ABSTRACTS.

composed of I gramme of mercuric chloride and 3 grammes of salt in 1000

cc. of water were begun. Such a solution could be injected quite painle:,sly into one of the veins at the bend of the elbow, and with entIre absence of local complications. A few seconds after the injection of one or two milligrammes the taste of chloride of sodium appeared in the mouth, followed immediately by that of mercury. Salivation appeared after five or six minutes. Injections were commenced on 3rd January 1893, and continued in doses increasing gradually up to 5 milligrammes. By 19th February twenty-eight injections had been made, corresponding to a total of 38 milligrammes of salt. The patient had already gained much of his former strength; the attacks of headache and paresis, together with the loss of memory, had almost entirely disappeared. As to vision, the patient declared that he saw frequent flashes of light. The injections were continued until a total of 61 milligrammes had been gil en, at which time all symptoms of the syphilis, save the loss of sight had disappeared. The patient was also capable of distinguishing light from darkness.-Brit. Med. Journal.

STRYCHNINE INJECTIONS IN PARALYSIS.

BOLTENSTERN (Tlzerap. Jlfonatslz., August, T 893) relates the case of a p~tient who, as the result of alcoholism was suffering from well-marked paralysis of the lower extremities, accompanied by loss of power in the upper limbs. When first seen the condition was complicated by severe rheumatoid pains, cedema, enlarged liver, albuminuria, and diminutIon of urine. After a few weeks' treatment directed to these latter symptoms, the paralysis alone remained, and the author therefore resorted to strychnine injections. The nitrate was used in a I per cent. solution, and injected by means of a Pravaz syringe, the daily dose at first being 1 milligramme, and towards the end 10 milligrammes, or --i~­of a grain. In addition the patient was subjected to warm baths with cold irrigatIOns and faradisation once in two days. Four weeks of treatment enabled the patient to feed himself and to raise himself in bed without aid, and with no discomfort. After another month slight attempts at walking could be made, and after two further weeks the patient was ahle to raise himself and walk without aid or support. Four months after the commence­ment of this treatment the patient was able to return t(J his occupation. During the early treatment slight collapse occurred twice slightly, but improved with citrate of caffeine. Injections were made on thirty-two days, and the total quantity of strychnine used was 2-} grains. The author feels confident that the merit of curing this paralysis of two months' standing is to be attributed to the strychnine, and he recommends its further application.-Brit. Med. Journal.

THE PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS PNEUMONIA IN THE HORSE.

IT is a matter of observation that, as a rule, horses which have recovered from an attack of infectious equine pneumonia have acquired immunity and this suggeo,ted to Hell the idea of conferring protection by inoculation. As inoculating material he employed pure cultures of the micrococcus of the disease, and the first experiments were made on 12 horses at the Military Veterinary School in Berlin. The results were as follows:-

I. In several horses the injection of cultures into the lung set up a disease that in clinical and pathological respects corresponded with infectious pneumonia.