Notable Deaths and a Dental Discovery
The deaths of two men prominent in politics and policies of two great nations are recorded in the news of the week; the first, that of Senator George F. Hoar, of Massachusetts; the second that of Sir William Vernon Harcourt, of England. Senator Hoar died on September 30, and Mr. Harcourt on October 1. Mr. Hoar served thirty-five years in Congress, and Mr. Harcourt’s political career extended over a period of forty years. Both men had made notable records in public debate and in filling the important stations to which they had been called. We note also the recent death of one of the greatest men of the French nation, Ex-premier Ernest Waldeck Rousseau, who is known as the saviour of the present republican form of government in France. He it was who reopened the Dreyfus case, suppressed the corrupt military cabal, and prevented the Catholic teaching orders from intrenching themselves contrary to the laws and stability of the republic. A discovery which will be of much service in the practise of dentistry is reported by U. S. Consul Liefeld from Freiburg, Germany. His report states that after three years of patient research, two professors of Geneva, Switzerland, have discovered a new anesthetic. These men have been studying the effects of different colored lights upon the nervous system, and noted that blue had an extraordinary effect in quieting the nerves. This led to the further discovery that by shutting a patient up in a dark room, and exposing his eyes to a blue light of sixteen candle power, the patient’s sense of pain disappeared, altho at the same time retaining his senses. When in this condition, teeth could be extracted without pain. The discovery of a remedy for tetanus, or lockjaw, is reported by an Omaha physician. The disease has been conceded to be practically incurable. The physician employed what he terms the chill-room treatment. The patient is taken into a cold storage room, where the temperature is at freezing point, and kept there until the symptoms of the disease are no longer apparent. If taken into a warmer temperature before the cure is complete, the symptoms return. It requires several days of the chill-room treatment to effect a cure. More and more frequently we are hearing of college teachers or scientists who are disputing the theories of Darwin as to the origin of species. But generally each of these questioners of the theories of Darwin have a theory of their own, based upon their own reasonings. While men who disbelieve in the truths of the Bible are floundering about in the bogs of doubt and questionings and human imagination, the child of God may rest at ease in the everlasting verities of the Word. A great flood swept the city of Trinidad, Colo., on September 30 and the whole valley of the Las Animas River. The property loss in that section is now estimated at $1,000,000. All trains in New Mexico are tied up by the washouts, and several hundred persons are homeless. Reports from Las Vegas state that nine persons have lost their lives as a result of the flood there. The Russian press and people are reported to be much pleased with the passing of the rigorous regime of the assassinated minister of the interior Von Plehve. Prince Sviatopolk-Mirsky, who has been appointed to fill the dead minister’s place is said to be a much more liberal spirited man, and the people are hoping for brighter days under the administration of the new official. Indications of another uprising in China are again prevalent. It is said this unrest and agitation is different from that which existed at the time of the Boxer rising; that this is directed more at the government, while that was directed almost wholly against foreigners. Chinese bandits are reported to be again active along the line of the Russian railroad in Manchuria, where frequent attempts are made to wreck trains and bridges. The proposed consolidation of three large tobacco companies into a trust with a large capitalization at Trenton, N. J., on September 30, has been enjoined by the courts. As the Japanese advance in Manchuria, they are changing the gauge of the railroad and bringing in their supplies by rail.