2. Pain. Its anodyne virtues seem to be subordinate to its hypnotic powers, and to be less certain in their operation. Smaller repeated doses appear to act more beneficially in this case than a single large dos?; ten grs. as often as required may be suitably prescribed. Dr. Swift Walker claims for chloral a marvellous effect in cardialgia with excessive secretion of gastric juice, and also in allaying the sympathetic palpitation of dyspepsia, and Mr. Morgan has also employed it in acute suffering from burns, ulcerated nodes, &c. Ir. Ogle confirms Liebreich's expectations of the value of chloral in the treatment of inflammatory painful affections, such as acute rheumatism, gout, muscular rheumatism, &c.; and Mr. Weedon Cooke is more than satisfied with the excellent results obtained in painful cases of cancer. Sir J. Simpson, Dr. More Madden, and Dr. Brady, attest its use in painful affections of the bladder, and in ovarian pain the happiest effects have followed its use, after morphia and atrophia had been abandoned.

In the eclampsia both of uræmia and of the puerperal state Dr. von Seydewitz checked the convulsions speedily by chloral, after chloroform inhalations and other means had failed, and in puerperal mania and other nervous affections incidental to delivery, a most favorable opinion of its use is entertained by Drs. More Madden, Alexander, A. M. Adams, and others. In a case of acute mania, recurring for the third time, and attended with complete insomnia, twenty-five grs. of chloral were productive of wonderfully good effects in Dr. Crawford's hands; opium and morphia had been previously tried extensively with the result of making the patient worse.

Dr. Tuke has most carefully and searchingly tested the action of chloral in certain cases of insanity, and was invariably satisfied with it in chronic cases of insanity in which violent outbursts of excitement occur. He confirms the possession by it of the various advantages already claimed for it, and "believes it to be the most valuable means of procuring sleep which has yet been introduced into the Pharmacopoeia of the asylum physician."-Dublin Medical Press.

A NEW IODINE PAINT.

BY J. WARING-CURRAN.

I have been requested by some professional confrères to bring under the notice of the profession, a new iodine print, which I have had prepared and used with satisfaction and success, in the cases of glandular enlargements and scrofulous diseases, wherein iodine is called into requi

sition. In the hands of esteemed and eminent practical surgeons, it has proved equally beneficial as in my own practice, and they speak or write in flattering terms of it to me.

I rub down half-an-ounce of iodine and a like quanity of iodide of ammonium in a Wedgwood mortar, and gradually dissolve it in twenty ounces of rectified spirit; to this I add four ounces of glycerine, shaking the solution well together. A very nice paint is thus obtained, which has the following advantages:

1. The iodine is prevented escaping owing to the combination which, in the form of ordinary tincture, in warm weather it is very apt to do.

2. It preserves the iodide of ammonium instead of iodide of potassium; the former being a more powerful absorbent than the latter, which recent investigation has verified.

3. The action of the glycerine is soothing to the skin, keeping it soft and pliable, a contrast to the shrivelling of cuticle produced by the ordinary tincture in common use, which frequently acts as a vesicant. But where absorption is desired, the part affected and its neighbourhood influenced, as well as the system generally, by iodine, and no local irritation required, this combination in form of paint will be found superior to the old tincture.

I have not confined the use of the preparation alone to glandular swellings or scrofulous gatherings. I have employed it in chronic cutaneous diseases, to nodes, over enlarged livers, diseased joints, to hypertrophied parts or morbid growths, and in cases wherein it was necessary to alter an abnormal action or promote absorption, and the result was uniformly satisfactory, and I think I may safely say the effect of the iodine was more readily appreciable, and more quickly demonstrated in its action on the system generally, as well as by its absorbent properties locally, than the old tincture of the British Pharmacopœia, minu‹ its disadvantages.-Dublin Medical Press and Circular.

POISONOUS EFFECTS OF CARBOLIC ACID.

Pardeleben found that when acid was absorbed and acted

11 Edinburgh Medical Journal says: externally applied in surgical cases carbolic poisonously in about one case out of ten. This poisonous action was revealed often so early as the second day by a peculiar effect on the urine which, pale at first, gradually became darker on standing. No albumen was present in the urine, but the patients lost appetite and strength. He

recommends as a substitute the sulphocarbolate of zinc, first employed by Wood. Mr. Lister states that he has never observed the peculiar dark urine since the paste was replaced by the lac plaster.

Dr. J. Wallace applied carbolic oil (1 to 8) to an abscess connected with morbus coxæ, in a child aged five. In about two months time it was remarked that vomiting and dysphagia invariably followed each dressing, and on examining the urine he found it to possess a dark, smoky tint, very similar to the appearance of the urine in bad scarlatinal nephritis. Nitric acid added to the boiling urine threw down a heavy, dark precipitate. No trace of albumen. This deposit of pigment invariably appeared after each dressing with the carbolic acid, and disappeared again in a few days. A fortnight after the above symptoms were noted, he adopted Prof. Lister's most recent method of carbolic dressing by oilskin, coated with dextrine and shell lac, and carbolic acid plaster; matters became more favorable and the urine resumed its normal appearance. (British Medical Journal, April 30th). Dr. Lightfoot in the same Journal reports a case in which alarming symptoms resembling those of pyæmic poisoning clearly resulted from the application of a weak aqueous carbolic lotion (1 to 50). The symptoms were developed three successive times when the lotion was employed and gradually subsided on its removal. Vomiting was dangerously severe, so that the patient's life was almost despaired of, but the urine was not darkened in colour. Numerous observers have recently met with cases of poisoning in connexion with the use of carbolic acid, and it is very necessary to observe caution as to the too free external use of this agent. The black or darkened urine, which is the most constant symptom, has been shown to occur in an equally marked form, whether tar or some colourless preparation of it be the agent employed. The exact cause of the coloration is still an open question, but it is at least probable that the coloring matter is not derived from the blood. The constitutional disturbance is sometimes very grave, and seems to bear some connection with different forms of solution of carbolic acid, the lac plaster appearing to be the safest, while a weak watery solution, freely used, apparently involves the most

risk.

MONTREAL, NOVEMBER, 1870.

MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OF VICTORIA COLLEGE.

The winter session of this institution was begun the first week in October. The introductory to the course was given by Professor Berryman, to a large audience, composed of students and the general public, on the evening of the 5th, at the College, Yorkville. The Dean, in introducing the lecturer, referred to the very great services which Dr. Berryman had rendered to the College, having taught for thirteen sessions, and also acted as representative in the Medical Council. The learned gentleman delivered a most interesting and eloquent address on the duties and responsibilities of the medical profession. During its delivery he was frequently applauded, and at the conclusion a vote of thanks was passed, on motion of W. W. Dean, Esq., of Belleville, seconded by Dr. Hodgins, of Toronto.

On Friday evening Dr. Sangster delivered his introductory to the course on chemistry. The lecture was a most able one and gave evidence of very extensive acquaintance with the science of chemistry and its relations to vital operations.

We are glad to learn that the prospects of the College are very encouraging, a larger number of students being present than at the commencement of the previous session; and with the recent additions to the faculty we have every reason to believe that the institution will continue to maintain its high position. The opening of the session was also marked by the annual meeting of the Medical Alumni Association; the meeting was well attended and a number of papers on medical subjects were read and discussed.

The medical graduates residing in Toronto took occasion to entertain the Alumni with a supper, which was given at the Queen's Hotel, on Tuesday evening the 4th instant. Among the guests were the Professors of the Medical Faculty, Dr. Hodgins of the Educational Department, W. W. Dean, Esq., of Belleville, Drs. Tuck and McGuire of Guelph, Corbett of Derrytown, and others. The Dean of the Faculty was requested to preside, and speeches were delivered by a number of the graduates, all expressing a warm interest in the welfare of the College.

Among the toasts of the evening was one to the venerable Dr. Rolph, late Dean of the Faculty; Dr. Canniff was requested to respond, and, in doing so, expressed his sense of the high honour conferred upon him to

respond to this toast. He referred to the many excellencies of the veteran teacher, and stated that the retirement of Dr. Rolph from the position which he had so long held was exceedingly regretted by all his colleagues.

MEDICAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA UNIVERSITY.

The annual meeting was held the first Wednesday in October; the following officers were elected for the ensuing year :

President-Robert Edmondson, M.D., Brockville. Vice-PresidentsEdward Hornibrook, M.D., Mitchell; J. Widmer Rolph, M.D., Mitchell; Daniel Clark, M.D., Princeton; H. F. Tuck, M.D., Guelph. Secretary — John A. Mullen, M.D., Toronto. Treasurer A. M. Rosebrugh, M.D., Toronto. Directors-E. J. Barrick, M.D., Toronto; F. S. Diamond, M.D., Toronto, H. Strange, M.D., Hamilton; S. C. Corbett, M.D. Derrytown.

MONTREAL GENERAL HOSPITAL.

We have received the forty-eighth annual report of this Institution and from it we gather the following information, which we are sure will be read with interest by a large number of our readers. The income for the year was $20,741,83, and the expenses amounted to $19,727 12 when to this is added the deficiency of the previous year amounting to over $4,000, there is still a deficiency of $3,708,53. The reduced expenditure is due to the diminished number of indoor patients admitted during the year, the Committee of management having instructed the medical officers to restrict, as far as possible, the daily number of indoor patients to one hundred. The total number of indoor patients admitted during the year was oue thousand three hundred and ninety-two, being less than the preceding year, by one hundred and eight. Eleven thousand nine hundred and thirteen out-door or dispensary patients received advice and medicine during the year. Of those received for treatment with in the hospital during the year, ninety-three died; twenty-six of them have expired within three days of their admission. During the year there was a large accession to the list of life governors by the payment of one hundred dollars. The total additions to the Endowment Fund during the year amounted to $4,264. Everything being taken into consideration, we consider the statement a satisfactory one.