Vol. 60, 1909 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

disposes to rupture of the uterus. Its form
varies with the presentation of tlie fetus.
During pregnancy it lends itself to the development
of the fetus by stretching. By
some it is supposed to be the cause of the
beginning of labor. Its dilatation by a
rubber balloon is a most efficient means of
inducing labor, in tiie early part of labor
it contracts, but later remains inert. During
pregnancy the implantation of the ovum
on this segment is a frequent cause of abortion
and of hemorrhage in placenta previa.
During labor the adhesion of the ovum to
this segment is a cause of very slow dilatation
of the cervix.— La Presse Medicale.
Pericardial Adhesions of Tuberculous
Nature and Cirrhosis of the Liver in
Children.
Hutinel descri'ues a somewhat rare condition
in which a tuberculosis of the bronchial
and mediastinal glands is communicated
to the pericardium, producing adhesive
pericarditis. Later cirrhosis of the liver
follows, accompanied by ascites, and a fatal
issue from heart failure ends the case. He
calls it caidio-tuberculous cirrhosis. It begins
sometimes insiduously with bronchitis
and wasting. At other times it is more
acute, and begins with a pleurisy. Hypertrophy
of the liver follows, the consistency
of the organ being firm. Then appear circulatory
troubles. The lips become cyanotic
and the face violet, as in congenital
heart trouble. There is dyspncea, but no
cardiac signs can be elicited. The urine is
abundant and albuminous. The tuberculous
condition has remained latent, and it
is the liver signs that attract all attention.
The pleura and pericardium are adherent,
and the heart apex does not move with the
beat. Treatment has so far failed to prevent
a fatal issue.—Le Bulletin Medical.
Primary Cancer of the Urethra tn
Women.
Andre Boursier gives two cases of primary
cancer of the urethra, a somewhat
rare disease. These cancers are usually of
pavement epithelium, which may be tubular.
It is accompanied by pain, difficult urination,
pollakiuria, and final retention of
urine. In some cases incontinence and
liain in coitus have been observed. The
treatment varies with the depth to which
the disease has invaded the tissues along
the urethra. When it has involved onlv
the tissues below the symphysis, that is
from ten to twelve millimeters in length, it
may be removed by the bistoury, an inciscision
being made wide of the growth, and
the mucous membrane of the urethra sutured
to the vaginal wall to reconstitute its
THE CHARLOTTE MEDICAL JOURNAL
orifice. When the whole urethra is involved
the growth may be still removed, but
the operation is much more difiicult. When
the growth has involved the neck of the
bladder operation becomes impossible. In
any case the results are that incontinence
remains to a greater or less degree.— journal
de Medecine de Bordeaux.
Method for the Prompt and Easy Demonstration
of the Reticular Structure
of Nerve Cells.
C. Golgi states that the internal reticular
structure of the nerve cells described by
him has been little studied hitherto on account
of the difficulty of demonstrating it
by staining agents. He describes a new
method of staining that is easy of execution
and gives excellent results, and that has
been made use of for a year in his laboratories.
It consists of a modification of the
^ilver reduction method. It includes fixation
for from six to twenty four hours iu
arsenious acid, 1 per cent, solution, using
.50 parts of the solution, 40 parts of distilled
water, 0..5 to 20 parts of alcohol, and 21
parts of formalin. Next the tissue is placed
in 1 percent, silver nitrate solution for some
hours. The third step is to develop it in
hydrochinone. Sections are made after embedding
in celloidin or parafin. Fixation
of the sections in chloride of gold and hyposulphite
of soda follows, and the sections
are bleached by \'eratti's method: successive
coloration of the nuclei ends the process.
La Riforma Medica.
Prolapsus Uteri in Nulliparae.
Paul Reclus saj's that prolapsus uteri in
young nullipara who are unmarried is generally
of congenital origin. It is seen in
girls of infantile aspect, with irregular menstruation,
ill-developed muscles, and ptoses
of the abdominal organs. Here the peritoneum
is not at fault and its repair or suture
is of no value as a therapeutic measure.
The origin of the trouble is due to a bad
development and weakness of the uterine
ligaments, especially the round ligament.
This allows the uterus to descend and the
Alexander operation is found to give no
benefit because the ligament is found to be
weak and to stretch easily. The only operation
that is of benefit is that of ventrofixa-
tion, one that is not generally advisable in
women who may marry and become pregnant.—Gazette
des Hopitaux.
Hematic Cysts of the Breasts.
Pons describes an interesting case of cyst
of the mammary gland that required enucleation.
These cysts occasion no inflammatory
reaction, but when the fluid is
—