S. S. Brown, 844 Lafayette Avenue, L. I. C H., 1888; proposed by Dr. Robert L. Dickinson-Dr. Charles Jewett.

William C. Schirmer, 366 Grand Street, New York Univ., 1889; proposed by Dr. James L. Kortright-Dr. D. Myerle.

Robert Schmeltzer, 113 State Street, Würzburg, Germany, 1879; proposed by Dr. Arnold Stub-Dr. Ernest Palmer.

W. R. A. Carley, 775 Quincy Street, Bellevue, 1888; proposed by Dr. J. H. Hunt-Dr. D. Myerle.

J. T. Burdick, 459 Gates Avenue, Worcester Med. Coll., 1853; proposed by Dr. Walter B. Chase-Dr. G. R. Butler.

John Sheppard, 81 Division Avenue, Univ. of Penn., 1882; proposed by Dr. Wales L. Carey-Dr. Reuben Jeffery.

Wm. Steward, 188 State Street, Bellevue, 1886; proposed by Dr. E. M. Mosher-Dr. A. Ross Matheson.

H. Bullwinkle, corner of Madison Avenue and Franklin Avenue, Bellevue, 1887; proposed by Dr. John L. Macumber-Dr. G. A. Evans.

The following applicants, having been favorably reported upon by the Council, were declared elected to membership:

Drs. L. P. Grover, Clarence Thwing, F. P. Keyes, Lemuel G. Baldwin, and F. W. Fleischhauer.

SCIENTIFIC BUSINESS.

The first paper of the evening, entitled "The Pathological Processes of the Nervous System," by Landon Carter Gray, M. D., was read, and discussed by Drs. Johnson, Evans, and Eccles.

The second paper, entitled "Inhalations of Oxygen as an Adjunct to Treatment in Pneumonia," by J. M. Winfield, M. D., was read, and discussed by Drs. Eccles, Conkling, Mosher, Westbrook, Kretzschmar, and Fox.

The third paper, entitled "A Criticism of the Weigert Hot-Air Treatment in Pulmonary Tuberculosis," by Wales L. Carey, M. D., was read, and discussed by Drs. Westbrook and North.

NEW BUSINESS.

The Secretary stated that at the next meeting a proposed amendment to the By-Laws, providing for the appointment of a legal adviser to the Society, would be read.

There being no further business, on motion, the meeting adjourned.

W. M. HUTCHINSON,

Secretary.

MEDICAL SOCIETY OF THE COUNTY OF KINGS.

A special meeting of this Society will be held on Tuesday, January 14, 1890, at 8 P. M., to consider the resolutions which were offered by Dr. Raymond at the May meeting. In accordance with a resolution. offered by Dr. Kretzschmar, and adopted by the Society, the Council will invite representatives of the legal profession to be present and par-. ticipate in the discussion. The resolutions are as follows:

Whereas, The medical expert witness is at the present time held in less repute than formerly, and his opinions have lost much of their force with both judge and jury; and

Whereas, Such diminished respect for the medical witness tends to injure the profession as a whole and to lessen its influence; and

Whereas, It seems probable that the status of medical expert testimony may be improved by united and harmonious action of the profession looking toward that end:

Resolved, That it is the sense of this society that it is derogatory to the best interest of the medical profession for any of its members to occupy in a legal trial the position of medical adviser to counsel and witness in the case ;

Resolved, That it is the sense of this Society that the physicians who are called upon to give evidence in legal cases, with reference to the existing physical condition of patients, should insist, if it be possible, upon meeting in consultation the physicians to be called by the other side, so that there may be a full interchange of views before they testify.

BROOKLYN MEDICAL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY.

The twenty-eighth regular meeting of this Society was held at the Hoagland Laboratory on Wednesday evening, December 4, 1889, the President, Dr. C. Heitzmann, occupying the chair. Dr. L. E. Tieste was unanimously elected to membership, and the names of Drs. Eugene Hodenpyl and Ira T. Van Giesen were proposed After the transaction of the regular business of the Society, the paper of the evening was read by Dr. E. H. Wilson, on the "Technical Methods for the Central Nervous System."

As the paper will be published elsewhere in the Journal, no abstract need be made of it here. It was warmly discussed by Drs. Shaw, C. Heitzmann, L. Heitzmann, Eccles, Bates and Lennox, the consensus of opinion being in favor of the hæmatoxylin method of Weigert.

After the announcement of a paper by Dr. C. N. D. Jones, on "Villous Tumors of the Bladder" for the next meeting, the Society adjourned. By order of the committee,

RICHMOND LENNOX,
Secretary.

PROGRESS IN medicine.

SURGERY.

BY GEORGE R. FOWLER, M. D.

THE SALICYLATE OF MERCURY TREATMENT OF SYPHILIS.

Bruns-Chanes (Annal de demat. et syph., 1888, No. 4, Centralblatt f. Chirurgie, No. 36).

The author recommends the treatment of the different stages of syphilis after the manner proposed by Silva Aranjo, i. e., the administration of the salicylate of mercury, both in pill form (0,025 at a dose 2 or 3 times daily), as well as by subcutaneous injections. The inunction of an ointment (salicylate of mercury, 2: vaseline, 30,0) proved useful in the treatment of the syphilitic products of the secondary and tertiary stages.

CURE OF TETANUS BY MEANS OF ABSOLUTE REST.

E. de Renzi (Riv chir. e terapeut, 1889. No. 1).

The author calls renewed attention to the importance of absolute repose in the treatment of tetanus. In 5 cases treated, 4 resulted in cure. The tetanic patient is isolated in a dark chamber, the floor of which is muffled by means of thick carpets or rugs, the ears are stopped, every manipulation is done, as far as possible, in the dark, and the most rigid silence maintained. The nourishment is restricted to fluids; for severe pain, belladonna and ergot are administered.

PARENCHYMATOUS INJECTIONS OF IODOFORM OIL IN THE TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS OF THE BONE AND JOINTS.

Wendelstadt of Bonn (Centralblatt f. Chirurgie, No. 38, 1889). Clinical observations are supported by bacteriological research. No giant cells are developed in granulation-tissues in the presence of iodoform (Marchand). The contents of abscesses treated by iodoform injections lose their power of infection when placed in the anterior chamber of the eye (Stockum). Tubercular granulations disappear and Koch's bacillus cannot be demonstrated in the abscess-wall, following iodoform applications (Bruns-Nauwerck). W. uses iodoform oil, 5 to 25. If not freshly prepared free iodine is apt to be present. 2 or 3 c. cm. of the oil is injected once a week into the diseased structures.

In case of abscess, the contents of the latter are first removed by aspiration. Injections along fistulous tracts are of but little use. Parenchymatous injections in the surrounding structures are more efficacious.

EXTRA ARTICULAR SUTURE IN FRACTURED PATELLA.

T Myles (The Dublin Journal of the Medical Sciences, Nov., 1889, p. 382).

The author believes that the usual and unfavorable results of fractured patella are due to the treatment. He rejects all of the older theories of failure of union, and gives but little weight to the assertion of MacEwen that this is mainly due to the fact that the pre-patellar portion of the fibrous expansion of the vasti muscles becomes entangled, after being first stretched and then torn in the accident which produces the fracture, in the roughened surface of the upper fragment, mainly. He suggests, as replacing the ordinary method of suturing the fragments by opening the joint, a transverse drilling, subcutaneously, of each fragment, and fixing therein a nickel-plated pin. The fragments are drawn together by means of these pins, and held in position by passing a tape around the projecting ends of the pins in a figure-of8 fashion, after the manner of a hare lip operation (The abstractor is prepared to assert that, in the large majority of cases of fractured patella the condition described by McEwen will be found to exist. In his experience in suturing these fractures by opening the joint and freely exposing the fragments, he has yet to observe a single case in which this condition did not exist when the fracture was transverse).

OSTEO-PLASTIC EXARTICULATION OF THE FOOT IN CHILDREN.

Prof. W. Rasumowsky, Kasan, (Archiv f. klinische Chirurgie, Bd. 39, Hft. 2).

Realizing the importance of preserving the epiphyseal cartilages of the lower extremities of the tibia and fibula in children, R. proposes to modify the classical operation of Pirogoff so as to avoid sawing off the malleoli. He shapes the surface of the os calcis, which lies between the malleoli when the former is brought into position with the heel flap in such a manner as to give a firm bearing, and eventually an articular surface. A case is related in which, after this procedure, a lad of 8 was enabled to walk and run with facility and without artificial aid; the end of the stump, moved by the anterior and posterior crural muscles, resembling, in its movements, a foot in miniature. Attention is called to the importance of preserving these muscles, and the statement made that longitudinal development of the bones. depends, not only upon the epiphyseal cartilages, but also upon the integrity of the surrounding muscular structures.

UPON THE OPERATIVE TREATMENT OF IRREDUCIBLE LUXATIONS OF THE

HIP.

K. Kirn (Beitr. zur klin. Chirurgie von Bruns-Czerny, Kroenlein u. Socin, Bd. IV., Hft. 3).

K. reports 19 cases of ancient irreducible luxations of the hip, 11 of which were of the backward variety, in which class the greatest amount of functional disturbance is found to exist. He refers to the various operative procedures, among these, incision of the soft parts which seem to aid in the fixation of the bone in its abnormal position. From this method, illustrated by a case of Hamilton's, no result followed. Osteoclasis of the femoral neck gave a favorable result in 6 cases; 2 cases resulted in necrosis of the head.

Osteotomy was performed in one case (MacEwen) with good results. Arthrotomy was performed in only 2 cases, but with good result (Polaillon and Vecelli). Resection of the femoral head has been performed twice at Bruns' clinic, one in pre-antiieptic twins, which perished, while in the other an excellent result was obtained. In the literature of the subject he finds 12 cases of the latter reported, with 3 deaths and 9 favorable results. Operative procedures are only to be resorted to if the limb is useless or comparatively so. Forcible reductions and osteoclasis are not to be recommended. Osteotomy above or below the trochanter is to be advised. Arthrotomy offers, in recent cases only, hope of success. The best results follow resection, which is the procedure most in vogue.

UPON THE MECHANICAL TREATMENT OF ERYSIPELAS.

Wöfler, (Wiener klin. Wochenschrift, 1889, Nos. 23-25).

W. repeats his assertions previously made that strapping the edges of the erysipelatous part with adhesive plaster will arrest the disease. The latter extends to the plaster, but does not pass beyond it; it can be made to completely circumscribe the boundaries of the erysipelas, the plaster need not be placed upon the reddened skin itself. In cases of facial erysipelas in men the hair should be shaved; in women, a sufficiently wide parting of the hair may be obtained to admit of the application of the plaster.

OBSTETRICS.

BY CHARLES JEWETT, M.D.

ALBUMINURIA AND ECLAMPSIA IN THE GRAVID WOMAN.

Blanc. (Arch. d'obstet. et de gyn., Oct., 1889) finds in this affection two principal species of micro-organism, several varieties of coccus, and a bacillus. He injected the veins of rabbits with cultures of