BOOK REVIEWS.

OPERATIVE OBSTETRICS.

Including the surgery of the newborn. By Edward P. Davis, M. D., Professor of Obstetrics, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. Octavo volume of 483 pages, with 264 illustrations. Philadelphia and London: W. B. Saunders Company, 1911. Cloth, $5.50 net.

The paper is highly finished, and the illustrations superb. All operations, from the simpler to the gravest, are well illustrated, and the ccompanying text elucidates them thoroughly. Ether is favored as an anesthetic. X-ray illustrations of flat, rachitic, justo-minor and irregularly contracted pelves are shown. External pelvimetry is clearly illustrated. Internal and external version, and the application of forceps are well illustrated, both in high and low application. Vaginal Caesarean section has a number of remarkably clear cuts. The author gives his experience in 95 cases of abdominal delivery, with death of 9 mothers and 6 children. Bibliography is voluminous, fitting the reader for convenient search of literature, if he so desires.

SURGICAL OPERATIONS.

By Prof. F. Pels-Leusden. Translated by F. E. Gardner, M. D. Pages 726, quarto, linen. Published by Rebman & Co., New York. Price $7.00. The publishers should be encouraged in their efforts to make accessible to the English-speaking medical profession much of the best in modern German literature. The volume before us is from the pen of the chief of the surgical dispensary of the Charite Hospital in Berlin, a pupil of Koenig's, who has grown up in the traditions of the school of von Langenbeck and von Bergmann He presents a good exposition of the classical operative procedures, and makes his book especially valuable to the student by the detailed consideration of the simpler maneuvers, such as, for instance, catheterization. Abundant and clear diagrammatic drawings elu

cidate the text.

If any fault might be found with the work it is that of ultra-conservatism. The author makes no mention of many of the newer procedures whose place in surgery seems to be established with reasonable security, and clings to older methods which are not always in accord with modern teachings.

The book is well printed on good paper. It makes a good text-book; its value to the practitioner would be considerably enhanced by sufficient references to the literature.

BLAIR'S POCKET THERAPEUTICS.

A Practitioner's Handbook of Medical Treatment. By Thomas S. Blair, M. D., Neurologist to Harrisburg, Pa., Hospital; Author of "A System of Public Hygiene," "Blair's Practitioner's Handbook of Materia Medica," Member of the Harrisburg Academy of Medicine, American Medical Association, etc.; 373 pages, special Bible paper; bound in limp leather: price $2.00. Published by The Medical Council Co., Forty-second and Chestnut streets, Philadelphia, Pa.

This book gives a condensed intelligent discussion of the best methods of treatment, based on scientific principles, with a well-tried, reliable formula occasionally to illustrate the application of the principles. The author gives many modes of treatment far in advance of the present text-books. An ingenious method of indicating relative dosage is to print the name of the drug in capital letters for large doses, in ordinary type for medium doses, and in italics for small doses. An exhaustive "Table of Large, Medium and Small Doses" is given in the book.

In order to get all this within the compass of a book for the pocket, a very thin, tough Bible paper has been used, so that it is really a much larger book than it looks.

This book will be a useful pocket companion to the physician in his daily work.

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL ANNUAL.

To begin with, a review of the International Medical Annual, a book that not only gives in abstract form the advances in medicine and surgery during the past year, but does so in a style that is particularly easy and interesting, is a pleasant task. The annual published in America by E. B. Treat and Company and styled a "Year Book of Treatment and Practitioner's Index," is in its thirtieth year. Its contributors are among the best men in England and America and its editors, judging from the book, equally capable.

Part one, containing ninety-six pages, consists of a review of the literature on new drugs and new uses of old drugs, all arranged in alphabetical order so as to be readily referred to. The article on Salvarsan, consisting of a 20-page review culled of all extraneous matter and followed by a very complete list of the references used, is itself worth the price of the book. Radio-activity in diagnosis and treatment, Radium and Ionic Medication are also taken up in this section.

Part two opens with a general review of the different departments of medicine and surgery with mention of the most important lines of work being done in each. Then follows a review of medical and surgical progress for 1911, together with a brief synopsis of treatment recommended during recent years. This section is also arranged in alphabetical order so that any subject may be easily referred to without consulting the index. Cross references to other articles upon the same subject under different headings are also given.

Part three, twenty-eight pages, includes Medico-Legal and Forensic Medicine, State Medicine, Industrial Diseases and Toxicology and a special article on the English Insurance Act as it affects the medical profession.

It would be manifestly impossible to review any of the special articles taken up in the short space allotted to this review; suffice to say the book as a resume of the literature is thorough, the style pleasant and the arrangement of the subjects particularly commendable. Quoting from the preface, "The chief value of information to the practitioner depends upon his ability to refer to it without delay when a case arises requiring its practical application. We may remember to have read of some new method but when we want to employ it time cannot be spared to find the source of information. The Annual supplies at once the whole literature upon the subject filtered of extraneous matter, crystallized, submitted to criticism and so arranged that it is immediately available for reference." The Medical Annual compares most favorably with similar reviews of the literature with which we are familiar. The book sells for $3.50, it is worth more.

FRANK M. CONLIN, Omaha.

"Come over and play with my little boy, sonny," called the pleasantfaced new neighbor to the solemn-faced urchin on the fence between the two lots.

tion.

"Is your little boy sick or anything?" came the child's earnest ques

"No, indeed, sonny. Why?"

"Cause I've had my tonsils taken out an' my adenoids removed an' my appendix cut out an' I've been vaccinated an' serumized for typhoid an' spinal meningitis, an' I've had antitoxin injected, an' I do hope I won't have to have anything done to me this year, so's for a little while I can have a bit o' fun."

WYOMING SECTION

WESTERN MEDICAL REVIEW

Per

Published Monthly by WESTERN MEDICAL REVIEW COMPANY, Omaha, Nebr. Annum, $2.00. The WESTERN MEDICAL REVIEW is the Journal of the Wyoming State Medical Society and is sent by order of the Society to each of its members.

OFFICERS:

Dr. A. G. HAMILTON, Thermopolis, President

DR. W. H. ROBERTS, Cheyenne, Secretary

DR, NEIL DAVID NELSON, Shoshoni, Treasurer

All matter for publication in this section should be sent to

FRED W. PHIFER, M. D., Editor, Wheatland, Wyo.

COLLABORATORS-SUBJECT TO REVISION.
WYOMING SECTION.

Pestal, Joseph. Douglas; Keith, M. C.; Casper; Marshall, T. E., Sheridan; Nelson, N. D.; Shoshoni; Wicks, J. L., Evanston; Wiseman, Letitia, Cheyenne; Young, J. H., Rock Springs.

Vol. XVII.

CHEYENNE, WYO., AUGUST, 1912.

ABSTRACTS.

Is Idiocy Curable.

No 8

The Hungarian medical papers report the sensational case of Dr. Payr, director of the Leipsic surgical clinic, who attended an idiotic child on whom he performed an operation consisting of the implantation of a part of a normal thyroid gland in the child's kidney. The thyroid gland maintained its functional capacity in the new body, and within one month the child became regenerated and could be dismissed from the hospital entirely cured. Dr. Alapy, director of the surgical section at the pediatric clinic in Budapest, says that while the administration of thyroid gland to idiots and cretins is neither new nor altogether satisfactory, because the improvement realized is only temporary, Professor Payr's method promises lasting cure, inasmuch as the alien thyroid gland-if developing further in the body-produces itself the fluid which supplies the blood with that constituent the lack of which causes idiocy. This is not the first time that Professor Payr has attracted the attention of the scientific world. Before he left Hungary, while he was still assistant at Gratz, he transplanted different organs into animal and human subjects, with such success that the organs maintained their functional activity.

Gonorrhea in Girls.

Louise Morrow and Olga Bridgman, Geneva, Ill. (Journal A. M. A., May 25), report on the treatment of 300 cases of gonorrheal infection in girls admitted to the Illinois State Training School for Girls. The average annual admissions are 200, 55 per cent of which are thus infected at the time of entrance. It is of all degrees of severity, from the generally mild innocent infection to the virulent and obstinate cases seen in the prostitute and habitual masturbator. A thorough physical and microscopic examination is made of each case on admission, and microscopic examinations of infected cases are made at least once a month from the beginning of treatment till its end. The patients are kept under treatment for two months after all the germs have disappeared from the discharges, and, after treatment, monthly examinations are still made and records kept. In giving the treatment the speculum is used wherever possible, but in the very young patients and some of those with undoubtedly innocent infection, this is impracticable, and these cases are more difficult on this account. Formerly, these children were treated with douches without any good effects, and the authors condemn douches in general in the treatment of these cases. Instillations of argyrol and 1 per cent silver nitrate by long medicine droppers are not much better. The authors sum up their method as follows: "1. For cases in which the speculum can be used, semi-weekly treatments, once with 25 per cent silver nitrate to the cervilx and 10 per cent to the vagina, followed by an application of petrolatum, and once by a 25 per cent paste of iodoform in glycerin have given the best results. This treatment is not improved by the use of gonococcus vaccine. 2. For little girls and in virgins with an innocent infection, local cleanliness and the use of gonococcus vaccine give the best results. Because of the tendency to recurrence of the infection, however, this is not entirely satisfactory. 3. Vaccine is of the greatest use in cases with joint complications. Here it is almost invaluable."

Pellagra.

Smith (Medical Record) estimates that, at the present time, there are from 10,000 to 15,000 cases of pellagra in the United States, principally in the southeast. Insane asylums have furnished the most malignant type of the disease. Pellagra is rapidly increasing at the present time. As to its etiology, many theories have been advanced, but none has stood the test, and

we have no definite knowledge as to its cause. The diagnosis of pellagra in well marked cases is made from the so called pellagrous triad of erythema, nervous and digestive disturbances. Its diagnosis is not infrequently missed by competent diagnosticians because of the lack of knowledge of its symptomatology; an early diagnosis is difficult in any case. The mortality rate of pellagra is much higher here than in Europe, the type of the disease being aparently more severe than that of the Indian pellagra. From twenty-five to 33.3 per cent of the cases are fatal in the United States, double the mortality of "sunny Italy." There is no known specific treatment, but large success follows regulation of diet, wholesome environment (climatic change, if possible), and arsenical medication in the form of atoxyl, soamin, salvarsan, etc. The writer suggests that pellagra should receive the serious consideration of the National Health Department, that it should be made a reportable disease, and that an educational campaign should be instituted against it.

Pain in Renal Disease.

Zimmerman, in the American Practitioner and News, points out the frequency with which pains located in the kidney region are misinterpreted. Grave kidney lesions are often overlooked because the pain is supposed to be due to some affection of muscles, spinal column, or nerves ;and, on the other hand, kidney disease is diagnosed when the lesion is really one of muscle, or bone, or of some organ whose location is remote from the kidney.

Pain is a prominent symptom of many surgical affections of the kidney and ureter. It may be local or referred. In character and severity it ranges from a heavy, dragging sensation in the lumbar region, scarcely to be dignified by the title of pain, to the most intense and excruciating agony of renal colic. Pain may be the result, either of irritation or of distention of the kidney or ureter. The origin of renal pain involves the question of the sensitivity of the viscera. This subject has received much attention at the hands of both psysiologists and clinicians. It is a fact long since demonstrated that the viscera may be subjected to the action of intense chemical, thermal and mechanical stimuli without in the most evanescent or slightest degree affecting the attention of consciousness."

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