the organism producing the disease has but one, and goes direct from one person to another. In practical life, in the matter of prevention of disease, this is an important distinction, because the method which is necessary for the prevention of a disease must depend entirely upon whether the organism producing the disease can have and maintain an existence, and go through a cycle of life outside of the human host. Moreover, in the change of the meaning of the two words, all the literature is lost that has gone before, and there is some excellent literature upon the subject. DR. A. FERREE WITMER read a paper upon APHASIA FROM AN UNUSUAL CAUSE. (See page 597, Vol. VII, No. 53.) DISCUSSION. DR. F. SAVARY PEARCE said he did not catch from the speaker's paper whether the case was one of complete motor aphasia (aphemia) or not. At all events a motor aphasia was present in a case of right hemiplegia, which would signify a lesion involving the Rolandic region. The old theory has been that the flexor contraction is always greater than that of the extensors in any palsied member because the muscles are stronger in the flexor than in the extensor group, and which in health are controlled by volition. Dr. Witmer's theory as to flexure contraction is interesting. DR. J. MADISON TAYLOR did not clearly understand the unusual cause of the aphasia, and inquired how it arose. DR. WITMER, in answer to the inquiry by Dr. Taylor, stated that in the course of the paper it had been said that the boy's heart was normal, that there was no syphilitic taint in the family history, but that there was a decided neurotic taint, and the paresis resulted from a probable disturbance of the end-brushes in the cerebrum, causing retraction at that point and consequent loss of function. It is known that hemiplegia may follow upon an epilectic convulsion, but usually it is very transient. In this case the hemi-paresis had been noted since the latter part of January. At first it was complete, and was without question a hemiplegia. The unusual condition in this case was the long continuance of the one-sided weakness, suggesting a hemorrhage consequent upon the excessive cerebral activity. Another interesting feature in the case, a not unusual one, is the overaction of the flexor group. The reason that the flexor group is unduly active in diseased states of this type is probably because the flexor group is first developed and therefore less readily disturbed. In diseases of the brain we find hallucinations of hearing exceedingly common. In the ontogenetic development of man it is of interest to recall that the centers for smell are first, and those for hearing last, developed. It would seem that the overaction of the flexors is of a similar nature to that noted in these disordered brain states. DR. A. J. DOWNES read a paper upon New Publications A PRIMER OF PSYCHOLOGY AND MENTAL DISEASE. For Use in Training Schools, for Attendants and Nurses, and in Medical Classes. By C. B. Burr, M.D. Second Edition. Thoroughly Revised. 12mo, pp. 116. Philadelphia, New York, Chicago: The F. A. Davis Co., 1898. We can heartily commend this book. A difficult subject has been condensed and treated in such a way as to be readily understood by intelligent persons with less than the full requirements of a medical education. That there is a good field for it is evidenced by the fact that a second edition has been so soon called for. ELECTRICITY IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF DISEASES OF THE NOSE, THROAT AND EAR. By W. Scheppegrell, A.M.,M.D. With 161 Illustrations. 8vo, pp. 403. New York, London: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1898. This seems to be a full presentation of its subject, sufficiently illustrated. As is right, greater stress is laid upon the author's per sonal methods than upon the methods of others. As to the wisdom of employing the various procedures described, good judgment must be applied to each case on its own merits. PRACTICAL URINALYSIS AND URINARY DIAGNOSIS. A Manual for the Use of Physicians, Surgeons and Students. By Charles W. Purdy, M.D., LL.D. Fourth Revised Edition. With numerous Illustrations, including Photo-Engravings and Colored Plates. 8vo, pp. 365. Philadelphia, New York, Chicago: The F. A. Davis Co., 1898. We commented upon, criticised and commended the earlier editions of this excellent manual. In the present edition the merits have been preserved and additions and revisions made in accordance with recent progress. It is a good book for students and practitioners. THE PHONENDOSCOPE AND ITS PRACTICAL APPLICATION. Lectures by Aurelio Bianchi, M.D. With thirty-seven illustrations. Translated by A. George Baker, A.M., M.D., Physician-in-chief of the Chinese Medical Dispensary. 8vo, pps. 77. Philadelphia: George P. Pilling & Son, 1898. This pamphlet is well printed and contains a number of good illustrations. Those who desire to practise phonendoscopy will find it a useful guide. While we cannot confirm all the claims of the author, we meet many cases in which the phonendoscope offers an additional and necessary means of examination. MANUAL OF THE DISEASES OF CHILDREN. By John Madison Taylor, A.M., M.D., Professor of Diseases of Children, Philadelphia Polyclinic; and William H. Wells, M.D., Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics and Diseases of Infancy, Philadelphia Polyclinic. Illustrated. 8vo, pps. 743. Philadelphia: P. Blakiston's Son & Co., 1898. This book, the work of two authors of large experience and good judgment, should prove extremely useful to all who have occasion to treat children. Beginning with the physiology of the infant and child, it treats of diseases occurring at or near birth, the general hygiene of infants and children, the feeding and food of infants and children, and then discusses in succession, in its twenty chapters, the different diseases to which children are subject, concluding with general considerations of physical development and diseases and accidents requiring surgical procedures. Its arrangement is good, its style clear and interesting, and while necessarily concise, it seems to be sufficiently full for the purposes of a manual. It is not an encyclopedia and no attempt at encyclopedic treatment of its themes seems to have been made. As one would expect from Dr. Taylor's reputation and special studies, the subject of diseases of the nervous system in children receives full attention, though perhaps less ample than one would like, despite the fact that the chapter occupies some 86 pages, or rather more than one-tenth of the bulk of the volume. The author has evidently subjected himself to considerable restraint in preparing this chapter. It is one of the best in literature upon its topics. Throughout the book one is impressed with the importance laid upon judicious management other than drug giving; while in pathology, in diagnosis, and in treatment in general, it is fully abreast of the times. The chapters on feeding deserve especial commendation in this regard, as do also the general dietetic recommendations in connection with the special diseases studied. We confidently predict for this book the favor that its merit demands, and in the second edition the authors will doubtless correct those few lapses of style and statement, which, infrequent though they are in this book, seem to be inseparable from any first edition. The typography and illustrations maintain the well-deserved reputation of the publishers. In the Clinics THE post-partum douche has been abandoned in the out-patient obstetric service of the Polyclinic. The patient's body is rendered thoroughly aseptic before she is put to bed. After this a copious vaginal douche of lysol or creolin is given. Following labor the patient is again thoroughly cleansed, but no intravaginal douche is given. We are glad to be able to report that no case of septicemia has occurred in patients delivered by the assistants in the department during the past year. All the cases of infection we have had during the past year have been delivered outside the service and have come to us after infection has occurred. Nearly all of these were mild cases and promptly recovered with proper treatment. For the most excellent nursing in our out-patient service we are indebted to the Visiting Nurse Society. DR. HANSELL called the attention of the class to the cylindric effect of tilting strong minus and plus spheric lenses and its practical bearing upon the prescribing of spectacles and especially of eye glasses. The degree of the alteration in the refraction of the lens when tilted has been computed by Dr. John Green and described in the Trans. Amer. Ophthal. Soc., 1896. The rotation of a glass in its vertical meridian will give it an additional cylindric refraction, axis horizontal. Therefore, high myopes with low astigmatism with the rule and hyperopes with astigmatism against the rule, learn unconsciously to correct their astigmatism by a slight forward tilting of the upper rim of the glass, and having formed the habit refuse to wear a glass that combines in its formula the astig matic correction. This fact has an important bearing also on the form of the nosepiece of the eye-glass. The compound formula requires an absolutely vertical adjustment, while the simple spherical demands one that will allow of moderate tilting. *.* * To illustrate those cases in which in his opinion a preliminary iridectomy should be performed some weeks before the extraction of cataract, Dr. de Schweinitz physician's, does it constitute a legal claim, Accounts, physician's, 340 Acne, cantharides in cases of, 342 Addison's disease, 372 Adenitis, chronic or subacute, 390 typical indurated chancre and characteristic Advertisement writing, 285 Air, liquid, 183 Antitoxin, the Polyclinic's editor on, 199 Aorta, atheroma of, 420 rupture of the (without aneurysm or atheroma), Aphasia from an unusual cause, 597, 602 Appendectomy, pain after, 250 Appendicitis, 372 care of patients after the operation for, 231, secondary to disease of the uterine adnexa, 504 some instructive cases of, 149, 156 APPLEMAN, LEIGHTON F., 369 Army, the need of physicians in the, 545 Artery, hyaloid, case of probable remnants of the superheated, some results of a year's experi- Asphyxiated new-born, the resuscitation of the ence with, 385 Alcohol, 270 558 Ataxia, acute, of childhood, 490 Atrophy, muscular, 73, 318 Bacteriologic study, the dangers of, 519 BAER, B. F., 571. See Clinics. BALL, M. V., SS, 304 Barton's endorsement, Miss Clara, 490 Bath-house, the Philadelphia Public, 333, 373 Bladder, incontinence after operation on, 441 Blood-changes, the, induced by altitude, and their Blood-count, altitude and, 251 Books of original entries, Notes on, with special Auvard, A., M.D. A System of Obstetrics, 216 Bianchi, Aurelio, M.D. The Phonendoscope Books Reviewed: Crothers, George D., A.M., M.D., and Hiram Gould, G. M., M.D. Gould's Pocket Medical Brown, J. M., 576 Buboes, treatment of, 526 Bunce, M. A. See Clinics. The Biologic Basis of Ethics and Religion, Calomel fumigations in spasmodic croup, 257 589 Gygax, P., M.D., and Landolt, E., M.D. Vade Mecum of Ophthalmological Therapeu- Hollopeter, W. C., A.M., M.D. Hay Fever Landis, Henry G., A.M., M.D. A Compend Landolt, E., M.D., and P. Gygax, M.D. Vade Maddox, Ernest E., M.D., F.R.C.S. Tests and Mitchell, S. Weir, M.D. Hugh Wynne, 116 Nettleship, Edward, F. R.C.S. Diseases of the Open Court, The, 186, 236, 298, 364, 434, 472, 520 Urinalysis and Urinary Diagnosis, 603 136, 186, 236, 310, 394, 434, 472, 508, 560 Roberts, A. Sydney, M.D. Contributions to Scheppegrell, W.. A.M., M.D. Electricity in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases Toutatre, Just, M.D. Yellow Fever, 374 cal Society, for the Year ending Decem- Transactions of the Pathological Society of Wilson, James C., M.D,, and Augustus A. Boteler, Dr., an apology from, 135 Bottini operation, the, for enlargement of the pros- Brain tumors, 342 Breast tumors, removal of certain benign, by Bronchitis, acute, 41, 500, 506 opiates, in the treatment of, 272 Cancer, breast, 342 of the stomach, 107 CANTRELL, J. A., 141. See Clinics. Carcinoma, two cases of, successfully treated by the Cardiac pain, the diagnosis and relief of, 563, 567, Cataract, a case of congenital nuclear, 122, 131 Catheter inflation of the tympanum, the technic Catheterization of the male ureter, 404 Chorea, a case of, 436 CHRISTIAN, H. M., 67, 113, 198, 595 Cleeman, R. A., 486 Cliffe, George, 293, 295 CLIFFE, W. L., 277, 280, 293 Clinics, In the, 10, 20, 26, 29, 40, 41, 72, 73, 92, 106, COHEN, S. SOLIS, 7, 20, 35, 43, 53, 105, 133, 159, 200, Coles, S., 213, 391 College of Physicians of Philadelphia,49 Commercialism in medicine, the growth of, 201 Conjunctiva and lids, catarrh of the, 444 Constipation in children, 284 Contagion: its meaning and limitations, 600 Contagious diseases act, the possibility of modify Corneal ulcers, 172 Cornea, retained foreign body in the, 271 |