ing case with the idea of more clearly illustrating the usual manner of applying the galvanic current in cases of uterine fibromata. This case is of particular interest on account of the advanced age of the patient, her devitalized condition, the infinity and extent of adhesions, and that several reputable surgeons had decided that laparotomy was not advisable. Mrs. B., age seventy-six; general health, fair. She had tried a great variety of prescriptions for inflammation of the bladder. As it appeared to be only a case of acute cystitis, I tried my favorite remedy, but with no better success. I then made an examination of the pelvic organs and found a uterine fibroma of about eight pounds' weight. It was of an irregular shape, multinodular, and one knob was pressing on the bladder. On account of her age, I did not press a hysterectomy. Treatment. For an internal electrode I used a large olive tip passed into the rectum and posterior to the tumor; exterior, a sponge electrode large enough to cover the lower part of the abdomen. The galvanic current was used, the negative pole being attached to the internal electrode. The first treatments were short, with a ten milliamperes current. Later a current of fifty milliamperes was used for fifteen minutes at each treatment. Great care was taken to avoid breaking the current, it being very desirable to increase and decrease the amperage slowly and evenly. As a general rule the treatments were given every third day. After six treatments had been given there was no more trouble with the bladder. Twenty-eight treatments reduced the tumor to about one-fourth its original size. This was deemed sufficient, and the patient was discharged, highly gratified with the result. Neural Dynamics.-This is the title of a paper read by Dr. W. J. Herdman, of Ann Arbor, Mich., before the American Medical Association. Among other things he says: Certain of these ether waves, those with a rapidity of vibration from 293,000,000,000,000 to 757,000,000,000,000 per second, not only produce thermal and chemic effects, but have the power when they strike the retina of the eye, of causing changes in the layer of rods and cones, which in their turn act as a stimulus to the optic nerve. The primary stimulus is here, as in the touch, muscular, auditory and temperature sense endorgans, a wave of motion communicated from an internal source, either by direct contact or through the medium of the air or the ether. If the rods and cones be wanting, as when the structure of the retina atrophies, ether waves, within the specified range for the normal retina, may beat upon the wasted surface continuously, but without avail in exciting light sensations. The peculiar structural or molecular arrangement which is present in the normally acting rods and cones of the retina is indispensable for the production of visual sensations, as likewise are ether waves of the proper rapidity. While we do not know positively of the nature of the change which takes place in any one of the forms of sensory end-organ so far considered, when acted upon by its appropriate kind of motion, analogies in physics and mechanics teach us that the end-organ is simply a machine devised for transforming that special form of motion into another form of motion that we term nerve motion. The majority of the facts, which we have not now the time to enumerate, appear to justify the conclusion that the first step in this transforming process is a chemic change, a re-arrangement in the protoplasmic molecules of which the cells in the end-organs are made up. It is interesting to read some of these facts that have long since been conceded. The x-rays have complete vibration per second 288,224,000,000,000,000, which is a complete period beyond the ether rays that infringe upon the retina. Denial has been made that the x-rays in any way affect the rods and cones, but Prof. Roentgen observed visual effects from the x-rays when no fluorescent matter was before the eyes. Many other persons have observed the same. Dr. Astudillo, of Havana, Cuba, treated blind persons with the x-rays for the purpose of restoring sight. Of the twenty cases he treated, phenomena were observed in all. One case completely recovered, and others regained some sight. The structure of the retina had, in several cases atrophied to the extent that light (expressed in 8 octaves) no longer stimulated the rods and cones, and they therefore wasted. When the x-rays were used they were sufficient to give impressions of light, and this stimulus to the retina brought on repair. The effect of the lesser light being inadequate to longer afford stimulus to the retina, and secondarily to the optic nerve, the greater light, the x-rays, has been found in some cases to supply the deficiency, and through its effect to restore the sight. This is analogous to starvation brought on by food not sufficiently rich in the essentials of life, but when supplied physical normaloy is restored. VOL. XLIII-29. DERMATOLOGY. Under charge of A. P. WOODWARD, M. D.. San Francisco. Scabies. Dr. S. Sherwell, of Brooklyn, N. Y, who is good authority in dermatology, writes thus of the treatment of scabies. We quote from New York Journal of Dermatology:-" Now for my own method: we will presume as this disease is almost of necessity found in groups, and the family is the typical one. We will suppose the ordinary family of five-father, mother, and three children. The eldest a boy of ten or twelve, who has acquired the disease from some playfellow, and who sleeps with another child, the remaining one being a mere infant. It is almost an inevitable consequence in a poor family that all of these individuals should have the trouble in some grade. We will then direct them all to take a bath the same evening, for the adults and the elder children, a little sand soap (sapolio) may be lightly used over the tougher portions, the ones usually most affected of body, of course not on the infant. The body and limbs may then be rubbed lightly with a little sulphur lotion, a half teaspoonful is an excess for each individual, no excess of friction is required at all. The bed linen and underclothing of all kinds should be changed, and between the sheets, or the coverings that come next the person in bed, a small train or a few spots of sulphur should be placed in each bed, say a half teaspoonful, one of the sheets lifted, a slight blow given, which causes enough disturbance of the air, so that the powder is disseminated over the whole internal surface. By repeating the powdering of the bed, say perhaps every other or every third night, by bathing and changing clothes in about the same way and at about same interval for a week, the cure is effected in ordinary cases. Naturally an exaggerated case will take longer, as we know that the ova in the cuniculi take a longer time than that for development. The male acarus, as we know, is not a burrower; by the time the female has pro-ruptured into the external world from below the epiderm, he is either dead, or certainly functionless, for certainly few cases or case groups last over the ninth day under this treatment." Variola. Dr. S. C. Martin, in his St. Louis Journal of Dermatology, makes the following suggestions concerning the early diagnosis of variola. Considering the unusual prevalence of this disease of late in many parts of the United States these salient points seem apropos: "While it is dificult to recognize small-pox before the eruption appears, the following symptoms will lead us to prepare for its advent; a severe chill, persistent vomiting, pain in the loins of a marked character, and high fever. The appearance, in about three days after these symptoms have developed, of papules on the forehead, face, hands and wrists, gradually extending to other parts of the body, which inside of twenty-four hours are converted into umbilicated vesicles and later pass into pustules, will leave no doubt on the mind concerning the nature of the disease. In connection with these manifestations, if the fever has subsided after the appearance of the papular eruption and reappeared on the development of the pustular stage, our evidence of the disease is complete. It is readily distinguished from measles, scarlatina, and syphilis; and we have only to bear in mind its different degrees of virulence, due to the potency of the virus and the sanitary environment of the patient, to differentiate it from varicella in all of its various forms," Retention of Urine.-Dr. H. M. Christian, in a paper before the Philadelphia County Medical Society, emphasizes the importance of a proper armamentarium in the treatment of retention of urine, due to enlarged prostate gland. And every general practitioner should not fail to heed the warning, otherwise a suit for malpractice would very likely be proven. He says, always have a long prostatic catheter with the "Benéqué" curve. And always have the Mercier, or single-elbowed, and the bi-condé, or double-elbowed catheter. With these, and the proper skill one can rarely fail to enter the bladder through the prostate, without danger thereto. ARISTOL powder dusted over with a camel's.hair brush, and lightly rubbed in with the fingers, is a convenient and efficient remedy in the treatment of dermatitis venenata, especially if due to rhus. A medical man in one of the large towns near San Francisco desires to go to Europe for some considerable time. He has a good general practice with every facility for work, which he desires to dispose of at a moderate sum. Address PACIFIC MEDICAL BUREAU, 901 Sutter St., San Francisco, Cal. Hospital Notes. CALIFORNIA EYE AND EAR HOSPITAL. By DR. REDMOND W. PAYNE, Surgeon to the Hospital; Consulting Oculist to the Southern Pacific Hospital; Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology, Otology and Laryngology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, San Francisco. Dislocation of the Lens Into the Anterior Chamber From a Blow Upon the Eyeball. Sealing the Lips of an Old Corneal Flap With the Actual Cautery.-The patient, a man 45, presented himself at the Clinic with the history of a blow upon the eye from the fist of his antagonist. The pupil was found widely dilated, and the lens rested in the anterior chamber against the posterior surface of the cornea. The globe had evidently been struck upon the temporal side, for the nasal border of the lens rested in front of the iris, the temporal border lay behind it. An acute glaucoma had set in, the tension being plus 2. A corneal section was made at the internal inferior quadrant with a cataract knife, the capsule opened and about two thirds of the lens extracted. This border of the iris was so folded behind the lens that it was impossible to make an iridectomy, nor was it thought best to try to get all of the lens mass out on account of the great danger of losing the vitreous where the suspensory ligament had been so injured. The glaucoma subsided, the iris contracted, the anterior chamber reformed, and the eye did well for several days. On the seventh day, however, the balance of the lens having become opaque was found presenting at the wound, thus pushing he flap apart. The wound was re-opened, the edges freshened by scraping them gently with the cataract kaife, and the balance of the lens extracted without difficulty. A small iridectomy was now made where the iris tended to prolapse and the corneal flap carefully replaced to its position. It was scarcely expected that this old corneal flip would unite by first intention so the actual cautery was applied to several points along the lips of the wound thus effectually sealing it. The reaction was slight and the patient made a good recovery. PAYNE. Ophthalmia Neonatorum. - Dudly Reynolds (Jour. Am. Med. Association, January) considers that ophthalmia neonatorum is always the result of contagion (it certainly is !), very rarely if ever occurring in the process of delivery, the virus being introduced by the unskillful handling of the child's eyes |