Literary Notices. cxli 



between pero and pes. Although strongly criticising the misuse of an- 

 thropotomic terms he employs septum and nucleus sphericus contrary to 

 the law of priority. 



It is hoped that the author may continue his studies and extend the 

 present publication, which will be critically discussed in another place. 



Is THE Retention of Uric Acid Pathogenetic of Nervous Dis- 

 ease?! 



This paper contains much of great value to the physiologist and 

 pathologist. The methods of determining uric acid and urea, physio- 

 logical variations in the excretions, quantitative relations of urea and 

 uric acid in health, influence of drugs, etc., are treated critically as pre- 

 liminary to the question of the excretion of uric acid in disease. 



The authors devote considerable space to the criticism of Haig's the- 

 ories that certain kinds of food render the blood less alkaline and thus 

 occasion a storing up of the uric acid (which is more soluble in an alka- 

 line solution) in the tissues. When the blood becomes more alkaline an 

 excess is thrown into the blood, producing migraine headache, epileptic 

 paroxysm or mental depression. A general criticism of this view rests 

 on the scantiness of evidence adduced. The theory of storage of uric 

 acid is regarded as inherently improbable. The authors observe increase 

 of uric acid excretion in chorea, proportional to the severity of the attack. 

 With respect to epilepsy the authors say, " We may, however, say that 

 we have as yet obtained no grounds for the view that the grand iiial par- 

 oxysm of idiopathic epilepsy is regularly or even usually preceeded by 

 diminished uric acid excretion." 



The increase follows the paroxysm, being often greatest on the sec- 

 ond day, which fact may be supposed to suggest that the uric acid in- 

 crease is due to conditions associated with, or perhaps occasioning the 

 attack. /'■/// W(7/ cases exhibit a large and persistent excess. 



Paroxysmal vomiting in chiWren is often followed by a very remark- 

 able increase' and migraine shows a considerable increase. It is con- 

 cluded that the increased execretion is an effect of numerous different 

 derangements of nitrogeneous metabolism. 



A second paper by th- same authors'-! discusses these questions fur- 



1. Hf.rtf.r AND Smith. Olj.servation.s on the Excretion of Uric .\<id in Health 

 and Disease N. Y. .Me<l .lourn , June 4. lSil2. 



2. Researches ui>(>n the Aetiology 1)1" I(lioi)at!iic Eiiileiisy. N. Y. Med. .Idiirn,, 

 Aug. -Sept., 18',I2. 



