion that shade prevents the attacks, and the fact that red light stimulates amebic growth, and that light transmitted through the blood must necessarily be red. The therapeutic suggestions, based on these these ideas, are the keeping malarial patients in the dark, or deprived of red light; the use of white clothing with opaque black or purple linings, in the tropics, and the employment of drugs that darken the blood 1 Am. Jour. Med. Sciences, Feb. 1902, p. 121. or lessen its translucency. If the rays from the violet end of the spectrum inhibit the growth and propagation of the malaria parasite, the use of Prussian blue (an old remedy) and more lately of methylene blue is explainable. Dr. King suggests that the fluorescent action of quinine in intensifying the violet may explain its hitherto enigmatical specific action in malaria. Another vegetable product having this property is esculin and this has also been successfully employed as an antiperiodic. The paper is ingenious and suggestive rather than conclusive, but it deserves a place in the literature of malaria. Possibly the line of investigation it points out may be a profitable one and may add something of value to our knowledge of the pathologic conditions of malaria as well as to the resources for their prevention. HOW LONG ONE OUGHT TO LIVE. A FRENCH magazine, Le Journal d' Hygiene, presents the folowing interesting information concerning longevity: "Observation shows that an animal lives eight times the period necessary for its complete growth. Thus the dog, which develops in two years, can, on the average, live sixteen years. Man, however, seems to escape this physiological law. Twenty-five years are necessary to his complete development. A duration of two hundred years would, then, be his natural term of life. Death occurring before this period would be accidental or artificial, that is to say, caused by disease or hereditary degeneration. "Methuselah and other patriarchs have reached and even passed two hundred years, if we may believe the sacred writings. Unhappily, the writings of our day show that the person who finishes a century of life is What scientific limit can be assigned to human life? "Scholars, such as Buchner, Legoncourt, Collin de Plancy and Flourens, have studied carefully this interesting subject. "The History of France' cites the case of a certain Jean des Temps who had been a soldier under Charlemagne and who died in 1136 at the age of 360 years or 420 according to Fulgorious, who makes him die in 1196. But we must be careful not to enter the domain of legend. "Here however, are some extraordinary cases of more authentic longevity: A certain Zartan died the fifth of January, 1724. He was born in 1530, which brought his age up to 194 years. His eldest son had reached the age of 155 years. It is to be presumed that when the latter did wrong, his father no longer had the right to box his ears. "Iko Mardenoff, a Russian subject, who died at Tiflis in September, 1892, was 164 years old. "The Royal Office of Statistics at Berlin, aided by the Trans-Caucasian committee of statistics, can easily give the proof of this marvelous longevity. But Mardenoff died accidentally, leaving a young wife of 120 years quite inconsolable over his premature. end."-Good Health. 蛋蛋 OUR AMERICAN BIRD. THE latest United States Census gives the great American hen credit for adding $400,000,000 yearly to the National wealth. This stupendous sum exceeds the value of the wheat crop by $75,000,000; it is five times greater than the combined output of all our gold and silver mines; nothing, in fact, exceeds it but the corn and hay crops. That hen could put up a successful war with any nation of Europe, paying up, every Saturday night, without issuing bonds; she could scratch out an isthmian canal over both proposed routes sooner than Congress could determine which one to begin on; she could have a receipt in full for payment of. the $20,000,000 thank offering the great Methodist Church of this country is struggling to accomplish, before the present snow gets off the ground; she wouldn't even cackle over such meagre returns as the Steel Trust blows about; she could build railroads faster than all other two-legged magnates combined, and pay cash as fast as the rails are laid; a battleship a week to her would be easy. That's the kind of chicken she is, according to Uncle Sam's own figures; and the business of this essay on "The Hen" is to suggest the propriety of a gentle hint, with club in hand, tổ the great American eagle to come down off his high perch on our National escutcheon and on our quarter-dollars, and give his betters a chance for due recognition. It will be an instance of most fowl injustice not to have this change take place.-George A. Root, in Medina (Ohio) Gazette. DAIRY STATISTICS. ACCORDING to statistics compiled for the year 1900, by W. H. Olin, the dairy products of the world compare as follows: The United States leads all the other countries, with 610 lbs. per capita; Russia is next, with 220 lbs.; Germany third, with 200 lbs.; France fourth, with 160 lbs. ; then follow Austria, with 130 lbs.; Great Britain, 110 lbs.; Canada, 100 lbs.; Netherland, 80 lbs.; Denmark, 60 lbs.; Sweden, 50 lbs.; Switzerland and Turkey, 40 lbs. each; Spain, Belgium and Australia, 30 lbs. each. Iowa produced 138,000,000 lbs. of butter in 1900, New York ranking next, Pennsylvania next, then Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, and lastly Kansas. This is a surprising showing as compared with the production of two decades ago. BABY'S SKIES. Would you know the baby's skies, Mamma, keep your eyes from tears, -St. Nicholas... IODINE AND GOOSEGREASE. DR. GEO. T. JACKSON, at the last meeting of the American Dermatological Association, asked the members to give trial. to a combination of iodine and goosegrease which has been extensively used at the Vanderbilt Clinic, where Dr. Jackson is instructor in dermatology. One drachm of iodine crystals rubbed up in an ounce of goosegrease is the combination, and employed in all cases of trichophytoses, has been found to be the most efficient means of combating this affection, and is used now almost to the exclusion of other remedies when the head or beard is involved. Applied as it is at the clinic by being well brushed into the affected parts every other day, the most extensive cases of ringworm of the beard where the neck and chin are lumpy with infiltration have been overcome in three weeks' time at the utmost. The day after a first thorough application in these bad cases patients freely state their relief from the tense, drawn feeling and burning sensation, and though the measure is not particularly pleasant at the time of application, they willingly accede to it for the after relief. This combination with goosegrease is deeply penetrating, for under the microscope hairs show staining with the iodine down to the bottom of their roots. On the scalp of a child it does not seem to be very irritating, and the patches get well. 蛋蛋 THE PASSING OF "CENTRAL." (From the World's Work.) A VERY significant innovation is a telephone system that does away with "Central." In practicable and successful operation in Fall River, Mass., is a telephone exchange providing an automatic arrangement whereby the subscriber, by revolving a disk-somewhat like the disk of a combination safe until it checks off the number he wishes to call for, "rings up" the number. Bringing the "combination" to the first. number in the series he wishes causes a switch in the "Central" exchange to swing to a certain group of contacts; the next number narrows the selection to a certain number of contacts in the group; the last brings it to the identical spot required. The caller then pushes a button and the connection is established. If the line is busy, a buzzing noise gives him warning. The calls come in first to the larger trunk lines, of course, and thus it might be expected that the apparatus would be often busy, since one. call would shut off accessibility to many numbers in the group of instruments covered by the trunk line, but an ingenious contrivance causes the current to pass by the trunk lines that are busy till it comes to one not in use, so that the system would fail to work only when all the trunk lines of selectors were busy. Even then the buzzed warning would indicate that the caller would have to wait only until one of ten persons had finished talking. The cost of maintaining the mechanical part of the system has not increased. And though it works hardship to discharged employees, the system economizes in wages, for, with the exception of necessary bookkeepers and a few attendants to see that things run on without hitches, a force of work-people is not required. Indeed, on Sundays and during the night while the exchange is locked, the instruments continue making their connections without supervision. Privacy is secured. Cheapness is secured. The automatic telephone means another step in the elimination of middlemen. and the automatizing of life. SAWDUST is turned into transportable fuel in some parts of Scotland by a very simple. process. It is heated under high steam pressure until the resinous ingredients become sticky, when it is pressed into bricks. One man with a two-horse power machine can turn out 9,000 bricks a day. |