Part 5

At the last meeting of one of the city medical societies one of the members reported a case of typhoid fever in which the pulse had remained quite low for over a week. Several questions were asked concerning the _normal_ pulse of the man. The doctor insisted that he knew the normal pulse was higher, as he had examined it many times in health. This was strange and so many members plied the doctor with questions that he finally confessed that the young man was a member of the family when he (the doctor) was courting his (the doctor's, not the patient's) wife. Of course the entire society understood at once that the doctor felt the pulse of the entire family during this love-sickness. There are many ways of courting--Josh Billings had a very good way. Some fellows buy the old gentleman a cane (very appropriate and often _useful_); the small brother a box of candy, so that he will vacate the parlor--and for the baby sister a wax doll with long flaxen hair--which she invariably informs the neighborhood was given to her "by Sallie's beau."

We once knew a nice young man who had been told that the best plan was to court the mother for a while. He heeded the advice and was getting along very finely, when one day he received an invitation to attend the marriage of his girl to the fellow who had been courting _her_ and not her _mother_.

This little occurrence turned our minds to the humorous things of our experiences, and after adjournment of the society a number of "funny" things were related as we walked homeward.

The following is interesting to the gynæcologists:

A young married woman (without children, or she would have other things to require her attention) had been for some time afflicted with uterine trouble. She had been treated by several physicians. Various pessaries had been worn. The last attendant discovered that it mattered not what kind of pessary was used, nor in what position it was placed in order to afford satisfactory relief. Finally an abdominal supporter, with cup and stem attachment was wanted and obtained. This by far surpassed any other, until one day it "hurt a little." The patient at once thought of an improvement. She removed the cup and stem, detached the cup and reintroduced the stem. It gave perfect satisfaction and has been worn with comfort for about three months. We sincerely hope this simple instrument will be able to permanently retain the displaced--mind--in proper position. We offered it to the profession as the finest instrument yet discovered for such cases. It is not patented, no royalty is received by the discoverer, and no extra charge is made for the thread on the internal end of the stem.

The medical colleges have resumed their regular lectures, the students having returned from their Christmas visit to their--mothers.

One of the societies inaugurated the new year by a banquet, which was a most delightful affair. It was given at the Eutaw House, was well attended, substantial, and well served. The toasts formed no small part of the enjoyment. Some of the reminiscences of the older members afforded much merriment.

A very interesting case of the heart displaced to the left side was exhibited to the Clinical Society by Dr. McSherry at the meeting of January 8. It is rare, and only a few cases are reported. Displacement to right side is not of unfrequent occurrence, and a number of cases are recorded. The apex beat in this case is heard two inches to the left of a perpendicular line through the left nipple. The first line of dullness is one inch and a half to the left of the center of the sternum. Attachment to a contracted lung due to phthisis is the probable cause of the displacement. At the same meeting there were reported two cases of laparotomy for intestinal obstruction. Both terminated in recovery.

A somewhat novel, but said to be successful, treatment for cases of "wry neck" due to neuralgia or "cold" was mentioned at the Medical and Surgical Society on the 14th. It is to sit for one half hour or more near a very hot stove, placing the affected side opposite an open door. A screen should be placed beyond the patient so as to confine the heat as much as possible to his immediate locality.

It was suggested by the mention of a case, in a child eleven years old, which had continued four weeks, in spite of treatment. One physician thought the Faradic current a specific in such cases.

I have read with pleasure a little work which, if I mistake not, will be most welcome to the profession. It is a book of nearly seventy pages, entitled 'Practical Notes on the Treatment of Skin Diseases.' I am glad to say also, that it is written and published by a Baltimore physician, Professor Rohé, whose 'Text Book of Hygiene' I took occasion to mention in my last communication.

I suppose all country practitioners, if not those of the city also, who are busy from morning till night with hardly two hours a day for reading, have felt as I have on many occasions, the need of some concise practical text books not given to speculations and generalizations! Especially is this needed in "Skin Diseases," because of the meager knowledge that we common practitioners have of the subject. There has seemed to me to be a tendency to call most skin diseases "eczema," just as it undoubtedly is to call all vague pains throughout the body "rheumatism."

Dr. Rohé very truly remarks that "most text books on dermatology have as their besetting sins complicated classifications or 'systems,' an awkward nomenclature, great prolixity and a lack of definiteness in the description of typical diseases, and an undue multiplication of morbid processes." No one better understands this than a practical physician who has spent half an hour hunting through one or two large text books for light on a case in hand and finally "falls back on" his 'Dunglison.' It seems quite clear that without a fine atlas most of the large works on dermatology are for the most part unintelligible.

Dr. Rohé's book is one of a series, the others to follow shortly if this is accorded a hearty reception. This first series is devoted to the diseases of the perspiratory and sebaceous glands. Their anatomy and physiology are briefly stated, then follows the descriptions of the diseases commonly met with, as well as the rarer forms, in terse, plain language. The last few pages contain formulæ which experience has shown to be of value. The subjects of "prickly heat" and "acne" are especially well treated, and either of them is more than worth the price of the book.

I have dwelt at much length on this subject because I feel that this little work ought to be in the hands of every busy practitioner who is not well acquainted with diseases of the skin. It can be had by sending twenty-five (25) cents to the author, Dr. George H. Rohé, 139 North Calvert street, Baltimore, Md.

F.