"Whichever plan be appropriate, it is best first to moisten the slide with a drop of water. In the former case, by laying the cloth upon the water we get rid most easily of the air-bubbles, and in the latter the water preserves the powdery portions cut off from being lost, and they are not rolled to one side, as when the drop of water is subsequently applied.

"Should it be desired to preserve any of these preparations for production and examination in court, I have found that to hold down the cover-glass with a spring-clip, and run around it a circle of liquid marine glue, serves at least a temporary purpose.

"A piece of stained muslin lay neary two months without protection upon my working table. I then mounted a portion of it in water, as above described. It now, at the end of five months, shows the spermatozoa as well as ever. For permanent mounting I should suppose the addition of carbolic acid, chloral hydrate, or some such preservative would be of service. I have not found it necessary to use any dye or any solvent except water. A power of three hundred diameters is amply sufficient for these examinations.

"Concerning the durability of spermatozoa, Ritter asserts that he has discovered them after a period of four years. To show how, when dried, they will bear rough handling, I may add that I rolled and twisted between my fingers a stained piece of muslin till it was in the form of a string, unrolled and twisted it over again two or three times, using much force; and was yet able by my method to discover spermatozoa without much difficulty.

"I claim for my plan extreme simplicity, ease of execution, and the greatest degree of certainty, for piece after piece of the stained fabric can be put to the test with the assurance that nothing in the process destroys the spermatozoa, and that they may be found if present."

3d. The Distinction between Leucorrhea and Gonorrhea.—Vaginal catarrh is so common, either as the result of a scrofulous diathesis, the irritation of worms, or the presence of dirt and filth, especially among the very poor, that we can safely assume that most cases of running at the privates that present themselves to us, are cases of leucorrhea, unless we find that the alleged assailant has or has had gonorrhea, that the discharge does not readily succumb to treatment, but grows more profuse, or at least the inflammation associated with it shows a tendency to extend inwards. I do not know that there is any evidence of a diagnostic difference in the character of the discharge, either as seen

by the eye or through a microscope. A severe benign inflammation, especially if the parts are not kept clean, may cause ulceration, and blood will mingle with the mucus and pus, as it sometimes does in gonorrhea.

Says Dr. Alex. Russell Simpson, in Quain's Dictionary of Medicine, "Unless a clear history of infection can be obtained, it is almost impossible to establish a distinction between a gonorrheal disease and the simpler catarrhal leucorrhea. In the former there is a notable tendency to spread to contiguous surfaces. In children suffering from the infections discharge, traces of the injuries that are usually inflicted at the period of infection should be sought for."

Berkeley Hill writes: "The distinction between vaginitis from contagion and vaginitis from non-specific irritation is always difficult and sometimes impossible, being mainly determined by collateral evidence. It generally has a contagious origin if there is pus in the urethra."

TREATMENT OF CYSTALGIA IN WOMEN.-Charles Monod gives the following classification of cystalgias in women:

I. Cystalgias due to lesion of the urethra (polypi and fissures). 2. Cystalgias symptomatic of a lesion of the bladder, inflammation, tumor, tubercle.

3. Cystalgias symptomatic of lesions in other organs, as those of the uterus and its annexa, or of the other pelvic viscera.

4. Cystalgias of nervous origin, e. g., symptomatic of locomotor ataxia.

5.

Such manifestations as can be traced to no cause, and which may be considered as idiopathic.

The treatment of these various conditions by forced urethal dilatation is advocated:

I. In urethral affections dilatation is beneficial because exerting a beneficial influence upon the spasmodic and painful element of the disease, and also upon the lesion which has produced and maintains the cystalgia.

2. In cystalgia caused by neoplasms, dilatation, while affording temporary relief, can only be recommended as a means of diagnosis, preparatory to the ablation of the tumor.

3. In the treatment of simple cystalgia, injections of boracic acid, nitrate of silver, and sedative preparations should be tried before resorting to surgical procedure.

When urination is persistently painful and frequent, forced dilatation which frequently gives unexpected relief, should be tried before establishing a vesico-vaginal fistula.

Observation shows that this method of treatment causes pain to disappear, and also improves the condition of the vesical mucous mem brane,, while it also permits the easier application of local remedies. In tubercular cystitis, dilatation may be practised as a final measure for the relief of pain.

4. In conditions designated as irritable bladder, forced dilatation is especially efficacious whether the cystalgia depends upon fissure of the cervix uteri, disease of the uterus, vagina, rectum or anus; indeed, unassociated with any recognizable lesion.-Annales des Maladies Org. Gen.Uein.-American Lancet.

COD LIVER OIL TO INFANTS—A very good suggestion has been made by Mr. S. Yeldham, of a plan of administering cod-liver oil to infants. He says: "Let the nurse dip the end of her little finger in the oil and put it into the child's mouth. This may be repeated five or six times in the twenty-four hours. In such small quantities, not only does it never disagree, but the child sucks it off the finger with avidity and evident pleasure. It may be administered in this way to the youngest infant." By this simple and inexpensive expedient, the writer says. many infants who were absolutely starving for natural foods became fat and plump, and happily in an almost incredibly short space of time. The oil has the effect of enabling the child to digest other food which it could not retain on its stomach without it.—London Corres. of Jour. of A. M. A.

PILOCARPINE IN PUERPERAL CONVULSIONS.- Dr. Geo.T. M'Keough thus concludes an article in The Canadian Practitioner, January, 1886: "So far as I can learn from the medical literature at my disposal, the use of the pilocarpine in puerperal eclampsia is apparently in an experimental stage of its history. The views of eminent men concerning its use are discordant. Dr. Fordyce Barker gives it as his opinion that, in the treatment of puerperal convulsions, the utility of jaborandi, or its alkaloid pilocarpine, is more than doubtful, and that its depressing influence is so continuous and exhausting as to render it an unsafe and dangerous remedy. Whilst, on the other hand, Dr. T. Gailliard Thomas relates the history of a case before the Obstetrical Society of New York, in which pilocarpine "seemed to exert a remarkably beneficial influence,

and, from the results in this case, hoped much from the drug." Theoretically, it ought to be the remedy par excellence. I believe it is now almost universally admitted that convulsions of pregnancy are the result of some urinary poison in the blood, due to the pressure of the gravid uterus upon the ureters, kidneys, and their blood-vessels. Therefore, stimulating the emunctories and the emptying of the uterus are essential steps in treatment which pilocarpine apparently fulfils. It produces almost immediate diaphoresis and ptyalism, thus relieving the toxemia more quickly than by any other known means; and I believe it has been demonstrated beyond a doubt that it has an ecbolic action, producing rhythmical contractions of the uterus, and thus promotes labor. In my third case I think it assisted labor materially-probably inaugurated the uterine contractions.

In one of my three cases did the great depression which Dr. Barker speaks of ensue, and in my last two cases the pulse was weak when first administered; the doses of the drug used, however, were smaller than generally recommended; and I cannot think that the excessive and exhaustive perspiration and salivation, which evidently sometimes occur, is produced by the abuse of the drug, and the reducing of the patient to a condition of adynamia may be avoided by the administration of smaller doses than are generally recommended, assisting its action, if necessary, by means of artificial heat. In my last case one-eighth of a grain, with the assistance of an extra blanket and a few bottles containing hot water, kept the patient sweating freely for three hours. In my last two cases a degree of restlessness followed its use, which was, however, speedily controlled by the use of sedatives—morphia in one and chloral in the other. But there is a danger, as illustrated by my first experience, to be feared in certain cases, viz.: pulmonary edema and the flooding of the lungs with excessive secretion. I think this can be learned from the record of these cases that when the coma is profound, and has almost extinguished the action of the reflex centres, as in my first case, pilocarpine is a dangerous agent, on account of the impossibility for the patient to get rid of an enormous quantity of bronchial secretion and saliva which floods the respiratory passages; but in those cases in which the physician is called, before the patient has many convulsions—when the poison has not suppressed entirely the action of the reflex centres-when the patient is partially conscious, probably restless, and moaning, or when convulsions have not occurred, but seem imminent,—it is my conviction that we have in pilocarpine a most valuable adjunct in the treatment of this dreaded disease.

PUERPERAL FEVER—. In the Vienna school puerperal fever is known as septic infection, depending (1) upon the local lesion; (2) the infection of these local lesions. Then follow: (1) high fever and inflammation of the genitalia: (2) peritonitis, or pyemia. There are three varieties recognized.

First. Puerperal peritonitis, or puerperal endometritis, with a symptomatology of fever, unclean lochia, meteorismus, vomitus, and peritonitis. Postmortem section shows endometritis consecutiva, salpingitis and peritonitis purulenta, with exudations.

Second. Puerperal metro-phlebitis or pyemia without peritonitis, the septic virus passing through the placental sections to the uterine veins. As symptoms we have: High fever, chills, torpor, subinvolution of the uterus. The abdomen is flaccid and painless on percussion. There may be icterus and metastatic phlegmon.

Third. Peritonitis plus pyemia, or lymphangitis uteri, or phlegmona pelvis septica.

The treatment is local when a woman begins to have fever on the second day post partum. The external genitals and vagina are washed with 1-2 per cent. carbolized water, or with a 1-5000 sublimate solution. When operations have taken place, and the lochia are pathological, and there is high fever, the uterus is irrigated, a glass tube being used. Iodoform bacilli, containing 5-6 grms. of iodoform, are placed in the uterus. The formula used is: R.. Iod. pulv., 18 parts; Amyl. puræ; Glycerinæ ; Gum arabic, aa, 2 parts.

Ice applications to the abdomen are used in peritonitis incipiens. Ergot is used internally. The antipyretics used are quinine, 1-2 grms. daily; sod. salicyl., 3-4 grms. daily; antipyrin, 1-2 grms. daily. If these do not avail, the cold bath is resorted to. Alcohol is used freely in pyemia, but never in peritonitis. In incipient peritonitis the following treatment obtains: Ice pills; ice cataplasms on abdomen; opium by the rectum, and quinine by rectum. In puerperal ulcers local applications of iodoform, or of iodol (which is expensive but devoid of odor), are resorted to. Salicylic amylum (1 part of the salicylic acid to 5 parts of amylum), has also its merits. It has been found that the cases of puerperal metro-phlebitis, although attended with metastatic transference of the poison, forming abscesses and involving the lungs themselves, tend, in a large percentage of cases, to recovery; while those cases of puerperal peritonitis almost always end fatally. Women seemingly moribund, in whom the whole system is poisoned, begin to recover as soon as elaborate metastatic action obtains. These patients are given alcohol very freely.Jour. Amer. Med. Ass.