The scar is large, red, and very tender to the touch. General health not good; appetite poor; impaired digestion; food produces distress. She has a constant pain in her back and neck, which has followed an attack of spinal fever which she contracted four years ago.

March 21: Clinic.-Patient given chloroform, and the scar removed by oval incision made in natural integument. Wound dressed with bichloride gauze.

March 23: No pain in wound, which is healing rapidly.

March 27: Did not sleep previous night on account of pain in the wound. Sutures being removed, the wound not healed, opened slightly.

March 28: Wound closing; no pain.

March 29: Rested well.

April 14: Wound healed, but pain has returned to a slight degree.

April 17: Slight pain in wound.

April 28: No pain for some days. Dismissed.

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE.

PARIS LETTER.

DUPRAT ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF MOMORDICA BUCHA.-HUGOUNENG ON THE PRESENCE OF OXYBUTYRIC ACID 3. IN THE BLOOD IN DIABETES.-MOTET ON THE FALSE TESTIMONY OF CHILDREN IN COURT.-DEBOVE ON CHLORIDE OF METHYL IN NEURALGIA.-ASSOCIATION OF SAGE-FEMMES AT VIENNA.

DUPRAT ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF MOMORDICA BUCKA.

At a recent meeting of the Paris Biological Society, M. Duprat read a note on the physiological action of momordica bucha. In Brazil, the fruit of this plant is given in dropsy, either in the form of enemata by simple maceration of the fruit in water, or introduced into the stomach in the form of a liquor prepared by macerating the fruit in whiskey. Employed in injection the medicament acts as a violent drastic producing violent pains. When introduced into the stomach, it provokes vomiting. When injected subcutaneously in frogs and guinea pigs, the alcoholic extract of the fruit produced such violent local irritation that the author was obliged to renounce this method of experiment

ing. Introduced into a frog's stomach, a fifth of a Provaz syringe of the alcoholic extract produced vomiting in about five miñutes, which ceased in the course of a quarter of an hour. Reflex movement, spontaneous movements, and the general sensibility remained unchanged, the heart-beats were likewise normal. At the end of one and one-half hours, the animal died, the heart action stopping in diastole. The necropsy revealed nothing but great irritation of the oesophagus and stomach. Two cubic centimeters of the alcoholic extract, when introduced into the stomach of a guinea pig produced the same symptoms as in the frog with the addition of diarrhoea. As a result of the experiments, the author concludes that momordica bucha acts as a local irritant, producing vomiting and diarrhoea, or diarrhoea only, according to the dose and the manner of administering it, that is to say, according as the drug is introduced through the stomach, or per rectum.

HUGOUNENG ON THE PRESENCE OF OXYBUTYRIC ACID 3. IN THE BLOOD IN DIABETES.

At a recent meeting of the Paris Biological Society, M. Hugouneng communicated a note on the presence of oxybutyric acid. in the blood in diabetes. The author had recently occasion to examine the urine of a diabetic patient that had died in the M. Lepine's ward in the Hotel Dieu hospital at Lyons. The urine of this patient contained acetone, and Külz's process enabled the author to likewise discover oxybutyric acid P. and to determine the amount per litre, which was four grammes. Oxybutyric acid B. was then tested for in the blood in the following manner. The blood was allowed to remain in contact with ether during four or five days, when the glycose entirely disappears. The mixture is then heated in a bain-marie and the coagulum partly dried, afterwards filtered and a known quantity of water added to it. Twenty cubic centimeters of the resulting liquid is then mixed with twenty cubic centimeters of subacetate of lead and ten cubic centimeters of ammonia. This mixture is then filtered and examined with a polarimeter, which shows a distinct diviation to the left in case the blood contains oxybutyric acid. The deviation may also serve to determine the amount of acid B. contained in the blood. Thus the author found that deviation-0.°2 corresponded to 4.27 grammes of acid B. per litre of blood.

Another reaction, also, revealing acid . is based upon its transformation into crotonic acid under the influence of dehydrating agents. The liquid that results from steeping the coagu

lum in boiling water is evaporated over a bain-marie nearly to dryness. An equal volume of concentrated sulphuric acid is then added to the residuum, which is then distilled in an oil bath. The distilled liquid is broken up into four or five parts according to the indications given by Külz. On cooling, crystals are deposited, which are purified in ether. Crystals thus obtained melt at 71.5° centigrade, 160.7° Fahrenheit; whereas crotonic acid melts at 70.71° centigrade, 159.27° Fahrenheit.

MOTET ON THE FALSE TESTIMONY OF CHILDREN IN LAW COURTS.

At a recent meeting of the Academy of Medicine, M. Motet read a note on the false testimony of children in law-courts. After citing several instances of false testimony of this kind, the author terminated with a few considerations on the medico-legal aspect of such cases. In a child, says the author, it must never be forgotten that its undeveloped mind is always ready to seize the marvellous side of things, that it is charmed with fiction, that it gives substance with astonishing facility to the fictions of its own imagination; that its instinctive curiosity and the influence of its surroundings, cause it to accept as true all that comes to it from these different sources. In a short time, the child is unable to distinguish between its own experience and the suggestions that have been made to it, and its memory, which alone acts, enables it to repeat, without variation, the story which it has learned. According to M. Motet, when a medical expert, after several visits, hears the same terms and the same detail, and when it is only necessary to start the child in its story to hear it related with the same unvarying succession of the most serious facts, he may be certain that the child does not tell the truth, and that it substitutes, unknowingly, acquired data for the sincere manifestation of events in which it might have taken part.

M. DEBOVE ON CHLORIDE OF METHYL IN NEURALGIA.

At a late regular meeting of the Societe Medical des Hôpitaux, M. Debove made some remarks on the use of chloride of methyl in neuralgia. Since his last communication to the Society, in 1884, M. Debove has treated one hundred and fifty cases of sciatica with this medicine, and found only one case in twenty that was not amenable to its action. Lumbago and neuralgia are cured by chloride of methyl almost instantaneously; in case of relapse, the pain easily gives way under its influence. Erythema should never be produced in treatment, the action should be rather superficial, and greatest number of

nerve branches possible should be excited. Great precaution should be taken with patients affected with diabetes and albuminuria, and also with those patients whose skin is very irritable.

Out of eighteen cases of facial neuralgia sixteen were cured in this way. The medicament may be sprayed on to the face without inconvenience.

ASSOCIATION OF SAGE-FEMMES AT VIENNA,

The sage-femmes (midwives) at Vienna have organized an Association, under the protection of Dr. Braun, to provide for their instruction, to protect their professional interests, and to provide pecuniary assistance in case of infirmity. They intend publishing a periodical journal, to be devoted to matter concerning their special profession.

HEALTH IN MICHIGAN DURING MAY.

Reports to the State Board of Health, Lansing, by regular observers in different parts of the State, show the diseases which caused most sickness in Michigan during the month of May (four weeks ending May 28), 1887, as follows, the diseases being arranged in the order of greatest prevalence:

Rheumatism, neuralgia, bronchitis, consumption of lungs, intermittent fever, tonsilitis, influenza, pneumonia, diarrhoea, remittent fever, erysipelas, measles, inflammation of kidney, inflammation of bowels, whooping-cough, cholera morbus, dysentery, typho-malarial fever, inflammation of brain, diphtheria, puerperal fever, cholera infantum, cerebro-spinal meningitis, scarlet fever, membranous croup and typhoid fever (enteric).

For the month of May, 1887, compared with the preceding month, the reports indicate that cholera morbus increased, and that pneumonia, influenza, rheumatism, bronchitis, consumption of lungs, and tonsilitis decreased in prevalence.

Compared with the preceding month, the temperature in the month of May was much higher, the absolute humidity was much more, the relative humidity was about the same, the day and the night ozone were more.

Compared with the average for the month of May in the nine years, 1879 to 1887, intermittent fever, remittent fever, consumption of lungs, scarlet fever, diphtheria and diarrhoea were less prevalent in May, 1887.

For the month of May, 1887, compared with the average of corresponding months for the nine years, 1879 to 1887, the tem

perature was higher, the absolute humidity, the relative humidity and the day ozone were more, and the night ozone was less.

Including reports by regular observers and others, diphtheria was reported present in Michigan in the month of May, 1887, at thirty places, scarlet fever at thirty-two places, typhoid fever at four places, measles at fifty places.

Reports from all sources show diphtheria reported at five places more, scarlet fever at seven places less, typhoid fever at four places less, measles at fourteen places more in the month of May, 1887, than in the preceding month.

LANSING, June 2, 1887.

HENRY B. BAKER, M. D., Secretary.

HEALTH IN MICHIGAN DURING JUNE.

Reports to the State Board of Health, Lansing, by regular observers in different parts of the State, show the diseases which caused most sickness in Michigan during the month of June (five weeks ending July 2), 1887, as follows, the diseases being arranged in the order of greatest prevalence:

Rheumatism, neuralgia, intermittent fever, diarrhoea, bronchitis, consumption of lungs, tonsilitis, remittent fever, erysipelas, influenza, cholera morbus, inflammation of kidney, pneumonia, measles, inflammation of bowels, whooping-cough, dysentery, cholera infantum, inflammation of brain, puerperal fever, typho-malarial fever, cerebro-spinal meningitis, diphtheria, typhoid fever (enteric), scarlet fever, membranous croup.

For the month of June, 1887, compared with the preceding month, the reports indicate that diarrhoea, cholera morbus, intermittent fever, and cholera infantum increased, and that pneumonia, influenza, bronchitis, tonsilitis, and measles decreased in prevalence.

Compared with the preceding month the temperature in the month of June, 1887, was higher, the absolute humidity was more, the relative humidity was slightly more, the day and the night ozone were less.

Compared with the average for the month of June in the nine years, 1879 to 1887, neuralgia increased, and intermittent fever, remittent fever, consumption of lungs, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and bronchitis were less prevalent in June, 1887.

For the month of June, 1887, compared with the average of corresponding months in the nine years, 1879 to 1887, the temperature was slightly higher, the absolute and the relative