In advising patients to wear blue glasses, even for working, we force just those nerve elements of the retina which are sensitive to blue, to take upon themselves all the work which was previously distributed among all the kinds of nerves of the retina. If patients, whose eyes are irritable, experience from the use of blue glasses some alleviation, some rest, it is probably because two kinds of nerves are soothed by them; but, as a consequence, afterwards, when the patients have recovered, and they try to lay aside the glasses, it is with much difficulty that they become habituated to the light of the sun, or even to the light of day, probably because all the nerves of the eye have not been equally protected. The nerves, which have been the most so, to speak accurately those which are sensitive to the yellow rays, have been unaccustomed to the influence of their ordinary excitant. This great practical inconvenience, which is not rare in those who wear blue glasses, has already influenced some Oculists to cease prescribing them, and to prefer smoke-colored glasses. Doctor Berthold, of Konigsberg, has told me that, in his practice he has obtained from the use of grey glasses much better results as compared with those which he formerly obtained by the use of blue glasses, and stated that after using grey glasses the eyes accustom themselves very readily to solar light. In prescribing blue glasses, we should also not forget that the sensitiveness of the eye for colors is far from being equal; that it increases from the red to the violet, so that the sensitiveness of certain eyes for the blue and the violet is twenty times as great as for the red at the other end of the spectrum. So that by prescribing blue glasses and protecting against the action of light, the least sensitive nerves, we impose all the work upon the nerves endowed with the greatest sensitiveness. This prescription would only be justified in cases where it was demonstrated that our eyes, while distinguished for showing a very great sensitiveness for blue, endures it longer and more easily than the others without any fatigue, but up to the present time we have no data on this subject. MISCELLANEOUS. Croton-Cbloral Hydrat. The profession and the public are chiefly indebted to Dr. Oscar Liebreich for the introduction of chloral hydrate; and this obligation is further increased by the addition of croton-chloral hydrat, which will doubtless prove an equally valuable therapeutic agent. It is of the greatest service in cases of nerve-pain. Every sufferer from neuralgia is anxious to obtain speedy relief from pain; this may be obtained by taking croton-chloral hydrat, and then the antecedent causes of the neuralgia may afterwards be enquired into and treated accordingly. The following cases are interesting, as showing the immediate relief from pain that this drug affords. A. suffered from facial neuralgia of a most severe character; it affected her hearing and eyesight. She could not rest or take food. She took one grain of croton-chloral hydrat every hour. In three hours, she was considerably better. After taking three more doses, she was entirely free from pain. B. suffered much from facial neuralgia dependent on decayed teeth, and had not been able to take food or sleep for three days. She was order croton-chloral hydrat in grain-doses every hour, and obtained great relief after two doses. Six doses removed the pain completely. She slept that night. C. This patient suffered from concussion of the spine caused by a railway accident some years ago. She had every variety of treatment for the pain she suffers in the spine and the nerves proceeding therefrom. She took potassium bromide gr. 20, and croton-chloral hydrat gr. 1, three times a day, with marked relief and no bad symptoms. E. This is a young dyspetic and neuralgic patient, and suffers greatly from dysmenorrhoea. She took two-grain doses when the paroxysms of pain came on, with marked relief. F. has been under treatment for various neuralgia for some years. She has had, at one time or another, almost every external therapeutic agent in the Pharmacopaia-strychnia, iron, quinine, ammonium, chloride, aconite, belladonna, iodine, bromine, blisters, hypodermic injections, galvanism, together with baths and other hygienic appliances, including change of air. In this case, two grain-doses of croton-chloral hydrat, every hour afforded more speedy relief from pain than any of the above remedies. After taking eight grains, she was almost free from pain. In thirteen patients who have taken croton-chloral hydrat, not a single bad symptom has been observed In grain-doses, it relieves pain quickly; causes natural sleep; no subsequent headache or furred tongue. In several cases, it acted as a gentle laxative.— Dr. Baker, in Brit. Med. Journal.-Canada Lancet. Experimental Researches in Cerebral Pathology. The following is Professor Ferrier's summary of his very important "Experimental Researches in Cerebral Physiology and Pathology," which appeared originally in the British Medical Journal for April 26, 1873, and subsequently with a full account of the experiments in the West Riding Lunatic Asylum Medical Reports, vol. iii. There is no doubt that those experiments open up a most important field and mode of research. To be able to stimulate directly limited portions of the brain in a living animal is a great advance of anything as yet attempted in investigation of cerebral function. It is not only what Professor Ferrier's experiments prove, but what they suggest, and will undoubtedly lead to, that gives them their superlative interest to all students of brain function. 1. The anterior portions of the cerebral hemispheres are the chief centers of voluntary motion and the active outward manifestations of intelligence. 2. The individual convolutions are separate and distinct centers; and in certain definite groups of convolutions (to some extent indicated by the researches of Fritsch and Hitzig) and in corresponding regions of non convoluted brains, are localised the centers for the various movements of the eyelids, the face, the mouth (and tongue), the ear, the neck, the hand, foot and tail. Striking differences corresponding with the habits of the animals are found in the differentiation of the centers. Thus the centers for the tail in dogs, the paw in cats, and the mouth in rabbits, are highly differentiated and pronounced. 3. The action of the hemispheres is in general crossed; but certain movements of the mouth, tongue and neck are bilaterally co-ordinated from each cerebral hemisphere. 4. The proximate causes of the different epilepsies are, as Dr. Hughlings Jackson supposes, discharging lesions of the different centers in the cerebral hemispheres. The affection may be limited artificially to one muscle, or group of muscles, or may be made to involve all the muscles represented in the cerebral hemispheres, with foaming at the mouth, biting the tongue, and loss of consciousness. When induced artificially in animals, the affection as a rule first invades the muscles most in voluntary use, in striking harmony with the clinical observations of Dr. Hughlings Jackson. 5. Chorea is of the same nature as epilepsy, dependent on momentary (and successive) discharging lesions of the individual ⚫erabral centers. In this respect Dr. Hughlings Jackson's views are again experimentally confirmed. 6. The corpora striata have crossed action and are centers for the muscles of the opposite side of the body. Powerful irritation of one causes rigid pleurosthotonos, the flexors predominating over the extensors. 7. The optic thalamus, fornix, hippocampus major, and convolutions grouped around it, have no motor signification (and are probably connected by sensation). 9. The optic lobes or corpora quadrigemina, besides being concerned with vision and the movements of the iris, are centers for the extensor muscles of the head, trunk and legs. Irritation of these centers causes rigid opisthotonos (and trismus). 9. The cerebellum is the co-ordinating center for the muscles of the eyeball. Each separate lobule (in rabbits) is a distinct center for special alterations of the optic axes. 10. On the integrity of these centers depends the maintenance of the equilibrium of the body. 11. Nystagmus, or oscillation of the eyelids, is an epileptiform affection of the cerebellar oculo-motorial centers. 12. These results explain many hitherto obscure symptoms of cerebral disease, and enable us to localise with greater certainty many form of cerebral lesion.-The Clinic. -:0: A New Solvent of Phosphorus; Its Preparation and Pharmaceutical Use. BY A. W. GERRARD, Dispenser and Teacher of Pharmacy to the University College Hospital, The principal known and most generally adopted solvents of phosphorus in pharmaceutical purposes are bisulphide of carbon, chloroform, ether, alcohol, oil of almonds, oil of theobroma, and mutton suet. The power of these bodies to dissolve this element varies from any proportion to less than half per cent.; the most powerful being bisulphide of carbon, the least, alcohol. Most of the above solutions of phosphorus, when dispensed, are of an unsatisfactory and unstable character. Those which are fluid and miscible with water in the presence of mucilage-the manner in which it is usually prescribed-are rapidly decomposed and become inert; they are likewise nauseous and objectionable to the patient in an extreme degree. The solid forms are but little better and are exceedingly troublesome to manipulate. Bisulphide of carbon has been recommended by Mr. Proctor, of Newcastle, as a means of dispensing phosphorus in the pill form, and it answers the purpose very well, with the exception that the pills retain a compound smell of phosphorus and bisulphide of carbon, which is repulsive in the utmost degree. The new substance which I propose to add to the list of solvents of phosphorus is resin, that body described in the Pharmacopoeia as the "residue of the distillation of the turpentine." This substance suggested itself to me amongst others as a probable solvent, and the result of my experiments upon it is that I have found it capable of dissolving four or more per cent. of phosphorus; the limit of its solubility is a question for further experiment. I would call this substance phosphoretted resin. The method of preparing it is thus: Take a strong wide-mouthed well-stoppered bottle and weigh it, then melt a quantity of resin sufficient to fill the bottle; let the bottle be warmed, then pour in the resin to nearly, but not quite fill the bottle, reweigh, and for every ninetysix parts of resin take four of phosphorus. Now observe that the resin is in a fluid state; if so, add the phosphorus, and fix the stopper tightly. Place in a sand-bath previously warmed, and apply heat to 200 C. or 392 F.; digest at this temperature, and shake frequently until the phosphorous is dissolved. The kind of resin to be used in this preparation is the black translucent variety, known in commerce as rosin, not that pale, yellowish kind, usually met with in chemists' shops, unless it has previously been deprived of its water, of which it contains a varying amount, sometimes ten per cent. In conducting the process, it is necessary to observe the following precautions: in adding the phosphorous, if possible let it be in one piece, and take care that the resin is previously in a fluid condition, as then the phosphorus readily sinks below the surface, and is covered by the resin; otherwise, if the phosphorus were in small pieces and the resin semi-fluid, the phosphorus would rest on the half-hot resin, and speedily take fire; but by observing the above precautions, this accident may be prevented. A bottle full of the preparation should be made at a time, as I find there is great risk of accident (having had one myself) if the vessel is only partly filled. The phosphorous is also volatilized, and deposited in the upper portion of the bottle. Keep a thermometer in the sand-bath during the process, and maintain the temperature between 200 and 210-C. At higher temperatures the resin boils, and the heat is liable to change the phosphorous to the red amorphous state. When the prepared resin has cooled it is difficult to remove it unless the bottle be broken; the method I have adopted is to draw it from the bottle, when partly cooled, under hot water. It is a pharmaceutical process which, like many others, requires care and attention to ensure success, but whatever difficulties may arise, to a practical person a remedy will suggest itself. I will here mention a curious change which takes place if this phosphoretted resin be reheated. When it reaches a certain temperature it becomes of a whitish cream color throughout; if the temperature be raised still higher it again becomes transparent; this phenomenon does not occur in the cooling. It is probably due to the influence of molecular change. The formula I would suggest for its exhibition is the following: Take of |