were great quantities of the bacilli of Eberth in the thyroid body, and of streptococci in the same organ in the case of confinement. Besides, M. Marchand has found thyroiditis to result from the presence of pneumococci. These facts strengthen the opinions of Professor Verneuil and Professor Lannelangue regarding the variability of the bacilli capable of producing inflammation and suppuration. Just as there are different kinds of osteomyeltis, having the characteristics of different bacilli, so there are different cases of thyroiditis.

TOLERANCE OF FOREIGN BODY IN THE LARYNX.-A piece of copper which had been swallowed by a child remained nine months in the larynx below the glottis, and was removed by tracheotomy by Dr. Montac, of Grenoble. Tolerance of the foreign body was, no doubt, due during so long a time to obtuseness of the sensibility of the trachea.

PANCROBILIN.—We take pleasure in publishing the following letter:

Messrs. Reed & Carnrick, New York:

BEDFORD, O., June 3, 1891.

GENTLEMEN: Two years ago I took diarrhoea and was treated for it by a number of physicians with only temporary relief. I received some of your pancrobilin, and I am happy to inform you that one bottle was sufficient to do the work in my case. It entirely cured me, and I have not had a return of the trouble since. My weight was reduced from 175 to 140; have now regained my former health and weight. You are at liberty to publish the above over my signature.

Yours truly,

R. R. ANDERSON, M.D.

LACTO-CEREAL FOOD is a new product recently put on the market by Reed & Carnrick, of New York.

It is prepared from milk, cereals and fruit, and is not only palatable, but highly nutritious and easily digested.

Great progress has been made in recent years in making foods to meet various indications. The lacto-cereal food is especially prepared for invalids, the aged, and for convalescents who need a palatable, digestible, perfect food for building up waste tissues at the least possible expense of digestive effort.-Dietetic Gazette.

THE PROGRESS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND DEATH RATES AT THE MOST RECENT DATES.

COMPILED BY HARRY KENT BELL, M.D.

ALABAMA.-Mobile, 40,000: Reports 64 deaths during May, of which 24 were under five years of age. Annual death-rate, 24.6 per 1000. From zymotic diseases, 9, and from consumption, 13.

CALIFORNIA. -Reports from sixty-six cities, towns, and localities, having a population of 608,945, during May, show 945 deaths to have occurred from all causes. Annual deathrate, 18.60. Deaths from consumption, 140; pneumonia, 91; bronchitis, 21, and congestion of the lungs, 11. Croup and diphtheria caused 46 deaths; typhoid-fever, 20.

San Francisco, 297,990: Deaths during the month of May, 530. From consumption, 79; acute lung diseases, 79; croup and diphtheria, 26; typhoid-fever, 9. Death-rate, 21.00. Los Angeles, 53,394: Deaths, 68. acute lung diseases, 7. Death-rate, Oakland, 50,000: Deaths, 75. From consumption, 5; acute lung diseases, 9.

From consumption, 19; 15.3.

CONNECTICUT.-Thirteenth Annual Report of the State Board of Health for the year ending November 30th, 1890, together with the Registration Report for the year ending December 31st, 1889. Pp. 327, 196. The first two hundred pages of this volume are taken up with a brief general summary of the work of the Board, abstract of the proceedings of the quarterly meetings, and the health of towns reports by the local health officers; showing that the subjects of greatest attention have been influenza, typhoid-fever, diphtheria, water pollution, and needful sewerage. Next follows the Secretary's report, showing a gratifying degree of progress in the organization and practical work of local boards of health throughout the State. Some so-called "health resorts"

continue to be maintained and patronized by persons in different conditions promotive of sickness. Many others there are, however, clean and healthful. The misfortune is that there are still a great many city people who select their summer resorts as they do their plumbers-give preference to those who promise the most for the least money-and with the same general result-good patronage for physicians.

The Report of a Series of Monthly Analyses of the Water from two Cemetery Wells in New Haven, by Herbert E. Smith, M.D., contains some important suggestions of practical value, though the two cemeteries selected and the (driven) wells, can hardly be considered fair examples of the conditions which commonly prevail in country towns, where the wells are more shallow and not driven, and the cemeteries located with little or no regard to the nature of the subsoil; the inference being, from the premises stated and the results of the analyses, "that a cemetery with a deep sandy soil would be very unlikely to contaminate the ground water at any considerable distance from the cemetery"—a conclusion, in accordance with the conditions stated, too indefinite to be of practical utility.

The Sale of Adulterated Food in Connecticut is shown, in a report by A. L. Winton, Jr., of the Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, to be carried on, as a rule, without restriction, notwithstanding there is a general law "to prevent the adulteration of food and other articles." The principal reasons why this law has not been enforced are said to be because public opinion has not demanded it, failure to appropriate funds for enforcing it by the boroughs, towns, and municipalities who have discretionary power in this regard, and that the State chemists are not equipped for making the analyses which the proper enforcement of the law would require. The Experiment Station not being under any legal obligations to do this work, it was undertaken in the autumn. of 1890 by the reporter, by the special commission of Dr. Lindsley, Secretary of the State Board of Health. Of 150 samples of milk, tea, sugar, pepper, mustard, honey, canned peas and other canned vegetables, pickles, maple syrup, and cream of tartar-examined and here reported upon Of milk, twelve per cent was adulterated; teas (18 samples), all the

green teas examined were found to be "faced" or painted with a mixture of some clayey matter, Prussian blue, and a yellow dye; most of the other kinds of tea contained more or less soapstone dust, clay and other matters, to make weight. Maple syrup a single bottle labelled, "Improved Maple Syrup" was a mixture containing glucose and, possibly, molasses or raw sugar. Strained "honey" largely consisted of glucose. Of nineteen samples of mustard, two only were found free from adulteration; of four of pepper, two were adulterated; of twelve samples of cream of tartar, four only were genuine. Nine brands of French peas, one of string beans, and one of mixed vegetables examined were all found to contain copper. Of four jars pickles two contained copper. In a circular recently sent out by the manufacturers of a well-known milk preservative, the following statement ap

pears:

"We know that many unscrupulous persons have recommended such chemicals as salicylic acid, borax, boracic acid and benzoic acid as proper articles to preserve milk; but a little investigation will show these, by reason of their action on the human system and the health of people, to be unfit for use, and, in fact, quite injurious."

Upon which the reporter remarks: "Since the preparation which this philanthropic company offer for sale consists, according to analyses by reliable chemists, largely of boracic acid, the public, in the light of this quotation, can decide as to the advisability of its use." And yet the reporter fails to publish the names of these manufacturers, as also of those who manufactured and sold the articles found to be adulterated. The public elsewhere, as well as in Connecticut, is left at their disposal.

Registration Report for 1889: Population of the State, 734,000. In seventy-two towns-those chiefly dependent upon agricultural industries-there had been a decrease since 1880, but the decrease is attributed to mere change of residence and business, to a more than corresponding increase in the population of manufacturing towns, so that, on the whole, there has been since 1880 an increase from 622,700-17.8 per cent.

Births, 17,176-birth-rate, 23.4 per 1000; marriages, 5744

-one to every 127.7 of the population; divorces, 536-one to every 10.7 marriages; deaths (exclusive of 652 still-born), 12,529-death-rate, 17.07. 2602 (179 less than the previous year), or 20.78 per cent of the total mortality, was caused by zymotic diseases; diphtheria and croup, 717-161 more than in 1888; typhoid-fever, 281-11 less than in the previous year; whooping-cough, 92—an increase of 16; scarlet-fever, 81-an increase of 22; measles, 62-an increase of 21.

Consumption and other diseases registered as "tuberculosis," 1518-26 less than the year previous-12.03 per cent of the total mortality.

According to the Secretary's abstract of reports from 166 towns for May, 1891, there were 1171 deaths reported in the State during the month. This was 89 less than in April; it was 173 more than in April, 1890, and 235 more than the average number of deaths in May for the five years preceding the present.

The death-rate for the large towns was 15.5; for the small towns, 17.4, and 18.8 for the whole State.

The deaths from zymotic diseases were 184, being 15.7 per cent of the total mortality against 12.4 per cent in April.

New Haven, 86,045 Deaths, 156-under five, 31; from zymotic diseases, 15. Death-rate, 19.6.

Hartford, 53,230: Deaths, 95-under five, 17; from zymotic diseases, 10. Death-rate, 17.9.

Bridgeport, 48,866: Deaths, 90-under five, 19; from zymotic diseases, 18. Death-rate, 20.1.

ILLINOIS.-Chicago, 1,200,000: Deaths during the month of May, 2585-1071 under five years of age. Death-rate, 25.85. From zymotic diseases, 770; consumption, 212.

MARYLAND.-Baltimore, 455,427: Deaths during May, 892, as against 1012 for the corresponding month of 1890. Of these, 699 were white and 193 colored, a death-rate of 21.84 per 1000 for the former and 32.62 per 1000 for the latter. The death-rate for the whole population was 23.52 per 1000; 33 persons died from infectious diseases, 94 from consumption, and 115 from pneumonia; 296, or 33.2 per cent of the total deaths, were in children under five years of age.