later. Med. JnI.1
Jan. 20, 1902 I Reviews. 49
Snowball, William, M.B. et Ch. B. Melb., L.R.C.S. et L.M. Edin., L.S.A., Victoria Street, Carlton.
Spencer, W. Baldwin, Melbourne University.
Stuart, Thomas Peter Anderson, M.D. et C.M. Edin., Professor
of Anatomy and Physiology in the University of Sydney
50
Intercolonial Medical Journal. Jan. 20. 1902value of methods for recognising physical signs is detracted from, at all events for the student, by being dealt with apart from the diseases in which they are likely to be encountered.
Then follows a short chapter on Clinical Bacteriology, but some previous knowledge of the subject would be necessary in order to follow the letterpress intelligently.
The chapter on Laboratory Methods is much better, and gives the latest procedures for examining sputum, blood, stomach contents,
&c., in a brief and succinct manner.
Individual diseases are dealt with on a schematic plan of description, which is sufficiently accurate and dogmatic, but in places decidedly sketchy ; while treatment is merely outlined on the broadest prin- ciples. It may be said, however, that the directions given are thoroughly in accord with the latest therapeutic practice.
The section dealing with diseases of the nervous system might with advantage have been more fully treated. The absence of any account of the anatomy and physiology of the brain and spinal cord, and of the special methods of investigating particular nerve lesions, renders this portion of the volume disappointing.
The illustrations in the text, though not numerous, are excellent, and there are a number of beautiful coloured plates of blood-cells, malarial organisms, &c., and the indexing is unexceptionable.
Diseases of the skin are not included.
The volume may be of service to the advanced student seeking accurately summarised information ; but probably it will be of most value to those practitioners who, from lack of time or opportunity, have fallen a little behind in the march of modern clinical methods and nomenclature. Many a practitioner might not at first sight recognise his old friend the red corpuscle in its new guise of " erythrocyte," and might reasonably be excused for ex- pressing surprise in learning that " poly morpho-nuclear neutrophiles "
or " polynuclear eosinophiles " were known to him as white cor- puscles in his student days.
Without wishing for a moment to depreciate the tendencies of
modern medicine in general, or the volume so-called in particular,
we may be allowed to express the opinion that great physicians have
never been, and never will be, the outcome of purely laboratory
methods. Test-tubes and microscopes have their greatest value for
the man who has already learnt to recognise disease without being
altogether dependent upon them. They should always confirm, but
liter. Med. Jn1.1
Jan. 20, 1902 Reviews. 51
rarely make his diagnosis. It may be only fancy that there is a tendency to reverse these conditions in many modern medical teachers. A. L.
Diseases of the Heart : A Clinical Text-book for the Use of Students and Practitioners of Medicine. By EDMUND HENRY COLBECK, B.A., M.D. Cantab., M.R.C.P. Lond., D.P.H. London : Methuen and Co., Igor.
Dr. Colbeck has set himself the task of writing a book dealing with the clinical side of heart disease, in a form suitable to the requirements of students and newly-qualified practitioners of medicine, and it may be said at once that he has admirably suc- ceeded in his task. To the student who can find time to read beyond the limits of his ordinary text-book, the work under notice should prove of very great interest and value. It deals with the subject in a somewhat novel fashion, and though much condensed, succeeds in giving a very vast amount of concise information, and by its very peculiarities of method, will stimulate thought on, and lead to understanding of, many very important points. The book consists of some 34o pages of well-printed and sufficiently illustrated material, and deals with the whole subject of cardio-vascular disease. Opening with short chapters on the Anatomy and Physiology of the Heart and Circulation, it goes on to deal with methods of diagnosis, and discusses fully many very important phases in connection with symptoms and signs. Here each symptom, such as dyspncea, dropsy, colour, &c., is set down and dealt with in short, concise paragraphs, and the various theories as to their causation set out, with comments and conclusions.
We have next the signs of heart disease, pulsation, thrills, bruits,
&c., done in the same way, and then follows a capital chapter on the Pulse, Sphygmograph and Cardiograph.
The various diseases of the heart are then dealt with, first under the heading of ;;etiological pathology, then pathological results and effects on the heart and circulation, symptoms, signs and diagnosis, and in the case of valvular diseases in particular, each chapter closes with an attempt to set forth the means of estimating the degree of stenosis or incompetence as the case may be.
Prognosis and Treatment are dealt with generally in separate chapters, and are very suggestive in many instances. The work closes with a chapter on Diseases of the Myocardium. -
1E 2
52
Intercolonial Medical Journal. Jan. 2o,1902There is thus a vast amount of material compressed into the book, for as a rule the paragraphs are short and dogmatic, and there is no superfluous padding, but we have found the statements made are usually well-founded, and where there is room for discussion, both sides of the case are given.
We think that the hook will be found exceeding useful to many a practitioner who wishes quickly to refresh himself with the salient points of his heart cases, and feel assured it will take its place as a useful addition to the monographs already in existence. J. F. W.
Diseases and Injuries of the Teeth, including Pathology and Treat- ment.
By MORTON SMALE, M.R.C.S., L.S.A., L.D.S., and J. F. COLYER, M.R.C.S., L.D.S. Second edition. Revised and enlarged by J. F. COLYER, M.R.C.S., L.D.S. London :
Longmans, Green and Co.
The previous edition of this work is so widely known throughout the medical and dental professions, that an exhaustive review of this is unnecessary, but a few of the most essential alterations and additions may well be called to notice.
In comparing the present edition with its predecessor, we find that the latter has been carefully re-written, and considerably ex- tended, all of material interest having been retained, whilst much that was merely touched upon has been treated at length, in keeping with the progress of our knowledge on matters pertaining to the practical and theoretical sides of operative dentistry.
It is pleasing to note that throughout the edition special attention has been given to the practical side of the subject rather than to the purely theoretical, although each has been faithfully and carefully thought out and touched upon in all pertaining to the subject.
Here and there we find important alterations in the nomenclature of some dental diseases, as exemplified in " exostosis" and "absorption"
being more accurately and expressively termed " productive peri- odontitis " and " rarefying periodontitis " respectively, and our old friend, " pyorrhcea alveolaris," " acute and chronic suppurative periodontitis." The ambiguous and vague term " bicuspid " has yielded place to the more distinctive " premolar," whilst the
" superior maxilla " is referred to as the " maxilla," and the
" inferior maxilla " as the " mandible."
One of the most important and welcome additions is the inclusion
of a concise, yet clear and ample, chapter on the Bacteriology of the
Inter. Med. Jul.i Reviews. 53
Jan. 20, 1902 j
Mouth, written by Mr. Kenneth Goodby, and without which no work of this kind could at the present day be considered complete.
The chapter on Caries has been completely and most thoroughly revised and extended, and the addition of numerous new illustrations renders it most interesting and instructive.
In the chapter on Abnormalities of the Teeth too, the addition of many new plates affords the student much thought for reflection, and one could spend hours profitably merely studying these illustrations.
To Mr. Colyer, the profession as a whole owes its deepest grati- tude for his trouble in providing such a clear, concise and descriptive text-book on a subject of the utmost moment to student and practi- tioner alike, and the price for such a work is reasonable enough to enable one and all to add the book to his dental library.
It it with much pleasure and confidence that we recommend Mr. Colyer's revised edition of his work to the profession throughout Australasia. W. 0. G.
A Practical Guide to the Administration of Anesthetics. By R. J.
PROBYN-WILLIAMS, M.D., Senior Anwsthetist and Instructor in Anaesthetics at the London Hospital ; Lecturer on Anwsthetics at the London Hospital Medical College; Assistant Anwsthetist at the Dental Hospital of London. London : Longmans, Green and Co., igoi.
The rapid growth in the size of successive editions of works on anwsthetics, has led to the introduction of this little work. The intention is to present to the student the essentials in the practice of the administration of anwsthetics in as concise a manner as possible, so that he may have them readily attainable without having to seek them in the somewhat voluminous details that swell the larger works.
The purpose of the author has been accomplished with admirable discretion. The directions and descriptions are very clear and read- able, although necessarily concise. The illustrations are good.
In accord with most, if not all, recent writers on anwsthetics (Laurie excepted), the author recommends ether as the routine anwsthetic. He does not accept the conclusions of the Hyderabad Commission as to the cause of chloroform syncope. In this, he is also in accord with most anaesthetists. He condemns the employment
54
Intercolonial Medical Journal. Jan. 20 1902of mechanical contrivances designed to substitute the care and intelligence of the chloroformist.
The need of more certain knowledge regarding the physiological action of chloroform shows itself somewhat painfully in the measures recommended for the treatment of circulatory failure. The hesitation as to the utility of inversion into the head-down position in adults is evidently in deference to the recommendations of Dr. L. Hill.
Nitrite of amyle, too, is still recommended, although in most of the investigations into the physiological action of chloroform, vascular paralysis is found to be one of its effects. Hypodermic injection of ether appears rather an obsolete remedy for chloroform poisoning.
In the chapter on the Administration of Chloroform (p. 135), the danger of a great intake of chloroform vapour by the gasping that follows breath-holding in struggling during induction, is carefully pointed out, and the removal of the mask is recommended. Yet, in the same paragraph, this occurs—" Struggling should be met by an increased dose of chloroform, and still freer supply of air." These statements are contradictory. This struggling is associated either with inhibited respiration, followed by gasping, or with exaggerated respiration. A great inspiratory intake occurs in either case. To increase the additions of chloroform to the mask at such a time is really courting the danger indicated. As regards " still freer supply of air," this is no qualification, as the airway should be as free as possible under all conditions.
No reference is made to the production of general ansthesia by ethyl chloride. Brief mention is made of Bier's method of producing extensive ansthesia by the intra-dural injection of cocaine or eucaine into the spinal canal. A very good description is given of the various methods of producing local ansthesia. The continuous administra- tion of nitrous oxide through the nose by Patterson's apparatus is also well described.
E. H. E.
Gonorrhoeal Arthritis, its Pathology, Symptoms and Treatment.
By L.
VERNON JONES,M.D. London : H. K. Lewis, 1901.
In the preface, the author says his " apology for this little book is
the absence of any work on the subject." It is presumed the author
means a complete monograph in the English language, as he himself
quotes from Beunecke's pamphlet on this disease, and also refers to
Foulerton's investigations. The present book is a fairly good
resumeInter. Med..10.1 Reviews. 55
Jan. 20. 1902
of the subject, but contains nothing new or original. It is pleasantly written in good English, but is essentially a compilation with a good deal of padding. Nothing is said about the operative treatment of the disease ; indeed, the chapter on treatment is the weakest, and the author hopes that, " in the not very distant future, our knowledge of serum-therapeutics may be so far perfected that the antitoxins of the various micro-organisms (the gonococcus amongst others) may be isolated, and in the earlier stages of this form of arthritis we may be able to apply this knowledge in its more satisfactory treatment."
G. A. S.
The American Year Book of Medicine and Surgery. Philadelphia and London : W. B. Saunders and Co., 1901. Melbourne : Jas. Little.
Somewhat late in the day we have received this useful " digest of scientific progress and authoritative opinion in all branches of medicine and surgery." When the work first appeared, we spoke very favourably of it, and the excellent manner in which it was compiled. The succeeding publications have well maintained, and in some respects bettered, the original one. It is not so all-inclusive as Sajous' " Annual," but it is more discriminating and judicious, and just the thing for the busy practitioner. It is gratifying to note several references to the Intercolonial Medical yournal.
Mr.
Bird's
paper on the Incision in Appendicitis is quoted at great length. Dr. Moore's case of Removal of Epithelioma of Bladder is mentioned, and Dr. Herman Lawrence's paper on the Treatment of Lupus Erythematosus is referred to. G. A.S.
The Surgical and Medical History of the Naval War between China and yapan, 1894-1895. Translated from the original Japanese Report under the direction of Baron Saneyoshi, F.R.C.S. Eng., &c., Director-General of the Medical Depart- ment of Imperial Japanese Navy, by S. SUZUKI, M.R.C.S.
Eng., L.R.C.P. Lond., &c., Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals and Fleets, Imperial Japanese Navy.
This volume of 544 pages, with numerous illustrations, printed by the Tokio Printing Company, gives
a very
good account of the Naval War between China and Japan.In the earlier chapters, an account of the
various engagements,
and brief
histories of the killed and wounded, is given, thewounds
b6
Intercolonial Medical Journal. Jan. 50, 1902being classified regionally. Very complete records have been pub- lished of the wounds in every engagement, but naturally in naval warfare the injuries are, as a rule, due to shells and splinters, and not to small missiles, consequently there is a lack of interesting wounds such as the latter projectiles cause.
A chapter is devoted to the management of the wounded, and the advisability of constructing the operating rooms on ships below the water-line, and consequently well out of danger from shells. On one of the boats, the " Hiffei," where the operating room was above the water-line, all the medical officers were killed by a shell. The difficulties of transporting wounded to the base hospitals in naval warfare are also pointed out.
As usual in warfare, medical cases are very numerous, and in the part of the book devoted to medicine, there is a very interesting article on the etiology of kakike (Beni Beni).
The concluding chapters give an account of the sanitary condi- tions during the war, and the work in naval hospitals.
The book is well illustrated throughout ; carefully compiled statistics of the killed and wounded in the various battles are given.
The work should be of great value to naval surgeons, and it gives a very good idea of the complete military and medical organisation existing in Japan. F. A. N.
Obstetric and Gyncecologic Nursing.