Crede claimed to be able to prevent ophthalmia neonatorum by instilling
into each eye at birth two drops of a two per cent. solution of nitrate
of silver.
Cassels of Berlin, after an exhaustive investigation, claims that no
remedies are so reliable in _pertussis_ as belladonna and quinia.
In the treatment of _diphtheria_, Tr. Ferri and Potass. Chloras seem to
stand as high as ever in the opinion of the profession. Calomel, which
also has its admirers, seems to have lost no ground, as well as the use
of the steam atomizer.
DR. ALLEN presented a dermoid cyst of the left ovary, removed that
forenoon from a nullipara aged twenty-seven. Six hours after the
operation the patient's temperature was 99.6° Fahr., and there had been
but little vomiting.
DR. SIHLER showed a gall stone found at the autopsy of a woman
forty-eight years old, whose symptoms had not been those which are usual
in fatal cases of obstruction of the gall duct. There had been no
jaundice, no bile in the urine and no previous attacks of pain. She
complained one morning of sore throat, and was given one-eighth of a
grain of morphia. In the evening there was pain in the stomach and the
morphia was discontinued. This was on Saturday. By Sunday or Monday the
pain had become located along the border of the liver. On Tuesday the
free edge of the liver could be felt, and the temperature had risen to
102° or 103°, pain and vomiting having also become very severe. The next
week pain was less and swelling less, and in two weeks all symptoms were
gone. She never before had symptoms of colic. Two weeks later, after she
had been asleep about three hours, she had another attack. The next day
the temperature rose again, and there was a larger region of
sensitiveness than before. On Tuesday the fever subsided. On Wednesday
collapse and vomiting ensued, ending in death. The autopsy disclosed
adhesions of the liver, omentum and colon, an effusion of bile in the
tissues, and this gall stone was found in the gall bladder.
DR. ALLEN mentioned a case that he had seen in Keith's Clinic in
Edinburgh, where an operation was undertaken for ovarian cyst, but when
on opening the abdomen the tumor was found to be the gall bladder so
enlarged as to fill the whole lower part of the abdomen.
DR. SIHLER said that in his case the gall bladder was not so very much
enlarged.
DR. TUCKERMAN reported a case where a gall stone the size of a pigeon's
egg was found post mortem, but which during life could sometimes be felt
through the abdominal wall and sometimes not, and which gave rise to a
bruit so distinct as to warrant a strong suspicion of aneurysm.
DR. VANCE stated that according to his observation the passage of a gall
stone into the intestine by ulceration was a common cause of intestinal
obstruction. He also called attention to the value of the symptom of
itching as pointing to the gall bladder as the seat of the difficulty.
DR. LINHART reported a post mortem in a case of typhoid fever where
eighty-five small stones were found in the gall bladder. The bladder was
but little distended.