Louisiana Retreat for the Insane.-Dr. S. M. Fortier has been appointed attending M. Fortier has been appointed attending physician to the Louisiana Retreat for the Insane, rice Dr. E. T. Shepard, deceased. Dr. Fortier has for a number of years served as assistant. ing sudden death. When the flame is in- | dent, Dr. William Browning; vice-presihaled through the mouth and upper air- dent, Dr. C. F. Coombes; secretary, Dr. W. passages as well, a very marked reflex in- H. Haynes. hibitory action upon both the heart and the respiration is produced. In such a case, after a control has been taken (a control. showing a characteristic inhibitory action upon the heart and respiration), when both vagi are severed, the inhibitory action upon the heart is wholly prevented, and, while the respirations are not so greatly altered in character, they do not wholly escape reflex influence. The same may be said of similar experiments in which physiological doses of atropine had been given. The great irregularity of the blood-pressure curve shows that two factors are at work in its production, the one an accelerating, the other an inhibiting; and in the cases in which blast of hot air or flame was introduced through the mouth, both of these factors were brought simultaneously into play, while in the experiments in which the flame was forced into the lungs through the trachea, but one factor-the accelerating was active. In view of the fact that hot air and flame very markedly stimulate reflex inhibition of the heart and the respira tion, it is quite probable that the sudden collapse from inhaling hot air or flame is due to the reflex inhibition of the cardiac and respiratory action, in the way just pointed out. Death may be caused in a few minutes by exhaustion of both the respiratory and the circulatory mechanisms from overstimulation. Matrimonial. On January 11, 1900, at the Walnut Street Presbyterian Church, West Philadelphia, Dr. Henry Vernon Marvel was united in the bonds of matrimony to Anne Cornelius, daughter of Mrs. Darius Mangam Howell. Dr. and Mrs. Marvel will be at home after February 1st at 4641 Cedar Avenue. May prosperity and happiness attend their course in life. Orleans Parish Medical Society. The following officers have been elected: President, Dr. T. S. Dabney; first vice-president, Dr. M. J. Magruder; second vice-president, Dr. E. J. Graner; third vice-president, Dr. H. B. Gessner; recording secretary, Dr. E. H. Walet; treasurer, Dr. M. Maguire; librarian and corresponding secretary, Dr. S. P. Deloup. Drs. E. D. Martin, John Callan, and Isadore Dyer were elected as the three members to serve, with the officers, as a Board of Directors. The Eastern Medical Society of the City of New York.-At the annual meeting of this society the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, Dr. Abram Brothers; first vice-president, Dr. J. Guttman, second vice-president, Dr. A. Hymanson: secretary, Dr. R. Abrahams; treasurer, Dr. J. Barsky. Dropsy of Renal Capsule.-Kirmisson operated on a girl, aged 12, with symptoms of left hydronephrosis. She suffered much pain, especially when riding in a carriage; so that renal calculus was suspected. On making the lumbar incision a pouch with an irregular surface was exposed. On emptying it the kidney was found deep down below it, and hardly dropsical at all. The fluid lay entirely between the kidney and its capsule.-British Medical Journal. Insanity Caused by Fæcal Impaction.— Roberts was called upon to treat a lady, aged 65, who was seized with symptoms of dementia, characterized by intense restlessThe Brooklyn Society of Neurology.-ness, mutterings, distrust of her relatives, At the annual meeting officers for the en- and an idea that she was reduced to absolute suing year were elected as follows: Presi- poverty. A local examination, made to de termine the nature of a foul-smelling vag- | about had stuck in her eye. showed a grayish halo at the site of the lesion, and was somewhat puffy at the edge; vascular reaction was beginning to show itself on the neighboring part of the ocular conjunctiva, and clinical experience had taught the observer that four days was about the time necessary to produce this state of Early Syphilitic Nephritis. - Allaria things. In another case the patient was a maintains that nephritis of syphilitic origin nurse-maid, aged from 16 to 17, who came may occur in the secondary stage of syph- with a little boy, aged from 12 to 14 months, ilis. Such cases are distinguished clinically in her arms. She was suffering from traby the presence of anasarca, severe albu-choma, which had become acutely inflamed minuria (with presence of albumoses?), and and was suppurating. Dr. Van Duyse at cure under mercury-and-iodide treatment. once forbade her carrying the child, and she The nephritis is partly parenchymatous, promised to obey. When she returned two such as one gets in other infectious diseases, days later, however, the surgeon on seeing and partly interstitial, this last being due her, frowned, and said in a severe tone: "In to the specific poison. The author describes spite of my prohibition you have been cara case of secondary syphilitic nephritis diag-rying the child. I shall be obliged to let nosed as such during life, and presenting your master and mistress know what is the the above-named features when examined anatomically. Tertiary syphilitic nephritis has a more chronic course in the majority of cases, and the albuminuria is not so marked. -British Medical Journal. The Method of Sherlock Holmes in Medicine. Dr. G. W. Balfour recently expounded the method of Zadig to the York Medical Society. The method is practically identical with that of "Sherlock Holmes," the prototype of whom, it is well known, is a distinguished Edinburgh surgeon. Professor Van Duyse, of Ghent, appears to have found the method useful, and in opening the Ophthalmological Clinic of the University of that city not long ago he gave his hearers some illustrations of its application. A lady came to him complaining of intense pain in one eye, when he at once said to her, "Madam, you keep birds. Four days ago you cleaned out their cage; since then your eye has been bad." The patient was astounded at this instantaneous diagnosis which seemed to her almost miraculous. But the thing was very simple. A husk of grain had become implanted in the cornea; the lady had evidently blown into the seed glass, and a husk thus set floating matter with you." The girl stoutly denied that she had been carrying the child, but Dr. Van Duyse insisted that hardly twenty minutes before she had been carrying it on her right arm, and had handed it over to some one else at the door. The girl, amazed at the almost supernatural insight of the surgeon, confessed her transgression. Here, too, there was nothing more occult than a recent tell-tale trickle of urine running obliquely from right to left across the girl's apron. The art of observation may be cultivated by attention to such apparent trifles; and, as confidence in the doctor is the most potent of adjuvants, the method of Sherlock Holmes is a powerful aid to success in treatment. But it requires to be cultivated with patience and used with discretion, for an error is apt to cover the seer with ridicule, a misfortune which some of its most distinguished exponents have not always escaped.-British Medical Journal. Cheyne, M.B., F.R.C.S., F.R.S., Surgeon to | headache first establishing the diagnosis of Parotitis in Old Age.-Walcott reports a case of mumps occurring in a retired physician, aged ninety-nine years and six months. The disease commenced with slight chilliness, followed later in the day by nausea and vomiting, pain about the angle of the jaw, with difficulty in opening the mouth. Upon examination a distinct swelling of the parotid gland was apparent. This continued to increase in severity for two days, until the right eye was completely closed and the ear in the middle of the swelling. The third day the swelling showed decided subsidence, but the heart's action commenced to fail, and near the close of the fourth day of illness the patient died. The case is of peculiar interest on account of the unusual occurrence of mumps in extreme old age.-Medical Standard. Tumor of the Pituitary Body.-Walton, Cheney, and Mallory report the case of a man, 25 years old, who presented peculiarities of growth suggestive of congenital defect of the pituitary gland, in which attacks of migraine accompanied by hemianopsia had existed for so long as at first to exclude an organic basis. Later, there was persistent deficiency of vision involving primarily the temporal field of one eye only; subsequently extending to the nasal field of the other eye, and giving rise to homonymous hemianopsia. Still later there was loss of color-field on the otherwise unaffected side of one eye (hemiachromatopsia). During the progress of the case there was loss of sexual power, impairment of vision, and optic atrophy, the ocular symptoms with the persistent Toward the end appeared vasomotor symptoms, somnolence, physical weakness and apathy, and lack of mental grasp. From a study of this case and of others recorded in the literature, the conclusion is reached that congenital peculiarities in growth resembling those of acromegaly, but occurring in otherwise healthy individuals, may point to structural defect of the pituitary gland: a defect sometimes furnishing the starting-point for new growth later in life. The occurrence of pituitary tumor without definite symptoms of acromegaly does not necessarily disprove a connection between this organ and this disease, for the persistence of even a small amount of healthy gland-tissue is sufficient fairly to carry on the function of the pituitary body. The combination of general symptoms of new growth with optic atrophy and loss of the temporal field of vision makes the diagnosis of pituitary tumor almost certain. Hemiachromatopsia is not necessarily of central origin. Medical Record. Western Surgical and Gynecological Association. At a meeting, held at Des Moines, Iowa, this association elected the following officers for the ensuing year: President, O. Beverly Campbell, of St. Joseph, Mo. First vice-president, A. C. Bernays, of St. Louis, Mo. Second vicepresident, J. R. Hollowbush, of Rock Island, Ill. Secretary-treasurer, George H. Simmons, of Chicago. Executive Council, H. C. Crowell, chairman, of Kansas City, Mo.; Lewis Schooler, of Des Moines, Iowa; J. P. Lord, of Omaha, Neb.; J. E. Moore, of Minneapolis, Minn.; and M. L. Harris, of Chicago. Minneapolis was selected as the place for holding the next annual meeting. The Chairman of the Committee of Arrangements is A. W. Abbott. Competition for the American Medical Association Medal.-At the meeting of the American Medical Association, held June 4, 1897, it was resolved to restore the former policy of the association in favor of offering annually a gold medal for meritorious sci- | the United States. Dr. Forestier is well entific work. The committee for this year, and favorably known to many Americans, consisting of Drs. George M. Gould, of the patronage at the baths consisting largely Philadelphia; E. Fletcher Ingals, of of American and English people. Dr. FoChicago; and T. W. Huntington, of Sacra- restier is the author of an excellent brochure, mento, Cal., desires to direct attention to descriptive of the virtues of the waters, the the following rules governing the compe- modes of their application at Aix-les-Bains, tition:and the diseases to which they are appropriate. The method consists of douchemassage, or douche combined with massage. Two other thermal practices, the general and the local vapor-bath, are used as accessories. The Aix water is hot, contains sodium, calcium, sulphuretted hydrogen, 1. The medal shall contain the seal of the United States or a seal of the association, to be hereafter designed, on one side and an Esculapian staff on the other, together with the name of the recipient of the medal and suitable inscriptions. 2. The commercial value of the medal and an organic matter which gives it an shall be $100.00. 3. A standing committee on prize-medals, consisting of three members of the association, shall be elected by the Business Committee as follows: One for one year, one for two years, and one for three years, and thereafter one to be elected yearly to hold office until in either case his successor has been duly elected. In no case shall a member of the Business Committee hold a place on the Committee on Prize-medals. unctuous quality suitable for massage. Some of the diseases in which the Aix treatment is beneficial are chronic rheumatism, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiac diseases, gonorrhoeal arthritis, syphilis, diseases of the nervous system, etc. Lycoming County Medical Society.-A memorable day in the annals of the Lycoming County Medical Society of this State was January 12th, when the fifty-first annual meeting was held and the banquet 4. The competing essays shall be type-enjoyed. written or printed, and shall bear no mark The meeting took place at the Park Hotel revealing their authorship; but, instead of at Williamsport, Pa. Many of our readers the name of the author, there shall appear know the beautiful scenes amid which our on each essay a motto, and.accompanying brethren of the Lycoming County Society each essay shall be a sealed envelope con- carry on their daily work. Truly, "their taining the name of the author and bearing lines are fallen in pleasant places." After on its outer surface the motto of identifica- the election of officers and the president's tion. No envelope is to be opened by the address, addresses were delivered by Dr. committee until a decision has been reached Alfred Stengel, of Philadelphia, and Dr. as to the most deserving essay, and the other John C. Hemmeter, of Baltimore, the foressays have been returned to their respective mer choosing for his subject "The Modern owners. The committee shall have author- Methods of Diagnosing and Treating Heart ity to reject and return all essays in case Diseases" and the latter speaking upon none has been found worthy of the asso-The Absorption of Iron from the Gastrociation medal. Competing essays must be Intestinal Canal and the Dietetics of Anæin the hands of the committee not later than mia" and also upon "The Early Diagnosis March 1, 1900. For further information of Carcinoma of the Stomach." The banaddress any member thereof. quet, "a feast of reason and a flow of soul," was held in the evening at 7.30 o'clock. Dr. Henri Forestier. Dr. Henri Forestier, physician to the Thermal Establishment at Aix-les-Bains, France, has been visiting this city recently while on a tour to Announcement.-E. B. Treat & Co., of New York, announce the approaching issue of their well-known "International Medical Annual" for 1900, this being the eighteenth | well's greatness is beyond dispute, no matter consecutive year of its publication. No what may be thought of his character. His pains have been spared to make the forth- influence at an important period will always coming edition complete, and it is believed make him a commanding historical characSketches of life in New York and that the 1900 annual will excel any of its ter. predecessors. Paris, an article dealing with the Philippines, and miscellaneous literary matter renLip-der the January edition an auspicious beginning of the year. This magazine announces a number of interesting articles for the present year. In addition to those already mentioned we are promised fiction and special articles by Richard Harding Davis; "The Russia of To-day," by Henry Norman; articles by Walter A. Wyckoff, whose series, "The Workers," deservedly attracted so much attention. Short stories will be published by Thomas Nelson Page, Octave Thanet, and other favorite writers. Descriptive papers upon a variety of subjects are also to be given during the year. The January Magazines.-The "New pincott."-This magazine opens the year with a complete novel entitled "The Bread Line," by Albert Bigelow Paine. It is a story of Bohemian life in New York, and is full of sensations and episodes. A series of studies of Mormon life by Mrs. J. K. Hudson begins in this number with a story called "The Third Wife." This number contains several good short stories, a number of sketches, a third paper by Ignota on English social life, and other interesting matter. Lippincott's has long been a favor ite serial. McClure's.-The January number of this publication is, as usual, full of well-written articles on timely topics. The present leading feature of the magazine is a topic which is ever timely, viz.: the life of Christ on earth. This, under the title of "The Life of the Master," has been written with the greatest care by Dr. John Watson, the author of the "Bonny Brier-bush." The work has been under preparation for several years. It is illustrated by pictures made in Palestine for the purpose by Corwin Knapp Lin son. The first section of this important work appeared in the December edition. Other contributions of note are by Mark Twain, Governor Boutwell, Prof. Simon Newcomb, Lieutenant Peary, Rev. C. T. Brady, and others. Scribner's. This is a standard magazine. The chief features of the January issue are an installment of J. M. Barrie's new novel: "Tommy and Grizel." This is considered by many to be Mr. Barrie's best work. A second prominent series is a "Life of Oliver Cromwell," by Theodore Roosevelt. Mr. Roosevelt is unusually well qualified by nature, taste, and training to draw a lifelike picture of the great Protector. Crom The Cosmopolitan. - The Cosmopolitan offers its readers an interesting literary feast for January in a stirring story of "The Lady of the Ship," by A. T. Quiller-Couch; a story called "Dizzy Dave," by John Luther Long; an amusing Irish tale by Seumas MacManus; an article upon Berlin by former Consul-General Charles de Kay, etc. of Review of Reviews.-The future of Cuba and Porto Rico, the Philippine question, financial legislation in the new congress, Secretary Root's report, the British reverses in South Africa, and the recent progress American municipalities are some of the topics editorially treated in the January edition. The subject of the charactersketch is Secretary John Hay. The writer of the sketch is Mr. Henry Macfarland, the well-known Washington correspondent. The Hon. John Barrett writes with his accustomed clearness and force on "Our Interests in China-A Question of the Hour." Prof. Edwin O. Jordan, of the on the University of Chicago, writes Chicago drainage canal, mainly from the point of view of sanitation. Mr. Albert C. Stevens gives an interesting account of modern fraternal insurance associations, of |