3. Operative Treatment of Cerebral Lesions, the author formulates, somewhat concisely, his views, fortified by brief reference to numerous cases. While the elements of personal equation and judgment must always enter largely into the decision as to the treatment of most of these cases, and apparently necessitate more or less disagreement between surgeons, the usefulness of a convenient summary of conclusions, like the present one, can not be questioned; the brochure is well worthy of resurrection from a "Transactions." EDITORIAL. Meeting of tHE OHIO MEDICAL COLLEGE ALUMNI.-The following notice explains itself: You are cordially invited to attend the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Alumnal Association, Medical College of Ohio, Lancet Hall, March 10, 1886. PROGRAMME. Call to Order by the President. Report of Secretary and Reading of Minutes. Roport of Committees. Address, A. B. Richardson, M.D. Remarks by members of more than twenty years standing. Address, Louis Schwab, M.D. Remarks by members of less than twenty years' standing. President. JAMES M. FRENCH, M.D., Secretary. INSOMNIA FROM MENTAL EXERTION.-The Chess Tournament now in progress in this country between Zukertort and Steinitz has effectually proven the effects of a severe mental strain on sleep, At the first of the contest in New York both contestants suffered from insomnia. This was especially the case with Steinitz who, in addition to the strain of the game which was going against him, was still editing his chess periodical and endeavoring to give a careful analysis of the games. In St. Louis fortune came to the aid of Steinitz, as he at once began to recover his mental equilib rium; but the success of Steinitz disturbed Dr. Zukertort, who now became the greatest sufferer from loss of sleep. In the New Orleans contest the excitement will be intense, and while Steinitz enters in the best "form," it is hard to predict the result, only that it is sure to bring about more insomnia. PNEUMATIC DIEFFRENTIATION.-This subject is now attracting no little attention among those physicians who give special attention to the lungs. The theory is to immerse the patient in an atmosphere rarer than normal, and then cause him to inhale the normal air. Of course the removal of a portion of external pressure would insure deeper instirations and the air inhaled is denser than the surrounding air the elasticity of the air would still further dilate the lungs. This is all said to be completely accomplished by Dr. Herbert F. Williams, Brooklyn, and Mr. Ketchum. Dr. Williams has given numbers of cases treated in this manner, and his success seems to augur well for the future of the treatment. He also gives medicated air by this means and claims that the medicine is distributed over the entire lung. It has long been known that for certain forms of lung disease an elevated, rare atmosphere was beneficial and the pneumatic cabinet seems to give this condition at any elevation. The inhalations of antiseptic medicines in the treatment of phthisis is certainly gaining ground, and this seems to be as efficient as any other method of administration. The great objection to Mr. Ketchum's cabinet is that he seems to hold a patent on it and will not sell them at any price, and he asks so high a yearly rental as to practically exclude them from general use. Doubtless some cheaper method of reaching the same end will soon be invented, otherwise it will be more economical to send our patients to the high dry air of New Mexico or Arizona. THE NEW GRADUATES.-This week the different colleges of this city will turn out about two hundred newly made M.D.'s. They are now (or should be) equipped to begin the study and practice of medicine. The study of medicine should only be stopped when the practice has been discontinued. The gentlemen who carry off the most prizes here may not be the ones who will attain the greatest success in the practice. Those who stick to business. and honestly do their best will in the end probably do as well as A certain if they had entered any other sphere of business. number will fail, but their failure will be pre-determined by the fact that they do not engage in business with business methods. The relationship between physician and the families in which he practices is so peculiar and intimate that it takes something more than a fine medical education to succeed. The physician should have a general education, should be acquainted with current literature, should have the address of a gentleman, should be a Christian, and then he will be fitted for the intimate relations which he will be called upon to sustain. We certainly wish you all abundant success and feel from our pleasant personal acquaintance with many of you that you will deserve and acquire it. THE newly elected internes for the Cincinnati Hospital are equally divided between the Ohio and Miami Colleges. Messers C. F. Evans, S. H. Hussey and A. C. Poole from the Ohio, and Wm. L. Mussey, O. A. Nincehelser and R. M. Woodward from the Miami. These gentlemen are to be congratulated on their success in getting so enviable a position. These examinations are the most rigid and searching of any in our city, and the fact that three from each college were appointed, is prima facia evidence of the honorable dealing of the medical staff-eight of the fourteen members being connected with the Miami College and only two of the staff being Ohio College men. MIAMI MEDICAL COLLEGE.-Professor Langdon's prize examination was held in the College Amphitheatre, Friday evening, February 26th, a full attendance being present, Drs. Sayres and Thompson, referees. After a closely contested Quiz, spelling match style, lasting more than three hours, the prize, a Ffty-dollar Anatomical Atlas, was finally awarded to Mr. C. M. Lenhart, of Chandlerville, Muskingum Co., Ohio. Mr. D. E. Briggs carried off the honors of second place. ABSTRACTS. REMOVAL OF FRECKLES.-Dr. Halkins, in the Journal of Cutaneous and Venereal Diseases, says that freckles may be removed by carbolic acid as follows: Put the skin on the stretch with two fingers of the left hand and apply a drop of pure carbolic acid exactly over the patch. The skin will burn and turn white, but the burning sensation will disappear in a few minutes. The thin crust which forms after the cauterization must not be disturbed and it will be cast off in eight or ten days, leaving a rosy discoloration which is soon displaced by the normal skin. AN EASY Method of InhHALING MEDICATED VAPORS.—Arthur Hill Hassall, M.D., in the Lancet, January 30th, describes a simple form of inhaling apparatus. He takes a glass vessel in the shape of a cylinder two inches in diameter and nine inches in height. This he fills about half-full of the medicated fluid (he takes, for example, a ten per cent. solution of carbolic acid). The top of the vessel is then closed by a tight-fitting cork, through which pass four glass tubes. The larger tube is the one used for direct inhalation and just penetrates the cork. The three smaller tubes pass to the bottom of the vessel. Now, when air is inhaled from the upper half of the vessel by means of the large tube fresh air passes in through the small tubes and while bubbling up through the fluid becomes saturated with the medicine. The amount of medicine inhaled will be governed by (a) the dryness of the air entering through the small tubes, (b) the strength and volatility of the medicated solution, and (c) the temperature of the fluid in the vessel. Three small tubes are chosen in preference to one large one for the admission of air because they will better distribute the air bubbles, and thus bring the air in contact with a greater surface of the fluid. The air can easily be dried before it enters the small tubes by passing it through a chamber of dried chloride of lime. MORTALITY IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.-At a recent meeting of the Royal Medical Chirurgical Society, Dr. William Ogle, Superintendent of the statistical Department at the Registrar-General's Office, read a paper on the above subject (Lancet, Jan. 30.). The basis of the report was the census enumeration of the total number of "physicians, surgeons, and general practitioners" in England and Wales (15,091), and the National Death Register, which gives the age and occupation and cause of death. By combining the information derived from these reports a rather startling result was obtained. The death rate of medical men is shown to be far in excess of the other learned professions; it compares unfavorably with the rates in most trades, and, indeed, "is only exceeded by the rates in certain trades and occupations that are notoriously unhealthy." As an example, he gives the rate, per thousand, in the clerical profession as 15.93; the legal profession, 20.23; the scholastic profession, 19.90; while in the medical profession it is 25.53. There are only two headings, really, both in the same field, in which the death rate is less than the generality of males, i. e. disease of the respiratory organs and consumption. The death rate from small-pox is only one-sixth that of the average, notwithstanding the greater exposure, showing clearly the value of thorough vaccination; but with other infectious diseases the rate is largely in excess of the average. Thus we see that the old idea of the longevity of our profession was pretty certainly based on unreliable evidence. HYPERPYREXIA IN ACUTE RHEUMATISM.-Mr. Ker reports an interesting example of the above complication, in The Lancet, February 23, as occurring in the Dundee Royal Infirmary. The patient was a well developed, robust shoemaker, aged 55, and had suffered from a previous attack of the same disease. On admission, had pains in ankles, knees, hip-joints; pulse 112, temperature, 102.8°. Give half grain extract of podophyllin, and twenty grains of salicylate of soda, every hour, for three hours. Second day, a. m., temperature, 100°. Give twenty grains of salicylate of soda, every hour, for six hours. P. m., .temperature, 100.2; pains relieved. Third day, treatment same; swelling all gone; temperature, 100°. Fourth day, a. m., temperature, 101.4°; no pain; salicylate of soda reduced to twenty grains every hour, for four hours. 3 p. m., temperature, 103.6°. 3:45 p. m., given twenty grains of antipyrin. 4:45 p.m., temperature, 103.6°; antipyrin repeated. 6:30 p. m., temperature, 105°. 7:15 p. m., given twenty grains of sul |