"The animal vaccination is the perpetuation of true, original cow-pox, from the original case to a young, selected heifer; from that to another, in endless series, as a source of vaccine virus. This method was introduced into America by the writer in September, 1870. It is quite safe to say that very few persons have been vaccinated in the United States or Canada, during the last five years, with any other than this virus, direct from the heifer, or of very early removes therefrom. However imperfectly appreciated as yet, the vast benefit of this reform will, by and by, be as evident as the sun at noonday. By true animal vaccination, all dangers, real or imaginary, of the transmission of syphilis, or other human diseases, are entirely removed. All the absurd rumors and threatenings of transmission of animal diseases other than cow pox have been proved, now, as in the time of Jenner, utterly fallacious."-Lowell Daily Citizen.

TRANSFUSION. A case of unusual interest occurred recently at the London Hospital. Mr. James E. Adams, F. R. C. S., was removing the lower limb, at the hip joint, from a boy twelve years of age, when, during the progress of the operation, alarming symptoms of collapse occurred, and the patient seemed about to sink from exhaustion. The operator immediately proposed to personally supply blood by transfusion, and more than eight ounces of blood were injected from his arm into that of the patient, with most beneficial results. Mr. Adams afterwards completed the operation, and the boy is at present progressing favorably.

BOYLSTON MEDICAL PRIZE QUESTIONS.-The following are the questions proposed for 1878:

1. Antiseptic Treatment. What are its essential details. How are they best carried out in practical form?

2. Diphtheria. Its causes, diagnosis, and treatment. The author of a dissertation considered worthy of a prize, on either of the subjects proposed for 1878, will be entitled to a premium of seventy-five dollars.

Dissertations on the above subjects must be transmitted post-paid, to J. B. S. Jackson, M. D., Boston, on or before the first Wednesday in April, 1878.

The following are the questions proposed for 1879:

I. The relation of animal contact to the disease known as Hydrophobia.

II. Evidences showing that so-called "filth diseases" are not dependent upon "filth."

The author of a dissertation considered worthy of a prize on either of the subjects proposed for 1879, will be entitled to a premium of two hundred dollars.

Dissertations on these subjects must be transmitted as above, on or before the first Wednesday in April, 1879.

Each dissertation must be accompanied by a sealed packet on which shall be written some device or sentence, and within which shall be inclosed the author's name and residence. The same device or sentence is to be written on the dissertation to which the packet is attached.

The writer of each dissertation is expected to transmit his communication to the President of the Committee, J. B. S. Jackson, M. D., in a distinct and plain handwriting, and with the pages bound in book form, within the time specified.

Any clew by which the authorship of a dissertation is made known to the Committee will debar such dissertation from competition.

Preference will be given to dissertations which exhibit original work.

All unsuccessful dissertations are deposited with the Secretary, from whom they may be obtained, with the sealed packet unopened, if called for within one year after they have been received.

MORTALITY IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO, DURING THE FOUR WEEKS, ENDING JULY 21, 1877.-Total number of deaths, 913; males, 479; females, 434; under one year of age, 437. Principal causes of death: Accidents, 20; bronchitis, 7; pleurisy, 4;

pneumonia, 20; phthisis pulmon. 60; diarrhoea, 45; dysentery, 17; cholera infantum, 189; convulsions, 113; meningitis, 34; heart disease, 10; measles, 12; scarlatina, 60; diphtheria, 12.

Summary.

PRACTICAL MEDICINE.

ANEURISMS ON THE TERMINAL BRANCHES OF THE PULMONARY ARTERY. B. Bramwell. (Edinburg Med. Journal, May.) B. reports two cases of fatal hæmoptysis, in which the condition of the lungs, at post mortem examination, seemed to confirm the statements of Rasmussen and others, that in many instances, the source of the hæmorrhage is a ruptured aneurism of a terminal branch of the pulmonary artery.

The first patient, a colored man, æt. 21, suffered from extensive pulmonary disease, more marked on the right than on the left side.

While in hospital, he had three terrible attacks of hæmorrhage, expectorating on each occasion between thirty and forty ounces. The man died some thirty hours after the last bleeding. At the autopsy was found extensive tubercular disease of both lungs. The right apex was hollowed out into a cavity the size of an orange. At the inferior part of this cavity, the walls of which were dense and cicatricial, there was a small aneurism the size of a pea. It was unruptured and was situated on a minute branch of the pulmonary artery. A second smaller cavity in the middle of the lung was filled with coagulated blood, partly recent, partly old and discol ored.

A second aneurism, the size of a cherry, was found in the cavity. The aneurism had ruptured, by a slit-like opening, about three lines in length.

This aneurism was evidently the source of the hæmorrhage. Firmly adherent to the outer surface of the sac, and partly blocking the ruptured orifice, was a portion of the decolorized

clots.

Still lower down there was a third aneurism larger than the others and more irregular in shape.

This aneurism almost completely filled the cavity in which it was situated. The wall was at one point very thin, but it

was unruptured.

It was situated on a fair-sized branch of the pulmonary artery. The cavity of the aneurism was divided by a well-marked septum into two parts. From the lower end of the sac two efferent vessels sprang.

The second patient, a man æt. 28, suffered from tubercular phthisis. On December 15th, he was attacked with violent hæmoptysis, the blood spirting from the mouth and nose. He was dead in a few minutes. At the post mortem, both lungs were found infiltrated with tubercle. In the left apex there was a cavity the size of a small apple, and in that cavity was situated a round aneurism the size of a cherry.

The aneurism had ruptured by an opening sufficiently large to admit the passage of a good sized probe.

The cavity in which it was contained, the bronchial tubes of both lungs, and the trachea were filled with blood, partly fluid, partly coagulated.

All four aneurisms contained a small quantity of fluid blood. In none was a clot found.

THREE CASES OF DYSENTERY TREATED SUCCESSFULLY BY LARGE DOSES OF IPECACUANHA -GIVEN BY THE NON-EMETIC PLAN. Forester. (The Boston Med. and Surg. Jour. Feb. 1877.) The following cases of dysentery treated by ipecac are of peculiar interest, says the author, because of the prevalent notion that large doses of the drug cannot be given beneficially to dysenteric patients without being followed by emesis. Case One was treated by twenty-five grains of pulverized ipecac every six hours, suspended in syrup of orange peel, and patient instructed to remain in the horizontal position, and to abstain from food and liquids during the treat

ment.

The ipecac, if rejected, to be repeated every twenty minutes until retained. The other cases reported were treated as the first, and the result obtained in each was speedy convalesence, followed by recovery.

W. F. L.

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TREATMENT OF FISSURES OF THE NIPPLES DURING LACTATION. Buttler. (The Ohio Med. Record. May, 1877.) When fissures of the nipples are not due to some constitutional cause, tinct. of benzoin freely applied to the parts will, in about five to ten days, effect a cure. Only the first application is painful. Tinct. of benzoin forms a covering on the surface of the nipple, and so protects it from the child. Lactation is never interrupted by the above process of treatment.

W. F. L.

II. SURGERY.

NERVE-STRETCHING IN SCIATICA.-John Chiene (Practitioner, May 1877). The writer reports two cases of sciatica cured by operation as recommended by Prof. Nussbaum, of Munich. The operation consists in exposing, by an incision, the large nerve affected as the sciatic, and lifting it upon the finger. It is then pulled proximally and distally, and finally the limb of the patient is lifted up from the table by the nerve. Both patients were strong, muscular men, employed as furnace men, and, therefore, exposed to great alterations of temperature. One was left-handed, and the other right-handed. The former had sciatica in the right leg, while the latter had it in the left. This can be accounted for by the fact, that supposing the man to be right-handed, the nerve of the left leg is put on the stretch at each time of heaving coals with a shovel into the furnace. The opposite limb is affected if the man is left-handed. This stretching of the nerve as it passes out of the sciatic notch, the writer thinks is probably one of the causes of sciatica.

Both men had suffered severely with pain, and been unable to work for several.months. The various remedies, as quinine, injections of morphine, blisters, galvanism, etc., had been tried without any good effect. In each case the sciatic nerve was exposed by an incision over it below its exit from under the fibres of the gluteus maximus. The nerve was then hooked upon the finger and forcibly pulled from above downwards,