showing the medical system of an English Army, with brief descriptive letters, can be supplied by Mr Lead, printer, Leicester, at 3s. 6d. per 100 copies. These diagrams are useful for instructing ambulance classes of volunteers.

A NEW METHOD OF LOCALIZING THE POSITION OF THE PARTS ON THE SURFACE OF THE BRAIN IN THE LIVING SUBJECT.— As is well known, various methods have been suggested for localizing the position of the convolutions and other superficial parts of the brain in the living subject. There are certain grave objections to nearly all of these, the chief being, firstly, that they are mostly founded on the position of the sutures, which are not always easy to find through the scalp; secondly, that although the grosser convolutions and fissures may be mapped out with tolerable accuracy, yet finer details, which are often exactly what are wanted in operative procedures, are left very much to chance; and, lastly, that the hair and the position of the patient in bed are serious incumbrances in making the various measurements. In cases of injury there is another objection, namely, that one cannot always recall on the spur of the moment the necessary rules laid down by the authors of these various schemes for finding the fissure of Rolando and other landmarks. What would be much more serviceable than such methods would be a means of automatically mapping out the position of internal parts by subdividing the scalp into a number of equal-sized areas. Such a method has lately been devised by Professor Hamilton of Aberdeen, which promises to yield very satisfactory results, and to render the localization of the surface of the brain, through its various coverings, a matter of greater certainty.

The method briefly consists in this :-A wire framework is made to cover the scalp so as to map its surface out into a number of squares. The special advantage of employing wire is that it can be passed through the hair and brought to lie in actual contact with the surface. One strong wire or steel band runs round the head from the root of the nose to the occipital protuberance. Another passes from front to back in the middle line, and between these run transverse and horizontal wires, which can be moved respectively backwards and forwards, or upwards and downwards, so as to adjust themselves to the size of various heads. These are so placed as to map out the scalp into a series of squares of as nearly as possible equal size. In order to find what each square corresponds to in the parts beneath, Professor Hamilton fixes the apparatus on the dead subject, and after it has been accurately adjusted, takes it off until the scalp and calvaria have been removed. It is now readjusted over the exposed brain, and the relationship of the framework to the underlying parts is recorded by means of photography. As each square has a definite number, the comparison of a large series of photographs gives most instructive results.

Another method of employing a similar apparatus is to localize the fissure of Rolando by means of one of the many methods recommended. From the horizontal band which runs round the head from the root of the nose to the occiput a wire passes upwards, and this is placed over the situation of the fissure. The parts anterior and posterior to this can now be subdivided into squares in the manner before mentioned, and the position of each recorded by photography. The numerous details so important in operations necessitating trephining, as well as the equally important matter of diagnosing the exact position of a cortical lesion, can by these methods be noted down in a chart, reference to which would alone be necessary in order to find where the underlying parts are located. The position, for instance, of the middle meningeal artery can be found without any difficulty.

We believe that before long Professor Hamilton will describe the method in detail, and give the result of his observations.

THE HABITUAL DRUNKARDS ACT, 1879, INEFFICIENT AND NOT ADEQUATE TO ACCOMPLISH THE IMPORTANT OBJECTS DESIRABLE, by A. Peddie. We have received a copy of the Proceedings of the Society for the Study and Cure of Inebriety for Feb. 1886, containing a paper on the above subject by Dr A. Peddie, our much esteemed fellow-citizen. The paper is a valuable one, though perhaps not very encouraging to philanthropists, containing, among other important information, an account of nearly thirty years' experience of a struggle to obtain recognition of a medical fact, and justice for a class of persons who sorely require to be protected against themselves and those who trade on their diseased propensities. We would strongly recommend this paper to lawyers and members of Parliament. We think that Dr Peddie has no difficulty in proving that the present Act does little or nothing towards enabling friends and medical attendants to provide for the care and cure of diseased and also vicious drinkers.

DIRECT INTERSTITIAL MEDICATION BY DIELECTROLYSIS.-M. A. Brondel, of Algiers, brought forward a novel plan of medication at a recent meeting of the Paris Académie de médecine (Rev. méd.). By the term dielectrolysis (dielectrolyse) he refers to a process for making a nascent chemical substance pass through the tissues. For example, taking iodine, a body which is readily “dielectrolyzable," he applies to any desired part of the person a compress wet with a solution of iodide of potassium, and over it he places the negative electrode of a galvanic battery, the positive electrode being held against any indifferent part of the body. The iodine leaves the potassium, and, actually traversing the intervening tissues, rapidly arrives at the positive electrode, as may be ascertained by testing with starch-paper. In effect, therefore, this is a hypodermic, or rather interstitial (intra-organique) method, without wounding the skin or producing pain. As a great number of simple bodies

may thus be made to penetrate from one point to another, the practical applications of the new method may be very numerous and very important. By it the author has cured fibrous tumours of the uterus, a case of perimetritis, a rheumatic ovarian neuralgia, and several cases of chronic rheumatism. He has in view further trials upon parasitic and malignant tumours, diseases of the skin, syphilis, neuralgias, etc., and especially pulmonary consumption, on which latter he proposes to try the action of various mineral antiseptics, such as arsenic, mercury, fluorine, etc.-New York Med. Journal, 31st October 1885.

OBITUARY.

THE LATE DR ANGUS MACDONALD.

THE readers of this Journal must all feel most deeply the loss they, in common with the profession, the public, and especially the Edinburgh School of Medicine, have sustained by the premature death of this laborious and talented physician.

A detailed notice of his life, by one of his oldest friends, will appear in our next issue, in which also we hope to have the pleasure of publishing Dr Croom's eloquent and feeling tribute to his memory, and appreciative estimate of his special work as a gynecologist and teacher of obstetrics, delivered on 24th February at the Obstetrical Society.

GEORGE GILLIES, L.R.C.S.

THIS worthy man had attained the age of 90, took the license of the Edinburgh College of Surgeons in 1816, and, with the exception of a visit to Canada and a short sojourn as a practitioner in Lowick, spent all his professional life in Coldstream in a quiet, uneventful practice. Wanting in energy and push, but full of kindness and cheerfulness, he passed a long life, chequered by sorrows and numerous bereavements, in patience, and died of natural decay, with unimpaired eyesight and marvellous freedom from any disease.

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Edinburgh Medical Journal.

DOLLAR, N.B., 16th February 1886. SIR, Recently looking over the discussion that took place a few months ago at the meeting of the Medico-Chirurgical Society, regarding the detection and removal of foreign bodies that had fallen into the trachea or oesophagus, I was much struck by the

similarity of result of exploration in the case adduced by Dr Shand, and one which I witnessed many years ago. A set of false teeth lodged in the oesophagus, causing evident uneasiness, and yet "notwithstanding the careful and skilful examination of each and all the staff of surgeons of the institution with probang, probe, and forceps, nothing was detected." "Prodigious!" a Dominie Sampson would exclaim, and yet what I am about to relate seems even more

so.

In the winter session of 1834 or 1835 a young woman was admitted into the late Professor Syme's ward, and deponed as follows:-She was a domestic servant, æt. 20, and when struggling with her "neighbour" nine days ago for the possession of a padlock, she had put it into her mouth, and by an accidental gulp had swallowed it. The size of the padlock was described as about an inch and a half long, and one inch across-such as were usually attached at that time to carpet-bags. For a couple of days she underwent the very careful examination of the professor and his house-surgeon, but with a negative result; so was dismissed. The practical instruction that the professor then gave us-that it was impossible for any foreign body of the size represented to be lodged in the oesophagus or pharynx all that time, and have caused no discomfort, if not impediment in swallowing, the total failure of the repeated attempts made to discover its position, and all these circumstances taken together, plainly showed it must be an instance of those singular delusions to which young women of a hysterical temperament are liable, and against which we should be on our guard as to credence.

Dismissed, though not cured, and dissatisfied to boot, the young woman presented herself, along with many others, in Lizars's admission-room. Her tale was credited; by this time the lodgement had existed some two or three days more, but no discomfort. There was a considerable rivalry between Syme and Lizars; so the latter was by no means loth to accept the case, and maintained it was no hysteric delusion, as on examination he was quite satisfied. that he had felt it or heard a "click." Bad luck, however, attended all his efforts at extraction, though forceps had been specially fabricated for the occasion. Strong in faith, however, a day was fixed for the dernier ressort, oesophagotomy. There was a large attendance in the theatre on that day, but, unfortunately, the operation did not take place. Catamenia or some other obstacle had intervened, so it was adjourned to Sunday. A full house. Another disappointment. Instead of the patient in comes "Johnny" in his happiest mood, Dicete io Paan, holding aloft a pair of forceps which embraced the much-doubted, but now veritable padlock, fully as large as had been stated. The explanation given was this. Early in the morning the patient had had a severe fit of vomiting. The house-surgeon (I think he was a son of the former Professor Home), rightly conjecturing this might have

caused some displacement, introduced forceps with this successful result.

For the moral of the tale I will only quote the words of Duncan Gray, "Let doctors tell."

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