behind in its development, and attracts by its disproportion the eye of the observer, in despite of the perfect preservation and very satisfying mobility of the artificial piece. It would be assuredly ungraceful in me not to declare openly that the operative procedures of my confreres, Drs Critchett and Knapp, have inspired my method of operation, but this does not the less essentially differ. It is distinguished from Mr. Critchett's method in that I hesitate to pass sutures through the most sensitive portion of the eye, the ciliary body, the sojourn of these sutures, prolonged sometimes during some weeks, necessarily exercising an influence favorable to the shrinking of the eye. The advantage that I obtain by my method over that of Dr. Knapp consists in an occlusion of the wound much more complete, and that without pressure of the vitreous body. For myself, there can be no doubt that my operative method gives a stump the best and the most regular that can be desired for substitution, at the same time that the cure is effected in a manner the most rapid and the least painful to the patient. It has happened to me only once, in a great number of operations, to see arise a suppurative choroiditis. Yet I ought here to observe that the patient had quitted my clinic on the second day, contrary to my wishes, and had attended to his usual occupations without disturbing himself about the precautions which were necessary to the cure of his eye. This is my manner of proceeding: The patient being well asleep, I place by preference a large speculum between the lids, in order to enlarge as much as possible the operative field. I then carefully divide the conjunctiva entirely around and near the border of the cornea, endeavoring, by allowing the scissors to glide between the mucous membrane and the sclerotic, to detach the first as much as I can towards the equator of the eye. This done, I apply four sutures, seizing first the conjunctiva under the border of the cornea and piercing it from without inwards. With the same needle I then perforate the conjunctiva above the border of the cornea at an equal distance from the angle of the wound, penetrating this time the mucous membrane from within outwards, emerging a line or so from the border of the wound. That portion of the sutures between the superior and inferior borders of the cornea over the

staphyloma I draw aside-two towards the temple, and two upon the bridge of the nose, in order to avoid the cutting of them in making the ablation of the staphyloma. This ablation is executed by passing a Graefes knife horizontally through the base of the staphyloma, and the section is terminated by detaching the staphyloma very exactly near the border of the cornea, with the aid of scissors, in two semilunar flaps. If the expulsion of the crystalline is not effected spontaneously, I divide the capsule with the cystitome and proceed then immediately to the closure of the sutures. It is well to choose for these sutures silk of different colors, in order to readily perceive the corresponding thread, and also to use very fine English silk to avoid being obliged to preoccupy one's self with taking away the sutures. By the easy gliding of the conjunctiva I obtain a very exact ccclusion of the wound, and it is easy for me to avoid, with patients well chloroformed, the least loss of the vitreous body. If I perceive this last tending to form a hernia between the sutures, I place at this point a fifth suture. The cure is effected under the compress bandage, without the least pain, in from ten to fifteen days, leaving an ocular globe sufficiently smooth, and very proper, by its regularity, to serve as a support to the plate of enamel. Without contradiction, it is to perform an act of courage to recommend another new operative method for the ablation of staphyloma, after the number of processes already known. This is particularly applicable to him who pretends to give counsel truly practical, and who does not wish to run the risk of seeing his method fall into a merited oblivion as soon as the attraction of its novelty is passed. That which has principally engaged me to make known my method of operation is the great number of very satisfying cures that it has given me, though I have had many times to record inconveniences after other processes, principally after that of Mr. Critchett. For the rest, the operation which I bave described recommends itself principally to those confreres who operate before a numerous public, a circumstance in which the precision and the elegance of a process, at the same time that the security of the patient is complete, are certainly not to be altogether disdained.

ART. II.—Albany County Medical Society. Semi-Monthly Meeting, held May 28th. Reported by F. C. CURTIS, M. D., Sec'y. The following resolution, adopted by the Common Council, was transmitted by the clerk of that body to the secretary of the county medical society:

Resolved, That the physicians of the city of Albany be requested, individually, to communicate to this board their opinion as to whether the water of the Hudson river is sufficiently pure and wholesome to be used to supply the city with water for the use of its inhabitants.

A meeting of the society was held to discuss the question proposed by the Board of Common Council. About twenty-five members were present, besides other gentlemen.

The President, Dr. VANDERVEER, opened the meeting by a statement of the subject for discussion, saying that it was one of grave importance to us all, and that we should discuss it in a calm, impartial manner. We were called upon to decide as to the fitness of the river water between here and Troy, not as to the cost or as compared with other sources.

Dr. DEVOL said that he had not very much practical knowledge of the river water. Water in general is the great solvent, taking up a great many of the matters found in nature and holding them in solution. He looked upon the river as the receptacle of a vast amount of refuse matter, which if retained in solution would certainly render it unfit for use. This seemed too plain to require any argument.

Dr. LEVI MOORE made the following remarks: Mr. President, the question before this society is one of great importance. We are asked as physicians if the water of the Hudson river is good in a sanitarian sense. The feasibility of this source of supply and its economic advantages have nothing to do with the question. The Hygenic aspect is the only one for us to consider. I trust that whatever action we shall take will be prompted by a sincere desire to secure to the public the greatest possible immunity from the germs of enteric and other diseases which we are so often able to trace to the use of impure, tainted or sewerage water. Whatever experts may say in commendation of sewerage water, even largely diluted with purer water and taken from a rapidly moving

current, although it may be clear and sparkling, and possess no unpleasant taste or smell, yet the common instincts of our nature repel it as unfit for domestic use.

I need not bring to the attention of this society instances where typhoid fever, cholera, dysentry and other diseases have been clearly traced to the use of impure or sewerage water. These cases have been too numerous and too well authenticated to be doubted. The germs of disease are often too minute, too subtle to be weighed in the chemist's balance, or to be detected by his most careful analysis. Because he cannot detect any death-dealing poison in the limpid fluid, does he therefore presume to say that there is none, and that the water therefore is wholesome and good? Because the continued use of small does of an active poison does not kill at once, is it any the less a poison?

My own conviction is, that the water of Hudson River is entirely unfit for domestic use, receiving as it does the sewerage of our city, and within ten miles to the north of us, the sewerage of the cities of Troy and Cohoes and the village of West Troy. All this sewerage, together with that from the villages on the Hudson and Mohawk flows past our city and mingles with the sewerage which is here poured into the river. Admitting that the water of the Hudson River is passably good, and that its uses for domestic purposes are attended with but small risks in a hygenic point of view, still there are most cogent reasons why this source of supply should not be selected, I see in the no distant future a dense population, double, quadruple the present number in the manufacturing city of Troy and in the young city of Cohoes with its matchless water power. West Troy will have its population largely increased, and the beautiful hill sides between that point and this city are yet, I believe, to be thickly populated. All this drainage will flow into the Hudson River only a few miles above us, tainting its waters and rendering them each year more and more unfit for domestic The short sighted policy of supplying other cities with water impregnated with sewerage has been so often recognized and deprecated that the very persistency with which we are shadowed with this practicable scheme for an abundant supply of pure water has something ominous about it. It is a notorious fact that even now

use.

the drainage from a large and rapidly increasing population flows into our present source of supply. This should be remedied at the earliest possible moment. The very fact that it has continued till it has become so serious a matter shows culpable carelessness somewhere. This society should take such action as the importance of the subject demands.

Dr. W. G. TUCKER read a paper on the analysis of river water. This, he said, contains organic matter generally in much greater proportion than spring water does, because of the surface drainage passing directly into rivers. Inorganic matters which they contain are of little moment except as they affect the hardness of the waters. Organic matters, from various sources, are diffused through the water, and being brought into contact with the oxygen contained therein, gradually change into carbonic acid, ammonia and nitrates. Thus the oxygen in water plays an important part in the purification of water. This is especially important where rivers receive, in addition to surface drainage, a large amount of sewage from towns, and in hot weather, especially, this natural process of purification is inadequate to prevent a putrefactive change.

The wholesomeness of water appears to be intimately connected with its state of aeration, as the proportion of oxygen is liable to be lessened by the decomposition of organic constituents.

Hudson River water was examined by Dr. TUCHER by what is known as the permanganate test. which is based on the oxidation of organic matters, this being preferred as the most delicate. During October and November last he made several examinations, with the result that about 4-10 of a grain was liberated to oxodize the organic matter in one gallon; city water examined at the same time required of a grain per gallon. Early in February river water required 16-100 of a grain, city water 7-100; in April 33-100 of a grain was required for river water; city water was not tested at this time.

Prof. NICHOLS, of Troy, examined, by the same test, water from the river above Waterlord bridge and that in the Troy reservoir, and found a proportion in favor of the latter of 1 to 4. Other properties of the river water are a yellowish-brown or green color; it is