NOTES ON BOOKS

Tuberculin: Its Vindication by Technique, by W. Camac Wilkinson (Churchill, ios. 6d.). The underlying tuberculous nature of many

chronic intractable conditions in the eye has not been fully realised, nor has the value of tuberculin in the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions been fully appreciated. Under a somewhat obscure title

the author describes in a characteristic way the details of a number of such cases, demonstrating the outstanding value of specific methods in their diagnosis and treatment. It may be doubted, however, whether Dr Wilkinson's special form of pleading will appeal to the unconverted, or even whether it will be welcomed by many of the converted.

The Technic of Local Anesthesia, by Arthur E. Hertzler, M.D., LL.D., F.A.C.S. (Kimpton, 25s.). Hertzler is one of the strongest advocates

of the use of the infiltration method as opposed to the regional method of anaesthesia, holding that the constriction of vessels obtained in the former method is of great advantage to the operator. He further

stresses the importance of using the minimum amounts of solution, not because of safety but because a more accurate technique is possible.

The new features in the latest (5th) edition are that the chapter on spinal anaesthesia has been rewritten and a short chapter on intravenous anaesthesia added. With regard to spinal anaesthesia it is pointed out that this form of anaesthesia is replacing other forms on the lower abdomen and lower extremities. Novocaine is the drug recommended and there is no mention either of alternative drugs or of alternative methods to that described. This indeed holds throughout the book, the author giving his own technique and dealing only briefly with other methods which he does not himself use or of which he does not approve.

Synopsis of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, by E. W. Caryl Thomas (Wright, 7s. 6d.), is the latest addition to Wright's Synopsis Series in Medicine and Surgery. The compression of so much material into so small a space naturally leads to a rather staccato style of writing and a didactic attitude, which on occasion is rather liable to confuse or deceive the reader. For example, in connection with

putrefaction on page 31, we note that "at the end of the second month, the abdomen is distended, at the end of the third month, the

hair, skin and nails are detached, by the fifth month the scalp has

gone." A practitioner, on reading this, might not be aware that the abdomen may be distended in two cr three days, and also that the hair and skin might readily be detached in less than a week. Apart from such confusing statements there are many omissions of a practical nature and a number of very dangerous mistakes. For example, in

connection with the benzidin test for blood, the author says, "Add

290

Notes on Books

benzidin and acetic acid then hydrogen peroxide." Unless the reader

knew how to prepare the reagent and apply the test before reading the

b?ok, such a statement would not be helpful. Similarly, in connection with the hsemin crystal test, the advice to add water to

a fragment of stain would probably prevent the formation of crystals. The author

Ascribes the heads of spermatozoa as the size of red blood corpuscles. states that "the Florence test consists of formation of crystals

resembling those of hsematin when drop of fluid is mixed with drop of Potassium iodide on watch glass." This of course is totally inaccurate.

Notwithstanding these blemishes, and there are many others, there is a considerable amount of useful information compressed into the book and though it could not be of any value to the practitioner owing to the absence of any practical detail, it might be of some value to a

student preparing for an examination who had previously acquired a knowledge of the subject.

The Dissection of the Rabbit, by R. H. Whitehouse, D.Sc, and A. J. Grove, M.A., U.Sc. (University Tutorial Press, 3s.). The authors

first direct the attention of the student to portions of cuirent text-

books of zoology which should be read before proceeding to the

different stages of the dissection. They then pass to the description of the skeleton. The skull of the dog is chosen for detailed study and the special characters of the rabbit's skull are afterwards pointed out. The remainder of the skeleton of the rabbit is then considered. A detailed account follows of the dissection of the animal. The

directions for dissection are clearly given and the book is well

illustrated by fully labelled line-drawings and by several photographs of the earlier stages of the dissection. The authors have produced a useful volume which should enable the student to carry through the lamination of all the systems of organs with little help from a

demonstrator. Artificial Pneumothorax, by L. S. T. Burrell (Heinemann, 12s. 6d.).

This book is written for the medical practitioner who wants to under- take treatment by artificial pneumothorax. It gives clear instructions, based on the author's almost unrivalled experience, of how and when t? give refills, how to deal with complications, and how to combine c?hapse with other methods of treatment. It may be questioned whether there is a very wide demand among practitioners for a

knowledge of the actual technique of pneumothorax treatment, but, with the increasing realisation of the benefits of collapse therapy, a wider understanding of the type of patient likely to be benefited from having the lung collapsed by this or some other method becomes

lmportant. This book answers such questions ably and concisely, and We believe mainly on this account that it will have a wide and well-

deserved popularity.