FuzTEER observations on this salt as an antifebrile remedy have been published by a physician to the Berlin Metropolitan Hospital. Dr. Riess has used it with more than 400 patients, and speaks very highly of it as reducing abnormal temperatures with great certainty in doses of 5 grammes, and in children of six to twelve years in doses of 2'5 grammes of the acid. Twenty-three experiments on seven healthy persons showed constant reductions of temperature of 0'9° centigrade on an average within

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... r to six hours. After doses of 6 grammes repeated over several days, the abnormal temperature generally lasted through the whole intervals. In contradiction to others, Dr. Riess did not observe any influence on the pulse. Even in 260 cases of typhoid fever, in which the decrease of temperature was most marked, more so than in the healthy subject, no important effect en the pulse was noted. Frequently, however, profuse perspiration followed in one or two hours, often a quarter or half an hour after the full dose, coinciding generally, but not always, with a rapid decrease of the body heat. Cold baths (15 to 20° centigrade) strengthened the effect of a single dose in the same way as if repeated doses had been given. The anti-' pyretic effect of the drug appeared to be in inverse proportion to the fatality of the cases; and though the mortality was 63 in 260, or 24'2 per cent., Dr. Riess contends that the convalescent patients had derived marked and early improvement from the effected decrease of temperature. Quick and important reductions were also obtained in cases of pneumonia (sometimes from 40 to 350 centigrade and less), in acute rheumatisms, erysipelas, and thirty-two cases of phthisis. In two cases of ague, one or two doses of salicylate of soda mastered the disease quickly ; in two others, three or four doses were required; but in five others the attacks could be checked only by quinine. The two following forms were made use of: panying effects have not been observed; sometimes slight affection of the head, tinnitus aurium, and dimness of sight occur after the full dose; vomiting is very exceptional, and never caused the use of the drug to be discontinned. No burning sensation is felt, with the watery solution of the salt, in the mouth or pharynx. SYPHILITIC AFFECTION OF THE SUBLINGUAL GLAND. M. FOURNIER, the eminent Paris syphilographer, has submitted to the Surgical Society the case of a man, aged thirty, who presented a tumour of the floor of the mouth, which interfered with mastication and articulation. The patient had been treated by M. Fournier eleven years previously for an infecting chancre, and this led to the suspicion that the enlargement of the gland might be due to syphilis. A specific treatment was at once begun, and the swelling rapidly disappeared. Some exception was taken to M. Fournier's diagnosis by several members ; but M.. Verneuil, who had to report on the paper, observed that the case was important, as syphilis was supposed to spare salivary glands, the mammae the ovaries, the thyroid gland, &c. He considered that more stress ought to be laid on the chronicity and appearance of the neoplasm than on the syphilitic antecedents, and that the rapid effects of the iodide of potassium were quite conclusive as to the nature of the tumour. L. C.-Have nothing to do with such a person. HERNIOTOMY. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,-I read with great interest Mr. Rushton Parker's case of herniotomy, published in THE LANCET of Dec. 18th. The successful return of so large a mass of omentum, attached by so narrow a pedicle, which pedicle must have been compressed by the neck of the sac to the same extent as thestrangulated intestine, is, I think, rather unusual. The secret of the success lies, I fancy, as in many other such cases, in the promptitude which characterised Mr. Parker's procedures. I have had a successful case of herniotomy myself lately, of which, as it presents one or two points of interest, I send you the particulars. Mrs. C-, aged thirty-eight, became ruptured about three years ago". and after it had lasted about a year she purchased a truss; but, owing to. great natural delicacy, she never consulted a medical man, and was never properly measured for it, and so, in consequence of its not fitting properly" she has always found that at times the hernia was apt to come down underit-a common tale. She said also, most positively, that the rupture never went up entirely under any circumstances, something always remaining of , the swelling; but the return of what did go back was always followed by the complete relief of any symptoms which might have accompanied its , descent. Her bowels are usually very confined, beiug opened on an average two to three times a fortnight, and she has been long subject to occasional: , attacks of sickness. On Nov. 21st, between seven and eight P.M., she was seized with acute pain in the abdomen, followed in an hour by vomiting; both symptoms got rapidly worse, and at 3 A.M. I was called up to her. No mention was made to me of the rupture; but, whilst examining the abdomen, my hand came in contact with the spring of a truss, and removing the pad-a large in-guinal one-I found a small, tense, impulseless femoral hernia on the right side. By a prolonged trial I reduced about two-thirds of it, and the swelling became quite flaccid; but during the quasi-reduction I was aware of no gurgling, and the little which remained felt like intestine. I ordered total abstinence from food, absolute rest, and gave a mixture containing opium. 22nd.-10 A.M.: Pain and vomiting have continued ever since I saw her,. and are getting worse ; hernia as large and tense as when I first saw it. I tried reduction long and carefully, also placing her in the inverted position, with exactly the same result as before. After this she was easier, and kept the medicine down.-12 30 P.M.: Still much easier, but hernia larger again.-23rd.-All the symptoms worse than ever, even medicine vomited; hernia larger and tenser than ever; has never passed wind per anum since the commencement.-11.30 A.M.: Drs. Morris and St. Clair met me in consultation, and, having put her thoroughly under chloroform, both tried taxis,. with exactly the same result as before-i. e., the reduction of about two-thirds of the swelling. I informed them of my previous experience, and advocated immediate operation; but, as the vomiting was not stercoraceous,. and she did not seem in extremis, both recommended a little longer delay, and Dr. Morris, injections, castor oil, and opium. 24th.-No improvement; in fact, worse. At 12.30 r.M. Dr. Morris and It met again, and were quite agreed as to the necessity of operating at once.. Dr. Morris gave chloroform, and I operated in the usual way. 1 made an attempt to divide the stricture without opening the sac; but as Dr. Morris was almost entirely occupied in giving the anæstheti, ai,d I had no other assistant to even dab a sponge, the attempt was not perhaps a very bona-fide one; so I opened the sac, and a gush ot s erum occurred. I then found at the upper corner of the sac a small knuckle of chocolate-coloured intestine, which presented such an appearance that both Dr. Morris and myself felt quite certain it could not possibly have been reduced since the commencement of the symptoms. The neck of the sac was very small and tight, and great difficulty was experienced in getting the director through ; this having been accomplished, I rather freely divided the neck of the sac,. which was almost like sawing through leather. Immediate ly upon with-drawing the knife, a brisk gush of arterial blood came right out of the neckof the sac, and I felt myself in a very unenviable po,ition. I withdrew thedirector, and gave the bowel a touch, when it immediately slipped up. The haemorrhage continued very free, the blood coming right out of the neck of the sac ; but gradually I noticed that it was changing to a venous hue, then it became quite venous, and merely welled up, and then ceased. As thefavourable aspect of the patient seemed to preclude the idea that the blood was escaping into the peritoneal cavity, I brought the edges of the wound together with horsehair sutures, leaving a small aperture for drainage. Every symptom ceased after the operation. The patient made an nninterrupted recovery, and the wound was quite healed and she sitting up by Dec. 15th. The bowels were not moved till the fifth day, but she passed wind per anum within twelve hours after the operation. With regard tothis last point, I may mention that I attribute considerable importance to the absence of the downward passage of wind as evidence of obstruction of the intestines, and think it much more important than the presence ofbelching. Physiologists are all but silent upon this subject ; but, from my own inquiries, I think it certain that nearly all people pass wind downwards at least three or four times in the twenty-four hours, and I believe the cessation of this natural discharge to be one of the most constant, per-sistent, and invariably present symptom of intestinal obstruction. Yours obediently, Blackpool, Dec. 21st, 1875.