ment of pneumonitis, may have disappeared completely in twenty-four to thirty-six hours, the author hesitates to accept, not daring to give a positive diagnosis, unless confimed by the subsequent history, since, under such vague circumstances, therapeutic measures could not be fairly criticised. A correct estimate of the efficacy of any therapeutic measures can, rationally, be only formed by a comparison of results with the undisturbed course of the disease in question; and only he who has dared to study the true "natural history" of an affection, can legitimately boast of the success of his treatment. A rude comparison of cases under different remedial influences, is by no means an unequivocal basis for conclusions such as Juergensen (loc. cit.) has arrived at, since a large variety of circumstances may alter the conditions attending the cases. The This compilation proves disease of the left side to present a more favorable prognosis than the affection of the right, and especially the involvement of both lungs. Similar results are also obtained from the analyses of other writers. It is evident that the extent of infiltration must determine the gravity of the affection. greater size, therefore, of the right lung, would increase the danger, if infiltrated with oedematous exudation; which is, besides, more likely to occur on that side, from the relatively greater length of the right pulmonary vein, augmenting the resistance to the return of the arterialized blood to the heart. As regards age, one hundred and sixty cases of uncomplicated pneumonitis, whose age was ascertained, showed the following relations: Of 1 case at the age of 9 years, no deaths. or, 9.30 p.c. 3.70 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 13-33 51-60 8 47.06 61-70 5 55.55 71-80 5 83.33 no -94 As before stated, the author analyzed one hundred and sixty-three cases of genuine pneumonitis, of which twenty-five succumbed to the disease, thus making the mortality 15.34 per cent. Of twenty-three cases, previously cited as being complicated, there were five deaths, increasing the fatal termination of one hundred and eighty-six to thirty, or 16.13 per cent. Apart from treatment, the author now enters into sta-ingly shown by this compilation : tistics of facts. Of one hundred and sixty-three genuine cases, there were : With the exception of the cases between thirty-one and forty years of age, whose small mortality may be an accidental occurrence, age steadily increases the tendency to a fatal termination, which is even more strik Editorial Department. DISSECTION OF A DOUBLE MONSTER LIKE THE SIAMESE TWINS. HE recent death of the Siam THE ese Twins, Eng and Chang, in North Carolina, recalls attention to this famous monster. These persons were born in Siam, and brought to this country, while children, for exhibition. They were connected by a band attached to the mesial line, and extending from the umbilicus to about the lower end of the sternum. their continued efforts to avoid the inconvenient face-to-face position, they had gradually stretched the connecting tissue into a band long enough to allow them to stand side by side. By The newspaper account of their death is, that one of them was attacked by pneumonia, which proved fatal, and that the other, after great alarm and agitation, died two hours and a half later, of causes not clearly definable. The statement is also made that no post-mortem examination was allowed, but that the bodies were packed in charcoal, where, by last accounts, they were rapidly decomposing. Some years ago, Prof. E. Andrews, at that time Professor of comparative, and demonstrator of human, anatomy, in the University of Michigan, received, from a physician of that State, a double monster, almost exactly like the Siamese Twins, which had recently been delivered under his care. vain, by introducing his hand, the woman, by some tremendous uterine contractions, expelled them both together. The cord was still pulsating, but no respiration occurred, and the monster soon died. On examination of the uterus for the placenta, a third child was found present, which was dead when delivered. Prof. Andrews carefully examined the bodies, so far as the connected parts were concerned. The attachment was, apparently, precisely like that of the Siamese Twins, commencing at the common umbilicus, and extending upward to near the point of ❘ sternum. On opening the parts, the livers were found to be firmly attached to each other, so that it might be correcly said, that there was one common double liver extending across from one body to the other. Below the connecting mass of hepatic tissue, the two abdominal cavities were separated by a thin peritoneal septum, which, however, had an oval opening of considerable size through it, so that the two cavities communicated freely with each other. The stomach and intestines had no connection; and the hearts and lungs were, in like manner, entirely separate. If the Siamese Twins were united like this pair, it is evident that any attempt to separate them must have proved fatal, a conclusion which accords with that of the European surgeons, who investigated the case of Chang and Eng. The specimen dissected by Prof. Andrews was placed in the museum of the Medical Department of the University of Michigan, where it may still be seen, unless it has since been removed. AGASSIZ. COMMENTS OF THE FRENCH PRESS ON HIS WORK IN THIS COUNTRY.-Who will say, now, that "they do these things better in France ? Let the French them selves respond. La France Medicale of December 24, 1873, in an obituary record of the distinguished naturalist Agassiz, comments as follows upon his residence in this country · "He found, among the Americans, co-operators who were ready to place at his disposal resources of every kind, infinitely superior to those which European States in general, and France in particular, allot to scientific research and instruction. Thus, on one occasion, being solicited in the public journals to undertake an investigation of the fishes of foreign seas, the voice of the press was SO potent in its appeal that gifts poured in from every quarter, and at the end of a few years the collection at New Cambridge became the richest in the world. On another occasion, a special society was organized for the exclusive object of furthering an exploration of the rivers and coasts of Brazil, by the same naturalist, in the interests of ichthyology. Latterly, No also, a wealthy American gentleman placed at his disposal an entire island, for the purpose of its conversion into a zoological garden. (!) In 1859, the French Government offered for his acceptance the chair of Paleontology at the Museum, vacated by the death of Dorbigny, but it was refused, greater success attended similar efforts made in 1867. How, the deuce, could we expect that Agassiz would come to our poor France, where the entire amount of perquisites allowed for instruction of the most valuable character would not equal even the sums placed at his service by individual Americans, to enable him to prosecute his scientific researches?" THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, AND ITS PRESIDENCY.-" In view of the coming meeting, the question very naturally comes up, and is frequently asked, who will the profession of this State put forward as their choice for the presidency, in case the Association tenders to it the usual compliment of electing its president from the State in which it convenes ? " We clip the above from an editorial in the Peninsular Journal of Medicine for January; and it, together with what follows it in the next paragraph of the article, shows clearly that our brethren in Michigan are in danger of committing the old error of assuming that, because the Association is to meet in Detroit, the presidency must belong to them. And the article from which we have quoted gives unmistakable evidence that they are already organizing their factions, and laying the foundation for a nice home quarrel. We would suggest to our friends in the Peninsular State that they save themselves all such trouble, by remembering that the Association has not elected a president residing in the city or State where they were. necrosis, extending through the middle and lower third of the femur, had existed for three years. In the aftertreatment of these cases, Prof. Gunn first keeps the wound filled with lint for two or three days; a plug of wax is then substituted, which can be removed at each dressing, and any further spicula of bone that may present be removed without the necessity of a second operation. As granulation proceeds from below, the wax is gradually shaved off from the lower edge. Several other cases of interest were presented by the clinic, and some minor operations performed. Society Reports. TRANSACTIONS OF THE CHICAGO SOCIETY OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS. THE MEFTING OF JANUARY 26TH, 1874. Reported by Plym. S. Hayes, M.D. HE Society met as usual, in the parlor of the Grand Pacific Hotel, the President, Dr. Fisher, in the chair. Drs. E. Andrews and W. Blanchard were elected to membership. The Secretary read a paper by the President, Dr. Fisher, on the progress of medicine. The paper reviewed the advances made in medical science to the present time, and compared the slow progress of this science before the commencement of the nineteenth century, with its rapid advance since that time. Dr. C. P. Simon reported the case of a young man who had taken about three drachms of tinct. opium. When discovered, three hours before the doctor was summoned, the body was motionless and pulseless. When the doctor arrived, he found the extremities cyanosed and cold; the neck and lower jaw rigid; the pupils dilated; and the iris brilliant and phosphorescent. No pulse could be detected; and there were no respirations. Upon applying the ear to the chest, the doctor thought he was able to detect pulsations, which averaged thirty to the minute. Ten minutes after his arrival the pulsations had entirely ceased. Dr. Etheridge then related the fol- | lowing case of opium poisoning. When he first saw the patient, there were twelve stertorous respirations, and forty-eight pulsations, to the min ute. After a time the respirations ceased entirely for about eighty seconds, after which they were resumed with an audible sound; and then the respirations, which were quiet and normal, gradually grew more and more shallow and stertorous, until they again ceased. The periods of cessation varied from fifty to one hundred seconds; while those of respiration continued to take place from eight to ten minutes. During the cessation, there was a tremor of the intercostal muscles. The restorative means used were the stomach-pump, and atropia given by the mouth. Half an hour after the atropia had been given, the pupils graually dilated until death occurred, eight hours after the doctor had been called. Dr. Trimble cited two similar cases in which atropia and artificial respiration had been used; in one of the cases faradization had also been employed; both recovered. Dr. Wilder related the case of a man who took of tinct. opium two drachms. Although emetics, belladonna, artificial respiration and friction were used, the patient died. The pupils dilated after the belldonna had been given. A DIFFICULTY IN FETAL AUSCULTATION.-Dr. J. Braxton Hicks calls attention to a point with regard to the diagnosis of pregnancy and the life of the fœtus, by means of the existence of the foetal heart - soundswhich he had not unfrequently observed in the course of his practice, but which he does not remember to have seen in print-and summed up Dr. Bartlett mentioned a case of poisoning from a belladonna plaster, which had been applied for threatened mammary abscess. The patient was taking morphine all of the time. He also related the case of a child who had taken one drachm tinct. opium. He was called soon after the drug had been taken, and not having a stomachpump, filled the stomach with water, and then reversed the child, when the contents of the stomach escaped. Dr. Etheridge stated that larger doses of opium and belladonna could be borne when given together, than when given separately, the toxic ef fect of the one neutralizing that of the other, and cited Dr. Brown-Sequard as authority. Dr. Powell remarked that he uses, after an operation, one-half grain of morphia, and one-sixtieth grain of atropia, hypodermically; the action of the morphia being thus continued much longer than when given |