REPORT OF THE NORTHAMPTON COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY. In presenting this report, the undersigned committee regret to be compelled to say that the indisposition of members (with some exception) to communicate their observation and results of their practice, effectually precludes the possibility of such a report as is desired by the State Medical Society. Pneumonia of a severe type prevailed to a considerable extent in South Bethlehem among the young and adult, particularly among the poorer class, during the winter months. The treatment reported consisted of mercurial purgatives, followed by antimercurials and tr. veratria viride. After the reduction of fever, quinia sulph. with tr. ferri chlor., or if night-sweats, elixr. vitriol and a supporting diet. Bloodletting was not practised. Reported mortality about ten per cent. Epidemics of mumps and measles, with some diphtheria have prevailed in some localities, but nothing has been reported either in the type or treatment in these diseases worthy of note. This report is mainly abstracted from the minutes of the Society: Dr. T. Green in regard to the taste of arsenic stated that this depended on the state of the solution; that when a strong solution in coffee was applied to the tongue cold, there was no taste except that occasioned by the coffee. In the warm stage of the solution something was perceived; and, upon an increase of heat, a taste like that of pepper was produced, which was felt in the back part of the throat even after washing the mouth with water. Dr. McIntire reported that when two and a half grammes of coffee and five grammes of arsenic were put into fifty cubic centimetres of water, and boiled together for fifteen minutes, and portions then placed on the tongue and lips whilst hot, in less than a minute a pungent peppery sensation was felt on the tongue, whilst in a minute and a half it was perceived upon the lips. Dr. Ott reported that from experiments with an alkaloid "muscarini," from the Agaricus Muscaris, a poisonous mushroom, atropia was probably a complete antidote. The muscarini killed by stopping the heart, by throwing its inhibitory ganglia into increased activity, whilst atropine has the power to remove this. As "muscarini," probably associated with another alkaloid, is very likely the chief toxic principle of poisonous mushrooms, he believes that the subcutaneous injection of the one-hundreth of a grain of atropia would act as an antidote. Dr. Ott also reported that the "leg phenomenon" of Erb, observed in some diseases of the spinal cord, was due to reflex action, and not to vibration communicated to the muscle from the tendon as Westphal supposed. Dr. Ott has seen during irritation of tendons in chloroform anæsthesia a dilatation of the pupil, showing that there are sensory nerves in tendons, a fact microscopically confirmed by the researches of Prof. Rollet, of Prague. Dr. Ott also stated that Suchsinger, of the laboratory at Zurich, had announced that sweat centres had been found in the upper part of the lumbar and lower part of the dorsal portion of the spinal cord; that they can be excited by heat and asphyxia. Dr. Ott has seen, when passing a constant current through this portion of the spine, a profuse sweat to ensue, which is easily explained by these experiments. Dr. Ott also reported two cases of stove-gas poisoning, where the symptoms were mainly temporary unconsciousness, pains in forehead, vomiting; pulse 84, respiration normal. That in cases of poisoning by coal-stove gas or illuminating gas, the chief poisonous agent is carbonic oxide, and forms a very strong chemical combination with the coloring matter of the blood, preventing in part the ingestion of oxygen and the excretion of carbonic acid. Where consciousness is prolonged, the transfusion of new blood is the only remedy. In a discussion whether organic nervous diseases have their origin and frequency from the rush of American life, Dr. T. Green thought that they did not. Dr. Erdman also related a case of apoplexy occurring in his place during the act of coitus. Dr. John Sandt related a case of apoplexy where it occurred during defecation. Both of these patients died. Dr. W. B. Erdman, of Lehigh, reported at one of the meetings a case of poisoning by sulphate of zinc. Mr. S., a merchant, aged 50, feeling somewhat indisposed on a Sunday evening, took an ounce of sulphate of zinc instead of magnesium sulphate. He complained of a burning sensation along the esophagus and some epigastric uneasiness. Ipecacuanha, followed by warm mucilaginous drinks, was given, and vomiting ensued in about five minutes. He was ordered to drink freely of milk, which not being at hand, ice-cream was substituted. Vomiting more or less during the night occurred, but ceased by morning, and the patient did well. Dr. Joseph Mixsell, in a discussion upon the reformation of inebriates, stated that in the Franklin Reformatory, alcohol was com pletely forbidden, and even liquids during the first three days. Dr. Green thought dipsomania to be hereditary. Dr. McIntire detailed the use and value of Dr. Keyser's "Prosoponometer," that it admirably answered the purpose of fitting spectacles, as the size of the spectacle frame is of considerable importance. Dr. Seip spoke of the theory gaining ground that menstruation was coincident with ovulation, and not depending on it. Dr. McIntire, in a paper on the etiology of relative strabismus, thought that most of the trouble depended on error of refraction. Dr. J. Sandt detailed a case where a little girl, aged eighteen months, had the flexors of the hand and feet in a state of contraction; the thumbs being drawn down into the palms, which could not be straightened without much trouble. The flexors of the toes were so much contracted that she could not walk. There was no fever, and the child was otherwise healthy. The habit was to drink two cups of coffee at a meal, which caused great wakefulness. The treatment was purgatives and abstinence from coffee. Was the coffee the cause? It certainly seemed to be the only apparent cause. Dr. S. S. Bachman related a case of mastoiditis, which he treated by plunging a sharp-pointed bistoury down to the bone, and by means of a rotatory movement perforated the bone, and the case soon got well. Dr. A. A. Seem read a paper on "puerperal fever." Its contagiousness was discussed by the members of the Society. Dr. G. T. Fox regarded the disease as non-contagious, whilst Dr. A. A. Seem, and Dr. P. B. Breinig regarded the disease, when epidemically prevailing, liable to be conveyed by the physician. Drs. Seem and Buzzard, of Bangor, spoke of the value of a flexible rubber catheter (Jacques's patent) in a case of prostatitis, in which other instruments were used which were not so readily introduced. Dr. Seip reported two cases of poisoning by prepared beef, and one of the committee (Dr. Ott) had seen a similar case. Dr. Seip's paper is appended to the report. Dr. C. F. Pfluegar, now of Saucon Township (Seedersville Postoffice), late of Williams, reports his good success in diphtheria with the following local remedy-the formula of which he got out of the New York Obstetrical Journal :: R.-Liq. ferri subsulph. f3iij. Glycerine, f3j. Acid. carbolic. gtt. vj. to xj. Applied every two to three hours with a camel's-hair brush. He continues the use of it even after the false membrane has disappeared, but less frequently, with very good results. Dr. A. Seip, on "Poisoning from Prepared Ham and Corned Meats," says, "That meats of various kinds and under peculiar circumstances, may and do become highly poisonous to the animal economy, is an undoubted fact. Having lately had two cases of poisoning from eating an article lately introduced by our grocers, and sold as 'prepared ham,' I have thought a short résumé upon the subject might not be unacceptable to the Society. In the cases here enumerated I have purposely excluded all those that might be referred to the disease, trichinosis,' caused by the presence of the fleshworm, Trichina Spiralis,' which frequently infests the flesh of swine. In Germany, more especially than any other country, meat and liver are ground up and made into the shape of sausage and liver pudding. 'Blut und leber würst' form one of the principal articles of diet among the Germans. Other smoked and salted meats of a fatty character, obtained chiefly from pork, are much used in a raw, or only partially cooked state. In Wurtemberg alone, according to Prof. Schlossberger, no less than 400 deaths have occurred since 1800, from eating blood puddings and sausages. "In the past year Dr. Muller' relates (Deutsch Zeitschrift), 'a series of poisonings occurring in Middleburg, Holland, in 343 individuals who had eaten of salt pork obtained from the same establishment. The symptoms at first were malaise, vomiting followed by diarrhoea. The alvine discharges were yellow, then green and fetid, and were preceded by intestinal colic. There were severe epigastric pains, tenesmus, intense thirst, scarcity of urine, pulse from 100 to 120. In some of the cases these symptoms returned, and assumed an intermittent character." Herpes Labialis" was associated with the fever in some of them. Six terminated fatally. In the autopsy made, nothing of a special character was found. Animals were fed upon a portion of the suspected meat, but gave negative results. Upon the nature of this poison medical opinions vary. That the meat undergoes certain obscure chemical changes whereby a most subtle poison is generated there can be no doubt. Liebig considered it a kind of ferment. Buchner believed it to be due to a peculiar acid, which he termed "Voltulinic Acids," whilst Schlossberger thinks there is a volatile alkaloid generated in the nitrogenous portion of the meat, whereas Heller supposes it to be a species of "fungus." The cases of poisoning appear to prevail most frequently in winter and spring.1 1 New York Medical Journal. "Dr. Baudlin, of Basle, one of the most recent authors upon the subject describes the symptoms as consisting of two stages, commencing generally within twelve to twenty-four hours after eating. The first stage, general malaise, bad breath, redness and dryness of the throat, coated tongue, persistent vomiting of yellowish or greenish matter; intense abdominal pains with constipation, repeated attacks of vertigo and headache, are complained of. In the second stage, paralysis of the eyelids, voice half lost, croupous cough, heart beat small, great depression, with a cool clammy skin. Consciousness, sleep, and appetite often remain undisturbed, which with want of febrile excitement distinguishes it from typhus. His treatment consists of emetics, purgatives, with chlorine and iodine waters in the first stage, and supporting treatment in the second stage, consisting of tonics and stimulants, the principle of which was quinia, ammonia, camphor, and musk. His post-mortem revealed nothing of import ance. "In this country newspapers and medical journals' have frequently contained accounts of poisoning from smoked and canned meats. I have selected a few typical cases bearing upon this subject. In December, 1841, Dr. Lee, of New York, reported forty cases of poisoning, which were traced by him to smoked beef, sold from a particular grocery, of which the individuals attacked had freely eaten. They were all attended with symptoms of severe pain in the abdominal region, vomiting, purging, great thirst, extreme prostration, and in one case followed by death. Post-mortem revealed deep injections of the ileum with inflammation and the blood of a fluid character. "During the past year the Boston Board of Health had occasion to investigate several cases which came under their jurisdiction, and found that the poisoning had been caused by beef put up in cans of tin-foil containing 'lead' in sufficient quantities to produce all the well-known symptoms of 'lead poisoning.' "But in a reported case by Dr. Fairchild, of Fairhaven, Mass., we have a clear and marked illustration of the peculiar poison generated in meats, whilst undergoing the peculiar changes before alluded to by German writers upon the subject. A family of nine persons were attended by Dr. Fairchild, who had partaken of canned corned beef at supper-time without injury. The weather was hot, and the remainder of the beef was placed in a closet and next morning eaten for breakfast; all but two, who were absent from the table, were seized with violent vomiting, purging, and intense intestinal cramp, and tenesmus, great prostration, and in the case of the youngest followed by death. The rest recovered, all had similar symptoms, and pro |