I have practiced medicine and surgery twenty-six years of my life, and had supposed that I had witnessed almost every form of human injury and suffering, but never before have I met any injury which would compare with this, and the patient so long survive after its infliction. For your gratification (as I presume you did not measure,) I will give you the actual measurement in a straight line across the concave surface of the piece of skull broken out, which now lies before me. You will recollect it was of an oval form, and I find it measures 6 inches in its longest diameter, and 5 inches in its shortest diameter.

With such a loss of the bony covering of the brain and the violence of the blow necessary to remove it, the great wonder is that the patient is still alive and comfortable, on this, the eighth day after the accident. Yours Truly,

DR. WM. W. RUTHERFORD

й. SEAMAN.

MONTOURSVILLE, August 5, 1857.

DEAR SIR: Your very obliging letter of the 2d inst. is received, and it affords me much pleasure to comply with your request to keep you informed of Edward Thomas' condition

This is the thirteenth day since he received the injury, and strange as it may appear, he is evidently doing well. During the first ten days succeeding the wound, there was considerable and frequent returns of hemorrhage from it, which would occur on almost every effort to sit up or even turn over in bed, but was readily arrested, in most instances, by the more frequent application of ice water. Since suppuration has commenced the bleeding bas ceased.

I removed your dressing on the eighth day, and found the sutures all sloughed out, and no union of the wound by the first intention. The edges of the wound were widely parted, the scalp hanging in a fold over the ear, leaving a portion of the surface of the brain the length of the wound and one and one-half inch wide exposed to view. I have since. and with much difficulty, shaved off the entire scalp and brought the edges of the wound nearly together by adhesive straps, supporting them by the application of a bandage to the entire head. The tightness of these dressings was made to depend on the feelings of the patient. Suppuration is gradually going on, and granulations forming over the surface of the dura mater. All his symptoms at present are favorable. Intellect perfect, appetite good, pulse varying from 76 to 90 in a minute, tongue clean, skin nearly natural, strength holds out well, sits up occasionally from one to two hours at a time, and his friends are beginning to entertain a hope of his ultimate recovery. The cold wet cloths are still applied, as they have been faithfully from the first, to the persevering application of which I think he owes his life and the comparatively comfortable condition he now enjoys.

You will please accept the thanks and the gratitude of the patient and his friends for your skillful and persevering effort to save the life of this young man in one of the most hopeless conditions ever falling under the notice of the medical profession. I shall be much obliged, not only to you, but Dr. Butler also for a copy of the number of the Reporter, containing a notice of this case. I will endeavor to keep you posted in reference to its progress. I remain yours truly.

DR. WM. W. RUTHERFORD

H. SEAMAN.

MONTOURSVILLE, August 8, 1857.

DEAR SIR: Again I write to inform you of Edward Thomas' condition. Since I wrote you last he has been improving rapidly. I have just finished dressing the wound, and find the floating scalp firmly attached to the dura mater in every part, and covered by it, except the exposed portion, a strip three-fourths of an inch wide by six inches long, and this is entirely covered by strong and healthy granulations. I have continued to dress the wound with long adhesive straps, keeping it clean by the use of a sponge and

warm water.

He does not complain of as much pain in his head and ears as formerly, and sits up in a chair two or three hours per day. His appetite is good, rests well at night, and has been walking about the house this afternoon without much apparent fatigue. At present he is recovering very fast, and if no unfavorable change should take place, he will soon be quite well.

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In a former statement which I made to you in reference to the amount of skull bone broken out, I committed an error by not having compared the portion broken out with that left. I there said nearly one-third of the entire skull is broken out," but should have come nearer the truth, had I said nearly one-half instead of saying one-third. I had forgotten to mention above that his intellect remains undisturbed, and that considerable of the lower part of the right front lobe of the brain was so injured that it has sloughed away.

This case presents considerations for the physiologist and phrenologist, some of whom may jump to the conclusion, that men, in this fast age, do not require such cumbrous bony structures, filled with so much [chaff called brains, as many of us carry on our shoulders. I remain yours, &c.,

H. SEAMAN.

Rendering Hard Waters Soft.

It is well known that water usually owes its hardness principally to the presence of the soluble bicarbonates of lime and magnesia, and that by the addition of caustic lime these salts are precipitated in the form of insoluble carbonates. Since the introduction of this method of rendering hard water soft, much difficuly has been experienced in ascertaining just how much lime to add in each case. If an excess of lime is added to water used for a steam boiler, the lime itself deposits when the water is concentrated, and augments the incrustation which it was intended to prevent.

From carefully conducted quantitative chemical analysis, it is possible to calculate very nearly the quantity of lime required. A simpler, quicker, and cheaper method is, however, a volumetric one, invented by John Stingel, of Vienna. A saturated solution of pure quick-lime in distilled water is first made and allowed to settle. It is then decanted, and the quantity of lime in solution is determined by tiration, as follows: 10 cubic centimeters of nitric acid, of one tenth the normal strength, is colored red by a few drops of tincture of litmus. Into this the lime water is allowed to drop slowly from a graduated pipette, until the litmus indicates that the solution is neutral. Since 54 parts of nitric acid will be neutralized by 28 parts of oxide of calcium, or pure quicklime, it is only necessary to divide 28 by the quantity of lime solution employed in neutralizing 54 parts of acid, to find how much pure lime was contained in one cubic centimeter of the solution. Some of this saturated solution of lime is now allowed to drop slowly from the pipette into 100 c. c. of the water to be operated upon, stirring the latter continually. At first it remains clear, owing to the slight solubility of the carbonates of lime and magnesia, and when at length it gets cloudy, the precipitate dissolves on stirring. This point also having been passed, the precipitate finally refuses to dissolve, and the liquid remains milky. The addition of lime solution is to be continued as long as it increases the turbidity. If flakes of carbonate of lime and magnesia separate, it contains too much lime already, which is proved by taking out a drop on to a piece of tumeric-paper, or if much excess is present nitrate of silver will also show it.

Having ascertained how much of the test solution is required for 100 c. c. of the water to be used, and knowing also the amount of lime in that quantity of the test solution, it is easy to calculate how much lime must be added to soften any given quantity of the hard water. The lime actually used not being perfectly pure, it will of course be necessary to determine the percentage of insoluble matter in it, and also ascertain how much of the water used will be required to dissolve the requisite amount of lime.-Boston Journal of Chemistry.

Rules for the Management of Infants during the Hot Season.

Rule 1. Bathe the child once a day in tepid water. If it is feeble, sponge it all over twice a day with tepid water, or with tepid water and vinegar. The health of the child depends much upon its cleanliness.

Rule 2. Avoid all tight bandaging. Make the clothing light and cool, and so loose that the child may have free play for its limbs. At night undress it, sponge it, and put on a slip. In the morning remove the slip and dress the child in clean clothes. If this cannot be afforded, thoroughly air the day-clothing by hanging it up during the night. Use clean diapers, and change them often. Never dry a soiled one in the nursery or in the sitting-room, and never use one for a second time without first washing it.

Rule 3. The child should sleep by itself in a cot or cradle. It should be put to bed at regular hours, and be early taught to go to sleep without being nursed in the arms. Without the advice of a physician, never give it any spirits, cordials, carminatives, soothing-syrups, or sleeping drops. Thousands of children die every year from the use of these poisons. If the child frets and does not sleep, it is either hungry or ill. If ill, it needs a physician. Never quiet it by candy or cake; they are the common causes of diarrhoea, and of other troubles.

Rule 4. Give the child plenty of fresh air. In the cool of the morning and evening send it out to the shady sides of broad streets, to the public squares, or to the park. Make frequent excursions on the rivers. Whenever it seems to suffer from the heat, let it drink freely of ice-water. Keep it out of the room in which washing or cooking is going on. It is excessive heat that destroys the lives of young infants.

Rule 5. Keep your house sweet and clean, cool and well aired. In very hot weather let the windows be open day and night. Do your cooking in the yard, in a shed, in the garret, or in an upper room. Whitewash the walls every spring, and see that the cellar is clear of all rubbish. Let no slops collect to poison the air. Correct all foul smells by pouring carbolic acid or quick-lime int the sinks and privies. The former article can be got from the nearest druggist, who will give the needful directions for its use. Make every effort yourself, and urge your neighbors, to keep the gutters of your street or court clean.

Rule 6. Breast-Milk is the only Proper Food for Infants.-If the supply is ample, and the child thrives on it, no other kind of food should be given while the hot weather lasts. If the mother has not enough, she must not wean the child, but give it, besides the breast, goat's or cow's milk, as prepared under Rule 8. Nurse the child once in two or three hours during the day, and as seldom as possible during the night. Always remove the child from the

breast as soon as it has fallen asleep. Avoid giving the breast when. you are over-fatigued or overheated.

Rule 7. If, unfortunately, the child must be brought up by hand, it should be fed on a milk diet alone, and that, warm milk out of a nursing-bottle, as directed under Rule 8. Goat's milk is the best, and next to it, cow's milk. If the child thrives on this diet, no other kind of food whatever should be given while the hot weather lasts. At all seasons of the year, but especially in summer, there is no safe substitute for milk to an infant that has not cut its front teeth. Sago, arrow-root, potatoes, corn-flour, crackers, bread, every patented food, and every article of diet containing starch, can not, and must not be depended on as food for very young infants. Creeping or walking children must not be allowed to pick up unwholesome food.

Rule 8. Each bottleful of milk should be sweetened by a small lump of loaf sugar, or by half a teaspoonful of crushed sugar. If the milk is known to be pure, it may have one-fourth part of hot water added to it; but if it is not known to be pure, no water need be added. When the heat of the weather is great, the milk may be given quite cold. Be sure that the milk is unskimmed; have it as fresh as possible, and brought very early in the day. Before using the pans into which it is to be poured, always scald them with boiling suds. In very hot weather, boil the milk as soon as it comes, and at once put away the vessels holding it in the coolest place in the house upon ice if it can be afforded, or down a well. Milk carelessly allowed to stand in a warm room soon spoils, and becomes unfit for food.

Rule 9. If the milk should disagree, a tablespoonful of limewater may be added to each bottleful. Whenever pure milk can not be got, try the condensed milk, which often answers admirably. It is sold by all the leading druggists and grocers, and may be prepared by adding, without sugar, one teaspoonful or more, according to the age of the child, to six tablespoonsful of boiling water. Should this disagree, a tablespoonful of arrow-root, of sago, or of corn-starch to the pint of milk may be cautiously tried. If milk in any shape can not be digested, try, for a few days, pure cream diluted with three-fourths or three-fifths of water-returning to the milk as soon as possible.

Rule 10. The nursing-bottle must be kept perfectly clean; otherwise the milk will turn sour, and the child will be made ill. After each meal it should be emptied, rinsed out, taken apart, and the tube, cork, nipple, and bottle be placed in clean water, or in water to which a little soda has been added. It is a good plan to have two nursing-bottles, and to use them by turns.

Rule 11. Do not wean the child just before or during the hot weather, nor, as a rule, until after its second summer. If suckling disagrees with the mother, she must not wean the child but feed it in part, out of a nursing bottle, on such food as ha