The author states that the main points to be developed in "Uterine Therapeutics," are:

"Firstly-The paramount importance of hygiene for the relief and cure of dis. eases of women.

"Secondly―The constitutional nature of many diseases of women, and the impo sibility of curing them without constitutional remedies.

"Thirdly-The manifest reaction of uterine diseases on the female system, and the impossibility of curing many uterine complaints, without surgical measures. "Fourthly-The great value of therapeutics to assuage and cure diseases of women, and the belief in the value of those remedial measures, that are as old as medicine itself-such as venesection, emetics and caustics."

The preface concludes thus:

"It affords me very great pleasure to shake hands, as it were, in this preface, with so many valued American friends. A common language unites the members of the same profession in America and Great Britain, by the strongest bonds of affection; and there is no danger of it being severed by difference of climate and form of government, or even by those occasional causes of misunderstanding that, for party purposes, are magnified by professional wire-pullers.

"This union of the two professions is the type of the perfect unity that should ever exist between the great Anglo-Saxon nations, to whom Providence has given progenies to people the waste places of the earth, and the firm determination to weigh more and more heavily in the scale of nations for the welfare of mankind."

Following the preface, is the Introduction, in which various topics are discussed, e. g., Difficulties Besetting the Study of Uterine Complaints, Lady Practitioners and their Chances of Success, Old and Modern Pathology, Diseases of Women to be Studied by the Light of Menstruation, et cet., et cet.

The following observations we commend to all our readers, especially to the junior members of the profession:

"To be successful in the treatment of the diseases of women, a young medical man should make women the study of his life, so as to understand their mental peculiarities as well as their physical constitution; and if, with equality of medical skill, the senior practitioner is much more successful in the treatment of women than the junior, it is that he has discovered how to bespeak their confidence, to stimulate their hope, and to keep up their perseverance until the recovery of health."

The conclusion of this chapter, too, is admirable:

"We must trust in nature, and believe that an Almighty power is operating in the human frame, ever working to restore health by successive changes and renewals, having definite laws and successful issues, often erroneously ascribed to our remedies. Let our motto be that of the father of French surgery: JB LA PANSAY, DIEU LA GUARIT."

In referring to female physicians, the author states that the principal reason why the knowledge of diseases of women has so little advanced, is, the hitherto undisturbed belief that one sex only is qualified, by education and powers of mind, to investigate and cure what the other sex has alone to suffer; and then a little while after, pointedly averts that the great majority of women will continue to consult us, so long as they recognize the mental superiority of man. We have quoted the author's very words, and we fail to be able to reconcile the assertion of man's mental superiority, with the retarding influence which the fact of these diseases not being made the subject of investigation and the object of cure by woman herself, has had upon the advance of knowledge of such diseases. Either the one or the other assertion is wrong.

The first chapter treats of Surgical Appliances and Modes of Examination, and will be found quite up with the most recent inventions in this department of art, e. g., the sponge tents of Dr. Ellis, prepared with carbolic acid, and those of Dr. Aveling, in which permanganate of potash is placed, both of which were presented only last year to the London Obstetrical Society, are referred to. We are somewhat surprised to read from the pen of an author whose generally chaste and classic composition we never weary of admiring, this expression: "pottering on for months." Pottering on may be forcible, but it surely does not come from the "pure well of English undefiled."

The second chapter is upon Uterine Dietetics and Home Treatment; the third, upon Tonics; the fourth, Sedatives; the fifth, Antiphlogistic Treatment; the sixth, Caustics; the seventh, Emmenagogues; the eighth, Hæmostatics; the ninth, Specifics; the tenth, Uterine Misplacements; the eleventh, Treatment of Uterine Complications; twelfth, Treatment of Sterility; thirteenth, On the Treatment and on the Prevention of Uterine Inflammation in India—a chapter which few American readers will ever find of any practical value; chapter fourteenth, Prevention of Uterine Inflammation; and, finally, Formula: et cet.

Did time and space permit, we would gladly present an analysis of some of these chapters. We must conclude, however, with expressing our very high appreciation of this book as one of eminently practical value. The physician will find its perusal exceedingly interesting, and frequent reference to it exceedingly useful. It is hardly necessary to say, since it is issued by Appleton & Company, that in paper, typography, &c., the book is all that could be desired.

T. P.

A TREATISE ON THE DISEASES OF INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD.

BY J. LEWIS SMITH, M. D.,

Physician to the Infant's Hospital, Ward's Island; Professor in Bellevue Hospital, &c. Published by H. C. Lea, Philadelphia. For sale by C. P. Wilder, Indiana

polis; Robert Clarke & Co., Cincinnati.

Price, $5.75.

We believe that the profession generally, feel that there is a place and a need for a good, practical treatise on diseases of children, in American medical literature. We have good works in considerable number, by importation and translation, but we have not now, any native production that is satisfactory. Our author has probably felt this deficiency, though he makes no comparisons, but simply offers his labors so as "to meet the requirements of the medical student and practitioner."

The author has included in his treatise, something more than the mere diseases of children and infants. The first part is taken up with chapters on Infancy and Childhood, Care of the Mother During Pregnancy, Mortality of Early Life, Lactation, Selection of a Wet-Nurse, Course of Lactation, Weaning, Artificial Feeding and Diagnosis of Infantile Diseases. These topics are not treated at any great length, but afford occasion for judicious remark and advice. There are some points that we would like to have seen more elaborated. One of there is concerning the management of the mother, who has become, either directly or indirectly, syphilitic. Details of management and treatment might have been made a satisfactory feature in this chapter, inasmuch as we not infrequently meet with such cases. In his subsequent chapter on syphilis, he treats of it as developed in the child.

In the chapter on Mortality in Early Life, we have the well known causes of it given; but we think, though we may be mistaken, that New York could have afforded sufficiently forcible statistics without relying almost entirely upon those of European cities and countries. His only mention of the proportion of mortality which any particular disease shows is, that scarlet fever is one of the most fatal diseases in New York city. Another suggestive topic too briefly mentioned, is the influence of our school-system on the mortality of early life.

The chapter on Lactation contains brief but pointed remarks on its difficulties and contraindications, such as depressed nipple, too long delay before applying the infant to the breast, tuberculosis in the

mother, constitutional syphilis, inflammatory affections and mammary inflammation. Prominently among the galactagogues are mentioned the use of electrical currents and the castor oil plant. Among the anti-galactics he seems to confide somewhat in Belladonna, a matter in which he does not agree with the editor of the Western Journal.

We do not find anything new or suggestive in the chapter on the Diagnosis of Infantile Diseases.

Part II is the practical part of the book, beginning with Diseases of the Cerebro-Spinal System. Here we have a very proper recommendation of the opthalmoscope as a means of diagnosis in diseases of the brain. The results of its use, in the hands of Dr. Clifford Albutt and others, are sufficient to prove that it should not be confined to the specialist.

The chapter on Congestion of the Brain, is wanting in fullness of description, pathology and treatment. In such cases, the young practitioner is glad to have the benefit of the fullest experience. This deficiency is not observed in the author's treatment of the subject of Eclampsia. His remarks on the inhalation and internal use of chloroform, opíum and bromide of potasium, will interest and instruct. The use of opium, where the brain is directly or indirectly concerned, requires nice discrimination, and any one who reads and follows his directions, will profit by them. This section closes with an interesting review of the subject of Internal Convulsions.

The section on Diseases of the Respiratory System, occupies about eighty pages. When we come to examine the chapters on Croup and Pneumonia, there are modes of treatment of these diseases which attract notice because of their variance from the established plans. "Loss of bloed is not required in the treatment of croup." That, we presume, to be in accordance with American practice. For it are substituted aconite and veratrum viride. A fuller account of the author's experience in the use of these articles would have been, better. He employs the tincture of veratrum viride "in doses of half a drop to one drop every three or four hours, for those over the age of three years." As a substitute for calomel in liquefying and removing the false membrane, he says "physicians of this city are using more and more a mixture of chlorate of potassa or of soda and muriate of ammonia given frequently." As a local remedy, he highly recommends from personal experience, the sub-sulphate of iron. He devotes some pages to Tracheotomy of Croup, giving the statistics of Drs. Krackowvizer and Voss. In the treatment of Pneumonia, he gives one drop

of tincture veratrum every three hours, to a child of five years of vigorous constitution; also, antimony with morphia, in the second stage. In feeble children he advises a different course-ipecac, carb. ammon., senega, &c. In blistering, he advises applying cantharidal collodion, in spots of the size of a ten cent piece, half a dozen or more. As the blister treatment of disease is being discussed, we mention this, with some belief in its usefulness.

We have not time to more than allude to one or two topics in the section on Diseases of the Digestive Apparatus. Cholera Infantum is one in which every physician in this country is particularly interested. He does not devote much space to it; we observe, however, that he faintly praises calomel in small doses.

Under the head of Zymotic Diseases, first appears Diphtheria. For treatment, first mention is given to sulphites; but he has no experience that would recommend them. Chlorate of potash and iron are recommended, and also local applications, such as he advises in croup.

Quite a number of important diseases of children are not mentioned. We leave the book with an impression of its incompleteness in many matters. Yet it is the basis of a good treatise. Possibly an addition of clinical matter or matured personal experience, will bring it up to the standard which the author sets up in his preface.

W. C.

OUTLINES OF PHYSIOLOGY-HUMAN AND COMPARATIVE.

BY JOHN MARSHALL, F. R. S.,

Professor of Surgery in the University College, London; Surgeon to the University College Hospital; with additions by Francis G. Smith, M. D., Professor of the University of Pennsylvania. Published in Philadelphia, by

Henry C. Lea, 1868. Price, $7.50.

Nothing has appeared in our language, since the last edition of Carpenter's great work, that is comparable to this of Mr. Marshall; and, it is quite singular that it should be produced by a surgeon. Every one interested in physiology has been looking and waiting patiently for a new edition of Carpenter, which should bring us up to the latest accumulations of this subject; but it is to be feared our expectations will not be realized. But Mr. Marshall has given us a work equal in arrangement, and more full and satisfactory on many of the