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material offered to it. He thought the Englishmedical journals published some advertisementsfor which no scientific justification, either laboratoryor clinical, could be found ; the American journalswere less liable to criticism in this respect. Theexistence of the list of New and Non-Official Remediesof the American Medical Association was a valuableaid to the practitioner in establishing some sort ofcriterion of the usefulness of a remedy, and it would begood to have some such publication in England.It was of course inevitable that in such an art asmedicine many things should be done to patients forwhich complete scientific justification was impossible,but he asked that medical men should realise moreclearly when they were acting on established factand when they were not. The study in this countryof pharmacology, which was the scientific basis of

therapeutics, was not given sufficient importance, andit was especially necessary that centres of post-

. graduate education should have ample provisionmade for a department concerned especially with theevaluation of new remedies and education of the post-graduate student in their use.The manufacturer had also a part to play. Many

new remedies had been introduced by manufacturingfirms as the result of very costly research which could

only have been carried on by such large organisations,but had not the manufacturers sometimes been a littletoo anxious to see a cash return before the real valueof the remedy was established ? The element ofcompetition, although it stimulated research, didsometimes lead to haste in production of drugs andunnecessary multiplication of similar products. ThePresident hoped that manufacturers would bear inmind in writing their advertising literature that alarge part of the post-graduate education of thepractitioner came from such literature. He acknow-ledged that there had been an improvement in thecharacter of advertising in the past few years, butthere was a very great deal to do yet. He hopedmanufacturers would make increasing use of the

Therapeutic Trials Committee of the Medical ResearchCouncil before the introduction of new drugs..Oneof the great difficulties was that it was possible toproduce laboratory evidence for the efficacy of somegroups of drugs much faster than it was possible totest them on man. He thought that there were

probably about fifty compounds related to sulphanil-amide for which a good case could be made out forclinical trial and a great extension in facilities forresearch into the action of such drugs on man was tobe hoped for.

REVIEWS AND NOTICES OF BOOKSDiseases of the Newborn

By ABRAHAM Tow, M.D., Adjunct Professor ofPediatrics, New York Polyclinic Hospital andPost-graduate Medical School; Fellow in Pedia-trics, New York Academy of Medicine. London :Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press.1937. Pp. 477. 27s. 6d.

IN the first few weeks of life the mortality-rate isnotoriously high, and diagnosis and treatment are

often puzzling and difficult. This comprehensivebook will be welcomed. The first section on generaland physiological considerations which begins thisbook should be read carefully. There follow chapterson infant feeding and prematurity, and the rest ofthe book is divided into a systematic considerationof diseases of the new-born period. On the whole,the sections devoted to treatment are adequate,though the practitioner might perhaps have preferredrather more detail in relation to the commoner dis-orders. Every chapter is provided with a number ofkey references. The production is of a high standard,and as the book covers ground which is by no meansoverwritten and is of particular interest to both

paediatricians and obstetricians, it should have everysuccess.

Infants in Health and Sickness

By ROBERT ELSWORTH STEEN, M.D., F.R.C.P.I.,Physician, National Children’s Hospital, Dublin,Meath Hospital, Dublin, and Sunshine Home,Stillorgan. London : Humphrey Milford, OxfordUniversity Press. 1937. Pp. 127. 5s.

THIS little book is a reprint of the Infant section inTweedy’s

" Practical Obstetrics " with a few minoradditions. The author starts with the quotation" There are three things in treatment, the first is

diagnosis, the second is diagnosis, and the third is

diagnosis." A few simple sou] might feel that treat-ment should come in somewhere, if only at the end.But actually the author’s presentation of his subjectis full of practical wisdom, and though this littlebook hardly does more than familiarise the student

with those aspects of infant feeding, management,and diagnosis likely to be met in infant welfareclinics, it could usefully be read by many who haveto cope with the same problems from time to time ingeneral practice. The book contains little that isnew, but the matter is systematically and clearlyarranged, and the information is reliable.

Febrile Episoden bei schizophrenen Psy-chosen 1.

By Dr. med. habil. K. F. SCHEID, Oberarzt der

psychiatrischen Abteilung des Stddtischen Kran-kenhauses, Miinchen-Schwabing. Leipzig : GeorgThieme. 1937. Pp. 97. RM.7.80.

THE premise from which this work starts is thatthe mental symptoms of schizophrenia are but a

blurred reflection of the actual disease ; to enlargeour knowledge other methods than the psychologicalare essential. Dr. Scheid treats the problem as

though it were one of internal medicine. His inves-tigation is closely modelled on that of Gjessing and,like his, consists in making a large number of clinicaland, more particularly, laboratory observations ona selected group of cases. The first group studiedby Dr. Scheid consisted of twenty-two patients who,without any discoverable cause such as an infection,developed a fever with cyanosis and tachycardiawhich threatened their lives; the second was madeup of four patients who had a febrile stupor;and the third of twenty-one with febrile attacks, ofthe sort often called " catatonic fever." The studycovered many clinical and laboratory investigations,not all of which, however, were done in all cases.

Dr. Scheid distinguishes between the unspecificsomatic reactions he found (fever, changes in thesedimentation-rate and in the protein content ofthe plasma) and the " hsemolytic syndrome" (fallin the colour-index, variations in the bilirubin and inthe daily excretion of coproporphyrin, as well as

in the colour of the urine). The latter he regards asthe cardinal syndrome of the febrile schizophrenicattack, though he does not claim that it is specific

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for schizophrenia nor offer an acceptable explanationfor its occurrence. The author does not appear inthis research to have paid sufficient attention to thequestion of the patients’ diet and drug intake, butany genuine criticism of his findings must rest on arepetition of his observations rather than on groundsof clinical psychiatry, or of method, which cannotbe judged from a report.

Dental Surgery for Medical PractitionersBy B. A. KOPKIN, L.D.S., Consulting DentalSurgeon to St. George-in-the-East Hospital.London : Henry Kimpton. 1937. Pp. 109. 5s.

SOME knowledge of general medicine and surgeryis deemed an essential part of the training of thedental surgeon ; and since diseases of the teeth areso often related to the general health, it might beargued that the doctor should have more knowledgeof the teeth than is given him in his ordinarycurriculum. This little book provides a brief anduseful guide for the busy medical practitioner.Though many doctors are keenly interestedin various aspects of dental disease and their

prevention, few of them know even the elementsof dental surgery ; and their ignorance sometimesbetrays itself by advice which though well meant isquite mistaken. This book conveys just the rightamount of information, clearly set out, and has

enough illustrations to give the doctor a workingknowledge of the procedures described. Sir NormanBennett contributes a foreword to the book and weshare his satisfaction at its appearance.

Diet and High Blood PressureBy I. HARRIS, Hon. Physician, Liverpool HeartHospital. London : Leonard and Virginia Woolf,at the Hogarth Press. 1937. Pp. 195. 5s.

Dr. Harris expresses his conviction that, if thedietetic regime recommended in this volume were

generally followed, thousands of persons annuallywould be saved from premature decay and death.It is a wide assertion, and we can only register anote of doubt. Indeed, it is to be feared that Dr.Harris’s attitude is less critical than that of mostof his medical colleagues. Thus he says, p. 85:" The reason why the minister of religion lives longis because he lives simply and his livelihood is gener-ally assured." " Gardeners, too, live a simple open-air life." It would. be difficult to find strong corro-boration from the clergy themselves for the firststatement, and as to gardeners, we know of cases ofextreme hypertension amongst followers of thatcraft. The approach in this book is far too casual tomake it of value to the student but the opinions of aphysician who has formed impressions during a lifeof active practice cannot fail to interest its readers.

A REVIEW OF REVIEWS(Concluded from p. 1436)

ALLERGY

Louis Tuft’s book on "Clinical Allergy" (36s.)is less discursive and less unbalanced than mostof its predecessors on the subject and withinits limits gives an able and readable presentation.A. H. Rowe, who has made a big personal contribu-tion to the study of allergy, has issued a book withexactly the same title (37s. 6d.) which reflects hisgreat clinical experience and wide reading, but hequotes with apparent approval a good deal of wildspeculation. Of the new editions George Bray’sRecent Advances in Allergy (15s.) has really developedinto a text-book-and a very useful one, thoughmuch of the material presented is neither recent noradvantageous. R. M. Balyeat’s book on allergic diseases($6) is written primarily for the general practitioner,but contains a wealth of technical detail whichthe specialist will be able to sift to greater advantage.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

" Studies in Cardiovascular Regulation " (10s. 6d.)embodies the Lane medical lectures in which G. V.Anrep has recorded his important personal observa-tions, including some recently made in Egypt onthe human heart obtained soon after death. S. A.Levine in’ " Clinical Heart Disease " (24s.) hasstressed the value of bedside methods as opposedto laborious special investigations in differentialdiagnosis. L. G. Herrmann advocates " PassiveVascular Exercises " (20s.) which seem to be a valuableaid to conservatism in the treatment of threatenedgangrene, but fails to indicate clearly the clinicalcriteria for selecting suitable cases. John Pleschforces each reader to think seriously and examinecritically the grounds of his own preconceived notionson the " Physiology and Pathology of the Heart andBlood-vessels " (15s.). A little book on the " Failureof the Heart and Circulation " (2s. 6d.) by TerenceEast is necessarily sketchy, but is likely to clarifythe ideas of all but experts on a common conditionoften mismanaged. Sir Thomas Lewis’s classicworks on " Diseases of the Heart " (12s. 6d.) and" Clinical Electrocardiography " (8s. 6d.) have reachedtheir second and sixth editions.

DERMATOLOGY

The only new general text-book we have noticedthis year is " An Introduction to Dermatology "(25s.) by E. H. Molesworth. This is clearlythe fruit of serious labour and will bring credit tothe University of Sydney where the author works." Diseases of the Nails " (16s.) by V. Pardo-Castellois a lucid exposition of a rather neglected aspect ofdermatology, and two works on cosmetics illuminatewhat has hitherto been a sort of no-man’s land :one,

" Cosmetic Dermatology " (36s.), is a compendiousvolume by Herman Goodman, and the other entitled" Manual of Cosmetics " (12s. 6d.) by CharlesLazar is in effect a collection of essays of whichthat on electrolysis deserves special mention. Weknow of no better introduction to dermatology thanA. C. Roxburgh’s book on common skin diseases(15s.) now in its fourth edition, while for generalpractitioners H. Haldin - Davis’s skin diseases in

general practice (17s. 6d.) is likely to maintainits appeal.

EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT DISEASES

" The Larynx and its Diseases " (35s.) by ChevalierJackson and his son embodies the extensive experienceof an expert of world renown in an incisive anddogmatic style which takes little account of theopinions and methods of other workers. Thisattitude contrasts with that of another pioneer,Sir StClair Thomson, whose " Diseases of the Noseand Throat " (45s.), now reissued after ten years withthe collaboration of V. E. Negus, is almost too modestlyobjective. There is scarcely any condition, symptom,or method of treatment that is not mentioned inthis work and one almost wishes that Sir StClairhad used the great weight of his authority more oftento indicate his own preferences. " Diseases of the Nose,Throat, and Ear," by I. Simson Hall (10s. 6d.) is reallythe handbook it claims to be, and though the sectionson the throat and nose are almost too compressedto be useful, diseases of the ear are well described,especially otitis and its complications. In a straight-forward and sensible account of " Diseases of theEar, Throat, and Nose " (15s.) J. Douglas McLagganhas also written an outstanding section on the ear,though he is unduly pessimistic about the value of