"IS CHLORATE OF POTASH SO INNOCENT A REMEDY THAT IT MAY BE INDISCRIMINATELY ADMINISTERED ?"

dry. The pathway to the well is up a steep in- every two years, until about eighteen years, when the full dcse forty yards in extent; it then descends ten or of fifteen grains may be employed; and this dose rarely requires fifteen yards. This path is bounded by a hedge, and is lower to be increased at any age. than the surrounding ground; it therefore formed a ready Having said thus much of the value of chlorate of potash channel for water, in the time of heavy rains, to the well. To administered internally, I would beg permission to add a word the last portion of this path the children of the district and or two on its remarkable topical effects in various ulcers. It is others resorted for the calls of nature and for play. The amount invaluable in foul chronic ulcers of the legs; in tertiary sores of filth, therefore, collected in the dry weather preceding the not of an inflammatory character; in ulcers of the mouth and late rains, was very considerable on and about the path and tongue, arising either from syphilis or cancer, or cancrum oris, or necrosis of the jaws; and especially so in cleansing and de sides of the open well. The heavy rains in the close of September consequently odorizing, and indeed healing, many of the foul cancerous ulcers washed all this filth, leaves, &c., into the well, along with occurring in various parts of the body. I have employed it in filtrations from gardens immediately surroundingit, and added all these lesions at the Cancer and the Royal Free Hospitals, as a disgusting impurity to it. The cases of cholera have all been well as in private practice, for many years, and am daily re-

it

was

almost

cline, thirty

or

amongst those families who used this water ; few of those who used the water of the other well suffering from even diarrhoea in any form, though the water was full of animalculæ, &c. I examined the water in the two wells both microscopically and chemically. Etch contained lime, &c.; but that in the top well had abundant evidence of the existence of drippings from manure, and also small particles of refuse and feculent matter in a state of decomposition. The first case occurred on October 4th, and the second also on the evening of that day, in the houses nearest the well. Four cases happened on the 5th. These were reported to me by the registrar, and on discovering the facts I have mentioned the inhabitants ceased to use the well water on or about the 8th of October ; since that time the disease has declined as rapidly as it began, the deaths standing as follows :-Two deaths on the 4th of October, four on the 5th, one on the 8th two on the 9th, one on the 10th, and one on the i4th. There has also happened one death since from the consecutive fever, in a woman taken ill on the 6th of October. The total deaths thus far, therefore, are twelve, over a portion of the village containing perhaps fifty-five or sixty people, the number of persons affected being about twenty -seven or thirty. Yours J. H. SIMPSON, M.B. Roper Gale, Pontefract, Oct. 1859.

minded of its inestimable benefit wherever there is an absence of active inflammation. The strength of the solution must of necessity vary under different circumstances. In the greater number of instances, eight grains to the ounce of water is the strength I employ, but this is too strong for the mouth, and generally for the breast. Trusting you will give circulation to this testimony in favour ofamost useful, and happily at the same time, tasteless medi-

cine, I am,

Sir,

your obedient servant, WEEDEN COOKE, F.R.C.S.,

Surgeon to the Royal Free and the Cancer Hospitals. Upper Eerkelcy-street, Portman-square, Oct. 1859.

A NEW METHOD OF APPLYING CHLORIDE

OF ZINC.

To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,-I am not sure whether there is any originality in the following process, hut if there be I think it is worthy of the attention of the profession :— obediently, I have often used, and oftener seen used; the chloride of zinc as a caustic; I have mixed it, or seen it mixed, or heard or read of its being mixed, with flour, starch, arrowroot, plaster-of-Paris, and a variety of other substances; but none of "IS CHLORATE OF POTASH SO INNOCENT them appeared to me altogether satisfactory. A short time ago it occurred to me that it might be a good plan to form the A REMEDY THAT IT MAY BE INDISchloride of zinc, mixed with the sulphate of lime by the double CRIMINATELY ADMINISTERED ?" decomposition of solutions of chloride of calcium and sulphate of zinc, of such strength that the result would be a paste or [LETTER FROM MR. WEEDEN COOKE.] magma suitable for surgical application as a caustic. After some To the Editor of THE LANCET. calculations and experiments, 1 devised the following formula, SIR,-An interesting communication, with the above head- which I beg leave to introduce to the notice of the profession, those members of it who practise surgery :— ing, from Dr. Osborn, of Southampton, in THE LANCET of especially Dissolve fifty grains of prepared chalk in two drachms (by the Sth instant, illustrates a truth which perhaps will bear a measure) of commercial muriatic acid; dissolve a hundred and little further ventilation. The fact I refer to is, that no medififty grains of sulphate of zinc in two fluid drachms of boiling cine which has any real power in arresting diseased action can water. When required for use, mix the two solutions, and be innocently administered in opposite states of the system, the result will be a paste weighing nearly an ounce, and conwhether of health or disease. Can quinine-can iron or mer- taining about one-sixth of pure chloride of zinc. The proportions are nearly, but not exactly, those indicated by the atomic cury, or opium, be innocently administered in conditions not A little study would easily produce a paste of harder fitted for their use ? In many cases chlorate of potash is no weights. or softer consistency. less beneficial than these shcet-anchors of our art, and if so Trusting that the suggestion which I have offered may, if beneficial, then, as a necessary consequence, injurious in states original, bear good fruit, I am, Sir, your obedient servant, of the system not calling for its administration. In my hands n sxr G. W. SPENCE, M.D. Ler’.vic’k, October, 1859. chlorate of potash has proved a tonic of the very highest value in all adynamic conditions, and at all ages; but more especially in hectic states of the system when quinine and iron were inadmissible. So powerful is it in oxidizing or decarbonizing the blood when the liver and skin have failed in their offices, that I believe, from a very large experience of its effects at the Royal Free Hospital, that there is no tonic comparable to it in APOTHECARIES’ HALL.—The following gentlemen passed the sequelæ of the exanthemata, (otorrhcea, anasarca, and their examination in the science and practice of medicine, and cachexia of all kinds,) in all scrofulous diseases, whether of received certificates to on practise, bone, gland, or tissue, as well as in those indicated by Dr. Osborn Thursday, October 20th, 1859. viz., necrosis, leucorrhcea, gleet, and secondary syphilis. Agreeing with Dr. Osborn in the inexpediency of ALFRED BARRETT, EDWARD, Eton, Bucks. its administration in all acute inflammatory attacks, I think East Indies. PETER, GORDON, that in reviewing those numerous diseases in which there is GRABHAM, CHARLES. want of power, I know of none in which the chlorate of potash, GRIFFITH, JOHN, Bangor, North Wales. either solely or in combination with iron, quinine, or the other LAWSON, JOHN EDWARD S., Earemont, Cumberland. (------

".......

Medical News.

-

vegetable tonics,

may not be advantageously employed. I believe the dose of this medicine is now pretty accurately defined. From one to fifteen grains three times a day is the range I have found effectiveand safe. I give the child of one year old, one grain; of two years old, two grains, and so on up to seven years; after that a more gradual increase-say, a grain

JONES, JOHX, Cliftonville, Brighton. THORNHILL, DAVID CLARKE, Stratford, Essex. The following gentleman also, on the same day, passed his

first examination :BROWNE, FRANK HARVEY, Stow

Maries, Essex.