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

Prognosis In Tetanus.—Patton in The
Dublin Medical Journal mentions two cases
in which antitetanus serum was used freely
and yet the course of the disease and the
results were quite different. The first case,
a miner, aged 52, with a large fungatiiig
mass on the outer aspect of the left thigh of
two years duration. A large tender swelling
was also found in the hypogastric and
left iliac region. He presented the symptoms
of tetanus, but under the injection of
antitetanus serum and the daily application
of hydrogen jjeroxide the patient improved
and it was possible to amputate the leg.
afler which he recovered. The tetanus
bacilli were found in large numbers in the
epitheliomatous mass. The second case
was a man, aged .18, who presented the
symptoms of tetanus a week after having
sustained an injury to his thumb, dislocating
it at the interphalangeal joint and
breaking the skin so that the head of the
second phalanx protruded through the
aperture. The finger had been steeped in
carbolic solution 1 to 40 for a half hour before
reductipened up, even although there is no apparsnt
necessity to do this. Hydrogen peroxde
is capable of destroying the tetanus
bacillus if the microorganism and the remedy
can be brought into intimate contact,
[t is impossible to say whether the autiteanus
serum was of any value or not in
|hese cases.
Trealmenl oi Tuberculous Peritonitis
^y meaas oi X-rays.— Allaria and Kovere
Arch: de Med. des Unf. ) have treated
even cases of tubercular iierilonitis by
neans of Roentgen rays. Undoubted cure
/as obtained in only one case out of the
even. In one case there was undoubtedly
ABSTRACTS. 177
ease. In some cases there were no bad
effects, even if no benefit resulted. The
treatment caused a slight and inconstant
increase of leukocytosis. The authors believe
that we should be careful in the use of
this means of treatment in tuberculous pe-
ritonitis, since it is unreliable in its effects.
In some cases it is positively curative, not
by destroying the bacilli, but by the stimulation
of the cells of the peritoneum. In
the ascitic form, we tnay hope for benefit
from the rays used moderately and with
great care. The action should be most
carefulh' observed and the treatment stopped
as soon as bad effects are noted.
New Methods oi Treatment ol Gastroenteritis.—
Bouquet ( Bull. Gen. de Ther, )
calls attention to two .systems of diet of exactly
opposite character, both of which are
used in the treatment of gastrointestinal
complications in infants. One is the water
diet, modified l)y the administration of
leguminous or cereal broths, or solutions of
chloride and bicarbonate of soda, the object
of which is to replace the water drained
from the system by the frequent stools, at
the same time that fermentable food materials
are removed from the diet. When
we have initiated the water diet and fermentation
has ceased in the bowels the
question comes up, and is forcibly brought
before us by the mother, how long we can
safely keep the little patient on water alone
without starving him to death. One of the
gruels that is used to give some apparent
food value, slight though it be, is prepared
from potatoes, carrots, turnips, dried peas,
and dried beans, boiled for a long time in a
large amount of water, filtered and salted.
.\nother is made of cereals, wheat, pearl
barley, dried peas, beans and lentils, treated
in the same manner. The diminution in
weight of the child ceases and he stops
vomiting. Other physicians have given to
replace i)ure water a solution of chloride
and bicarbonate of soda. This also prevents
loss of weight when combined with
broths. The ingredients of these broths
seem to have nutritious value, and yet are
not fermentable, and the public accepts
them gladly. Their real value is in lessening
dehydration. Subcutaneous injections
of normal salt solutions, and high saline
injections have the same effect, but the injections
render the bowel irritable after a
time. The dry diet has for its object limitation
of the amount of liquids taken by the
patient. The food consists of eggs, dried
cakes and cheese, with a minimum amount
of li(|uids. Its object is to lessen dyspepsia
due to the taking of a large amount of milk,
in order to obtain a sufficient amount of
lad effect on the generalization of the dis- solids to susiain life. The ingestion of lac-