BRADFORD MEDICO-CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY
1
51 proportion as the head is arrested high in the pelvis, in the brim or above the brim, the necessity, the utility, and the safety of the forceps become less frequent," and, " as a corollary from the preceding propositions, increasing caution in determining on the use of the forceps, and greater skill in carrying out the operation, are called for." (To be continued.) BRADFORD MEDICO-CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY. THE seventeenth annual meeting of this Society was held on June 10th in the board room of the infirmary. The report recorded a large increase in the communications to the Society, in the number and attendance of members, and in the use of the now important library. During the session a museum and pathological room had been added to the infirmary, available to the purposes of members. Dr. E. T. Tibbits was elected President for the ensuing ,year, vice Dr. Burnie, who retires. Dr. Whalley was re- elected treasurer, with Mr. T. C. Denby to assist, and Dr. Goyder secretary. Drs. Craig, Dunlop, Burnie, and Rabag- liati were elected members of committee; Messrs. T. C. Denby and J. Appleyard, M.B., pathologists; and as auditors, Mr. Hirst and Dr. Dunlop. A vote of condolence with the relatives of the late Mr. W. H. G. Buckley, M.R.C.S., who had been ten years treasurer of the Society, and one of its first members, was unanimously passed. Reviews and Notices of Books. Children’s Lives, and How to Protect them. A Handbook for ready reference. By WILLIAM LOMAS, M.D., M.R.C.P., Physician to the Seaside Convalescent Hospital, &c. &c. ’Sampson Low and Co. 1879. - Those who have the care of children owe gratitude to Dr. Lomas for this clear and thoroughly sensible manual. It contains, of course, little that will be new to our readers, although there are some matters of interest even for them; but to others it offers a practical and trustworthy synopsis of the sanitation of childhood. The author has not made the mistake of affecting originality. He starts no theories, and airs no crotchets; but he tells what every mother ought to know, and tells it simply and well. If in some cases he has seemed to touch somewhat upon the province of the medical at. tendant, it is only because many, even in England, and thousands in the colonies, live so far from medical help that they are at times compelled to act, wisely or unwisely, for themselves. One of the best chapters in the book deals with the treatment of children after recovery from severe disease. The too common custom of hurrying children away to the seaside before they have gained strength tc stand the change, and often before they are fairly free from the taint of infection, is wisely reprobated, and the dangers of the lodging-house, enhanced by the frequency of this practice, are pointed out. We heartily concur in the advice which Dr. Lomas offers to the authorities of ou] national sanatoria, that they should place lodging-house, under systematic inspection, and should more frequently enforce punishment upon persons who are the means oi bringing infection into their districts. Few things would do more to ensure the popularity of a watering-place than the knowledge that the danger of infection, now so com. monly dreaded, had been reduced to a minimum. Transactions of the Clinical Society of London. Vol. XI, London : Longmans, Green, and Co. 1878.-BuZletin de la Société Clinique de Paris. Vol. II. Paris : V. Adriar Delahaye et Cie. 1879.-The appearance of the seconc volume of the proceedings of the Paris Clinical Society affords an opportunity for contrasting its work with that o: its older sister, our own Clinical Society. The amount o: work done by each is about the same, but the Parisian Society holds more meetings, and its volume is replete with original and suggestive work-therapeutical as well as pathological. But what is most striking is the com- parative deficiency of purely medical subjects in the English volume as contrasted with their redundancy in the French. For, excluding papers on dermatology (of which only three appear in the French volume), we find only seventeen papers on medical subjects in our Society’s proceedings, as against thirty-eight in our neighbour’s. It is time that our phy- sicians looked to their laurels, and bestirred themselves in the cause of medical science. In justice it should be added that all the communications read at the Paris Society are not records of cases. The majority are, but some few deal with general therapeutical topics, such as the hypo- dermic injection of morphia in asthma and in dyspncea ; or are theses upon special subjects, as that on bronchial dilata- tion in tuberculosis, or that on the pathogeny of pneumonia- a clever paper by M. Fernet, in which he endeavours to show that " acute so-called fibrinous pneumonia is a herpes of the lung, and this herpes is a trophic disorder due to a neuritis of the pneumogastric nerve." Most will concur with the President’s remark that the facts recorded by the author might be admitted, but not his interpretation of them. Amongst other interesting papers may be cited one by M. Rivet on aneurism of the arch of the aorta treated by electrolysis with marked benefit; one on venous pulsation on the dorsum of the hand in the final stage of certain cases of pulmonary phthisis, by M. Peter, the President; tuber- culous ulceration of the palate, by M. Quenu; eruptions due to chloral, by M. Mayor; generalised xanthelasma, by M. Chambard, this last being a subject fairly and thoroughly sifted in England. Of the contents of the English volume there i is no need to speak here. Our pages have duly contained the leading features of each of the papers (many of them of high excellence and great practical value) as they were read. , But there is one feature of the French volume which does , not find its counterpart in the English. In this country we are content to let the journals record the discussions arising , out of the papers read before the societies, but in France a I full verbatim report of the remarks passed at the meeting finds its place in the published volume. Do they manage these things also better in France ? Would its discussions : gain in force and thought if our Clinical Society were to . imitate its younger rival in this respect ? ’l I Notesfor Students Pathological Anatomy. A Guide in the Post-mortem Room. Part I.; pp. 29. By ROBERT J. I LEE, M.A., M.B. Cantab. London : T. Richards. 1879.- These " notes " are intended to assist students when they l commence the study of Morbid Anatomy. The author I appears to have attempted too much; it would have been i better if he had limited himself to the description ofthe way a complete post-mortem examination is to be made, the organs r examined, and the more usual diseases recognised, without L the somewhat meagre explanations he has here and there introduced. We notice several omissions; for instance, he ! makes no mention of opening the pericardium before exam- r ining the heart, of examining the gall-bladder and bile- E ducts, or of investigating the intestine for signs and causes l of obstruction. Is it not rather misleading to speak of the l lung in red hepatisation as " firm," and in grey hepatisation , as "not quite so firm, more moist"? No instructions are given in the methods of investigating many common sur- , gical affections, as stricture, fractures, aneurisms, diseases ; of bones, and tumours. l Pott’s Disease, its Pathological and Mechanical Treat- L ment, with Remarks on Rotary Lateral Curvature. By r NEWTON M. SHAFFER, M.D. New York: G. P. Putnam f and Sons. 1879.-The special feature of the first part of f this essay is the distinctions in seat, cause, and terminations
Transcript of BRADFORD MEDICO-CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY
51
proportion as the head is arrested high in the pelvis, inthe brim or above the brim, the necessity, the utility, andthe safety of the forceps become less frequent," and, " as acorollary from the preceding propositions, increasing cautionin determining on the use of the forceps, and greater skill incarrying out the operation, are called for."
(To be continued.)
BRADFORD MEDICO-CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY.
THE seventeenth annual meeting of this Society was heldon June 10th in the board room of the infirmary. The
report recorded a large increase in the communications tothe Society, in the number and attendance of members,and in the use of the now important library. During thesession a museum and pathological room had been added tothe infirmary, available to the purposes of members.
Dr. E. T. Tibbits was elected President for the ensuing,year, vice Dr. Burnie, who retires. Dr. Whalley was re-elected treasurer, with Mr. T. C. Denby to assist, and Dr.Goyder secretary. Drs. Craig, Dunlop, Burnie, and Rabag-liati were elected members of committee; Messrs. T. C.Denby and J. Appleyard, M.B., pathologists; and as
auditors, Mr. Hirst and Dr. Dunlop.A vote of condolence with the relatives of the late Mr.
W. H. G. Buckley, M.R.C.S., who had been ten yearstreasurer of the Society, and one of its first members, wasunanimously passed.
Reviews and Notices of Books.Children’s Lives, and How to Protect them. A Handbook
for ready reference. By WILLIAM LOMAS, M.D., M.R.C.P.,Physician to the Seaside Convalescent Hospital, &c. &c.
’Sampson Low and Co. 1879. - Those who have the careof children owe gratitude to Dr. Lomas for this clearand thoroughly sensible manual. It contains, of course,little that will be new to our readers, although there aresome matters of interest even for them; but to others itoffers a practical and trustworthy synopsis of the sanitationof childhood. The author has not made the mistake of
affecting originality. He starts no theories, and airs no
crotchets; but he tells what every mother ought to know,and tells it simply and well. If in some cases he has seemedto touch somewhat upon the province of the medical at.tendant, it is only because many, even in England, andthousands in the colonies, live so far from medical helpthat they are at times compelled to act, wisely or unwisely,for themselves. One of the best chapters in the book dealswith the treatment of children after recovery from severedisease. The too common custom of hurrying children
away to the seaside before they have gained strength tcstand the change, and often before they are fairly freefrom the taint of infection, is wisely reprobated, and thedangers of the lodging-house, enhanced by the frequencyof this practice, are pointed out. We heartily concur inthe advice which Dr. Lomas offers to the authorities of ou]national sanatoria, that they should place lodging-house,under systematic inspection, and should more frequentlyenforce punishment upon persons who are the means oi
bringing infection into their districts. Few things woulddo more to ensure the popularity of a watering-place thanthe knowledge that the danger of infection, now so com.monly dreaded, had been reduced to a minimum.
Transactions of the Clinical Society of London. Vol. XI,London : Longmans, Green, and Co. 1878.-BuZletin de laSociété Clinique de Paris. Vol. II. Paris : V. Adriar
Delahaye et Cie. 1879.-The appearance of the seconcvolume of the proceedings of the Paris Clinical Societyaffords an opportunity for contrasting its work with that o:its older sister, our own Clinical Society. The amount o:
work done by each is about the same, but the ParisianSociety holds more meetings, and its volume is repletewith original and suggestive work-therapeutical as wellas pathological. But what is most striking is the com-parative deficiency of purely medical subjects in the Englishvolume as contrasted with their redundancy in the French.For, excluding papers on dermatology (of which only threeappear in the French volume), we find only seventeen paperson medical subjects in our Society’s proceedings, as againstthirty-eight in our neighbour’s. It is time that our phy-sicians looked to their laurels, and bestirred themselvesin the cause of medical science. In justice it should beadded that all the communications read at the Paris Societyare not records of cases. The majority are, but some fewdeal with general therapeutical topics, such as the hypo-dermic injection of morphia in asthma and in dyspncea ; orare theses upon special subjects, as that on bronchial dilata-tion in tuberculosis, or that on the pathogeny of pneumonia-a clever paper by M. Fernet, in which he endeavours to showthat " acute so-called fibrinous pneumonia is a herpes of thelung, and this herpes is a trophic disorder due to a neuritisof the pneumogastric nerve." Most will concur with thePresident’s remark that the facts recorded by the authormight be admitted, but not his interpretation of them.
Amongst other interesting papers may be cited one byM. Rivet on aneurism of the arch of the aorta treated byelectrolysis with marked benefit; one on venous pulsationon the dorsum of the hand in the final stage of certain casesof pulmonary phthisis, by M. Peter, the President; tuber-culous ulceration of the palate, by M. Quenu; eruptions due
,
to chloral, by M. Mayor; generalised xanthelasma, byM. Chambard, this last being a subject fairly and thoroughlysifted in England. Of the contents of the English volume there
i is no need to speak here. Our pages have duly containedthe leading features of each of the papers (many of them of
high excellence and great practical value) as they were read., But there is one feature of the French volume which does
, not find its counterpart in the English. In this country we,
are content to let the journals record the discussions arising, out of the papers read before the societies, but in France aI full verbatim report of the remarks passed at the meeting
finds its place in the published volume. Do they managethese things also better in France ? Would its discussions
: gain in force and thought if our Clinical Society were to.
imitate its younger rival in this respect ? ’l
I Notesfor Students Pathological Anatomy. A Guide inthe Post-mortem Room. Part I.; pp. 29. By ROBERT J.
I LEE, M.A., M.B. Cantab. London : T. Richards. 1879.-These " notes " are intended to assist students when they
l commence the study of Morbid Anatomy. The authorI appears to have attempted too much; it would have beeni better if he had limited himself to the description ofthe way
a complete post-mortem examination is to be made, the organsr examined, and the more usual diseases recognised, withoutL the somewhat meagre explanations he has here and there
introduced. We notice several omissions; for instance, he! makes no mention of opening the pericardium before exam-r ining the heart, of examining the gall-bladder and bile-E ducts, or of investigating the intestine for signs and causesl of obstruction. Is it not rather misleading to speak of thel lung in red hepatisation as " firm," and in grey hepatisation, as "not quite so firm, more moist"? No instructions are
given in the methods of investigating many common sur-, gical affections, as stricture, fractures, aneurisms, diseases; of bones, and tumours.l Pott’s Disease, its Pathological and Mechanical Treat-L ment, with Remarks on Rotary Lateral Curvature. Byr NEWTON M. SHAFFER, M.D. New York: G. P. Putnamf and Sons. 1879.-The special feature of the first part off this essay is the distinctions in seat, cause, and terminations
