OSSEOUS DEFORMITIES. — Although affording but little information as to the actual value of marrow in disorders of bone, the following cases are never theless suggestive:— Case of rheumatoid arthritis with sym metrical spindle-shaped joints and ulnar deviation. Under marrow, pain, creak ing, and deformity were markedly re duced.
Case of rheumatic ankylosis of right wrist in a woman aged 43, flexion and supination being lost. Improvement.
Case of lateral curvature in a girl aged The point gained was increased development of both sides of the chest, but much more on the weaker side.
Case of angular curvature in a girl aged IS. The curvature itself not re duced in size, but its irregularities have become smoother.
Extreme case of osteomalacia in a woman aged 44. The patient had not walked for twenty years. After bone marrow treatment she could stand by holding to a chair, and could get from her bed into a chair unaided. T. M. Allison (Med. Press and Circ., Oct. 14, '96).
Orchitic, or Testicular, Extract.
As is well known, the removal of the testicles transforms the physical and mental attributes of an animal. Upon this is based the natural conclusion that these glands bear considerable influence upon general development and nutrition. With this undeniable fact before him, Brown-Sequard conducted investigations having for their object to determine whether the product could not be util ized as a therapeutic agent, and, after a series of experiments upon his own per son, he ascertained that testicular fluid was capable of increasing mental and physical vigor. As to the curative influ ence on the various morbid conditions of the organism, he was of the opinion that, by injection under the skin, it could bring about the cure or considerable provement of organic or non-organic affections of the most varied character, or, at least, cause their effects to dis appear. These actions of the liquid were thought to be brought about in two ways: the nervous system, gaining in force, became capable of ameliorating the dy namic or organic state of the diseased parts, and, by the entrance into the blood of new material, new cells or other anatomical elements were formed, thus contributing to the cure of the morbid condition.
Unfortunately clinical evidence has not sustained the hopes of the distin guished physiologist, and the method introduced by him has, for the present, at least, practically fallen into disuse.
Testicular liquid was thought to pos sess such antiseptic properties that, if it should be contaminated by pathogenic germs, these germs would be rapidly killed or rendered powerless; but it was shown that the antiseptic properties were merely those possessed by any acid sub stance over certain micro-organisms.
Instances tending to show that the testicular fluid prepared at the College de France enjoyed certain antiseptic properties. It can retard for a month the putrefaction of a piece of meat placed in it. Brown-S6quard (Archives de Phys. Normale et Path., Oct., '93).
Testicular fluid always has an acid reaction, so that it is not surprising that it sterilized organisms which could live only in an alkaline medium. If microbes which could adapt themselves to a slightly-acid medium were chosen, such as the bacillus con communis. the results were no longer the same. Sahrazes and Riviere (Jour. de Med. de Bordeaux, Nov. 26, Dec. 3, '93).
Brown-S'equard's testicular fluid con tains two substances which, when in jected, are useful, and substances which have a disturbing action on the metabo lism. Hirsch (St. Petersburger med. Woch., S. 51, No. 7, '97).
Preparation.—D'Arsonval and Brown Sequard recommend the following method: Take the testicles of a bull, divide each into four or five portions. Macerate for twenty-four hours in glyc erin at S6° F., in the proportion of 1 quart per kilogramme of testicle. Add 5-per-cent. salt-water, litre to 1 kilo gramme of glycerin. Mix and allow to macerate half an hour. Filter through Laurent paper No. S, and sterilize the filtered liquid either by carbonic acid (sterilized filter, or an autoclave with carbonic acid without filtration through porcelain) or by filtration with alumin ium without carbonic acid (a process inferior to the others, but simpler and within the reach of practitioners). The quantity of liquid from 1 kilogramme of testicle in the glycerin varies from GOO to 500 grammes. The quantity of glycerin is brought back by the addition of salt-water at about 15° Baume. The liquid, in flasks containing 30 grammes, well corked and previously well washed in boiling water, keeps for several months without alteration.