"In Hale's New Remedies, edition of 1867, a homoeopathic work of considerable repute, we find that the juice of Cactus grandiflorus is described also as being acrid and milky."* The Pathogenesis of Cactus grandiflorus is given at great length, and we will not take up any more space in reiterating what has been said already, but will close with an extract from the same work, relat-' ing to the publication of the first article on Cactus. "Dr. Rocco Rubini, Medical Director of the Homœopathic Hospital of St. Maria de la Cesarea, near Naples, published a pamphlet on Cactus, which was first translated by Dr. Dudgeon, of England, and published in the 22d volume of the British Journal of Homœopathy, 1864, with a clinical note by Dr. J. R. Russel. Dr. Ad. Lippe, Prof. of Materia Medica in the Homœopathic College of Penn., not satisfied with the first translation, subsequently translated another, which was published in pamphlet form in 1865."

Dr. E. H. Millington, of Hancock, N. Y., informs me that he has used Cactus grandiflorus very successfully in all cases of palpitation of the heart, giving it in doses of one drop of the tincture, frequently repeated.

Dr. John H. Fitch, of New Scotland, N. Y., tells me that he has used Cactus grandiflorus quite successfully as a diuretic, and his clinical observations, as well as provings of Cereus grandiflorus, will be embodied in this paper.

Chemical Analysis of Cereus grandiflorus, so far as we had leisure and the ability to continue investigations up to the time of writing this article. We found a large percentage of mucilage (gum), much oxalate of lime, oxalic and tartaric acid in small quanity, lignin, chlorophylle, starch and ashes. In arriving at this result we will subjoin the tests for each.

The entire juice of the stems of Cereus grandiflorus, is a thick, viscid, transparent mucilage, yielding it readily to hot or cold water. Adding alcohol to the filtered infusion of the stems, a white opake substance, gum, is separated, which is not soluble in alcohol, and therefore precipitated. This mucilage renders it a nutritious article of diet, which is demonstrated by other varieties of Cacti, such as serve our Indians for food, whenever a scarcity of other diet compels them to eat it. We find an analogy in the fact of Moors, Negroes and Hottentots, who, when gathering

* We have already disproved this assertion, having full proof to the contrary in the shape of living specimen plants in our possession.-R. E. K.

gum-Arabic, live exclusively on gum during its period of collection.

The amount of oxalate of lime in Cereus grandiflorus, is astonishingly large. It is in the form of crystals throughout the cellular substance, not only visible to the naked eye, but sensible also to the touch, whenveer a section is cut from the stem.

In determining the presence of oxalate of lime, we washed out some of this calcareous substance from the green mature stems, and placing it in a test-tube, adding hydrochloric acid to excess, it would dissolve it after heat having been applied, and hold it in solution on cooling. Thus, were it not for the fact of oxalic acid combining with lime in the Cactus, forming an insoluble salt of oxalate of lime (which is soluble only in muriatic and nitric acid), the juice of Cactus would be highly poisonous on account of the large amount of oxalic acid present, and an adequate idea may be had, when it is known that the Peruvian Cactus, Cereus Octangularis and Old Man Cactus, Pilocereus; Synonyme, Cactus senilis, contain 85 per cent. of oxalate of lime. Oxalic acid has such a strong affinity for lime, that whenever the acid and earth are brought together in solution, an insoluble precipitate of oxalate of lime is formed, and hence it is that the proper antidotes in poisoning with oxalic acid, are chalk and magnesia, forming inert oxalates therewith.

The acid reaction of Cereus grandiflorus is easily seen by holding litmus paper to the freshly cut surface of a piece of stem, which will redden litmus instantly. A hot infusion does not give such satisfactory result, because heat drives off the oxalic acid.

Its tincture is only very slightly acid. Oxalic acid is detected in this way. An infusion of this Cereus is placed in a test-tube, lime-water added, which, when oxalic acid is present, will yield a precipitate-insoluble in an excess of the same acid. We made further proofs of the presence of oxalic acid, by causing a white precipitate of oxalate of lime with an infusion of Cereus and chloride of lime, known by the solubility of the precipitate in nitric acid. Also by causing a bluish white precipitate of oxalate of copper, by mixing an infusion of Cereus with sulphate of copper. And lastly, by causing a dense white precipitate of oxalate of silver when adding nitrate of silver to an infusion of Cereus.

Tartaric acid was tested for and found by adding equal parts of lime-water to an infusion of Cereus in a test-tube, causing a

whitish precipitate or cloudiness, which was redissolved by an excess of tartaric acid.

The presence of oxalic and tartaric acid in the juice of Cereus grandiflorus, and probably other varieties, makes it a refrigerant, the same as sorrel, and ought to be useful in scorbutic affections. The acid juice of Cacti in general, is useful as a fomentation in inflammation. Their fruits, when boiled, are given in chest affections. Lignin is found in the woody fibre of the stems of Cereus and ashes, by burning the same. Its ashes we have not yet analyzed.

Chlorophylle is the green coloring substance of the whole plant. Starch is present in considerable quantity, and can be detected easily by putting a drop of tincture of iodine on the freshly cut surface of a piece of Cereus, when, if starch be present, it will strike a fine blue or violet color immediately, the result of the formation of iodide of starch. The woody portion of the Cereus will strike this color quicker than the cortical or leafy part.

At some future time we will report further progress in the composition of Cereus grandiflorus. The diuretic effect of Cereus is due, no doubt, to the mucilaginous principle, the same as in the marshmallow root, water-melon seed, etc.

(To be concluded in our next.)

"The Stone which the Builders Rejected."

THE debate in the House of Representatives, at Washington, July 6th, upon the amendment relative to the expenses of the Board of Health of the District of Columbia, brought out the fact that the present board has reduced the mortality-rate of Washington city from 22 to 14 per 1,000 per annum, which is a lower death-rate than exists in any other city in the Union.

Two of the members of this board are Drs. Verdi and Bliss, who do not come within the purview of the code of ethics of the American Medical Association (old school), and for that reason were excluded from seats in the Public Health Association, which met in this city last November. "No man might buy or sell save he that had the mark or the name of the beast. But these men, who were thus discredited, have proved their capacity and qualifications superior to those who have been thus stamped of Antichrist.

The Review.

The Gettysburgh Springs.

THE proprietors of the "Katalysine Spring" at Gettysburg, are making arrangements for the supplying of the water at different points of the country, as the waters of Vichy, Missisquoi, and of the different Springs at Saratoga, have been already furnished. During the present season, however, this has been difficult. There. was an unexpectedly large arrival of visitors and guests to make a Summer sojourn at the place, which created a home demand of such proportions as to interfere seriously with the business of exportation. The Autumn will, however, greatly lessen this exclusive demand, and afford opportunity to provide for bottling and transporting elsewhere.

We have not seen an analysis of the water, and therefore must speak of its beneficial qualities as certified by those who have experienced them. These are too respectable in character, too well known, and have too much reputation at stake to warrant them in lending their names for a meretricious purpose. They assert that painful ailments of many years have been relieved and even cured by them; so that sufferers of almost half a century have attained a degree of health wonderful to themselves as well as to all who knew the circumstances. Attorney-General Stanberry, Rev. Dr. Moriarty, and Hon. John Davis, have given their testimony without qualification, the latter declaring that when his strength had utterly failed, and his life was supposed to be near its end, he was persuaded by his son, a gentleman of high social position, to make use of the Gettysburg water. He adds: "I am this day eighty-five years old, and am physically a better man than I was twenty years ago."

It is claimed with great plausibility that this water is catalytic or resolving in its qualities, decomposing the lithic formations and breaking up morbid elements and concretions in the body, thus preparing the way for their elimination. It also frees the system from innumerable other morbid elements, which are the founda

tion of various diseases, often refractory and yielding reluctantly to treatment. Acting as a solvent, and not merely as a diluent, it changes the character as well as form of the constituents; and so, whether the disorder is dyspeptic, protean as well as hydraheaded; renal, whether calculous or otherwise; rheumatic, neuralgic, or something not so easy to name, define and classify, it is tolerably sure to derive a benefit. The antacid properties of the Katalysine waters constitute an important quality. It has been shown by Laemann that lithic acid has infinitely more to do with fever and acute disease than had been apprehended. An agent to neutralize it as well as to eliminate it from the body is all-important: and fortunate it is for the sufferer as well as for medical science, if the proper solvent and remedy exists here. Chemical analysis will disclose much that is now but dimly apprehended; but it is certain that invalids will find no harm in a fair trial.

The Elastic Truss and Supporter.

MODERN surgery, especially in the Eclectic profession, desiderates results which shall be as surely beneficial, without resort to operations. Hence it aspires to arrest gangrene before distinction of tissue has taken place; to anticipate the remedial action of nature, without adopting measures which presume upon no such power of recovery. It has thus brought within the range of suc

cessful treatment cases and maladies which were once considered hopeless.

Among those lesions which can be treated effectively, without resort to operations, are the different forms of rupture of the walls of the abdomen. They have the same tendency to heal which pertains to any disease, where the conditions are favorable. The surgeon should, therefore, direct his attention to the maintaining of such conditions. The point to be achieved is the obliteration of the sac, the formation of which occasioned the hernia, and the continuance of which has since maintained it. The healing of this lesion, and whatever abrasions may exist, constitutes a radical cure of the ailment. Upon the hypothesis here propounded, such a cure will occur naturally, if the protruding bowels can be returned to their proper place and kept away from the sac for a