It will be noticed from the above table that the air at the exit fan is quite a little higher in the microscopical composition than that in Bates Hall, but it must be remembered that in the samples collected at the exit we have combined air from all parts of the library.

One thing is certain, however, that the plant cannot be utilized to its best advantage until some arrangement can be made by which less contamination is introduced at the entrance to the building. However, one can easily see that the filtration of air is an improvement over unfiltered air; and here again the mechanical effect of a forced current passing through the building is well illustrated in the analysis of the air taken at its exit from the building, the suspended matter in considerable quantities being carried from the building.

It is clearly shown in the foregoing experiments and tables that bacteria exist in the disturbed air of rooms and in the air upon the streets. The great question to be considered is, Is it essential that such great precautions should be followed out in connection with the ventilation of buildings to insure good health and immunity from disease? That germs are present in air is very evident, and it all rests with the individual whether he is going to run the risk of infection from pathogenic germs or take the necessary precautions to avoid them.

You ask, Are pathogenic germs found in these cultures? Do they float about in the air of streets and buildings? No better proof can be offered in substantiating an affirmative reply than to briefly refer to the very exhaustive report of Harrison G. Dyar, Ph.D., of Columbia University.

In 1895 Dr. Dyar made the most complete qualitative tests yet published. His cultures were obtained by exposing Petri-dishes from one to five minutes in various locations in

New York City. His analyses demonstrated the presence of micrococci and bacilli; no spirille were found.

The micrococci were considerably predominant, but of a comparatively few species. Bacilli were less common, but more often of different species. In summoning up Dr. Dyar's experimentations, I find that twenty-four micrococci and forty-four bacilli were found in the air tests made. Without enumerating all these forms, I will simply mention the more virulent varieties:

1. Micrococcus pyogonese aurens (staphylococcus).

2. Micrococcus pyogonese albus.

3. Bacillus virescens ("green diarrhoea ").

4. Bacillus typhi abdominalis.

5. Bacillus anthracis.

6. Bacillus diphtheria.

7. Diplococcus lanceolatus (pneumonæ).

8. Bacillus tuberculosis.

Rubert Boyce, M.B., Assistant Professor of Pathology in the University of London, mentions the following diseases due to pathogenic germs occurring in the air of streets and buildings:

I. Diphtheria.

2. Pneumonia.

3. Pleuropneumonia.

4. Typhoid fever.

5. Cholera.

6. Glanders.

7. Anthrax.

8. Tuberculosis.

This brief reference from such authorities is sufficient to convince one and all of the presence of pathogenic germs in air. The strong are not as susceptible to infection, but the weak undoubtedly suffer from the neglect of this essential to good health, namely, pure air, and from the standpoint of this paper, germ-free air.

An authority on bacteriology once said in a popular lecture: "Cutthroats, thieves, assassins, and impostors are daily walking our streets. Do we pass them by when sufficient evidence is present for their arrest? No! No! Should we disregard, then, the laws of health simply because of the relatively few pathogenic germs contained in air? No!"

RHUS TOX. SOME CONSIDERATIONS OF ITS VALUE IN OCULAR DISEASES.

BY J. R. HINSON.

[Read before the Boston Homeopathic Medical Society.]

Rhus has a decided action upon fibrous, vascular and nerve tissue, skin, and mucous membrane. The eye having an outer fibrous, a middle vascular, and an inner nerve layer with a protective covering of skin and mucous membrane, and Rhus. acting decidedly upon all these tissues, its field of usefulness in diseases of this organ should be, and is, a large one.

While every physician has a predilection for some remedy, it seems to me that Rhus is probably the most frequently. indicated in diseases of the eye and contiguous structures, excluding those due to syphilitic infection. Its sphere of action ranges from an aggravated case of simple conjunctivitis. to the most destructive case of orbital cellulitis and to inflammatory and suppurative processes of the iris, ciliary body, choroid, and retina. We find in Hull's "Jahr," one of the oldest works on symptomatology, the following symptoms: Eyeball feels sore when turning or pressing upon it; bruised pain in orbital bone; twitching and contractive sensation in the lids; cutting in eyes; difficulty in opening lid in morning; ophthalmia scrofulous and arthritic, the swelling closing the eye; inflammation, swelling, and agglutination of the lids; photophobia; sensation as of gauze before the eyes, which Norton notes "as of a veil."

Skin symptoms: Small, burning vesicles; burning, itching eruption, particularly on eyelids, etc., and small yellowish vesicles; also vesicles containing milky and watery fluid; red, shining swelling, with stinging, sore pain when touched; swelling of face, particularly eyelids, swelling followed by an eruption of vesicles filled with a yellowish liquid.

From other sources and from observation I have gathered the following: Rhus acts prominently upon mucous membrane, muscular and fibrous tissue, and nerve sheaths. Upon the skin its action extends from a slight erythema to the

gravest form of vesicular erysipelas. Upon mucous membrane Rhus acts similarly as upon the skin, affecting most powerfully the conjunctiva, which action we will note later. Cellular tissue becomes infiltrated with a serous exudate, continuing on to impairment of nutrition and abscess formation, in which respect Rhus differs from Apis, Apis never producing cellulitis with abscess; inflammation of the eyes and lids, with redness and nightly agglutination; eyelids oedematous or erysipelatous, with scattered vesicles; heaviness and stiffness of lids as if paralyzed. Having given this outline of conditions caused by Rhus, I will endeavor to make some clinical applications which may prove of value.

We will consider, first, the conditions known in text-books as phlyctenular conjunctivitis and keratitis, or inflammation of the cornea. For convenience we will include them under the general term phlyctenular ophthalmia. In its incipiency this disease is a vesicular inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is a mucous membrane, and the distinction is merely one of location, the superficial epithelial layer of the cornea being practically a continuation of the conjunctiva. I recognize three varieties as regards the location of vesicles, in all of which Rhus is indicated if the following symptoms are present: Swelling and redness of lids, especially the upper; lids spasmodically closed; intense photophobia, patient burying face. Upon opening the spasmodically closed lids there will be a gush of hot tears and mucus or muco-pus. The conjunctiva will be found echemosed or swollen and congested, with engorgement of vessels. In a considerable percentage of cases there will be a vesicular eruption and a scalded eczematous condition of adjacent skin surfaces, even extending well down on to cheek and upward on to forehead. A similar condition may be present around the nails. Pain is generally neuralgic and worse at night. If vesicle or resultant ulcer is on the cornea, which is usually the case when the above aggra vated symptoms are present, there will be a leash of vessels extending from corneal periphery to the foci of disease. A second form is that in which we have a row of vesicles, or minute depressions caused by the breaking down of vesicles, extend

ing for a greater or less distance around the corneal periphery. In this variety the general and local disturbance is less decided, and we find the mercuries better adapted, possibly the Merc. dulc. more frequently than the other preparations. Third, the vesicle or ulcer is situated in the ocular conjunctiva. These cases have a minimum amount of pain and discomfort, in some instances a nightly agglutination of lids being all that is complained of. It is in this form that Puls. finds its field of usefulness. There is a class of cases in which I wish specially to emphasize the value of Rhus, namely, in old injured eyes. We all meet cases in which an eye has been injured, months or years previously, either by blow, puncture, accidental or operative cuts, perforating ulcer, etc., in which the sight may be partially or entirely destroyed, and which at times becomes inflamed, painful, and sensitive to pressure and motion. The conjunctival vessels are engorged, together with circumscribed corneal injection, lacrymation with or without photophobia. In such cases Rhus is a most valuable remedy and seldom fails to relieve. It is of equal or greater value in recent trauma, either accidental or operative, when the tendency is toward inflammation, suppuration, and destruction of eye.

In disturbances of lacrymal duct and sac, followed by abscess formation, with inflammation and induration of the overlying tissues of a dark red hue, Rhus is of use both before and after the artificial or spontaneous rupture of sac, particularly the latter.

In orbital cellulitis it is generally admitted that Rhus is the remedy, even with formation of pus, in contradistinction to Apis, and should always be prescribed if there are no distinctive indications for another remedy.

In idiopathic and rheumatic iritis, Rhus stands as the first remedy to be considered. It is, however, of little permanent value if disease is of syphilitic origin. Here we must rely upon the mercuries and iodides.

In ptosis or dropping of lid and other ocular palsies, it stands side by side with Caust.

There are numerous other ocular diseases in which Rhus