G. Alder Blumer (formerly adjunct professor of insanity, Albany Medical College) made remarks appropriate to the occasion.

A NEW SOCIETY FOR PATHOLOGY AND BACTERIOLOGY.-At a meeting recently held in Washington of a number of pathologists and bacteriologists, a new national society was decided upon. A committee of seven was appointed to arrange plans of organization: William T. Councilman, Harold C. Ernst, Simon Flexner, Ludwig Hektoen, William T. Howard, Jr., W. H. Park, Theobald Smith, were the original promoters of the plan.

THE AMERICAN SURGICAL ASSOCIATION.-The following officers have been elected for the ensuing year: President, Dr. Roswell Park, of Buffalo; Vice-Presidents, Dr. J. J. Owens, of Chicago, and Dr. C. Parkhill, of Denver; Secretary, Dr. H. L. Burrell, of Boston; Treasurer, George R. Fowler, of New York; Recorder, Dr. DeForest Willard, of Philadelphia. The next annual meeting will be held in Baltimore, May 7, 8 and 9, 1901. The following new members were elected: Drs. Bevan, Harris and Ochsener, of Chicago; Dr. MacDonald, of Albany; Dr. Brewer, of New York, and Drs. Oliver and Taylor, of Philadelphia.

AMERICAN THERAPEUTIC SOCIETY.—In pursuance of a call for an American Therapeutic Society, issued by the Therapeutic Society of the District of Columbia, a meeting was held in Washington, May 1, 1900. The organization was effected and much enthusiasm displayed. The following were chosen as officers of the new society, which will become affiliated with the Congress of American Physicians and Surgeons, which meets in Washington every three years: President, Dr. Horatio C. Wood, of Philadelphia; First Vice-President, Dr. Howard H. Barker, of Washington; Second Vice-President, Dr. R. W. Wilcox, of New York; Third Vice-President, Dr. E. H. Long, ot Buffalo; Secretary, Dr. Noble P. Barnes, of Washington; Recorder, Dr. Wm. M. Sprigg, of Washington; Treasurer, Dr. John E. McLain, of Washington. The meetings of the American Therapeutic Society will be held annually; the next meeting being in Washington, D. C., on May 7, 1901.

STATE BOARD OF HEALTH OF NEW YORK.-The bulletin for March 1900, reports 13,033 deaths for that month, being 2,000 more than the average for the past five years. The greatest increase was in acute respiratory diseases and these were especially prevalent in the maritime districts where influenza has been raging. Typhoid fever, according to the density of population, was most prevalent in the Hudson Valley district, there being twenty deaths from this disease in our immediate neighborhood; while New York City (all the boroughs) had only thirty with a population eighteen times as great. In Albany where measles and scarlet fever have been prevalent there was only one death from the latter. Of other diseases there were five deaths from diphtheria; three from erysipelas; diarrhoeal diseases, five; acute respiratory, fifty-five; consumption, twentytwo; puerperal diseases, four; digestive system, seven; urinary system, six; circulatory system, seventeen; nervous system, twenty-one; cancer, four; accidents, five; old age, nine; unclassified, thirteen.

RADICAL CHANGES IN STATE HOSPITALS. Four physicians who have long been identified with the care of the State's insane patients in Greater New York are summarily legislated out of office by the Burnett bill, which has now become a law, having been signed by the Governor. These men are Dr. A. E. MacDonald, general superintendent of the State hospital at Ward's Island; Dr. Oliver M. Deming, general superintendent of the State institution at King's Park; Dr. Elliot, medical superintendent of the old hospital at Flatbush, and Dr. Herman C. Evarts, medical superintendent at King's Park. It is understood at the office of the State Commission in Lunacy that for the present, however, until other arrangements can be made, the present superintendents will be permitted to retain their positions, as it is desired that the change shall in no way impair, even temporarily, the efficiency of the institutions concerned.

REPRESENTATION OF THE AMERICAN DERMATOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION AT PARIS.-At the meeting of the American Dermatological Association held in Washington in connection with the Congress of American Physicians and Surgeons, a committee was appointed consisting of Dr. J. Nevins Hyde, of Chicago, Dr. Henry W. Stelwagon, of Philadelphia, and Dr. T. Caspar Gilchrist, of Baltimore, to represent the association at the International Dermatological Congress to be held at Paris in early August, and to extend a warm invitation, in the name of the association, to the members of that congress to hold the next international meeting in this country in New York. The committee was further instructed, in the event of the congress giving a favorable response, to present the name, and urge the election of Prof. James C. White, of Boston, the first president of the American Dermatological Association, and an honorary member of the French and Italian dermatological societies, for the presidency of that congress. The following officers were elected: President, Dr. F. J. Shepherd, of Montreal; Vice-President, Dr. D. W. Montgomery, of San Francisco; Secretary, Dr. F. H. Montgomery, of Chicago. The next meeting meeting will be held in Chicago.

BANQUET IN HONOR OF DR. JACOBI.-The seventieth anniversary of the birth of Dr. Abraham Jacobi, of New York, was celebrated at Delmonico's on Saturday evening, May 5th, at a banquet which was attended by four hundred of his friends and professional associates. It was a distinguished and representative gathering, and a large number of ladies, among whom was Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi, the wife of the guest of honor, listened to the speeches from the gallery. The menu cards contained an electroed vignette of Dr. Jacobi, and during the evening there was presented to him a "Festschrift," entitled "International Contributions to Medical Literature," which contained a large number of original papers by eminent physicians and scientists in all parts of Europe and America. More than a year was taken up in the preparation of this volume. Dr. Jacobi was born in Hutturn, Westphalia, on May 6, 1830, and was educated at Gottingen and Bonn. He enlisted in the "Young German" army of 1848, and was imprisoned for treason. He received the degree of M. D. in 1851 and came to New York in 1853. Although the banquet was held on the

evening of the 5th, Dr. Jacobi's birthday was really the 6th of May, and so at midnight the entire company arose, and amid much enthusiasm drank a toast of long life and happiness to him. Dr. Joseph D. Bryant, one of Dr. Jacobi's successors in the office of president of the New York Academy of Medicine, presided, and made the opening address after dinner. Dr. Frederic S. Dennis read a number of congratulatory letters and telegrams from universities, professors and distinguished medical men in all parts of the world, after which an original poem, sent by Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, was read by Dr. R. U. Johnson. Dr. William H. Thomson, the present president of the Academy of Medicine, responded to the toast, "Dr. Jacobi, the Physician." Prof. William Osler, of Johns Hopkins University, responded to the toast, "Dr. Jacobi the Scientist." To the toast, "Dr. Jacobi in relation to Medical Education," President Seth Low, of Columbia University, responded. The Honorable Carl Schurz responded to the toast, "Dr. Jacobi as a Citizen." Next followed the presentation of the "Festschrift" which was made by Dr. Arpad G. Gerster. Dr. Jacobi, who was deeply affected, was greeted with loud and repeated cheers when he arose to respond.

PERSONAL.-Dr. W. G. Lewi has removed to 1151⁄2 Lancaster St., Albany. Dr. W. B. Sabey has been appointed Health Officer of the town of Coeymans.

Dr. George W. Jacoby announces his removal to 605 Madison avenue, New York City.

Dr. William M. Rapp (A. M. C., 1895) has removed from Glens Falls to Argyle, N. Y.

Dr. Herman W. Katz (A. M. C., 1897) has removed to 180 Henry St., New York City.

Current Medical Literature

SURGERY

Edited by A. Vander Veer, M. D.

Lesions of the Lateral Sinus in Traumatism of the Brain.- By GANGOLPHE and PIERY. (Revue de Chirurgie, September, 1899.) The writers report a case in which following traumatism of the head there were character istics symptoms of a cerebral apoplexy, with absolutely no signs of fracture of the skull and only a slight scalp wound. At autopsy it was found that there was a rupture of the lateral sinus associated with a large clot between the dura and the skull, which had caused marked compression of the brain, and to this the symptoms were due. In this case the pulse was rapid, the temperature elevated and the respirations accelerated, exactly the opposite of the conditions thought to prevail in increased cerebral pressure. The writers had collected seven cases of rupture of the lateral sinus from the literature. From a careful study of the case reported by them, as well as those collected from the literature, they conclude:

I.

Lesions of the lateral sinus and traumatism of the head can be produced in one of two ways, either by a rent produced by a fragment of bone or foreign body, or by a rupture resulting from the separation of the fractured bones.

2. These lesions of the lateral sinus cause a hemorrhage which forms a clot situated between the dura mater and the skull. The site and extent of the clot is determined in part by attachment of the dura mater and in part by the extent to which it is torn loose before the hemorrhage. In some cases there is also a bloody accumulation in the subarachnoid space. 3. The symptomatology of the lesions of the lateral sinus is most variable. Instead of giving the picture of cerebral compression, it often exactly reproduces the picture of cerebral apoplexy.

4. Not only is diagnosis often impossible, but at times one cannot even affirm the existence of an intra-cranial extravasation of blood.

5. In a case difficult of diagnosis when one has only to think of apoplexy or traumatism, one should proceed as if he were assured of the existence of an intra-cranial accumulation of blood of traumatic origin.

6. The treatment to be pursued is the following: (a) if the lateral sinus is exposed one should pack the wound after having removed any splinters of bone or foreign bodies. (b) If the sinus is not exposed one should trephine. The trephining should be done at the site of traumatism, without reference to any signs of cerebral localization. The sinus should be packed with gauze.

The Infectivity of Malignant Growths.-SMITH and WASHBURN (Edinburgh Medical Journal, January, 1900) review the present state of knowledge upon the development and contagiousness of cancer, incorporating the results of inoculation experiments made by themselves upon dogs. The facts are summarized as follows:

I.

Malignant growths may be regarded as local in origin, and as possessing the power of infection of adjacent and distant parts of the individual.

2. Inoculation may take place from one part to another of the same individual, apart from transference by the natural channel.

3. There is good evidence to show that one individual may be infected with growth from another.

4. There is experimental evidence to show that growths may be transferred from animal to animal of the same species by inoculation.

5. There are found in many malignant growths bodies which have a resemblance to micro-organisms, and which have been regarded as belonging to either the Protozoa or the Blastomycetes.

6. A new growth, having the structure and also the behavior of carcinoma, has been described as arising, at any rate, in two instances, from inoculation, with a form of blastomyces.

7. These experiments are highly suggestive that the bodies found in cancer are the cause of the disease, though the evidence is wanting that definitely associates the two.

PSYCHIATRY

Edited by G. Alder Blumer, M. D.

Korsakoff's Psychosis.— RAIMANN (Wiener klinische Wochenschrift, 1900, No. 2) writes upon "polio-encephalitis superior acuta and delirium alcoholicum as an introduction to Korsakoff's psychosis without polyneuritis." In 1887 Korsakoff directed attention to a special form of insanity accompanying neuritis. This was characterized by quickly developing mental exhaustion, lack of power to respond to impressions from without and severe disturbance of memory, as well as misleading memories. The consciousness of the afflicted person seems clear, his manner appears normal, all questions are answered correctly, with reference to what is taking place about him, and yet the memory is seriously involved. This is especially shown in his memory of recent events, and from it results a disturbance of orientation, first as to locality, and then as to time. Such a patient forgets where he is, nor does he know how long he has been in the situation in which he finds himself; he does not know the date or the time of the day. Inasmuch as his memory is so seriously involved it seems reasonable to suppose that there is a defect in consciousness or in cognition, to the extent that passing events make a very slight or no impression at all. In addition to these manifestations pseudo-reminiscences are present, which complicate the clinical picture. These are associated with subjective activities of the special senses leading to hallucinations or illusions. This symptom complex is associated with a sense of well-being; the patient cares little about the condition of his mind, lives indolently and easily through the day, the events of which leave no lasting impression upon him. The relation of this mental condition to polyneuritis rests in the identity of origin, both resulting from a toxaemic state induced by alcohol. Non-alcoholic frequently present polyneuritis without mental complication, but in alcoholic cases it is the rare exception to find this peripheral condition without mental symptoms. On the other hand Korsakoff's symptomcomplex has been rarely reported as occurring without the neuritic accompaniment. The author's object is to present an argument and a case showing the possibility of a mental condition corresponding with the psychosis described by Korsakoff, but unaccompanied by polyneuritis. His patient was a pure alcoholic, whose symptoms were explainable upon the assumption of polio-encephalitis, which terminated favorably. The author concludes with a comment upon the prognosis, to the effect that even in so severe a lesion as encephalitis, it is not hopeless, but the inclination to alcohol, even in successful cases, leaves little hope of escape from recrudescence of the disease, or some equally serious result of intemperance.

General Pathology of Mental Diseases. In the American Journal of Insanity for January, 1900, BERKELEY, under this title publishes from advance sheets of "A Treatise on Mental Diseases," soon to be issued. The paper, after a general introductory statement, describes in full the gross and microscopical anatomy of the brain of the insane, going minutely into