838 REVIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS.

The subject-matter is thoroughly up to date and the pagesare singularly free from printer’s errors. The present edi-tion thoroughly maintains the standard of its predecessorsand forms an excellent and a comprehensive work of refer-ence on all that pertains to pharmacy and the collateral arts.

LIBRARY TABLE.

-Das Dysenterietoxin, (The Toxin of Dysentery.) By Dr.ROBERT DOERR. With two Graphic Curves in the textand a Plate. Jena: Gustav Fischer. 1907. Pp. 75.Price 2.50 marks.-This work gives us a very completerésumé concerning the bacillary toxin of dysentery. The

author has come to the following conclusions. The bacilliof the disease of the Kruse-Shiga type secrete a true

soluble toxin, whilst those of the Flexner type do not. Byextraction in a solution of common salt from fresh agarcultures and subsequent filtration a highly toxic solution isformed, and in this the intensity of action of the toxins isdependent on the one hand on the nature of the source fromwhich it is obtained, and on the other on the degree ofalkalinity of the culture medium, whilst the amount of

toxin present shows a certain parallelism with the reactionof the latter-that is to say, that the greater the alkalinity of ’,the culture fluid the greater the amount of toxin. Anotherpoint determined was that the formation of the pellicle is at the same time an indication of a rapid formation of toxin.The latter likewise is seen not to be affected by heat to the extent of withstanding for an hour’s duration a temperature ’,of 70° C., but is quickly destroyed when the latter reaches ’,80° C. It suffers no harm from trypsin, bile, or the

succus entericus. Mineral acids remove the toxicity fromfiltered bouillon cultures, but if these be neutralised

by alkalies the toxicity again becomes evident. This

toxin of dysentery was found to affect strongly rabbits,cats, dogs, and monkeys, whilst guinea-pigs, white mice,fowls, and doves were refractory to it. Again, with

susceptible animals the author often found that after

intravenous, subcutaneous, or intraperitoneal injection a

hasmorrhagic and necrosing inflammation of the mucousmembrane of the intestine followed the secretion of the

poison by the latter, whilst there were certain constantlesions of the nerve centres to which after receiving thecorresponding dose the animals succumbed. The most suit-able animal for experimental research is the rabbit, whichreacted in one-third of the cases experimented upon, show-ing a hæmorrhagic-diphtheritic typhlitis, the small intestine,however, not showing any lesion, similar to cases in men.The secretion of the poison takes place through the gut andin a less degree through the kidneys but no evidence of thepoison being secreted by the liver could be ascertained. The

bite of animals showing marked symptoms of poisoning bythe toxin was always atoxic. Lastly, the occurrence of ex-perimental typhlitis was found to be quite independent of theentrance of the bile into the intestine. The results shown

above are the outcome of a laborious amount of honest work.The author has given us a valuable addition to the literatureof the subject on which he has written.Medical Diagnosis: a Manual for Students and Prac-

titioners. By CHARLES LYMAN GREENE, M.D., Professorof the Theory and Practice of Medicine in the University ofMinnesota, &c. With seven coloured plates and 230 illus-trations. London: Rebman, Limited. 1907. Pp. 683.Price 13s. 6d. net.-It is rather difficult to criticise this book,as its contents do not entirely correspond with its title and it is therefore open to blame for failure to carry out its

implied promise, while at the same time it deserves praise for its actual merits. Frankly, it is not quite what we expect Iin a book which professes to be concerned only withdiagnosis ; it deals with diseases seriutim as do most text-

books of medicine, rather than grouping the phenomena ofdiseases under symptoms as they present themselves to the

physician and analysing the varied conditions which mayunderlie these outward signs. Etiology, morbid anatomy, andsymptoms are all considered, though rather more spaceis given to diagnosis than is often the case. As a manual ofmedicine for students, and indeed for practitioners, the bookhas merits of its own. It is packed with information,generally conveniently arranged, and reference is facilitated*by headings in dark type and by the use of italics for-

important statements. There are in addition marginalnotes of the contents of paragraphs, which are often useful,though we doubt whether much is gained by such a sign-postas "a ghastly clinical picture," which we find as the onlymarginal note on one page. The style is generally clear,Here and there, however, we meet with solecisms suchas "emphysemae" and "a phenomena," and compres-sion is sometimes carried to such a point as to make asentence almost unintelligible so that we feel that we arereading a precis rather than a treatise. Still, the total resultis a book which may be distinctly useful to those about toundergo an examination in medicine.

Sea-Sickness, its True Cause and Cure. By H. NORMANBARNETT, F.R.C.S. Edin. London : Baillière, Tindall, andCox. 1907. Pp. 39. Price Is. 6d.-This is an interestingand valuable little book, although its conclusions are not sonew as the author apparently supposes. That sea-sicknessis due to the loss of the sense of position which is in someway connected with the semicircular canals was taught in atleast one medical school some 25 years ago and the bromideswere recommended for the prevention of sea-sickness in aletter from Mr. H. Saunders which was published inTHE LANCET of June 14th, 1879, p. 867. But although,as we have said, the theory of sea-sickness put forward

by Mr. Barnett is not new it is still none the less true-

and, as even now it does not seem commonly to berecognised, we think he has done the profession service bybringing out the book before us.Lehrbnch der Annrganischen Chemie. (Text-book of

Inorganic Chemistry.) By Professor H. ERDMANN. Fourthedition. Brunswick : Friedrich Vieweg und Sohn. 1906.

Pp. 796. Price 15 marks.-The feature of this fourth editionof a well-known German text-book is the care which theauthor has taken to include a quite modern account of recentresearches on the rare gases of the atmosphere and ofradium. Otherwise the presentation of principles and factsremains the same and we still entertain the favourable

opinion of the author’s manner of dealing with the subject.which we expressed when reviewing previous editions.

The book is admirably illustrated and contains also tables oflogarithms and the disposition of elements in accordancewith the periodicity of their functions.

JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES.

The Scottish Medical and Surgical Journal.-In the

September number of this journal Dr. W. B. Drummondgives a thoughtful review of the work of the recent

Congress on School Hygiene and discusses some of the

problems raised as they affect Scotland in particular. Hisadvice is so to organise the system of medical inspection of’school children that the local authorities may not be tempted’to offer illusory salaries to part-time officers already inpractice. Dr. D. Barty King writes on Muco-membranous-Colitis and endeavours to classify the conditions found in

this group of affections, and Dr. A. Dingwall Fordyce con-tinues his article on Infant Feeding, dealing with cow’s milkin the light of recent researches on its coagulation. Dr. B. P..Watson records a case of repeated abortion due to syphilis,in which treatment with potassium iodide was followed bythe birth of a child with congenital goitre; he notes thecases already on record in which this condition followed theadministration of potassium salts but concludes that thegoitre is probably due to some maternal togaemia.

839REVIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKS.-NEW INVENTIONS.

2’he Dublin Jonrnal of Mediaal Science.-In the Augustissue of this periodical is contained the annual report of theRotunda Hospital for 1905-06, compiled by Mr. E. HastingsTweedy, Dr. Arthur Holmes, and Dr. R. J. Rowlette. It

offers as usual material for study by all obstetricians. Dr.

’Charles Greene Cumston of Boston reports a case of acutemetastatic gonorrhoeal myositis and discusses the diagnosis.and treatment of this rare affection which is scarcely men-tioned in many text-books. Dr. Charles T. Costello writes

on blackwater fever but comes to no certain conclusion as

-to its etiology, though he suggests that it may be due tosome special parasite.

The Birmingham Medical -Revie?v.-In the July issue ofthis review is published a Presidential address by Dr. RobertM. Simon to the Birmingham and Midland branch of theBritish Medical Association in which he discusses the subjectof character and temperament and concludes that the brainand the thyroid gland are the only two organs of the bodywhich directly influence them. Following this address is asevere criticism of the recent policy of the Associationwritten by an ex-Vice-President under the title of "Medical.Science w. Trades Unionism."

Guy’s Hospital Gazette.-Useful articles are somewhat

buried, as a rule, in the pages of the hospital magazines andwe are glad to have the opportunity of calling attention tothe first of a series of lectures on the Significance ofVariation in the Constituents of the Urine, delivered byDr. F. G. Hopkins and published in the issue of this gazetteof August 24th. The subject of nitrogen excretion is dealtwith and the meaning of the urea and of the ammonia in theurine is discussed with more appreciation of the realdifficulties inherent in the chemical problems involved and-of the uncertain nature of the results arrived at than is

always evident in the writings of physiological chemists.St. Bartholomeiv’s Hospital Journal.-In the August

number Surgeon W. Perceval Yetts, R.N., records a case ofascariasis-infection with lumbricoid worms-which presentspoints of interest. The number of parasites ultimatelyexpelled was very large and the symptoms were suggestive ofpernicious ansemia, the blood showing reduction in the

number of red corpuscles, with megalocytes and poikilocytespresent. There was no eosinophilia. The patient sufferedfrom a neurasthenic condition which disappeared on expulsionof the worms by santonin.

New Inventions.A NEW ASEPTIC SYRINGE FOR INDUCING LOCAL

ANÆSTHESIA IN DENTISTRY.ALTHOUGH not a dentist, I am every year required to

extract a very large number of carious teeth, and I havenever been quite satisfied with any of the all-metal syringesfor injecting local anaesthetics in these cases. I thereforeasked Messrs. Allen and Hanburys, of 37, Lombard-street,London, E C., to make one, and they have succeeded inproducing what I consider to be a very perfect and efficientinstrument. It is 3 inches in length, 4 inch in diameter

and of 30 minims capacity. The piston is not one which isuniform in diameter throughout, but its lower inch is mostaccurately ground so as to fit exactly the barrel and entirelyprevents any of the fluid used from "coming back" at thehighest pressure required. Instead of the usual finger gripsmy syringe is fitted with rings for the index and middle

fingers and also a ring for the thumb, as shown in the accom-panying illustration, and I find practically that this is a verygreat improvement indeed, the operator having absolutecontrol both as regards the pressure and the retaining of theneedle firmly in its position in the gum. Moreover, it is

impossible to let the instrument fall accidentally in anyunusual circumstances which might occur. The needles,three in number, are of platinum iridium, about a quarter ofan inch long and set in strong mounts of different shapeswhich screw on to the barrel of the syringe. The wholeapparatus is beautifully finished and fitted in an asepticmetal case 6 inches by 2 3/4 inches by 1 inch, the price being29s. 6d. complete with platinum iridium needles, or 25s. ifsteel needles are supplied.Newtownhamilton, Co. Armagh. W. J. DAWSON, M.D. Dub.W. J. DAWSON, M.D. Dub.

A NEW EAR AND CHIN STRAP.THE simple apparatus which is represented in the accom-

panying illustration is designed to aid in overcoming themouth-breathing habit so common in children and otherswho have suffered from adenoids or other nasal obstruction.Every practitioner must have experienced the difficulty ofteaching these patients to breathe properly through the noseafter the obstruction has been removed. The apparatusconsists essentially of an elastic webbing band about twoinches wide, into which the chin fits comfortably, and whichtapers upwards to form a narrower elastic strap whichterminates in a buckle on the top of the head. Anothersimilar strap is inserted into this vertical one slightly abovethe middle and passes to the back of the head just below theocciput, where it is fastened by means of another buckle.Two pieces of fine net, or the narrow diagonal elasticbands shown in the illustration, serve to strengthenthe apparatus and assist in keeping it in place on

/

the head. It is usually only worn at night, but in the caseof quite young children I often advise that it should beused also during a part, at least, of the waking hours,until the habit of breathing normally has been acquired.It is light and cool and comfortable, and produces justsufficient upward elastic pressure on the chin to make iteasier to keep the mouth shut than open. Little children,I find, tolerate it well and will wear it while at play withoutmaking any attempt to displace it. It is also a very com-fortable way of keeping prominent ears flat, or for holdingdressings in bhe region of the ears in place. I use three

sizes-namely, a small size for infants, a medium size forchildren from about five to 12 years, and a large size foradults.The apparatus has been made for me by Messrs. Arnold

and Sons, of West Smithfield, London, E.O.Hornsey-rise, N. BRYAN REYNOLDS, M.B. Lond.BRYAN REYNOLDS, M.B. Lond.