320 MEDICINE FOR THE MIND.

bright, intelligent boy, with complete motor palsy of the legs,exaggerated knee-jerks, and ankle clonus on both sides. Botharms were much wasted, and the head was drawn towardsthe left shoulder, and there was inability to turn it to theright. There was complete loss of cutaneous sensibility upto the level of the second rib and there was also anesthesiaover the inner side of each arm. There was ability to flexboth arms at the elbow, but extension at the elbow could notbe carried out. There was drop-wrist, the fingers werefi’exed at the mid-phalangeal joint and could not be volun-tarily moved. The thenar and hypothenar muscles werewasted, more on the right side than on the left, and themuscles of the right hand did not react to Faradaism;those of the left hand did. The triceps and deltoid oneach side showed the reaction of degeneration, and thesymptoms were taken to indicate some gradually increasingpressure between the level of the nucleus of the fifth

cervical nerve and that of the sixth. The spine wastrephined at the level of the fifth cervical spine and thelaminse of this vertebra and of that below it removedwith forceps. The cord was seen to fill the canal,and there was no pulsation. A swelling was seen on theright side of the cord. In separating the dura mater fromthis it was seen to be a hydatid cyst, and on opening it asmall amount of hydatid fluid escaped and a number ofdaughter cysts quickly followed. Considerable difficultywas experienced in getting rid of the daughter cysts, but inall sixteen were removed, together with the mother cyst.After the operation there was a considerable degree of reco-very of voluntary power for a short time, but unfortunatelysymptoms of cerebral meningitis developed, and the boy diedeighteen days after the operation. The unfortunate termina-tion of a case so admirably studied and carefully operatedupon is much to be regretted.

MEDICINE FOR THE MIND.

LADY MACBETH’S medical attendant was obliged to confesshis inability to minister to a mind diseased, but according tothe modern school of psycho-neurologists the cleansing ofpsychically affected brains is by no means beyondthe range of medical achievement. In a work which has

just been published M. de Fleury combats with greatseriousness the old-fashioned hypothesis that bodily ills

alone are the province of the practitioner. The disorders of

the psychic half of the human economy are every whit asnumerous and important, if not more so, than those affectingthe somatic half, and everyone reflecting on the havoc theyoccasion must acknowledge that systematic efforts should bemade to render them amenable to treatment. Laziness,grief, and anger are among the mental affections discussedby the writer, not only from a curative, but also from aprophylactic, point of view, but his remarks should be

perused in the origiral. As might perhaps be expected, anentire chapter is devoted to the tender passion under theheading, La Médecine des Passions. "Love," says M. de

Fleury, "is a physiological phenomenon which enters thedomain of pathology the moment it assumes the senti-mental form. Do we not habitually say, ’So-and-so is

madly in love’? This passion, which is beyond the control ofsense, in face of which reason loses her rights and herpowers, is incontestably a human malady." The symptomsof l’ Amou’l’-Maladie, we are further told, bear a wonderfulresemblance to those of alcoholism and morphinomania.Everyone who inquires into the facts for himself will be

struck with the absolute identity of the pathological pro-cesses in each case. The point of departure is different,but the results are precisely similar, and the same treat-ment-namely, separation-cures both. M. de Fleury’s

1 L’Introduction a la Médecine de l’Esprit. Paris: Alcan, 1897.

theories are ingenious, but it cannot as yet be said that hehas discovered the sweet oblivious antidote which Shake-

speare’s Thane asked for; nor, for the matter of that, apanacea of any kind for thick-coming fancies.

THE AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THEADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE.

THE seventh session of the above association will com-mence on Jan. 6th, 1898, the place of meeting being Sydney.The objects of the association are to give a stronger impulseand a more systematic direction to scientific inquiry; to

promote the intercourse of those who cultivate science indifferent parts of the Australasian colonies and in other

countries ; to obtain more general attention to the objects ofscience, and a removal of any disadvantages of a publickind which may impede its progress. The president-elect, whoalso holds the office of permanent honorary secretary, is Pro-fessor A. Liversidge, M.A.,LL.D., F.R.S., who will answer anyquestions addressed to him as to proceedings, &c., and willfurnish a list of hotels, apartments, or boarding houses, withtariffs, to members of the association. Inquirers are

particularly requested to state the nature and amount ofaccommodation they may require. The sections into whichthe subjects for discussion are divided include nearly everydepartment of science other than medical. The steamshipmd railway companies give reductions in fares to membersupon production of their cards of membership. Besides the

general meetings, excursions will be organised to various

places of interest in the neighbourhood, and this portion ofIhe Congress will no doubt be by no means the least appre-ciated of the proceedings, for the scenery of the BlueMountains is as beautiful as any in the world.

TYPHUS FEVER IN LIVERPOOL DURING 1896.

IN these days we hear but little of typhus fever in

England, and it will probably be a matter of surprise to

many persons to learn that during 1896 there were in Liver-pool as many as 305 cases, with 36 deaths, of this disease,as against 162, with 24 deaths, in the previous year-figureswhich go to show that although this disease was more

prevalent in Liverpool during 1896 than during 1895 thefatality rate was lower. The latter fact may be partlyaccounted for by the circumstance that during 1896 one ofthe day industrial schools appears to have acted as a centrefor disseminating the disease, and that thus the age distri-bution of the attacks was a favourable one. Dr. Hope tellsus that the greater number of the attacks occurred in thesouth end of the city, in parts notable for "drunkenness,squalour, and filth," circumstances which are almost alwaysfound to be associated with this terrible disease. Uponthe discovery of a case of typhus fever in Liverpoolthe patient is at once sent to the isolation hospital andthe infected bedding and clothing are destroyed. Further-

more, an inspector visits the house from which the

patient is removed every day for a fortnight, andmakes minute inquiries as to any other suspicious cases

of illness, while regard is also had to all persons who

may have visited the house prior to the removal of the

patient and the disinfection of his belongings. Notwith-

standing these precautions, Dr. Hope remarks that thedisease at times remains unrecognised until a localised out-break attracts attention. As he observes, typhus fever is byno means easy of diagnosis even by persons fairly familiarwith its manifestations, and it is obvious that, owing to therarity of the disease, especially in London, the majority ofthe younger generation of medical practitioners must havepassed through their hospital experience without seeing acase at all. We are accustomed to flatter ourselves that wehave practically "stamped out" typhus fever from our