REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES.
Modern Surgical Therapeutics: A Compendium of Current Formulæ, Approved Dressings, and Specific Methods for the Treatment of Surgical Diseases and Injuries. By George H. Napheys, A. M., M. D., etc. Sixth Edition. Revised to the most recent date. Philadelphia: D. G. Brinton, 115 South Seventh Street. 1879. Pp. 605. Price $4.00, in cloth.
This is a companion volume to Napheys’ Medical Therapeutics which we noticed in our January issue.
The design of this work is to give a careful digest of surgical therapeutics up to the latest date, and the author has succeeded in carrying it out. As a work of ready reference it may be compared favorably with any of a similar character. Discrimination in selections, however, does not seem to be the aim of the author, but rather to bring all matters under their heads, leaving the reader to select those best suited to his needs.
In divesting surgery of its operative procedures, it leaves a comparatively indifferent number of resources, but the therapeutical branch is by no means at a stand still.
We are pleased to see that under the head of anæsthetics, chloroform has been allowed its proper place at the head of the list.
Chloroform “is the most potent of all anæsthetics,” he says, “and its use is still advocated by many eminent surgeons. Only the alleged dangers attending it, prevent its exclusive employment. Many of these arise from its ignorant or heedless administration.” The directions for its use are given, as also the means of combatting dangers arising from it. Dr. Napheys might have added with a great deal of truth, that chloroform should not be administered by any surgeon who is not habitually on his guard as to the dangers of the anæsthetic state.
The dressing of wounds after the new processes of antiseptic practice receives a great deal of attention. To one familiar with the dressings during our civil war, on examination of the present multitudinous plans to exclude “germs” would bring back the days of our grand-fathers in surgery with their balms and balsams and salves; and some of the dressing is not more rational. According to Esmarch (p. 151 and 152) the dressing of gun-shot wounds should be purely antiseptic. “Do not examine the wound at all, rather than examine it with unclean fingers—and everything is unclean, in the strict sense that is not antiseptic.
“* * * * To avoid pernicious putrefactive influences the wounds must not be touched by the hands, but closed rapidly by antiseptic plugs, in order to preserve them from the contact of putrefactive agents until they can undergo the Lister treatment in the hospitals if necessary. He proposes that every soldier should carry in the lining of his uniform two balls of salicylated jute wrapped in gauze.”
We make this particular quotation to show to what old-maidish precision the antiseptic idea is leading good surgeons. This ever-present inextinguishable “germ” is the evil spirit hovering over every wound. Nets of gauze are set to protect it; strong odors from the witches cauldron are summoned to stifle and destroy the malicious fiend.
We are thankful though that the civil surgeon still sees “union by adhesion,” and “first intention,” and “granulation,” in regions so far remote from Listerism that there is little hope it will enter there, and if it does it will hardly captivate the even-minded country surgeon. When the days of probationary Listerism have ended, we will not be surprised if the verdict is against it.
But we have digressed from our book. It is the XVIth chapter on “Diseases of the Skin” that will be often consulted by the busy doctor. Having made his diagnosis, here is a goodly array of remedial agents, from the most eminent teachers to help him out of difficulties. We miss chrysophanic acid in the composition of his formulæ for the treatment of psoriasis. It certainly has made as much headway in the favor of the general practitioner as any of the more recent agents.
But why say anything about a book which has made its way through the world, and has now come to its sixth edition? The hundreds of medical men who will read it, will traverse a field of surgical treatment far beyond the facilities of those possessed of the best private libraries. As long as the author keeps up with the current of surgical treatment, his book will be sought after. We congratulate the author, and Dr. Brinton, on the success of this book, and advise our friends to buy it.
A Clinical Treatise on Diseases of the Liver. By Fried-Theod. Frerichs. Prof. of Clin. Med. Uni. of Berlin, &c., &c. In three volumes. Translated by Charles Murchison, M. D., F. R. C. P. Physician to the London Fever Hospital. New York: Wm. Wood & Co. 27 Great Jones Street. 1879. 8vo. Pp. 224.
This is the third volume of Wood’s Library of Standard Medical Authors.
For many years this work of Frerich’s has been a classic, although only known popularly to the American profession by the large number of quotations made from it by writers on diseases of the liver. Although the word “Clinical” appears on the title page, it is nevertheless a systematic treatise which traverses the entire field of clinical pathology, and embraces also lucid historical accounts of the phases of change which medical men have passed through on their way to the knowledge of the present day.
This book, more than any we have been called upon to review, shows how much German authors rely upon the authority of their own people. References everywhere abound, but for the most part to German works. We do not mention this as a fault, but to make the contrast with American authors who seem to glory in going far away from home for authority among the unspeakable names of the Russian and German gentry.
Prof. Frerich’s work for this reason will be more valuable to American students who wish to know the state of pathology in Germany in regard to “the great gland.”
As, of course, no American physician can now forego the pleasure and duty of making Frerich’s on the Liver one of his working tools, we leave them to judge if we are mistaken in saying that it is a master-piece.
Dr. Charles Murchison is the translator, and his preface serves to elucidate many points, and to bring the work up to the present advanced state of pathological and physiological knowledge. It is not necessary to say anything commendatory of the author of Functional Diseases of the Liver, as every Southern physician will have found a good friend and counsellor in this volume already.
To subscribers this work is sold at $1.00, a very low price!
The Diseases of Live Stock and their most efficient remedies: Including Horses, Cattle, Sheep and Swine. By Lloyd V. Tellor, M. D. Philadelphia: D. G. Brinton, 115 South Seventh St. 1879. Pp. 469. Price $2.50.
Diseases of the domestic animals deserve more study from the medical profession than they receive. Medical men even now submit their horses to the treatment of the neighborhood blacksmith and farrier, whose ignorance and brutality is all but universal, rather than inform themselves of the phenomena of brute diseases; in fact, some medical men hold it as beneath their dignified calling to give their attention to such affairs. Fortunately now a better day is dawning, and books like this will do a great deal towards enticing physicians into this neglected field. There is no practice that promises such profitable returns as the educated and skillful management of diseases of domestic animals.
We advise our friends in the country to put this volume side by side on their book-shelves with Youatt, and soon the latter would be but a shelf-keeper alongside their new acquaintance.
The point of view from which the study of the diseases of domestic animals is growing in importance, is the relation of their diseases to ours.
To be able to detect measly beef and mutton is an accomplishment that every physician should acquire, now that we know that tape-worm has its origin there. And we should also be stimulated to earnest enquiry when we remember what great results Jenner brought out of the study of cow-pox.
Biennial Report of the North Carolina Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind. From January 1st, 1877 to January 1879. 32d and 33d Sessions. Raleigh: Published by order of the Board of Trustees.
The last Legislature was famous for fault-finding, but had nothing but praise for the Institution presided over by Mr. Gudger. His report shows good work done, and common sense ideas of the theories of the methods of teaching of those unfortunates under his care.
Mr. Gudger reviews the arguments of the advocates of the Manual method, and the Articulation method, of instructing deaf mutes as follows:
“There is a ground, however, upon which the advocates of each system can meet and agree. In most of the larger institutions articulation has been introduced and is a success, when the class to be instructed consists of those who, having heard in childhood and learnt to speak, have become deaf (and so are in danger of losing what speech they have) or of those who are partly deaf and consequently not able to catch the delicate shades of sound in different words similar to each other. As these persons have some language to build upon, and an idea of sound, it is comparatively easy, by means of the skillful methods in use, to improve and advance their knowledge in this particular, especially as the teacher may use the known in getting at the unknown; but to attempt to teach articulation to an ordinary congenital deaf-mute, is to spend valuable time in that which gives promise of little fruit. In other words, as our matter-of-fact American people would express it, ‘It does not pay.’”
The entire report shows that the management is in the hands of a courageous and enthusiastic worker,—one not too much engrossed with the beautiful theories of his profession—who shows practical results instead of learned dissertations.
Lectures on Practical Surgery. By H. H. Toland, M. D. Professor of the Principles and Practice of Surgery, &c., &c., in the University of California. Second Edition. Illustrated. Philadelphia: Lindsay & Blakiston. 1879.
This is a handsome volume of 520 pages, written by a teacher of surgery of great celebrity on the Pacific slope. It consists of lectures as delivered in the Medical College of the University of California, reported by a stenographer. The first edition of this book, although it was treated rather severely by the critics has found ready sale, the present being the second edition.
It is not difficult to see that Dr. Toland is an original teacher of merit, bound down by no school, nor easily captivated by innovations. He is confident of his powers and does not speak with uncertain meaning.
Under the head of fractures of the thigh, the apparatus in favor with the author is the double inclined plane with some modifications, and with which he has had admirable results.
“When you engage in practice,” he says p. 284, “you will soon be convinced that the double inclined plane and short splints are generally better than a more complicated apparatus.”
Again—“If physicians relied more on their common sense than on the rules of authorities in the treatment of fractures, there would not be so many cases of deformity resulting from such injuries as are daily presented. I would as soon think of committing suicide as of placing an oblique fracture of the tibia in an ordinary fracture-box, filled with either sand, sawdust, or any of the other substances used for that purpose,” p. 279.
A case of aneurism of the left iliac artery is given and illustrated, (p. 515). “In aneurism of the external iliac artery” the author says “I never open the sheath, and consequently apply a single ligature; the sheath of the vessel not being disturbed, there is scarcely a possibility of the occurrence of secondary hemorrhages. I have ligated the external iliac nine times, and my success is the best evidence of the correctness of the theory upon which it is based. One patient died from gangrene of the extremity, and the other from internal hemorrhage which proceeded from the small vessels that were lacerated when the peritoneum was detached from the iliac fossa,” p. 516.
The volume is well illustrated by fresh designs,—all of them original—a matter of sincere congratulation to the author and publishers.
A book possessed of so much originality and individuality as this, will be sure to find a large number of readers among the former students of the author, and will also make its way into favor with the student of American surgery.
Syphilis by Vaccination with Human Virus.—The virus was taken from the arm of a child aged seven months, apparently in perfect health. Twenty-five girls were vaccinated from this infant. At the end of six weeks, twelve of the girls were taken with symptoms of syphilis, ulcerations at point of inoculation followed by exanthema, ulcerations in mouth and pharynx, condylomata of anus, syphilitic ozœena, etc.; three others of the group suffered from suspicious ulceration near the vaccine sore, which failed to be followed by constitutional symptoms. Later it was discovered that the mother of the child was suffering from syphilis.—Hosp. Med. Gazette.—Louisville Med. News.