This edition of a favourite Dictionary has been, as correctly stated, thoroughly revised and greatly enlarged, with the pronunciation, accentuation, and derivation of the terms. There are close upon 1,200 pages, and the amount of laborious revision which the progress of knowledge demands is enormous. Absolute perfection in such a work cannot be demanded of an editor, and no doubt slight inaccuracies have been allowed to pass uncorrected in the work before us. For example, the first meaning of “Braidism” is given as “animal magnetism.” Everyone knows, or rather ought to know, that this is precisely what it is not, and that, in fact, Braidism or hypnotism was a determined protest against animal magnetism. The same regrettable mistake is made under “Hypnotism,” which is defined as produced “through the influence of animal magnetism.” There may be other instances of confusion among the innumerable definitions contained in this massive volume. We have looked up a number of words, and have found an extraordinary mass of information, fully justifying the statement made by the editor.

Few men have applied themselves to the accurate notation of pathological appearances more thoroughly than Dr. Howden. He was amongst the first to investigate the lesions in the morbid brain, and for some forty years he has systematically studied the whole subject. His index cannot fail to be of the utmost value for the purposes of connotation and research. Everyone must have experienced the weariness of referring back to pathological records and case books for information as to special lesions and their relations to cases. This work affords a ready means of reference to recorded data regarding each particular disease or lesion. By its regular employment the pathologist of any institution can with the utmost ease analyse his records in a very short space of time. Say that he divides his autopsies into hundreds and notes the various lesions under the different heads, he can, on the completion of a series, almost at a glance note the frequency of each per cent., can relate one with another, and can refer to the individual career in which they have occurred. The list of lesions is very comprehensive. The only suggestion that can be offered is that in the next edition it would be well to interleave the book so as to allow of the introduction of notes on microscopic appearances. We have no hesitation in saying that the index should be kept regularly written up in the pathological department of every hospital and asylum, for with a minimum of work it gives a maximum of utility to the records of facts.

This is a reprint of a paper read at the International Congress of Charities, Corrections, and Philanthropy, held at Chicago, June, 1893. Our readers may remember that Dr. Morel read an interesting paper on the psychological examination of prisoners at the Psychology Section of the B.M.A. at Nottingham, in 1892, his article being published in this Journal in January, 1893.

We accord a hearty welcome to this manual. Those who are acquainted with the author, either personally or from the Pathological Retrospect which has appeared from time to time in this Journal, would be certain that no book with the above inscription on the title page would be other than a most painstaking and accurate production. Such a reader will not find his confidence misplaced. It is, of course, up to date, but this means up to the date of as careful and skilful a microscopist as it is possible to have. There is an excellent index by Dr. Craig, who was formerly on the staff of Bethlem Hospital. A work of this kind does not admit of quotation, and we must therefore content ourselves with referring the reader to Dr. Goodall's book itself.

Lancashire. Lancaster.—Additions are called for here, and it is intended to build blocks for nurses, for attendants, for working patients, and an isolation hospital. With regard to the latter the Commissioners in their Report express a hope that it will be of no large size, as the object is the immediate isolation of those first attacked, and not to deal with an epidemic. The admissions tell the same tale of hopelessness in a great proportion. The general paralytics only account for about 6 per cent., and intemperance for about 12 per cent. Dr. Cassidy does not approve of large transfers of patients from one asylum to another, as they upset a place for a time, and give no solid advantage. Three patients were discharged, their orders having lapsed. He justly stigmatises the arrangements under which this occurred as silly and childish.

Dr. Nicholas Ostermayer, of Budapest, published in the “Allgemeine Zeitschrift” (xlvii. Band, p. 278) some experiments on the sedative and hypnotic properties of atropin and duboisin. Like atropin and hyoscyamin it belongs to the class of drugs which dilate the pupil, mydriatica. It comes from the sap of the duboisia myoporoides, a bush or small tree growing in Australia. The natives are aware of its stupefying properties, and put it in ponds to intoxicate the eels and make them rise to the surface. Gerrard discovered the alkaloid in 1878. Duquesnel showed how to crystallise it in 1880. It is a brownish substance, sparingly soluble in water, but readily dissolved in alcohol, ether, or chloroform. It has a close resemblance to hyoscyamin. Ostermayer found that 1 milligramme of duboisin given in two separate doses to a man in two hours induced drowsiness, delirium starting in the limbs, hallucinations of vision, and increased rapidity of the pulse and respirations.

This is a method to which considerable importance has been and is attached in Germany. Nissl's original description appeared in 1885, and in this magenta is recommended as the staining agent. In 1890 he described a modification which has superseded the older process. In this country but little seems to be known of the method, of which the following is a brief description:—Have ready (1) a 0·5 % aq. sol. methylene blue (methylenblau patent B, from C. Buchner and Sohn, Fabrik pharmaceut. chem. Producte, Munich); (2) a mixture of anilin oil 20, alcohol 96 % 200 parts (this must not be too old); (3) origanum oil; (4) benzine; (5) a balsam made by dissolving colophonium in benzine, and of the consistence of ordinary chloroform-balsam. Portions of tissue as fresh as possible, in size 1-2 ccm., are placed for fixation and hardening in alcohol 96-98 %, for 24 hours. Remove, fix on cork by gum (caused to set by placing the whole in methylated spirit), and cut sections by the sliding microtome into spirit. The sections are placed, from pure alcohol or distilled water, in the methylene-blue solution, and this is heated until bubbles form—“until the crackle of bursting bubbles is heard.” After cooling, transfer the sections to the anilin-alcohol, and agitate them about until no more clouds of colour are given off. An appreciable differentiation takes place. Transfer a section to a slide, dry it well with filter-paper by pressure, apply a few drops of origanum oil (which is quickly allowed to run off), dry again with filter-paper. Run some benzine over the section to drive off the remains of the origanum, and place a drop of the colophonium solution on the section. The slide is now drawn through the flame of a spirit-lamp and the benzine set alight. When it has all been burnt off adjust the cover-slip. Warm the under surface of the slide, pressing down the cover gently; the colophonium is rendered fluid. Allow to cool.

We are requested to state that in future the Divisional Meetings of Scotland will be held on the 2nd Thursday of November and of March.

At the adjourned Annual Meeting, held at Oxford, February 15th last, it was proposed by the President, and agreed, that in order to let it be clearly known to Members of the Association not present, notice should be given in the Journal that the New Rules have been definitely adopted, and, further, that if any alteration is to be proposed, due notice of the same must be given, before the Annual Meeting in Dublin, to the Hon. Secretary, Dr. Fletcher Beach.