winter, or in the coldest weather, he has noticed one or two of the little ventilators open at the top of the car; further you can not make any thing so air-tight that, going at that rapidity, there is not a great deal change of air. In regard to the point made by Drs. Cecil, Cottell, and Bailey about pneumonia: I think the outbreak of pneumonia referred to was due to the grippe. Grippal pneumonia is different from the ordinary croupous pneumonia. If it is true that the cause of croupous pneumonia is probably a resident of the sputum, a man might acquire it in the course of some other disease, and not have any atmospheric exposure whatever. Dr. F. C. Wilson: In closing the discussion I shall have little to say. As to pneumonia, I have always believed that not every case of pneumonia was contagious. It is not in every case that we can find the pneumococcus. I have also believed that those cases in which the pneumococcus was present were the ones where the disease might be communicated to other persons, but where the germ was not present the disease could not be so communicated. I have seen several instances where I am satisfied the disease was passed from one person to another. Continued Report. Dr. J. B. Marvin: Most of you will remember a case reported by Dr. Cecil, where a man had a very low temperature. Dr. Cecil a few days afterward brought the patient to my office for examination. We took the temperature in the mouth, in the axilla, and in the rectum, with his thermometer and also with mine. The observations agreed exactly with those previously made by Dr. Cecil, which were reported to you at the time the case was discussed. I did not make out any presystolic murmur, but in every other respect the information gained at my examination was in accord with the statements made by Dr. Cecil. The phenomena are inexplicable to me, and it is to corroborate what Dr. Cecil said that I make this continued report. There was no fault with the thermometers or technique. JOHN MASON WILLIAMS, M. D., Secretary. Reviews and Bibliography. The American Year-Book of Medicine and Surgery. Being a Yearly Digest of Scientific Progress and Authoritative Opinion in all Branches of Medicine and Surgery, drawn from Journals, Monographs, and Text-Books of the Leading American and Foreign Authors and Investigators. Collected and Arranged with Critical Editorial Comments by Drs. Samuel W. Abbott, John J. Abell, J. M. Boldy, Charles H. Burnett, Archibald Church, J. Chalmers, Da Costa, W. A. Newman, Dorland, Louis A. Duhring, Virgil P. Gibney, Homer W. Gibney, Henry A. Griffin, John Guiteras, C. A. Hamann, Howard F. Hansell, Barton Cooke Hirst, E. Fletcher Ingalls, Wyatt Johnson, W. W. Keen, Henry G. Ohls, William Pepper, Wendell Reber, David Riesman, Louis Starr, Alfred Stengel, G. N. Stewart, J. R. Tillinghast, jr., Thompson and S. Westcott, under the general editorial charge of GEORGE M. GOULD, M. D. Illustrated. 1077 pp. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders. 1898. The volume opens with a resume of observations on the Widal test in typhoid fever, in which it is shown that reactions occurred in 95.5 per cent of typhoid cases, and no reactions occurred in 98.4 of non-typhoid cases, thus giving correct results in 96.5 per cent of cases. Allowing the usual per cent in which even good men find what they are looking for, it would seem that the test must needs be of great advantage in securing the patient. from medication during the doubtful first stages of the disease. As for treatment the cold water plan still seems to be far in the lead, while there is much in favor of not allowing excretions to accumulate in the alimentary canal. Experiments are reported with the influenza bacillus, but no color of immunity has so far been obtained with its extracts. The bacillus of plague is still sub judice, observers finding different species in different cases. In fact there is still much discussion and much uncertainty about the bacteriology of many diseases known to be of contagious character as well as the immunity obtained from serum and extracts. Dr. Pepper, author of the article on General Medicine, gets in a sly hit when he says, "Confidence is, however, somewhat shaken by the fact that the best results are usually obtained by the persons who have produced the serum." We might say, indeed, that for the present nearly all experimental efforts in the treatment of disease have been abandoned except such as involve the employment of the serums or animal organic extracts. An opinion of Martin on the use of some coal-tar products is suggestive. "In my opinion," he says, "the day is not far off when antipyrin will be almost wholly discarded on account of the uncertainty of the degree of its action and on account of its incompatibility with a large number of drugs in common use; acetanilid will find a home with the surgeon as an antiseptic dressing, and phenacetin, which has done a noble work as a forerunner, will give way to its younger and worthier brother, lactophenin." And then likely lactophenin will pass like the rest, but the multitude of angels who owe their existence to the coal-tar products will not return. Of this fine work it can be said that it surpasses all other treatments of the kind in combining the largest collection of facts with the most complete digestion. If one would know exactly what is being done by the thoughtful investigators of the world, here he may find it. And though he can safely assume that much which was not favorable to the views of the reporters, as unfortunately is the very nature of us all, was overlooked, it is pleasant to know that, of the wonder-working frauds that nearly every large city in America at least is affected with, scarcely one has received notice. D. T. S. Atlas of Clinical Medicine. By BYROM BRAMWELL, M. D., Assistant Physician to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, etc. Quarto: volumes I, II, and III, 1892, 1893, and 1896. Edinburgh: H. A. Constable. The different fasciculi which have appeared from time to time during the past six years have been favorably commented upon in these columns. The three volumes, elegantly illustrated by the various forms of art, photogravure, chromo-lithography, tinted crayon, and simple black and white, are a revelation in the way of accomplished perfection in the accurate delineation of diseased conditions. In no other way, save an actual clinic, could the student have in a practical way the leading characteristics of a case for comparison and study. The letter-press in a realistic way gives a clinical account of the grouped diseases with minute description of the plates and drawings. The author in this illustrated treatise on clinical medicine has been happy in his selection of subjects and has enabled the profession to obtain broader views and more facts concerning many of the recent investigations in comparatively new fields of study. The work, both in the admirable descriptive style of the text and the accuracy and artistic merit of the illustration deserves the highest commendation, and is worthy the recognition of every medical scholar. To enable the reader to form some idea of the scope and practical utility of the work we enumerate the topics discussed in the large volumes. Volume I contains chapters on myxedema, sporadic cretinism, Friedreich's ataxia, Addison's disease, melanotic sarcoma, Hodgkin's disease, unilateral atrophy of the face, chronic progressive bulbar paralysis, paralysis of the tongue and lips, ophthalmoplegia, molluscum fibrosum, xeroderma pigmentosum, smallpox, globulinuria, chronic insanity, and hilarious insanity. Volume II discusses scrofula, unilateral hypertrophy of the skull, measles, Friedreich's ataxia, with knee-jerk retained, and with main-enGriffe; clinical significance of alterations of visual fields, such as hemianopsia, bilateral, partial, permanent, and temporary, and contraction of the field of vision due to lead poisoning; syphilis, Asiatic cholera, anticholeraic inoculation, exophthalmic goitre, acromegaly, general exfoliative epidemic dermatitis, and unilateral hypertrophy of the face. Volume III contains communications on the thyroid treatment of skin diseases, poliomyelitis anterior acuta, remarkable cases of cancer of the breasts, spleen, and other organs, congenital syphilis, progressive muscular atrophy, progressive muscular dystrophies, clinical points in cases of pseudohypertrophic paralysis, and other forms of progressive muscular dystrophy, cyanosis and congenital heart disease, calcareous degeneration of the heart and other organs, chlorosis, pernicious anemia, and alopecia areata. D. T. S. Manual of Gynecology. By HENRY T. BYFORD, M. D., Professor of Gynecology and Clinical Gynecology in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Chicago, etc. Second edition, containing three hundred and forty-one illustrations, many of which are original. 596 pp. Price, $3.00. Philadelphia: P. Blakiston, Son & Co. 1897. In this (second) edition the general arrangement of the first has been retained, though with a large exchange of less important for more imporIn this way material increase of the bulk of the volume has tant matter. been avoided. A new part on the anatomy of the pelvic organs has been inserted, as well as new chapters on venereal diseases. Several chapters have been largely rewritten and sections on the use of the cystoscope, ureteral instruments, and many other matters of minor detail have been incorporated, and a system of marginal notes has been devised to serve as a guide to the student. The work is not intended to be exhaustive of the subject, but only to supply the student with a guide and the general practitioner a ready reference book, and for these uses it is unusually well adapted. It somewhat reconciles an ordinary mortal to his lot to find that the author, although among the accommodating universities of Chicago, appears as plain M. D. and not LL. D. D. T. S. Messrs. Lea Brothers & Co. announce for early publication the following books by eminent authorities. Complete catalogues of the publications of this firm may be had by addressing either their Philadelphia or New York house : A Manual of Otology. By GORHAM BACON, A. M., M. D., Professor of Otology in A Text-Book of Dental Pathology, Therapeutics, and Pharmacology. Being a Treatise on the Principles and Practice of Dental Medicine. By HENRY H. BURCHARD, M. D., D. D. S., Special Lecturer on Dental Pathology and Therapeutics at the Philadelphia Dental College, Philadelphia. In one handsome octavo volume of about 550 pages, with four hundred illustrations. The Principles of Treatment. By J. MITCHELL BRUCE, M. D., F. R. C. P., Physician and Lecturer on Materia Medica and Therapeutics at Charing-Cross Hospital, London. In one octavo volume. Diseases of the Nose, Throat, Naso-Pharynx, and Trachea: A Manual for Students and Practitioners. By CORNelius G. CoakLEY, M. D., Professor of Laryngology in University Medical College, New York. In one volume, 12m0, of about 400 pages, with numerous illustrations, many of which are in colors. Diseases of Women: A Manual of Non-surgical Gynecology, designated especially for the use of Students and General Practitioners. By FRANCIS H. DAVENPORT, M. D., Instructor in Gynecology in the Medical Department of Harvard University, Boston. Third edition, thoroughly revised and enlarged, with many additional illustrations. A Treatise on Gynecology. By E. C. DUDLEY, A. M., M. D., Professor of Gynecology in the Chicago Medical College, Chicago. In one octavo volume of about 600 pages, with four hundred and twenty-five illustrations, many of which are in colors. A Text-Book on Anatomy. By American Authors. Edited by FREDERIC HENRY GERRISH, M. D., Professor of Anatomy in the Medical School of Maine. In one handsome imperial octavo volume, copiously illustrated in colors. Manual of Skin Diseases. With Special Reference to Diagnosis and Treatment. For the Use of Students and General Practitioners. By W. A. HARDAWAY, M. D., Professor of Skin Diseases in the Missouri Medical College. Second edition, entirely rewritten and much enlarged. In one handsome 12mo volume, with illustrations. The Principles and Practice of Obstetrics. By American Authors. Edited by CHARLES JEWETT, M. D., Professor of Obstetrics in the Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, N. Y. In one handsome octavo volume, with many illustratrations in black and in colors. KISSING THE BOOK.—An interesting passage in support of the remarks which we have made from time to time upon this subject is to be found in the annual report of a medical officer of health, Mr. F. D. Lys, to his district council-namely, that of Wareham and Purbeck. Mr. Lys says: "The death of a police constable at Coombe in the parish of Langton in January was registered as due to acute ulceration of the throat, and there is every reason to attribute his fatal illness to the dangerous practice, from a sanitary point of view, of kissing the book in being sworn. He had attended the sessions at Wareham and given evidence within a few hours of the commencement of the attack. The sanitary state of his cottage was satisfactory and the water supply was proved by analysis to be excellent." This unfortunate case affords one more argument, and that a strong one, for doing away with a repulsive and useless custom. As we have so many times said before, either (and far preferably) the Scotch form of oath ought to be adhered to, or, if the book must be employed, the laying of the hand upon it while repeating the words of the oath ought to be considered sufficient.London Lancet. |