Strangulated Hernia treated by the local application of Ether.Berliner Klin. Wochenschrift,-Univ. Med. Mag. Finkelstein again draws attention to his method of treating the affection. In 1882, in No. 30 of this journal, he gave details of sixty-three cases of hernia in which toxis failed. Local etherization was followed by reposition in fifty-four and failed in four. Two of these were operated on and two refused interference and died. In the present paper twenty-three additional successful cases are given, some of which occurred in the practice of other surgeons. In one case improvement occurred, and a movement of the bowels took place, but an operation was afterward performed and some omentum replaced. Another case died suddenly, and the intestine was found of a dark, brownish-blue color, and not at all easily broken. His method consists in placing the patient on his back, with the hips somewhat elevated and the knees fixed. The sciotum is to be supported by a small pillow. Every ten or fifteen minutes a drachm of sulphuric acid is poured on the tumor, and in three-quarters to three hours usually, or six hours, as occurred in one case, the tumor will have diminished in size, and will either recede of itself, or be readily returned.

In the abstract at hand, no explanation is made of the mode of action of the remedy. We presume, however, that it is merely the refrigerant action of the evaporating ether. Having in several instances reduced obstinate strangulated herniæ by covering the tumor with ice bags for a few hours, the patient being placed in proper position and relaxed with morphia and antimony, we are willing to credit to cold, a powerful influence for good in these cases. In the use of the ice bag, gentle and continuous pressure of the weight of the bag of cracked ice is also brought to bear, but this is very slight. The cold is the valuable agent.

Predisposition to tuberculous infection.--Prof. Birch Hirshfeld, of Leipzig, comments (Wiener Med. Blatter,-Med. and Surg. Rep.) on the question of predisposition to tuberculous infection, pointing out that the prevailing theory of direct infection by inoculation of the bacillus is rapidly coming to be regarded as the only important factor in the spread of the disease. Predisposition may be classed as "general" and "local," meaning by the first term a greater or less resistance to the development of tubercle; and by the second, the various factors that incline an individual organ or part to become tuberculous. General predisposition may be inherited or acquired as in the case of diabetes. Local predisposition may depend upon the condition of the local tissue, the opportunities which they afford for the entrance of the tuberculosis virus, and the amount of resistance which they set up against its development. Inherited predisposition is strengthened by the fact that, up to the present time, the evidence of the direct conveyance of the disease from mother to fœtus in utero has not been well established in the human species, although, undoubtedly, instances have been reported

as

as occurring among certain animals. Dr. Birch-Hirshfeld relates a case in which a foetus was removed from the uterus of a woman aged twenty-three, within a few moments of her death from general tuberculosis, without any damage being done to the placenta. Portions of the liver, spleen and kidney of the foetus produced tuberculous disease when inoculated into rabbits and guinea pigs, but only in the capillaries of the liver could any tubercle bacilli be discovered. In the placenta, however, the villous spaces were crowded with bacilli. The very limited evidence of tuberculous material in the foetus might serve an explanation of the fact that children of tuberculous parents are often born without any manifestation of tuberculous disease, and yet appear to develop tubercle during the first few years of life. A limited infection by, the maternal bacilli, perhaps, during the process of birth, might remain latent in one or more organs until other circumstances contribute to their development. It is thus possible that confusion may exist between “ latent tubercle," and tuberculous predisposition." That latent tubercle may remain quiescent, especially in bronchial glands, until awakened by an attack of acute disease, such as measles or whooping cough, is well known. The frequent occurrence of each latent tuberculous foci, without any other evidence of tuberculous disease, goes far to prove that resistance to tubercle is as powerful a factor as predisposition. The conjestive influences of valvular disease of the heart, and of emphysema upon the connective tissues of the lungs, are examples of some of the mechanical causes which constitute resistance.

The

The Medical Department of the Western Reserve University closes its Winter Term on Wednesday, March 2d. This has been one of the most successful in the history of the institution. Alumni Association will meet on the afternoon of March 2d, the President, Dr. Janin Strong, will take for the subject of his address "The Neurotic Proclivity, or Modern Tendency to Nervous Affections." At the commencement exercises in the evening, Rev. Wayland Hoyt, D. D., of Mineapolis will deliver the annual address. After remarks to the class by Dr. E. C. Weber, Dean, the degrees will be conferred by the president of the University, Chas. F. Thwing, D. D. As usual, we shall publish in full the proceedings of the Alumni Association graduating exercises and annual banquet in our March number. A large number of alumni are expected to be present. Dr. S. W. Kelley, the corresponding secretary, will be pleased to furnish information to alumni expecting to be present, regarding this meeting. Come and meet your old classmates.

It is said that in Munich, which consumes more beer than any German city, the family allowance of the amber fluid amounts to 565 quarts a year for every man, woman and child.

Obesity cured. The Remedy.-A certain fat man in New York who wished to reduce his weight, began by collecting pamphlets offered by firms that advertise cures for obesity. He was much struck by the fact that all agreed in one particular. While each firm advertised the regular taking of its particular cure, and several said, "others are useless or worse," all insisted that a great deal of exercise and a peculiar diet must be taken with the medicine.

About six months afterward the pamphlet collector, now no longer a fat man, entered a New York drug store.

"I'm eternally obliged to you," he said to the proprietor. “How's that, sir?”

"Six months ago I weighed two hundred and twenty-seven pounds. Now I weigh only one hundred and eighty."

"Would you kindly give me your name and address, sir?" said the fat-cure vender in great delight.

"Certainly," and he gave it.

'Now, sir, if you'd allow us to refer to your case, we should be greatly obliged."

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Certainly. That's what I came in for. I've written out a

certificate."

He handed it to the delighted proprietor, repeated "I'm eternally obliged to you," and departed.

Then the druggist read the following certificate :

"I have much pleasure in recommending Mr.'s pamphlet on the cure of obesity. In consequence of reading it, I have reduced my weight in six months from two hundred and twenty-seven to one hundred and eighty pounds, with great benefit to my general health. I rigidly followed the pamphlet's advice to take regular exercise and eschew fatty, starchy and sweet foods. This saved me a good deal of money, for I never took one particle of Mr. 's medicine."-Ex.

"Dr. Albert Fishblatt," so-called, was recently arrested at Cleveland, on the charge of obtaining money under false pretenses. A broker firm purchased promissory notes aggregating several thousand dollars from "Dr." Fishblatt, paying for them the sum of $1,000 upon his representation that they were worth at least that sum. Each note was made in favor of Dr. Fishblatt, who has been practicing as a specialist in medicine under the name of the Albert Dispensary, and was made payable at the time when a cure was effected. The notes are "judgment" contract notes, which gull so many victims of advertisers. In all probability the "specialist" will be acquitted.

A wish granted. She-Oh, my tooth aches just dreadfully! I don't see why we cannot be born without teeth.

He-I think, my dear, that if you will look up some authority on that point, you will find that most of us are.

An Ophthalmologist is to be placed in the state Blind Asylum at Columbus, as a number of the cases there are said to be curable.

Dr. James Coldham, of Toledo, died January 7.

We note the death of Dr. T. Woodbridge, of Youngstown, Jan. 5. He was in his eighty-second year.

Will Settle for Half.-The latest problem Dr. William A. Hammond takes up for discussion is, "Have we two brains?" He could comfort some folks immensely by proving 50 per cent. of it. --Philadelphia Ledger.

Burning of the Indianapolis Surgical Institute.-Speaking of this terrible disaster, the Sentinel of that city says: "For years it had been expected and predicted, and the horrors of it drawn in word, pictures practically just as it occurred. It was rightly considered inevitable. It was known by all to be a mere matter of time till it occurred, until the people would be shocked by the knowledge that the long expected and long dreaded had happened, sickened with the details of its horror, and stunned by the terrible harvest death reaped by it." Such facts add to the horror, that the city authorities should know of and wink at such a crime is appalling. "The Sentinel bows its head in shame that it has not raised its voice long ago against this standing menace to human life." As such disasters usually come in duplicate and triplicate, the lesson is clear. Let the authorities of all cities be on the alert. Imperfections of this kind about buildings where the sick and helpless are gathered, are wholly inexcusable, and the authorities permitting them, and those owning them, should be held responsible. Unquestionably the surgical institute should have been closed long ago because of its unsuitableness for the purpose to which it was put. Every hospital and charitable institution should be under the immediate surveillance of the State and local boards of health, and health boards should have the official power to close up any such institution that does not comply with the directions given for the safety and protection of the lives of the inmates.--The Journal. Didn't Care for Style.-Mr. Tomax--Doctor, I wish you would call and see my wife. She is very ill this morning.

Doctor Shall I call with the single or with the span? Mr. Tomax-I don't see what difference that makes. Doctor-Well, you see, I charge $3 extra for calls made with the span.

Mr. Tomax-Oh, I see; I guess you had better walk around, doctor.--Brooklyn Citizen.

A Smart Trick.-A Canadian medical student recently smuggled a skeleton into Canada from Detroit, by dressing it up, properly padded in woman's clothes, putting on it a hat and a thick blue veil and seating it alongside of him in a buggy while crossing the ferry. After he had got it by the custom officers and into his own house, he learned that there was no duty on skeletons. His opinion of his own cleverness has fallen a degree or two.-Medical Record.

A canvass of Frenchmen has been made on Tolstoi's denunciation of tobacco and alcohol. Gounod thinks they produce sluggishness and therefore affect the will, but not the conscience. Richepin condones the use of stimulants; Zola says he does not drink wine for the reason that it does not agree with him. He disagrees with Tolstoi's opinions. Dr. Charcot thinks Tolstoi's tenets exaggerated and false. Daudet said he had found that smoking assisted and intoxication prevented work.

The Regulation of Medical Practice in Washington.-In the Virginia Medical Monthly for December, 1891, Dr. Robert T. Edes discusses the subject of "The Regulation of Medicine in the District of Columbia," and gives the text of the two bills which have been introduced into Congress for the purpose in question. Each of the bills provide for the appointment of a Board of Medical Examiners, and it is with regard to this point that, as usual, trouble arises. The District Medical Society's bill provides for a board of nine physicians, five nominated by the society, two by the Homœopathic Med. Society, and two appointed "at large." The other bill provides for a board of fifteen, of whom eight are to be regular physicians, five homœopathic, and two eclectic. The curious part of this feature is that, as a matter of fact, there are in Washington four hundred and forty-four regular physicians, thirty six homœopathic, and two eclectics, giving a proportion of two hundred and twenty-two, eighteen, and one, or thirteen, one, and one-eighteenth. This bill is another illustration of the well-known fact that "schools" of medicine now keep up organization chiefly for what there is in it, not because they embody scientific truths.-Medical Record.

The death of Sir Morell Mackenzie, of London, the well-known laryngologist, is announced as having taken place on Wednesday, the 3d inst. He was fifty-four years old.--N. Y. Med. Jour.

It is a cold day when St. Louis does not present a new medical journal to the profession; the latest to appear is the Medical Fortnightly, edited and published every other week by Bradford Lewis, M.D. It is a pity that the medical profession of St. Louis cannot combine their forces and publish one or two good medical journals instead of so many. The same remarks might be applied to their medical colleges.

A temperance lecturer, in order to illustrate the poisonous effects of alchohol, placed a drop of water in his stereopticon, and the image upon the canvas disclosed millions of living active animalculæ. He then placed a drop of alcohol in the water, when lo! every living germ was instantly killed. However, belore he was able to enforce the lesson, someone in the audience exclaimed, "By Jove, I'll never take another drink of water as long as I live without mixing it with alcohol."—Indiana Med. Jour.