corded observations, it has been supplanted in the public mind by the newer, but unverified, claims of superior advantages of the climate of higher altitudes. Nevertheless, the climate of Minnesota is, on the whole, notable for its healthfulness, and with reference to consumption in particular, the ratio of deaths from that disease to the total mortality is remarkably low. The average mortality from consumption for seven years, 1887-1893, reported by Dr. C. N. Hewitt, Secretary of the State Board of Health, was 8.48. The total number of deaths from malarial diseases, for the same period, was but 41. However, the winters are long and cold, though the atmosphere is relatively dry and the temperature comparatively equable. Mean winter temperature, deduced from records at different points of observation in the State, for a series of years, 16° 10; Spring, 46°; Summer, 75° 50; Autumn, 38°; annual mean, 44° 68. nual rainfall, 29.25 inches. An The MINERAL SPRINGS of Minnesota are sparse, or, if they exist to any extent, they have attracted but little attention. Indeed, but one locality, that of Owatonna Mineral Springs, has been so improved as to render it a resort to some extent; and besides two, of nine springs, at this locality, five other springs only have published analyses. The analyzed springs are as follows: Owatonna Mineral Springs (2), near Owatonna, Steele County. Vichy Spring. Enno Sanden, analyst. Bryan's Mineral Spring, near Minnesota City, Winona County. William A. Noyes, analyst. Inglewood Springs, Minneapolis, Hennepin County (3). Wil 18.40 Well, at Tracy Station, Lyon County. G. A. Mariner, analyst. Big Stone Lake, Big Stone County. James A. Dodge, analyst. Humboldt Salt Well, Kittson County. James A. Dodge, Unanalyzed, or at least not published, but characterized as: Calcareous: In Section 22, Osborne Township, in Pipe Stone County. Carburetted: Near Freeborn and Alden, Freeborn County. Chalybeate: At Schwartz Lime-Kiln, Ottawa Township, Le Seur County. At western end of Lake Benton, Lincoln County. In Home Township, Brown County. In Pope County. In Section 14, Kiester Township, Faribault County. In Section 9, Otisco Township, Waseco County. In Section 22, Muryaska Township, Martin County. In Section 30, Swede's Forest Township, Redwood County. Chalybeate and Sulphur: In Murray County, three miles south of Walnut Grove. Sulphur Springs: In Section 20, Edna Township, Pipe Stone County. Uncharacterized: Geisinger Spring, Rochester, Olmstead County. Indian Medical Spring, Elk River, Sherburne County. IMPROVED KIND OF BATH.-As a substitute for the steam-room of the Turkish and Russian bath establishments, and to avoid the suffocating discomfort of these in order to induce an excessive perspiration, comes the proposition of an electric light bath. The plan, as described (Grand Rapids, Mich, Democrat, July 11), consists of a cabinet lined within on all sides with large mirrors, electric incandescent lamps being arranged about the inner walls in great number and in such manner that their combined light and heat will be reflected by the mirrors in the centre of the cabinet. A movable couch to support the body of the bather in a reclining position is arranged in the middle of the cabinet, the couch being provided with a glass top on which the bather rests, and a mirror chamber beneath the top. Incandescent lights are placed in this chamber, so that their heat and light are reflected up through the glass top of the couch to the body of the bather. It is claimed for this apparatus that induced perspiration is caused at a much lower temperature than by the above-named baths, being also superior in the stimulation of protoplasmic activity and more powerful to promote the action of the skin. MORTALITY FROM SUNSTROKE AND HEAT EX HAUSTION. BY FREDERICK L. HOFFMAN. Sunstroke and heat exhaustion caused in 1896 the death of over 2,000 persons in the principal cities of this country. Had only onetenth of this number of deaths been due to cholera, typhus, yellow fever or small-pox there would have been endless discussions and numberless attempts at restriction and future prevention of such an occurrence, but the mortality being due to a cause accepted by the people with almost Mohammedan fatalism, very little of practical value remains as the result of this experience, and the present year may possibly claim an equal or even larger number of sunstroke victims without the world being wiser or more intelligent and able to cope with an evil of the most far-reaching consequences. Life insurance companies have paid dear for this popular ignorance and indifference, most of all the industrial insurance companies, since the larger number of sunstroke victims were of the working classes who met with instant death in the pursuit of their daily and necessary occupation. It is the purpose of this paper to bring together some of the scattered and almost unknown statistics of sunstroke mortality in this country for the purpose of illustrating the numerical importance of this cause of death, as well as some of the more interesting phenomena associated with its more or less frequent occurrence. While the following table is wanting in completeness, it will show a fairly satisfactory record of the sunstroke mortality in five of our leading cities for periods from eleven to thirty-one years. It is here shown that the mortality from sunstroke and heat exhaustion is irregularly distributed over the various years, with a tendency towards a more exessive mortality in recent years. Before we inquire as to whether the mortality from this cause is relatively in proportion to the population more frequent in some cities than in others, it will be of interest to ascertain whether the mortality has actually, as well as relatively, been on the increase during recent years. This fact is brought out with exceptional emphasis for the city of New York in the table below, which will show the mortality from sunstroke and heat exhaustion per 100,000 of population at four different periods since 1851. |