Diseases of the Bladder and Urethra in Women.-By ALEX. C. SKENE, M.D., Professor of the Diseases of Women in the Long Island College Hospital, &c., &c. 8vo. pp. 374. New York, WILLIAM WOOD & Co., 27 Great Jones Street.

This is a collection of eight lectures which were prepared orignally for the class of the Long Island College, and they will be found to embrace many of the diseases and functional derangements of the bladder and urethra, which are not to be found in any systematic work in the English language. This work supplies a deficiency which has been felt by the practitioner. These maladies may at first appear of no moment, but experience, however, will prove that diseases of the bladder are tedious and perplexing, full of misery to the sufferer, and demanding at the hands of the practitioner a large share of patience and perseverance. In the opening lecture the author gives a general outline of the anatomy of the bladder and urethra, functions of the bladder, its development, and malformations of the urethra and of the bladder. In this part of the lecture are discussed the probable causes of the congenital malformations which are sometimes met with. In the second lecture the author discusses functional diseases of the bladder, irritable bladder due to abnormal urine, and functional derangements due to disease in other pelvic organs; the same, from anomalies in position and form of the bladder, and extroversion through the urethra. The third lecture is upon organic disease of the bladder, the aids to diagnoses in the examination of the urine, and exploration of the bladder itself. Hyperæmia and hæmorrhage from the bladder.

Cystitis acute, sub-acute, chronic, catarrhal, croupous, diphtheritic and gonorrhoeal, form the subjects discussed in the fourth lecture. The treatment of these affections is given in the next lecture, and in the sixth lecture, the author discusses tubercular and malignant affections of the bladder, foreign bodies in the bladder, also hypertrophy of the viscus.

The remaining two lectures are devoted to affections of the female urethra. There is an appendix to the first lecture, in

NO. LXXIX.

22

which is related a case of extroversion of the bladder by Dr. Daniel Ayres, which was successfully closed by two flaps taken from the abdominal parieties above. It appears to have been a characteristic case, but one greatly benfited by the operative measure adopted. This is a most useful manual, and treats of affections which are not discussed in works devoted to the consideration of diseases of females. We recommend it to our readers as a good and reliable guide in the treatment of diseases of the bladder and urethra in women. The type is large, well impressed, on the best of paper, and it is illustrated throughout with most artistic wood engravings.

A Manual of Physical Diagnosis.-By FRANCIS DELAFIELD, M.D., and CHARLES F. STILLMAN, M.D. 4to. pp. 30, interleaved. New York: WILLIAM WOOD & Co., 27 Great Jones Street, 1878.

In the preface the author states that "this manual is intended for the use of those who have to teach and to learn the art of physical diagnosis," and it is supplied with blank leaves, so that the student or practitioner may take it into the wards of an hospital and use it as a note-book. We do not think it could with advantage be so used, but we have no doubt that the work will be found to supply a place which has until now remained unfilled. The work commences by a description of the methods of examination, showing how they should be conducted. There is first described the sounds elicited on percussion in a normal condition of the chest and abdomen. The different regions being indicated, we next have detailed the sounds elicited in conditions of disease. Auscultation in health and disease, are next given, and then there is described the differences in quality of the voice in variable conditions. The physical signs as indicative of special forms of disease of the lungs are then given. The author then passes on in the same systematic manner to the elucidation of the physical signs met with in the examination of the heart, terminating his description with those indicative of aneurism of the arch of the aorta. The author in the preparation of this work, acknowledges his indebtedness

to the works of Walshe, Flint, and Sibson. There are two original drawings by Dr. Stillman, one of the anterior regions of the chest and abdomen, the other of the posterior regions; these are specially intended to indicate the relative position of the various organs, and are of great practical value. The whole is most handsomely got up, and the plates which adorn the book, are finished in the highest style of art. One is a dissected plate and indicates the position of the thoracic and abdominal viscera with truthfulness and accuracy. We think this manual will be found of service, more so, perhaps, to a man who has already become familiar with physical exploration than to the beginner. To the teacher we should think it would be of especial use.

-

A Practical Manual of the Diseases of Children, with a formulary. By EDWARD ELLIS, M.D., late Senior Physician to the Victoria Hospital for Sick Children, &c, &c. Third Edition, 8vo. pp. 213. New York: William Wood & Co., 27 Great Jones Street, 1879.

This is the second of the series published by the Messrs Wood of New York in their Library of Standard Medical Authors, and is issued from the press in the same style of excellence as the first volume formerly noticed.

This is a very excellent manual on the subject of Children's Diseases, and consists of ten chapters. The principal worth of this manual is the abundant formulary, the general therapeutic hints and a description of suitable diet, which is more important in the treatment of diseases of children than medication. The last chapter in this work is devoted to this subject. This chapter is brief but of very great importance practically. This being the third edition much fresh material will be found added in each section. The general description of diseases is quite up to the time and the work will be found of use to both practitioner and student; it is a fitting adjunct to the series being published by the enterprising house of William Wood and Company, in their Library of Standard Medical Works. We trust the worthy attempt of the publishers to give to the profession a series of useful books, at a price far below their value, will be fully appreciated and liberally supported.

Index Medicus, a monthly classified record of the current Medical Literature of the world, compiled under the supervision of Drs. JOHN S. BILLINGS, Surgeon, U.S.A., and ROBERT FLETCHER, M.R.C.S., Eng. Vol. 1. Jan. 31, 1879. Imp. 8vo. pp. 72. New York: F. SEYPOLDT, 37 Park Row. It is known to most of our readers that some years ago a library largely composed of periodical literature was started in connection with the Surgeon-General's department of the United States of America, at Washington, this was principally under the charge of Dr. John S. Billings. This collection has assumed large proportions, and contains at the present day many thousand volumes. This, of itself, is a most valuable collection as in it are to be found Medical periodicals of all nations and in all languages. With a view of rendering this collection of use to the general professional public, the authors of the Index Medicus have determined to publish a monthly record of the titles of all the papers that appear in the periodicals which are received during the preceding month.

It

We have received the first number of the Index published under the Editorial management of Dr. J. S. Billings of the Surgeon General's Department, U.S.A., and Dr. Robt. Fletcher. It bears evidence of a vast amount of labour and research. is proposed to issue a monthly index to contain the titles of all papers that have appeared in periodicals or transactions of societies, new remedies and the latest information on therapeutics. This will be of especial benefit to authors, as in these pages they will be able to discover the latest views of writers and to ascertain whether the views which they themselves hold have been anticipated by others. Teachers in Medicine or Surgery will be able to keep, au courant, with the advance of their art, by noting what is being done in all countries; and editors of periodicals will with facility be able to refer to the articles to be found in other periodicals, besides the incalculable benefit to be derived by a full publicity of the papers to be found in their own pages.

Extracts from British and Foreign Journals.

Unless otherwise stated the translations are made specially for this Journal.

Chloral Hydrate.-(Note on a method of administering Chloral Hydrate, by E. L. DIXON, M.D., M.R.C.P.)— On the 27th July I was sent for some distance into the country to see a farmer, who was said to be dying. When I arrived I found that he had been suffering for the past twelve hours from a series of violent epileptic paroxysms, and that for three hours he had not been sensible. In my presence he had two attacks with an interval of twenty minutes, in which he never became quite conscious, but continued to toss about violently. He had passed urine involuntarily during a paroxysm; the pulse was quick and weak; the bowels had been well acted upon, and the temperature was high, 103°.2, as is the case in the status epilepticus. He had been, it was said, fairly temperate of late, but he had been thoroughly wet through two days before this attack. He was a robust man of twenty-eight years of age. Epilepsy had first shown itself about two years before, from exposure to the sun during hay-making, it was said, and the attacks had been repeated every month till January last, when I was called in to see him on account of his having had several in one day. I then found he had been indulging freely in alcoholic liquors; the urine was free from albumen and of fair sp. gr., but nothing else was made out. I recommended strict teetotalism, and that he should take the bromide potassium regularly for some time. After this he had no return until about five weeks ago, when he had two attacks, and had then remained free till I was again sent for.

On this occasion, in consequence of the increasing rapidity of the recurrence of the fits, I became alarmed as to the result, for it was evident that unless they ceased he would become comatose and die. The principal indication seemed to me to diminish if possible the excitability of the reflex nervous centres. I did not venture, nor did I think it desirable, to bleed him. I had no chloroform with me, but I had a small bottle of the