nition of the importance of this branch of the medical art. It is a consideration of facts, garnered in years of patient investigation and practice. The book is presented in the form of lectures, but is much more systematic than is usual in such arrangement. The classification and nomenclature of diseases, is not entirely satisfactory, after having considered the admirable system of Toynbee; but this is a point of minor importance, especially when the great practical excellence of the book is so patent. Every detail of practice is thoroughly illustrated and explained; more than a hundred pages being devoted to the most improved plans of examining the outer ear, the use of the eustachian catheter, and Politzer's and Valsalva's methods of investigating the diseases of the tympanum. The anatomy of the organ is given in a clear but concise manner. As regards therapeutics, the most approved plans and agents are minutely considered. Most of them will be found to be novel; but, based as they are, on simple principles of science, will command confidence.

The American physician is deeply indebted to the translator for presenting this admirable work, as well as for his translation of Stellwag on the Eye, the latter, filling, as it did, a wide chasm in English ophthalmological literature. J. G. R.

PATHOLOGICAL ANATOMY OF THE FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS.

BY JULIUS M. KLOB, M. D.,

Professor in the University of Vienna. Translated by Joseph Kammerer, M. D., and Benjamin F. Dawson, M. D. New York: Wm. Wood & Co. For sale by C. P. Wilder, Indianapolis; Robert Clarke & Co., Cincinnati.

This translation, first issued about a year since by a New York firm no longer in existence, has now become the property of the veteran publishers, Wm. Wood & Co. In a previous number of the *Journal, we made a brief analysis of the book, giving it such hearty commendation as its careful study led us to believe was quite just. By the judgment then expressed we are quite willing to abide. The highest critical fauthority in Great Britain in our profession, has recently, January last, spoken of it thus: "A translation of Klob's Patholog

*Western Journal of Medicine, 1868, page 375.

†British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review.

ical Anatomy of the Female Sexual Organs, has been fairly accomplished by Drs. Kammerer and Dawson, of New York, and we welcome it here as a work of great use to those whose attention is specially directed to those organs." T. P.

PENNSYLVANIA HOSPITAL REPORTS, VOLUME 11, 1869.

Philadelphia: Lindsay & Blakiston. For sale by C. P. Wilder, Indianapolis; Robert Clarke & Co., Cincinnati.

The contributors to this handsome volume are Drs. Hewson, Morton, Da Costa, Hutchinson, Edward Hartshorne, Ashhurst, Hunt, J. F. Meigs, Packard, Agnew, Harlan, Richardson and Pepper.

As our talented Philadelphia correspondent, Dr. J. Ewing Mears, proposes the consideration of this volume in a future communication, we will now merely say that these reports are nearly, if not quite, equal to those for 1868, and that they are creditable alike to the editors and publisher. We hope both parties may be encouraged by seeing this annual widely circulated. T. P.

A HAND-BOOK OF UTERINE THERAPEUTICS, AND OF DISEASES OF WOMEN.

BY EDWARD JOHN TILT, M. D.

Second American edition, thoroughly revised and amended. New York: D. Appleton & Co. Re. ceived through Bowen, Stewart & Co., Indianapolis.

The author has revised the third British edition of his well known work, for re-publication in this country, and contributes a preface to this American issue.

A communication made a few months since to the Lancet, and which struck us as being of such interest that we re-published it in this Journal, constitutes a large portion of this preface. In the course of it, Dr. Tilt compliments "the splendid achievements of those American surgeons who have taught us that we can safely remove ovarian tumors, and how to cure vesico-vaginal fistula;" and justly speaks of his admiration of "the surgical genius, great skill, and the perfect honesty of purpose that characterize Dr. Marion Sims, who is an honor to his country and to our profession."

Western Journal of Medicine, 1868, page 310.

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 tifth, 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, Formulæ 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 them 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