personal contact or through the clothing.

Chicken-pox. The incubation period is fourteen to twenty days. It is less contagious than small-pox, and is greatest during the period of eruption.

Typhoid Fever. The average period of incubation is twelve to fourteen days; sometimes nine days; occasionally twenty-four days. Contagion may occur at any period of the disease, and even during two weeks after recovery. The contagious elements in the discharges or the clothing remain active for at least two months. J. H. K.

AN EPIDEMIC OF TRICHINOSIS IN BELGIUM.

A RECENT number of the Journal d'Hygiene reports an extensive epidemic of trichinosis at Herstal, resulting from the use of lard, which upon examination was found to contain the parasite, as stated in the report, "in colossal quantities." Thirty-nine persons showed symptoms of the affection, of whom thirteen died. The sufferers exhibited the various symptoms of the disease which are manifested in its three features, the diarrhoeal, or choleriform; the rheumatoid, or typhoid; and the cachectic. The hogs from which the lard was obtained were native reared; so that it would appear that Belgian as well as American pork is becoming thoroughly infected by this horrible parasite.

Our contemporary recommends that those who eat pork should take care that it is thoroughly cooked. Would it not be better to discard the use of swine's flesh altogether? The hog is a most excellent scavenger, but a very poor article of diet. Nothing could be more horrible than death from trichinosis. The consciousness that one's flesh is the seat of swarming millions of wriggling worms, and that the disease is one for which there is no possible remedy, is one well calculated to give rise to a sentiment of the deepest horror. If a new malady pre

are

senting equally terrible and loathsome aspects were to be discovered, the apprehension and terror which would be thereby created, would lead to the immediate adoption of the most vigorous measures for its extermination. But trichinosis has come to be so common a malady, the constantly recurring cases which recorded scarcely give rise to comment. This parasite is without doubt rapidly extending its ravages in our country. Probably thousands of persons are carrying about with them in their muscles multitudes of trichina, without being aware of their presence except through the frequent occurrence of rheumatic pains in the muscles, which an eminent German medical authority has recently attributed to this cause.

J. H. K.

Eosinophile Leucocytes in Leukæmia. Dreschfeld and Janowski some time ago expressed doubts respecting the importance of the eosinophile leucocytes of Ehrlich in the diagnosis of the leukæmia of Hodgkin's disease. Both the observers mentioned, assert that increase of these cells is not found in all cases of leukæmia, as claimed by Ehrlich. Kanthack, of Cambridge University, showed last year that these cells are present in numerous conditions, among others, the following: Gonorrhoeal pus from abscesses in rabbits, dogs, and guinea-pigs, which is sometimes almost entirely composed eosinophile cells; pus from purulent ophthalmia; pus from phoas abscess and other sources of suppuration in human beings; pus from abscess due to necrosis; sputum of patients suffering from asthma, tuberculosis, and bronchial catarrh; in the tissues of human beings when the seat of non-purulent inflammation; in the muco-purulent nasal secretions; nasal polypi; and in human saliva. thack claims that the eosinophile cells are independent of the spleen, the lymphatic glands, and also of the bone marrow, as shown by experiments upon animals.

Kan

J. H. K.

AMERICAN ELECTRO-THERAPEUTIC

ASSOCIATION.

THE Secretary, Dr. Margaret A. Cleaves, sends us the following preliminary program of the American Electro-Therapeutic Association, which will hold its third. annual meeting in Chicago, September 12, 13, and 14. We are glad to see that so interesting a program has been prepared. There is a large field for this Association, and the meeting will doubtless be a very interesting and profitable one.

DISCUSSIONS.

I. "What are the Possibilities of Electricity in the Treatment of Fibroid Growths?"

Discussion will be opened by Dr. J. H. Kellogg, of Battle Creek, Mich. The following, among others, have been asked to take part:

M. le Docteur Georges Apostoli, of Paris; M. le Docteur Georges Gautier, of Paris; Dr. La Torre, of Rome; Dr. Augustin H. Goelet, of New York; Dr. A. L. Smith, of Montreal; Dr. Franklin H. Martin, of Chicago; Dr. Margaret A. Cleaves, of New York; Dr. G. Belton Massey, of Philadelphia; Dr. George F. Hulbert, of St. Louis; Dr. E. L. H. McGinnis, of New York.

2.

"The Influence of Frequency of Interruptions and Character of Induced Current Waves upon Physiological Effect."

Discussion will be opened by Professor J. W. Morton, of New York.

The following, among others, have been asked to take part :

M. le Prof. d'Arsonval, of Paris; Prof. Du Bois-Reymond, of Berlin; Mr. Newman Lawrence, of London; M. le Docteur Larat, of Paris; Prof. Edwin J. Houston, of Philadelphia; M. le Docteur Apostoli, of Paris; M. G. Weisse, of Paris; Dr. W. J. Herdman, of Ann Arbor, Mich.; Mr. J. J. Carty, of New York; Dr. J. H. Kellogg, of Battle Creek, Mich.; Dr. A. H. Goelet, of New York; Dr. Weir Mitchell, of Philadelphia; Dr. A. D. Rockwell, of New York; Dr. Frederick Peterson, of New York; Dr. W. F. Hutchinson, of Providence, R. I.; Dr. Georges Gautier, of Paris; Dr. Franklin Martin, of Chicago.

PAPERS.

1. "The Nutritional Effects of Statical Electricity." By Prof. W. J. Morton, M. D., New York.

2. "Electro-Medical Eccentricities." By Newman Lawrence, M. I. E. E., London, England.

3. "The Graphic Study of Electrical Currents in Relation to Therapeutics." By J. H. Kellogg, M. D., Battle Creek, Mich.

4. "The Action of the Continuous Current within the Living Tissues as Distinguished from the Local Polar Action." By Prof. W. J. Herdman, M. D., Ann Arbor, Mich.

5. "The Therapeutic Application and the Theory of Alternating Currents." By Dr. Georges Gautier, Paris, France.

6. "The Treatment of Fibroid Tumors with Electricity." By Dr. Georges Gautier, Paris, France.

7. "Induction Coils." By Mr. A. E. Kennelly, of the Edison Laboratory. 8. "Electrolysis in Tumors of the Bladder." By Robt. Newman, M. D.,

II.

"Report of a Case of Ascites Cured by Galvanism." By Holford Walker, M. D., Toronto, Canada.

12. "The Primary Action of the Galvanic Current on the Blood. It Increases the Amount of Ozone it Contains as Shown by Chemical Tests of the Blood in the Arteries." By J. Mount Blever, M. D., and M. M. Weil, M. D., New York.

13. "The Conservation of Energy as a Successful Factor in Electrotherapy." By Horatio R. Bigelow, M. D., Philadelphia.

14. "Synovitis Treated by Cataphoresis." By F. H. Wallace, M. D., Boston, Mass.

20. "Successful Treatment by Electrolysis of Four Additional Cases of Esophageal Stricture with Exhibition of Two Cases." By D. S. Campbell, M. D., Detroit, Mich.

21. "The Treatment of Dysmenorrhoea by the Galvanic Current." By A. Lapthorn Smith, M. D., Montreal, Canada.

22. "Notes upon some Uses of Galvanism in Surgery." By W. B. D. Beaver, M. D., Reading, Pa.

Several other papers of equal interest have been promised, but the titles have not yet been received.

REVIEWS.

The Knee-jerk after Section of the Spinal Cord.-- By Edward T. Reichert, Philadelphia. A valuable contribution to the physiology of the nervous system. The author's experiments prove that the phenomena of re-enforcement of knee-jerk are dependent upon nerve centers situated in the cerebrum.

Fixation after Excision of the Knee. – By H. Augustus Wilson, M. D., Philadelphia, Pa.

This paper reports an interesting case of excision of the knee joint, and presents an excellent summary of the known facts relating to the after management of cases of this sort. The author recommends that fixation of the knee be maintained for many months after the operation.

"Arousing the Public."- By C. H. Reeve, Plymouth, Ind. In this paper the

writer calls attention to the fact that a criminal class or variety of human beings. is being produced through the intermarriage of criminals, and urges that the marriage of tramps, vagabonds, and worthless defective individuals of all classes should be forbidden. A good suggestion.

Sternberg's Bacteriology.-This excellent work, published by Wm. Wood & Co., is the most complete and thorough work ever published on bacteriology in the English language. Indeed, it has no superior, if an equal, in any language. It is called a manual, but is rather a complete treatise, dealing with our knowledge of bacteria to date. It is most excellently gotten up and illustrated by heliotype and chromo-photographic plates, besides about 270 engravings. The book has some 800 pages, and is divided into four parts, the first including classification, morphology, and bacteriological technology; the second treating of the general biology of microbes; and the third and fourth, of the pathogenic saprophytic bacteria.

The author has in

cluded a great deal of original work of his own, and has given proper acknowledgment to other writers and experimentalists.

The work has not been in circulation very long. Though it seems to have been published in 1892, it was not received at the office of this magazine until two or three months ago. It certainly deserves to be widely known and circulated. There is not a physician interested in the progress of medicine who can afford to do without it. It will supply the wants of any medical man on the subject of bacteriology. It is complete in all its departments. The work does credit to its author, and is certainly an honor to American medical and scientific literature. P. P.