on reference to the teeth the upper middle incisors were found to present in a most marked form the characteristic appearances described by Mr. Hutchinson. They were wedge-shaped, the border being deeply notched.

Inquiry was made as to the family history, which was as follows: The father was described as very nervous and excitable. The mother had, eleven years ago, had ulcerated throat and an eruption over the scalp. She had lost four children; two at two months old, one at eleven months, and one at three years. Three of these children were born since the present patient, and one previously. A brother of the patient has paralysis, which occurred after scarlatina.

The

The girl, on admission, was put by Dr. Radcliffe upon full diet, and ordered a teaspoonful of cod-oil three times a day, two drachms of syrup of poppies every night, and mercurial fumigations three times a week. These latter were applied by placing the patient in a common bath, into which a little hot-water was momentarily turned in order to fill it with steam. In the bath five grains of calomel were placed on a tin saucer, and volatilized by means of a spirit-lamp. girl was placed in the bath, which was covered entirely by a thick blanket, so that she not only received the volatilized mercury upon her skin, but also inhaled it. She would usually suffer from irritating cough for about an hour after the fumigation. These fumigations were continued for three months; three times a week for the first two months, and afterward once a week. The syrup of poppies, ordered on account of her cough, was taken for a fortnight, and then discontinued, as the cough ceased.

On the 7th of May she took her dinner and tea as usual, was lively and seemingly improved in health, played in the airing-ground until 7 P. M., and then complained of sickness. At 8 P. M. she was seized with epileptiform convulsions. Mr. Radcliffe, the medical superintendent, who saw her soon afterward, describes the convulsions as very severe, and mainly unilateral in character, the right side being most affected. Blood came from the left angle of the mouth. At 9.45 P. M. she was apparently moribund. A sinapism to the abdomen was ordered, and ten grains of bromide of potassium to be taken every four hours. At midnight she had rallied, and she then gradually recovered her usual condition. The bromide was continued twice daily until August, for the last six weeks of this time twenty grains being given instead of ten grains for a dose. The ulceration about the fauces was treated locally with Condy's fluid. Early in August the skin on the left side of the nasal bridge was observed to be red and swollen, and in a few days it had ulcerated quite through. At this time a

drachm of the solution of bichloride of mercury and three grains of iodide of potassium were commenced to be given three times a day, and, in addition to her full diet, extra milk was ordered, and two ounces of rum daily. Under this treatment

she improved rapidly. There was no recurrence of fits; and on September 21st she was sent to Ramsgate. At that time the ulcerated opening in the bridge of the nose, and the ulcers about the fauces, had healed, and the girl's general condition was vastly improved.

She stayed at Ramsgate for a month. During that time she had one fit, which is described as of a very severe character-indeed, it would seem that she was again moribund in appearance. On her return from Ramsgate she appeared in excellent health and condition. The tenderness about the clavicles, etc., the node, ulcerations in the fauces and nose, had all vanished, and her appearance generally offered the most striking contrast to that which she had presented on admission to the hospital six months previously.

It is noteworthy that, under specific treatment addressed to the cause of her malady, she had but two fits during six 'months, having, previously to admission, suffered from one every two or three weeks for a twelvemonth. She continues now under treatinent as an out-patient.-Lancet.

Case of Epileptic Convulsions treated by Galvanism. By FRED. WM. PARSONS, L. R. C. P. Lond., etc., Islip, Oxon.

Mrs. B., aged 36, a strong, healthy-looking woman, had six children previously, all good times; the last one eight years ago. There is history of insanity. Her mother is in an asylum, and two of her sisters are of unsound mind, and the woman herself is of very weak intellect. She last menstruated on February 27, 1866, and first felt the movements of the child the first week in July. About October 24th, she had a sanguineous discharge, with pains; the discharge was rather profuse; but upon lying down, it went off, and she felt the movements of the child up to November 20th. On the evening of November 26th, pains came on regularly; but at three o'clock the next morning she had a fit, and I was sent for. I saw her about eight o'clock, and she was then in a fit, lying on her left side, mouth drawn to the left, and bloody froth issuing from it; prosthotonos; tonic spasm; skin quite cool and dry; pulse 84; eyes turned up; pupils normal. The fit lasted about four minutes, when she became partly sensible but very sleepy, and in about ten minutes had another fit. She continued in this way for about an hour, the fits becoming more frequent and severe, and the patient quite comatose in the intervals. There were now no pains; through the ab

dominal walls the uterus felt quite flaccid; the os uteri was dilated about the size of a shilling, and was dilatable. The presentation was made out to be normal. After the first fit, I gave a good dose of calomel and jalap, but it was all returned during the next fit. There being no uterine contraction whatever, I determined to try the effect of galvanism externally to the uterus, which had the desired effect immediately, the bag of membranes becoming tense, and protruding through the os. The membranes were then ruptured, and the head quickly descended. Short forceps were applied, and the child was delivered in three-quarters of an hour from the commencement of the galvanism. The after-birth followed in about fifteen minutes, and there was very little hemorrhage after, the uterus contracting regularly and firmly. Galvanism was continued some few minutes after the placenta had been expelled, to insure perfect contraction. The child was born dead and appeared to have been so several days. The patient remained perfectly insensible all day, and at 9 P. M. I ordered a mustard plaster to the back of the neck and half way down the spine; toward the next morning she became partly sensible, and passed about a pint of urine, which was thrown away before I could see it. The next day (November 29th) at 11 A. M., she had passed no water for twenty-eight hours. About two pints of very foetid urine were drawn off, the color of dark sherry, becoming semi-solid on heating; the catheter was blackened during the operation. There was considerable abdominal tenderness, which was relieved in a day or two by hot fomentations and a mixture of ether and morphia. From this time she continued to improve. The urine was drawn off regularly for about a week, and gradually became less albuminous and disagreeable. During her recovery she had several attacks of pain in the bowels, but it was almost immediately relieved by the ether and morphia. When I saw her

a week ago, she said she felt quite well, except rather weak. There are two points I think well worthy of notice in the above case: 1. Immediately the galvanism was commenced the fits ceased, and they have never since returned. 2. The speedy action of the uterus and the ease with which delivery was accomplished, and the very good recovery the woman has made.-British Medical Journal.

On the Use of the Bromide of Potassium in Epilepsy. Physiological researches of recent date give interest to the investigations of M. Pletzer. The author, after analyzing twenty-five cases of epilepsy, or of affections accompanied by epileptiform convulsions, concludes as follows in regard to the physiological effects of the bromide of potassium:

Under the influence of the bromide of potassium, the force of the heart was reduced and the frequency of the pulse lessened, the number of pulsations falling sometimes to fifty per minute. The cerebral depression following large doses was manifested by a tendency to coma, heaviness of the head, weakness of memory, and feebleness of the intelligence. These symptoms were certainly due to the therapeutic agent, but they disappeared at once when the medicine was interrupted, or the dose reduced.

The power of motion was equally modified. When the doses were large, the effects upon the voluntary movements were well marked, the gait became staggering, false steps were frequent, there was weakness of the muscles of the arms, but there was no vertigo. The action of the medicine was apparently so exerted as to paralyze the nerves of the spinal cord. In two cases the temperature of the body was reduced from one to two degrees centigrade.

M. Pletzer has never observed gastroenteritis, but sometimes a slight stomachal catarrh has apparently followed the administration of the bromide. In other cases, where the agent was given in doses of from one to two grammes (15 to 30 grains), obstinate constipation ensued. Inflammation of the fauces was never produced, though twice slight redness of the buccal and pharyngeal mucous membrane was perceived. Sometimes slight tracheal and bronchial catarrh was caused, and frequently moderate dyspnoea.

The sedative action of the bromide over abnormal excitations of the genital organs was always noticed.

Contrary to the observations of other inquirers, M. Pletzer has rarely seen an increase in the amount of urine eliminated. In a few cases this fluid was found to contain albumen.

From a therapeutical point of view, the author concludes that the antidyscrasic effects of the bromide have been overestimated, and that there are no indications favorable to its employment in diphtheria.

The case is, however, very different in affections accompanied with convulsions, cramps, or spasmodic actions due to exaltation of the reflex faculty of the spinal cord. As an agent for lessening reflex excitability, the bromide of potassium excels all other remedies.

It will be seen that these conclusions, so far as the physiology of the subject is concerned, are in accord with those adduced by MM. Martin-Damourette, and Pelvet, and M. Laborde. They are, moreover, of a character to encourage those who are attempting to ascertain the therapeutical value of a remedy which is always of great importance in the treatment of neuroses, especially those involving the brain, and accom

panied by convulsions.-Schmidt's Jahrbücher, Nov. 8, 1868; also Bulletin Général de Thérapeutique, 15th October, 1868.

On the Use of the Bromides in Cases of Lead or Mercurial Poisoning. It is well known that several years ago Natalis Guillot and Melsens recommended the iodide of potassium as the best agent for removing lead and mercury from the system. Dr. Raberteau, who has been performing some interesting experiments relative to the action of bromine and the bromides, has been led to substitute these latter for the iodides as eliminating agents of the metals in question. He was brought to the idea by observing that the bromides are very slowly removed from the system, while the iodides pass out soon after administration. The former, therefore, are disposed to accumulate in the body, and hence have a greater opportunity of dissolving the lead or mercury which may be in the tissues. In illustration of his theory, M. Raberteau cites the following interesting experiment:

He gave a dog 20 centigrammes (about 3 grains) of the acetate of lead. Saturnine poisoning was produced, and continued till, at the end of several days, he administered 10 grammes (150 grains) of the bromide of potassium in two doses. The effect was, that all the symptons of lead-intoxication soon disappeared.

M. Raberteau also adduces the case of a patient, blind, as was believed, from the effects of lead, and whose condition was greatly improved by the bromide of sodium. He prefers this salt to the bromide of potassium, on the ground that it is harmless, while the latter is poisonous.

He then refers to a case previously published, in which a man, affected with mercurial trembling, headache, and obstinate insomnia, was cured by the use of the bromide of potassium, after the iodide had failed.-Gazette Hebdomadaire.

II.

MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE.

Ar a recent meeting of the Société Médico-Psychologique, M. Legrand du Saulle said: "I find myself in the face of a very embarrassing professional difficulty, in regard to which I would greatly like to have the advice of the society. I have said nothing about it till to-day, hoping to get the views of my learned colleagues.

"In an important place in the department, not far from Paris, lives a retired merchant, aged fifty years, and possessed of a fortune of from 12,000 to 15,000 francs' income. For