214 NEW INVENTIONS.

New Inventions.IMPROVED ARTERY FORCEPS.

ONE defect of nearly everypair of artery forceps is thesmoothness of the handles for

quite half their length. In theoperation of tying an artery it

’is expedient that the assist-ant’s finger and thumb hold-ing the forceps should be as farfrom the wound as possible, soas not to be in the way and inthe light; but it is not particu-larly easy to hold on to thesmooth end of the forceps,and if the grasp be on the

roughened portion furtherdown there is a considerablechance of loosing the catch.Also artery forceps make ad-mirable tenacula for smalltnmours and the like; here,again, the further the pull theeasier the work. So I have

had the accompanying arteryforceps made to my design byMessrs. Arnold and Son, havingthe sides roughened for aboutthree-quarters of their lengtb,and so affording an excellenthold.

E. MANSEL SYMPSON, M.D.,Surgeon, Lincoln County Hospital

A SELF-LIGHTING GAS-BURNER.

ALTHOUGH the principle upon which the working of thisattractive device depends has long been known, yet it hasnot until now been successfully applied in practice to theautomatic lighting of gas. So far back as 1823 Dobereinerobserved that when a current of hydrogen impinged uponthat peculiar variety of platinum known as platinum black,or spongy platinum, heat was developed until the intensity ofit was such as to cause the platinum to glow and eventuallyto ignite the hydrogen. Dobereiner constructed a lampwhich consisted essentially of a hydrogen generator (zinc andsulphuric acid being employed for this purpose), providedwith a jet from which the generated hydrogen issued upon asmall cage containing spongy platinum. The explanationof this peculiar phenomenon is simply that platinum hasthe power of absorbing or "occluding" hydrogen andother combustible gases as well as the oxygen of the airwithin its pores, and bringing them into such intimatecontact that union results. In short, combustion ensuesand the platinum glows. Perfectly clean and chemicallypure platinum effects the same thing, but it does notappear so active and reliable as the spongy variety. Eventhe latter fails from some cause or other now and again.To Mr. Duke, however, of 20, High Holborn, W.C.,belongs the credit, so far as we have experimented, of over-coming this uncertainty. How this has been achievedwe do not know precisely, but we are told that the

self-lighting burner bearing his name was the result ofseveral years’ study, and, we may add, his labours have beenrewarded with apparent success judging from the satis-

factory results we have obtained with the new self-lightingburner recently examined. Its construction is simpleenough. An ordinary bats wing burner, provided with agovernor, has soldered on the side of it a small brassrod, on the top of which is a cap of black spongymaterial, presumably platinum. From the apex of thiscap projects a thin platinum wire in the direction andon a plane with the base of the flame. On turningon the gas a current, which forms the blue part of the

flame when ignited, impinges directly on the metallicspongy mass, with the result that it soon begins to glow,heating the platinum wire to a bright red heat, which thenignites the escaping gas, the whole action being completedin the testa we have made in less than eight seconds. Theconvenience of such a device hardly needs emphasising. Itis no small advantage of the electric light that it can beturned on by merely switching" and without resorting tothe use of matches. The little platinum automatic ignitingtorch which Mr. Duke has perfected would seem now to offerthe same advantages in gas lighting. It will prove mostuseful where light is wanted in emergency, as in the sickroom, while it dispenses with keeping a small jet constantlyburning, the accidental extinction ot which, as by a draught,may involve risks not only of coal-gas poisoning, but alsoof explosion. If it were possible to apply it this inventionwould obviously be a most valuable adjunct to gas fires.

HARTMANN’S HYGIENIC TOWELETTES.

THESE towelettes, also known as wood-wool diapers forladies, have been for many years so favourably received that adetailed description is hardly necessary. The absorbent padis very light and soft, closely resembling cotton wool, and isenclosed in coarse gauze, the ends of which are long, for theconvenience of fastening. This material readily takes up fluidsof the consistence usual in discharges, being comparativelyfree from the disagreeable tendency to become coated withthem superficially. Towelettes which have served their purposeare burnt. They are of various qualities and prices, froma shilling per dozen upwards, the most substantial formbeing intended for use after accouchement. The manu-

facturers have adapted their wood-wool to several otherpurposes of a similar nature, such as infants’ napkins andsheets for use during accouchement. These last are inthree sizes, the largest being thirty-two inches square; inaddition to being soft, comfortable, and inexpensive theyabsorb the discharges completely and are burned after use,thereby reducing the chances of septic infection. Theoffice of the company is at 26, Thavies-inn, Holborn-circus.Another of their appliances for ladies’ use is a stockingsuspender, which serves also as a support for the towelettes.

A CABINET FOR PLASTERS AND DRESSINGS,

MESSRS. FERRIS AND Co. of Bristol have forwarded to usa wooden cabinet, about 18 in, long by 13 in. in height and11 in. in breadth, which is divided into thirteen compartments,each of which contains one of their "ever-ready caddies."The caddy is an ingenious device for keeping in order

plasters and other surgical dressings which the busy prac-titioner is constantly using. Each dressing is wound upona hollow cylinder, which fixes upon a metal axis runningthrough the middle of the caddy, the caddy itself being anobling tin box, and when required the dressing can be pulledfrom its reel and the quantity needed cut off. At the end ofthe caddy is a metal slide, on which is distinctly printed thename of the dressing contained in the box. The caddy isrefilled by removing the label slide and taking out the metalaxis, which is put through the new roll of dressing, fixedin position in the caddy, and the label slide replaced. Thecabinet is a handsome piece of furniture and will be founda useful addition to the fixtures either of the private surgery,or the public dispensary, or out-patient department.

OZANITE SANITARY RINGS.

THESE consist really of large wafers of vegetable parch.ment containing a definite quantity of pure permanganate ofpotassium, which, being crystalline, diffuses slowly out whenthe ring is floated on water. One advantage of such an arrange-ment is that the purity and strength of the permanganate isensured. The ring is obviously convenient and useful for avariety of purposes, while it may be used with confidencefor the delicate requirements of a gargle or as an applicationfor cuts and wounds since the materials are quite pure andthe paper free from injurious colouring substances. Meri-torious as in many respects we concede this invention to be,we must enter a vigorous protest against the adoption of thename of a medical man in its title. "The Dr. LathamOzanite Rings " is extremely objectionable, as our readerswill agree,

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