œsophagus and breathed through a tube introduced into the trachea. Professor Billroth proposed to unite what was left of the pharynx and oesophagus, but before doing so he found it necessary to dilate the oesophagus by means of bougies, and six weeks after the operation, while in the act of dilating the sophagus, violent vomiting set in and the movements of the patient, displaced the bougie into the preœsophageal tissue. This set up mediastinitis and suppurative pericarditis, from the effects of which the patient died, three days after the accident. She lived six weeks and three days after the operation. Professor Billroth has a remarkable successful record in the removal of thyroid glands for tumors. He has had seventeen consecutive successful

cases.

To the student who wishes to study the nervous system and its diseases Vienna possesses excellent advantages. During the present summer-session besides the courses already mentioned by Rosenthal and Obersteiner, there are free lectures every Saturday on the pathology of the central nervous system, by Prof. Stricker, daily kliniks by Profs. Meynert, Leidesdorf, Benedick and Schlayer. Professor Meynert gives also practical demonstrations on the minute anatomy of the brain. Drs. Shultz and Fieber gave courses on electro-therapeutics Professor Rosenthal has at present a case of Brown-Sequard's spinal hemiplegia under treatment. The patient is a female aged 26 ; four months ago she fell down a flight of stairs injuring her back. The family history and previous health good. A week after the accident she noticed that she had lost partial control over the left lower extremity, this loss gradually increased during the next two weeks, and in addition she noticed that the left arm was also partially paralyzed. Three months ago she was admitted into the hospital under Prof. Rosenthal's care. Her state then was as follows: There was complete paralysis of motion in the left and of sensation in the right upper and lower extremities. The left arm and leg were hyperæsthetic. The tendon reflex greatly lowered in right arm and leg, but increased on the left side. There was also vaso-motor disturbance with considerable diminution of the muscular sense in the right arm and leg.

The right extremities reacted normally to an induced current. On the left side the electro-contractility and sensibility was increased on the application of this form of electricity. Along the whole length of the spine from the lumbar region up to the middle cervical there is tenderness, especially when pressure is made on the left side. No decubitus or bladder complications. This patient has gradually been regaining the loss of power on the left side, and of sensation on the right side, but the improvement has been more marked in the motor paralysis than in the anaesthesia. At present the left arm and leg can be used fairly well, but there is still decided loss of both superficial and deep sensation in the right extremities.

The treatment used was the iodide of potassium and the use of the continuous current to both the paralysed muscles and anæsthetic parts.

Prof. Rosenthal considers the morbid change in the case to a sub-acute inflammatory action of the cord and membranes limited to its left lateral half.

Facial erysipelas of a severe, and frequently fatal, type, has been very prevalent in Vienna during the last few months. The following is a good example of the great majority of the fatal cases. A stout, and previously perfectly healthy, young man was admitted into the A. K., seven days ago with facial erysipelas, of four days standing. The temperature varied from 103" to 105.. He complained of headache, and was very delirious at times. He died comatose 10 days after his admission. Meningitis was diagnosed. The post-mortem showed, however, only hyperemia of the brain and lungs. Meningitis is generally diagnosed in those cases having a similar termination, but it is never found. The only changes in 5 cases were hyperæmia of the meninges, brain substance and lung,

J. S.

Reviews and Notices of Books.

A Guide to the Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of the Urine; designed for Physicians, Chemists and Pharmacists. By Dr. C. NEUBAUER and Dr. J. Vogel; revised by E. L. Wood, M.D., Prof. Chemistry Harvard University. 8vo. pp. 551. 551. New York: William Wood & Company, 1879.

This work is well-known to our readers, and it is sufficient to announce a new edition, brought down to the present day, to ensure a fair demand. While the work is practical in its teaching, it forms a complete and scientific manual upon Urinary Chemistry. Chemical analysis of the urine is intended to lead the practitioner to infer, from what is observed, what changes are taking place, and what means should be adopted to avert mischief. We get the results of actual chemical changes, and are enabled thereby to state to a nicety why these changes should be observed. There is another feature of this work which adds to its value. It is separated into two parts. The first part, which is strictly chemical, is by Dr, Neubauer; the second part, by Dr. Vogel, has reference to changes in the urine from a medical point, so that it adds to the value of the work as one of reference by both chemist and physician. The first translation of this work was under the auspices of the New Sydenham Society as early as the year 1863. Since that day many very important facts have been added to our knowledge. of organic and physiological chemistry. This edition, the 7th of the series, is brought down to, and contains the most recent advances in urinary chemical and pathological science, we commend it to our readers. A word we have for the very excellent finish of the work as produced by the publishers, Messrs. Wood & Co., of New York. The volume is bound in full leather, with marbled edges and bands, the leather is tinted a deep. maroon, which is not readily soiled by use, an objection which

is raised by some against the use of the ordinary white leather binding, so common in use in the United States, it is excellently finished, and forms a handsome library edition.

A Guide to Therapeutics and Materia Medica.-By ROBERT FARQUHARSON, M.D., Edin., F.R.C.P., Lond. Lecturer on Materia Medica, at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, &c. Second American edition, revised by the author, enlarged and adapted to the U. S. Pharmacopoeia, by Frank Woodbury, M.D., Physician to the German Hospital. 8vo. pp. 498. Philadelphia: HENRY C. LEA. 1879.

The mere fact of a second edition of this book having been already called for shows of itself that it has proved a welcome addition to medical literature. The plan adopted in treating of the various subjects is very different from most text-books of this kind. Since the principal object on hand is to present the reader with a concise view of the main physical and therapeutical action of various drugs, the more the corelative of these are prominently exhibited the better. Thus the pages are mostly divided longitudinally in the centre, containing on the one hand the known and demonstrated physiological action of the medicine under consideration, and on the other the diseased condition in which, owing to such physiological properties, it either has been used with satisfaction or might probably be successfully employed. This method of presentment is doubtless very effective, as especially with students, it is calculated to leave a strong impression for the reasons of the uses of various drugs. All the important additions to the materia medica of late years are discussed, and the reader is put in possession of all the wellestablished facts concerning them up to the present time. Books such as these do a great deal to remove the empiricism still remaining amongst us, and to lead to our practice being based on a much better and surer foundation. As a text-book for the student, and equally as much as book of reference for the practitioner, Dr. Farquharson's volume will be found one of the most generally useful and reliable yet published.

A Practical Manual of the Diseases of Children, with a Formulary.-By EDWARD ELLIS, M.D. Third Edition. 8vo. pp. 213. New York: William Wood & Co., 27 Great Jones street.

The first edition of this work appeared in 1867, and it was then favorably received. Since then it has passed through a second edition, and now (1878) it has obtained a third. The present volume is an American reprint from the third English edition, and is one of the books which Messrs. Woods are now issuing as a library set. The first chapter is taken up with the general points to be noted in an examination of an infant or young child; the general management during the first year of life, and a diet table for children of one year and upwards. Chapter II. treats of general diseases, Scrofulosis, Tuberculosis, Rickets. Syphilis and Acute Rheumatism. Skin diseases are treated of in Chapter III., and a good resumé is given of their symptoms and treatment. In the succeeding chapters we find Congenital Affections and Diseases of the New-born, Fevers, Diseases of the Brain and Nervous System, Diseases of the Air-passages and Thoracic Organs, and Diseases of the Foodpassages and Abdominal Organs. Under the head of Fevers, there are some good observations regarding the use of cold baths, and a warning-note sounded regarding their too general use. The section devoted to Diphtheria is carefully written, and will repay perusal. In the Chapter on Diseases of the Abdominal Organs, we find no notice of Intus-susception, which ought to find a place even in a work devoted as this is, solely to the medical diseases of infancy and childhood.

Chapter IX. contains a few general therapeutic hints and a formulary. The formulary is very full, and will be found useful. The book ends with a Dietary, which is also very complete. We think that the book at present under consideration will be found useful, especially by students and young practitioners. It is arranged conveniently for reference, and the therapeutics are safe. There is probably more really useful information presented in it than in some more pretentious volumes on the sub