Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

willing and ready to receive with open arms all who may come.The Eclectic Medical Society, of the State of Illinois, will meet in Springfield, June 2, 1880. The meeting is to continue two days. A. Simmons, M. D., secretary, residing at Girard, Illinois, says that Eclectic physicians in that State, as well as others, are respectfully invited to attend and participate in their deliberations.-All the Eclectic physicians in the State of Tennessee, who are willing to meet in convention during the month of May, are requested to forward their addresses to Dr. W. H. Halbert, Renfrow's Station, Tennessee, or J. W. Allen, Fulton, Tennessee. This meeting ought to be largely attended, for there are several hundred reformers in that State. The Eclectic Medical Society, of the State of Kansas, at their meeting in February, appointed fifteen delegates to attend the National Eclectic Medical Association, which meets in Chicago, June next: Drs. McMullen, Bixby, Easter, Simmons, Mulvane, Jacobs, Owen, Phillips, Thurber, Read, Armstrong, Martin, Williamson, Sweezy, and Cormack. This association adjourned to meet the second Tuesday in February, 1880, at Topeka, Kansas.

BOOK NOTICES.

ELEGANT PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS, POWDERS, PILLS AND EXTRACTS. Manufactured by John Wyeth & Brother, Philadelphia, Pa. Pp. 52.

PHOSPHORUS, IODINE AND IRON PHYSIOLOGICALLY CONSIDERED. Notes upon the best means of effecting their assimilation. By R. W. Gardner, pharmaceutical chemist, New York.

BABIES' GUIDE TO HEALTH; OR, HOW TO PROMOTE AND PRESERVE THE HEALTH
OF BABIES, FROM THE TIME OF BIRTH TO THE AGE OF TWO YEARS OR MORE,
IN ALL SEASONS AND CLIMATES. By Wm. H. Price, M. D. Pp. 50. 420 W.
Fifty-second Street, New York City.

URETHRISMUS; OR, CHRONIC SPASMODIC STRICTURE. By F. M. OTIS, M. D.
This is a very valuable pamphlet.

Pp. 22. THE PRINTERS' MAGAZINE. Published by the Printers' Magazine Publishing Company, Nos. 30 and 32 Arch Street, Boston, Mass. An illustrated monthly journal. VIBURNUM OPULUS. This is a pamphlet of twelve pages, beautifully illustrated, and giving a description of many of the diseases for which it is used. Issued by W. R. Hayden, M. D., who has used this remedy with great success. PHYSICIANS' HANDBOOK. This contains a catalogue list, and a short therapeutical description of all the plants prepared by the New York Pharmaceutical Company. As a book of reference, this is invaluable to the student or practitioner. Price, 75 cents. Address the company, Bedford Mineral Springs, Mass.

THE YEARS

A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF GUNDLACH'S MICROSCOPES AND OBJECTIVES, AND OTHER OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS. By L. R. Sexton, Rochester, N. Y. REPORT OF THE STATE LIBRARIAN OF THE STATE OF IOWA FOR 1878 AND 1879. Pp. 79. From the librarian, Mrs. S. B. Maxwell. This is a very elaborate report, containing a list of all the new books, entered to date, by purchases, donations and exchanges.

HOW TO STUDY PHRENOLOGY. By H. S. Drayton, A. M. Illustrated. VALUABLE STANDARD Books. Magnificent books of prints. Fine works on natural history. Offered by Bernard Quaritch, 15 Piccadilly, London, England.

THE MEDICAL ECLECTIC,

DEVOTED TO

Reformed Medicine,

GENERAL SCIENCE AND LITERATURE.

Editors:

ROBERT S. NEWTON, M. D., LL D.,

Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine in the Eclectic Medical College, of New York. ROBERT S. NEWTON, JR., M. D., L. R. C. S.,

Professor of Surgery and Ophthalmology in the Eclectic Medical College, of New York. Published every month, by THE ECLECTIC MEDICAL COLLEGE, of the City of New York.

[blocks in formation]

Late Clinical Assistant Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital, Medical Officer London Hospital, Surgeon in Charge of the Eye and Throat Department, Manhattan Hospital, New York.

Detached Retina.-Mary K., æt. 30, always enjoyed good health; about a year ago had a severe fall, soon after noticed that her sight was not so good in the left eye as previously. When she came to my clinic was totally blind in left eye; no perception of the strongest light; vision of right eye normal. By oblique light the space behind the iris shows a gray reflex, and on the inner side, low down, a sharp gray outline; media clear, ophthalmoscopic examination. No retinal reflex; the entire inner half of the field is gray, and has a quilted appearance; the outer half is cream color; has a few vessels apparent, but very fine. The question as to dislocation of the lens was disproved by absence of double disk, and

presence of the images of the catoptric test, proving that the outline seen in the posterior space was the retina detached and folded completely upon itself. No treatment.

Remarks. The history of this case is very obscure. Detachment of the retina is found with diseases of the choroid and vitreous, and high degrees of myopia, none of which causes here existed. The only plausible explanation is, that owing to the concussion, either a hemorrhage or effusion occurred between the choroid and retina, producing the separation of the latter. As there was marked atrophy of the retina, treatment would be hopeless.

Detached Retina.-Mary S., æt. 48. Complains of her sight failing her for the last few months. No history of syphilis or cerebral troubles. Dimness is constant; when looking at a light "it appears as if another light was behind the first one." Ophthalmoscope shows the media clear, with healthy optic nerves; vessels normal. In the left eye the macula is slightly elevated, with loss or interruption of vessels from the spot to temporal side (erect image). From the periphery of the temporal side, extending nearly to the macula, is seen a grayish reflex, with folding of the retina, marked by the usual lines, and disappearance of vessels between each fold. This detachment is not total, but is a separation from the choroid, due to subretinal effusion; hence the retinal folds changed their position and appearance with every movement of the globe. Vision of right eye slightly myopic (4). I advised her to be operated upon, according to De Wecker's plan. She consented. In place of the trocar I used a lancet needle, same as used by Mr. Bowman in his first operations; I made the puncture about half an inch from the margin of the cornea, entering the sclerotic between the recti muscles. My incision was on a line with the most prominent part of the detachment. Upon withdrawing the needle a drop of fluid escaped-it was too thick for serum, but not sufficiently organized to be from the vitreous. Next day the vitreous was slightly hazy; no evidence of inflammation. Second day after the operation her vision was greatly improved, so much so that the patient declined any further treatment. plained the dangers, but she remained firm. A fortnight after, she returned inebriated. Her answers were incoherent, and an ex

I ex

amination impossible. Owing to a breach of the peace she was committed, and I have been unable to find her since. Doubtless owing to inattention and excesses the retina became completely detached.

Gummata upon both Irides.-John S., æt. 24. Six months ago had a chancre, with hard lumps in the groin; they did not open. (Cicatrix of the chancre can be seen.) Six weeks after its appearance was followed by alopecia, sore throat, eruption upon the skin. Two weeks later his right eye became "bloodshot," and remained so for ten days, when the left eye became "bloodshot" (iritis). Suffers with nocturnal pains; appetite good, no eruptions or evidences of nodes elsewhere. Several days ago a friend told him that she saw a "little ball of something in his eye," since which time it has been growing larger. Upon examination, I found above and from the pupillary border of each iris a single, grayish red nodule projecting into the area of the pupil upon contraction, and rendering the upper pupillary margin flat upon dilatation. No pain, photophobia or ciliary congestion; pupils active; media clear; fundus normal; vision normal.

Treatment.—Iodide potash, ten grains three times a day, given in an ounce of tr. prunus virg. In twenty-one days no trace of these nodules could be discovered; the parenchyma was undisturbed.

Remarks. The unusual feature here presented is, that a lymph deposit or new growth should occur without exciting any irritation or inflammation. Possibly his previous attack of iritis may have rendered the structure less susceptible.

Tobacco Amaurosis. Henry T., æt. 60. For the last few weeks his vision has been failing; both eyes equally dim. One Sunday, by the aid of his glasses, could see to read; the next week was only able to pick a word out here and there; the Sunday following could not distinguish the words in small type; drinks beer, but no spirits. Two years ago smoked two ounces of Virginia strong tobacco daily, but it made him so "shaky" that he reduced the quantity; now smokes about half an ounce. Upon examination I found him very tremulous and hesitating in his speech. No evidences of cerebral trouble. His vision was 20 in each eye, and not improved by glasses; read Jaeger, 18. Ophthalmoscopic examination negative. Sept. 28.-Ordered to discontinue

tobacco, and take ten drops tr. nux vomica three times a day. Oct. 12.-Thinks he sees better; is not so tremulous; to continue. Nov. 28.-Without glasses reads Jaeger 14, and Snellen 8. Thus, in eight weeks, by discontinuing tobacco and using nux vomica, he recovered good vision.

19 East Thirty-second Street, April, 1880.

APPETITE.

BY C. E. PAGE, M. D.

One point in the food question is generally pretty well known by all classes, viz., that neither man nor any other animal can live without eating. Theoretically one other fact is equally patent, viz., that they cannot live well without an abundance of good food. We qualify the latter with the word theoretically, because it is a sad truth that a large proportion of people do not know, practically, what good food is, in a physiological sense; hence they manage to exist after a fashion by swallowing quantities of badly constituted food, leaving nature to select and appropriate the small proportion of nutritive material, while through the excretory organs, these being overtasked in its accomplishment, she gets rid of the innutritious and unwholesome portions. Again, as to quantity, many go astray by getting themselves into a diseased condition, when, from lack of a normal appetite, they cannot take enough, uniformly, to satisfy the demands of a really healthy body. It is very easy to comprehend why the first class is gradually merged in the second, as in any species of disease one stage gives place to another. In the first stage of the disease we are considering the incubation period. "Nothing disagrees with them-they can eat anything." In the second, "everything disagrees-they can eat nothing." The man who comes down in the morning without an appetite-a good appetite for any sort of plain, wholesome food-is, to that extent, a sick man; if he feels a craving for food-a "gnawing " sensation at the stomach-he is sick. A perfectly healthy man, really in prime condition, will never experience the feeling of hunger. There is a great physiological principle involved in the old adage'Eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty, and go

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »