Missouri Botanical Garden PETER H. RAVEN LIBRARY Pagination Note: Since many of the items lack a specific page number, the page number displayed online refers to the sequentially created number each item was given upon cataloging the materials. AiPOTmE&iES' ® ®mmdmp» m in M !S$Q URl g > Ge orge Emn &* 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Missouri Botanical cm copyright reserved garden WISLIZENUS — ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY . 115 7 # Additional BemarJcs on Atmospheric Electricity. By A. Wislizenus, M.D. The delay in the publication of this volume enables me to add to my observations of atmospheric electricity in 1861, the result of my observations iii 1862. The latter observa- tions have been made in the same manner and by means of the same fine glass thread, which, after many thousand tor- sions, proves as good as ever. I present herewith in tabular form the general result of my observations in 1861 and 1862, I. Monthly mean of Positive Atmospheric Electricity in 1861 and 1862, at St. Louis , Mo., based upon daily observations at 6, 9, 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock , from morning till night. Mean of Jan. Feb. Mar. Ap’l. May. Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Year. 1861^.16.5 12.1 9.8 8.8 7.8 4.0 3.7 3.4 3.0 7.1 10.0 14.3 8.4 1862.. .12.1 16.0 9.4 10.6 7.5 3.0 2.2 2.3 ,3.0 7.7 12.6 13.9 8.4 * This table of 1861 differs in some decimals from that published on page 66 and in Dia- gram No. 1. Having discovered some errors, I calculated all my observations once more, and give now the present as the corrected table. II. Monthly mean of Temperature and of Relative Humidity in 1861 and 1862, at St. Louis , Mo., based upon daily observations , cotemp or aneous with those of Atmospheric Electricity. Jan. Feb. Mar. Ap’l. May. Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Year. 1861. ..32.2 40.4 44.8 58.1 64.1 76.9 77.5 78.6 69.1 57.9 46.0 39.7 57.1°f. 42.6 4L3 56.4°j? 1862.. .28.9 30.2 43.2 55.0 69.7 75.1 81.2 80.7 72.1 RELATIVE HUMIDITY. Mean of Jan. Feb. Mar. Ap’l. May. Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Year. 1861.. .72.2 63.3 64.5 61.5 66.3 70.8 66.3 69.6 77.3 76.6 69.0 74.3 69,5 1862.. .85.3 73.9 70.8 67.0 57.3 67.0 66.8 64.3 74.2 67.2 69.5 74.6 69.8 III. Yearly mean of Positive Electricity of Temperature , and of Relative Humidity of the Atmosphere , at the hours of 6, 9, 12, 3, 6 and 9, from morning till night , based upon daily observations at these hours through the years 1861 and 1862, at St. Louis , Mo. 1861 . 1862. 1861 . 1862 ELECTRICITY. At 12 M. At3P.: ... 9.2 7.9 48.9° F... 54.9 61.6 48.9 55.0 60.9 63.6 62.3 RELATIVE HUMIDITY. 71.3 ... 57.2 ... 57.5 At 6 P.M. At 9 P. ! ..8.7 ...... 6 59.3 ...... 54.3 58.0 ...... 53,6 65.1 67.6 V) 77.3 78.0 116 TRANS. OF THE ACAD. OF SCIENCE. IV. Direction of Winds and number of Thunderstorms in *61 & *62. 1861. E. N. N.E. ! s.w. N.W. s. w. S.E. Prevailing Winds. Thunder- storms. January 11 3 12 22 38 18 28- 61 S.E 0 February .... Mar eh 4 2 2 35 i 24 19 41 60 S.E 2 12 11 10 23 ; 30 19 42 40 W. & S.E. ... 3 16 10 9 21 35 34 26 s. & w 2 M? J 26 10 23 21 13 49 35 W. & S.E. ... 5 T^ np 12 21 22 20 25 26 8 41 S.E 7 July 3 31 14 21 26 46 15 29 S. August 18 24 58 17 11 18 3 37 N.E 5 September... 6 14 18 26 30 13 21 52 S.E. & N.W. 3 October 12 9 5 21 30 33 30 46 S.E. & S 1 November.... 7 15 8 22 27 20 36 44 S.E. & W.... 1 December ... 19 25 23 33 17 51 S.E. & S..... 0 136 169 190 279 293 293 324 522 S.E ^ x«Z~ 7 Z ,r '* 5o /f/3 /v~M~ A**-***- _ .WL- /^5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Missouri Botanical cm copyright reserved garden I hist ft* s ■0*1 :QS| I & M§ I ft 5 lJ o M * Missouri George ENGE'- MftN 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Missouri Botanical cm copyright reserved garden / yytjf S \ - ■ ’ ^ -flLet jfiyfi. 7 IS & 19 S'ft /Wvr ' X4 S> -^4~, ' A \ k/ v f '>&■■■ - %p ,'Mvh*.^ - ) * hS ' dcL ~ Vcrvi^. ^,6- ,,.-.^2, ^: ■ ">7W cr . xxjyA e ,-.; , v- _ <#££-> y~ tr ~i r/ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Missouri Botanical cm copyright reserved garden cm AJPOTimE®Aisjri& H 721 a | pAts?*. f*w ^ ^ Zez. x/c? . _ \ § ' :X ■* ^7^7 0*2 i 4 * v Botanical copyright reserved garden cm Missouri Botanical. Georgs- Engelmann Garden Papers BOTAN ICAL cm copyright reserved garden r i ii i i i i i i i i i u u i — i -- i— 1 0 1 23456789 10 Missouri Botanical cm copyright reserved garden LEITCH & OOELIE8 (3WD STJGfGrXS'rS,^?) Missouri Botanical Garden George Engelma m Papers, Botanical cm copyright reserved garde n AlPfMteMS’&ffll 0 1 cm 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 copyright reserved JLj Ce a 4 ~f/,^ * e X-~v ^ *>£- £* »'*- /jy . rU'V, „ ; ; .Cr fo; : fctz* x 4 'j>*-t,L-f ^/*/y {j / <’ UniJ- ^ >■ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Missouri Botanical cm copyright reserved garden Awrf.it s cAur a SK 726 ArormsAiasr s ®a A r~> < >-»•"# 7*7 A 146 TRANSACTIONS OP SOCIETIES. head, the do-nothing plan of Drs. Johnston and Linton might answer very well; and when the symptoms are insomnia, with the peculiar tremors, when the organs are in pretty good con- dition you can do a great deal of good with opium. I don’t, of course, give opium with an idea of eliminating the poison of al- cohol from the system, but as a prophylactic against certain con- ditions whiqh may supervene if quiet and sleep are not procured, viz: passive congestion of the brain or complete exhaustion, when the patient is apt to die. I have in such cases given as much as 80 grains in the course of 24 hours with good effect. I would not, however, continue opium too long if it does not pro- duce sleep. In acute alcoholic poisoning or intoxication, we may have active congestion of the brain, and of course in such cases opium is contra-indicated because it has a tendency to produce congestion of the brain. Here we must use antiphlogistics and arterial sedatives, cold applications, purgatives, counter-irritants, or digitalis or veratrum viride. We must then, of course, make a proper and very careful diagnosis of every case and treat it accordingly. Dr. Boislinere. I saw the case reported to the society, and am very much obliged to Dr. Kennard for giving me the oppor- tunity. It was certainly a most remarkable one and was evi- dently treated very judiciously and with great care. I merely wish to refer here to a plan of treating this disease with ammo- nia, on the ground of its antidotal properties, which I think a very rational one. I have long known that ammonia will very rapidly cure drunkenness, have frequently proved it by experi- ment, and the same idea has been applied in France to the treatment of delirium tremens. Dr. Bland. I think Dr. Hammer takes the proper view of the pathology and treatment of this disease ; at any rate his views of the pathology accord entirely with mine. In this dis- ease we have two very different pathological conditions. 1st. An exhaustion of nervous power, derangement of the nerve centres, when we have the peculiar delirium, the hallucina- tions, so varied and characteristic of this disease, and the mus- cular tremors, the mind becoming entirely deranged from the poisonous effects of the alcohol on the whole system and the brain in particular. In these cases, the judicious use of opium is the proper plan. In the second class of cases we Have either a tendency to, or actual congestion or inflammation of the TRANSACTIONS OF SOCIETIES. 145 duced by withdrawal of stimulus, is not true, and that in his large experience every case was produced by continued use of alcohol or abuse of opium; and in his article, to be found in Braithwaite’s Retrospect, he clearly demonstrates, to my mind, that continuance, and not withdrawal of stimulus, is the cause of the delirium tremens. He states, from the time the delirium first manifests itself, until it passes off entirely, is generally from 20 to 60 hours, but it may not pass off till a much longer period expires; and that we need not be uneasy about the case until 9 days have passed. Remove the cause of the disease, and it will generally be cured; and hence, by withdrawal of stimulus we will remove the cause, and unless there be some organic lesion of the brain, the case will terminate in health. Dr. Linton said he did not propose entering into a discussion as to the pathology of delirium tremens, but merely wished to state that the treatment which he pursues of late years in this disease is very similar to that which Dr. Johnston recommends ; that is, knowing that a great many cases will get well without any treatment, he pursued the expectant plan — left the case pretty much to nature, and was very careful in giving opium. In early life, believing sleep to be necessary to cure the disease, and opium the remedy to produce sleep, he had sometimes given too much opium. Dr. A. Hammer said he was much interested in the report of the remarkable case detailed before the Society. He could not go so far as Dr. Johnston— to discard all treatment in this dis- ease; but he thought, as in almost everything else, the middle ground was the safest. In this disease, whether it be delirium tremens or mania a potu, we must remember that we may have two very different conditions to deal with; one where there is simply derangement of the nervous centres, irritation or exhaus- tion, with derangement of the functions of the mind, produced by the poisonous effects of alcohol; all the tissues, the nervous, and the muscular, are saturated with alcohol; the mucous mem- branes are inflamed by it; and it will take a long time to elimi- nate this poison, to restore to the proper condition the muscular tissue, the nervous tissue, and the mucous membranes. This is one condition we have ; but we may have another and a very different and much more dangerous condition — viz : a passive or even active congestion of the brain ; the two requiring very dif- ferent treatment. In very slight cases, coming under the first 01 "Missouri ?r: rr\ r — =?j 4 Ge if!^! ia:;m Papers Botanical cm copyright reserved garden cm