A Quarterly Journal of the Medical Sciences
The Birmingham Medical Revieiv : : . Birmingham: White & Pike, Moor Street Printing Works. April 1877.
Part I. of this journal is devoted to a few reviews and Biblio- graphical notices, and is succeeded bj Part II. containing the following original communications :?
The Progress of Ophthalmology in the last quarter of a Century. By J. Vose Solomon, F.R.C.S., Surgeon to the Bir- mingham and Midland Eye Hospital and Professor of Ophthal- mology in Queen’s College.
This very able address was delivered to the Students of Queen’s College at the opening of the Winter Session 1876-7, and treats in detail upon tumours of the osseous orbit, rodent cancer of the eyelid, entropion and ectropion, peritomy, sub- acute inflammation of the ciliary choroid, recurrent iritis, glaucoma, and iridectomy.
The author tells us that ” the prodromata of increased intraocular tension are often disregarded by patient and prac- titioner, or, if noticed, their significance and dangers are not appreciated by the latter. The occurrence of distinct remission during which vision is good is very misleading.” Prompt inter- ference should always be resorted to, even in conditions of debility; since this affords the sole prospect of restored sight. Speaking ot presbyopia, recourse to glasses is recommended if the slightest inconvenience is experienced.
Obstetric Progress?by Thomas SavaCxE, M.D., F.R.C.S., Senior Surgeon to the Women’s Hospital, and to the Lying-in Charity, Birmingham?is a brief resume of the obstetric art from the earliest date. It states that the study of the me- chanism of parturition owes its birth to Sir Fielding Oulde, in 1742, of whom it was playfully said: Sir Fielding Oulde -was made a knight, A lord he should have been by right, For then each lady’s cry would be, In labour, ” Lord ” deliver me. It will be observed that the study of the eye forms a consi- derable amount of the present Birmingham Medical Review, since in addition to the address above-mentioned we find one article On Keratitis vesiculosa superficialis, by D. C. Lloyd Owen, Surgeon to the Eye Hospital, and Ophthalmic Surgeon to the Children’s Hospital, Birmingham; and another on Double Vision; its laws, methods of investigation, and clinical im- portance, by Priestley Smith, Ophthalmic Surgeon to the Queen’s Hospital.
Mr. James F. West, F.R.C.S., Senior Surgeon to the Queen’s Hospital, Birmingham, contributes some Gases of special interest in Surgical Pathology. Part III. comprises the ” Periscope,” of which the following subjects are the chief:?
Chloral in Tetanus.?Dr Choppard states that this drug is a more hopeful remedy than any other for this affection. Iron in Anaemia.?M. Harejen says that in curable anaemia the number of red corpuscles is not considerably diminished, and that by means of iron their richness in colour can be increased. In pernicious anaemia the red corpuscles are some- times larger than in health, while their number is greatly increased; and in this form of disease iron is only able to enrich the haemoglobin, and cannot much influence the progress of the morbid condition.
Strychnia in Chorea.?Dr Finny, in the Dublin Journal of Medical Sciences, observes : ” The treatment of chorea ought to fulfil two indications?to shorten its duration, and to temper and moderate the more distressing symptoms; and should it fulfil these, it deserves to be valued as useful.” Some authors deny the use of treatment altogether, but Dr Broadbent says, that the duration of chorea may be curtailed by treatment, although the same treatment does not hold good in all cases. Purgatives have appeared successful, together with tonics, iron, zinc, arsenic, bromide of potassium, cod-liver oil, etc., but heroic doses of strychnia and tartar emetic have entirely failed. To sum up, according to Moynier, strychnia must be given in doses not necessarily large, but sufficient to produce stiffness; and the rigidity should be attained as soon as possible, as the duration of the treatment is much prolonged when the patient has exhibited no rigidity.”
We can heartily recommend this number of the Birming- ham Medical Review to our readers, for we are convinced that they will find it replete with highly interesting matter, and that they will not regret the time expended in its perusal. PART II. VOL. Ill- NEW SERIES.
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