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Dublin, for his address delivered in Caius College, Cambridge, on this subject, wherein the same view is upheld. That much ignorance prevails on the matter is attested by the inaccurate representations of such famous painters as Perugino, Raffaelle, Rubens, Michael Angelo, and Caracci, each of whom portrayed the spear wound on the right side.

Sir Risdon Bennett's book fulfils the intention stated in the preface, an intention not unworthy of the labours of an eminent physician; and his modest and manly avowals do him credit as a man. The temperate language and reverential spirit of the author befit the theme discoursed upon.

NERVE PROSTRATION

AND OTHER FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS.*

IN some quarters there is a tendency to sneer at any treatise upon the group of symptoms which make up the condition recognised by the term neurasthenia. We strongly deprecate this attitude, and are of opinion that the condition recognised by the term neurasthenia is a very definite and real malady. Moreover, it is on the increase, and mars the happiness of many families. The treatment of this condition is likely to remain inadequate while the condition itself is poohpoohed and neglected. In a large text-book on diseases of the nervous system of nearly 1,000 pages, recently published, the large space of half a page (!) is devoted to the consideration of neurasthenia a condition which is causing misery to thousands in this country. We therefore give Dr. Roose's volume a hearty welcome, showing as it does that English physicians are beginning to pay attention to these very distressing mental symptoms.

The title of Dr. Roose's book is somewhat misleading, for we find it contains chapters on dyspepsia, constipation, and diarrhoea, while only the first 69 pages are devoted to the consider

*Nerve Prostration and other Functional Disorders of Daily Life. By Robson Roose, M.D. London: H. K. Lewis. 1888,

ation of nerve prostration.

We rather think Dr. Roose has

used the term functional too liberally, and we are puzzled at finding facial paralysis, sciatica, and chorea included among functional disorders. The book is well written, and the treatment recommended is sound and judicious.

VENTILATION AND DRAINAGE.*

MR. MORRISON's lecture, which was delivered on March 16th, deals with a subject admirably suited for popular teaching. The diffusion of knowledge of the elementary laws which conduce to public health is a most desirable object. In no respect is popular ignorance more apparent than in matters dealing with ventilation and drainage. Mr. Morrison's lecture contains a very exact and readable exposition of the principles which apply to domestic sanitation. On page I we find, "Some people say 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing,' but I am convinced that ignorance is much more dangerous." We agree with the lecturer, but we should like to remind him that the often misquoted apophthegm ought to read "a little learning is a dangerous thing"-a little learning, which is far short of real knowledge.

NOTES ON SURGERY FOR NURSES.†

THE first edition of this little work has run out within twelve months. This speaks well for its popularity. The second edition has been revised and corrected, and a special chapter has been added on the Surgical Nursing of Children.

* Queen's College, Birmingham, Popular Science Lectures. Third Series, 1888. The Air we Breathe: No. 4, Ventilation and Drainage. By J. T. J. Morrison, B.A., M.B., B.C. (Cantab.), F.R.C.S., Casualty Surgeon to the Queen's Hospital.

Notes on Surgery for Nurses. By Joseph Bell, M.D., F.R.C.S. Edin., Consulting Surgeon to the Royal Infirmary, &c. Second Edition. Edinburgh : Owen and Boyd. 1888.

RETROSPECT.

URINARY

AND

RENAL DISEASES.

BY ROBERT SAUNDBY, M.D. EDIN., F.R.C P. LOND.
PHYSICIAN TO THE GENERAL HOSPITAL.

Roberts on the amorphous urate deposit.-Sir William Roberts (Med. Chronicle, March 1888, p. 441) has found that the common uratic deposit consists mainly of quadrurates, salts which are readily decomposed by water setting free uric acid, but the salts of urine, sodium chloride and potassium phosphate, especially the latter, have the power of preventing this decomposition, and the author supports the notion that common salt, taken as food or in drink, prevents the formation of calculus, and a fortiori we suppose, though he does not say so, potassium phosphate given medicinally would have this effect.

Hæmoglobinuria in acute rheumatism.-M. Hayem (Gazette des Hospitaux, Feb. 16, 1888) has recorded a case of acute rheumatism in which hæmoglobinuria occurred.

Lactic acid in urine.—Colasanti and Moscatelli (Bull. del'Acad. Med. di Roma, 1887, p. 482) found lactic acid in the urine of soldiers after a march, and suggest that it is probably a product of muscular activity which passes into the urine.

Albuminuria produced by injection of albumen.-Snyers, in a separate pamphlet published (Brussels, 1887) last year, finds that albuminuria caused by intra-venous injection of egg albumen is quite transitory and disappears in 24 hours, the albumen eliminated being the same as that injected; the passage of the albumen is without injurious effect upon the kidneys. This is opposed to the theories of Semmola, who thinks the passage of albumen through the kidney secreting apparatus causes irritation and sets up nephritis; he believes that Bright's disease is always hæmatogenous in its origin, and he assumes the formation of some abnormal albumen in the blood which, like egg albumen, cannot be retained by the kidneys, but in passing through these organs sets up inflammation.

Influence of diet on albuminuria.-Oestreich in his inaugural dissertation (Berlin, 1887) compares the influence of various

diets on a patient with nephritis in Leyden's clinic

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This result is very paradoxical, it shows apparently that mixed diet is worse than milk or meat, while it gives milk very little superiority over meat, of course from the point of view of loss of albumen only, which is by no means the most important clinical feature of Bright's disease.

The Influence of the Vagus on the Secretion of Urine.J. B. Masius (Ext. des Bull. de l'Acad. Roy. de Belgique, 1888, No. 3) has confirmed the observation of Arthaud and Bulti that strong electrical stimulation of the peripheral end of the cut vagus causes diminution of the secretion of urine, which contains albumen, blood corpuscles, and epithelial cells, and he has extended it so as to show that the left vagus acts in the same way. He has also discovered that after the injection of atropin, which paralyses the cardio-inhibitory and vaso-constrictor fibres, no change is produced, so that the alteration in the urinary secretion is due to the contraction of the renal arterioles. It is noteworthy that in a case of nitro-glycerine poisoning recorded last year (J. Noer, Therap. Gazette, 1887, p. 459) the patient, who was being treated for asthma, had scanty bloody urine from the opposite condition, namely, paralytic distension of the renal arterioles.

Acute Nephritis after Whooping Cough.-Schelterna (Weekbl. van het Nederl. Tijdschr. voor Geneesk., 1888, p. 166) has recorded a case of acute nephritis occurring after whooping cough in a child aged two years, who had never had diphtheria, scarlatina, measles, or smallpox. In not one of six other cases treated at the same time could albumen ever be found.

Mental Affections in Chronic Bright's Disease. - Dr. William Osler (Medical News, Phila., Nov. 19th, 1887) has

I

related three cases of mental derangement associated with or dependent upon chronic Bright's disease. (1) Was a case of acute mania in a man aged 42, who subsequently became comatose and died. (2) Was a case presenting all the clinical signs of "chronic interstitial nephritis" on admission; two nights later he got out of bed, in the absence of the nurse, and jumped out of the window. It was then found that previous to admission he had been violent, and thought his wife and others were persecuting him. (3) Was a case of chronic Bright's disease, in which the patient suspected his wife and others of designs on his life, and could be with difficulty persuaded to take food; he also thought people were persecuting him. He subsequently improved and his mind cleared.

Peppermint Water in Pruritus Pudendi.-Pruritus of the genitals is sometimes a most formidable and distressing symptom of diabetes in females. Dr. Amand Routh (Brit. Med. Journal, 1888, Vol. I., p. 793), recommends where there is no eczema or abrasion the use of peppermint water made by putting a teaspoonful of borax into a pint bottle of hot water and adding to it five drops of oleum mentha piperitæ and shaking well, the parts affected to be freely bathed with a soft sponge. Where rawness or eczema is present he recommends olive oil with five grains of iodoform to the ounce.

Diabetes in an Infant.-Dr. Dale (Medical News, Phila., Dec. 10, 1887), has recorded a case of acute and fatal diabetes in a female child aged twenty-one months, attributed to severe falls on the back of the head six months previously.

A Test for Saccharin.-As this drug is largely used in the management of diabetes the following test, recommended by C. Schmidt (Rep. Annal. Chem. 1887, p. 438), may be worth recording. Shake 100 cc. of the strongly acidulated fluid to be examined with 50 cc. of a mixture of ether and petroleum ether in equal parts; repeat this three times, and after separation, filter. Heat the products after the addition of soda lye almost to dryness, and the residue heat in a flat dish at a temp. of 250° C. and then dissolve in water. Supersaturate the solution

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