Literary Notices. clxxxi 



logical and theoretical subjects are regarded as embraced by this 

 principle. 



The editorial staff, so far as the articles on the nervous system 

 are concerned, remains nearly the same as last year. 



We can express our commendation of the work no better than 

 by quoting (with the consent of the publishers) a few of the admira- 

 bly prepared abstracts. 



Alexia. A case designated one of " pure word-blindness " is 

 described by Haisholt 1 occurring in a Frenchman 63 years old, a 

 musician by profession, and, for several years, director of an orches- 

 tra in San Francisco. He was admitted to the Stockton Hospital for 

 Insane on account of certain delusions of persecution. On admis- 

 sion, he was found to be free from any evidence of organic or func- 

 tional motor disease or of sensory disturbance, except as to vision, 

 and, to a slight degree, hearing. The ophthalmoscope showed left 

 homonymous hemianopsia. He would sometimes ask the attendant 

 to give him his other shoe, saying he could only see the right one, 

 when both were before him. His speech was normal in articulation, 

 he could hear and understand all that was said to him, he could spell 

 verbally and write well to dictation, but he could not read wha ie 

 had written, not even his own name. He also showed absolute v 1 

 amusia or note-blindness, being unable to read correctly a single note 

 on the staff, though he could play from memory the most difficult 

 music, with elaborate variations, with absolute correctness. He ex- 

 plained his inability to read as being due to a failure of his eyesight, 

 requiring only suitable glasses. To humor him, dozens of glasses 

 were tried, but, of course, without improvement. He died some 

 eight months alter admission from a purulent cystitis. At the ne- 

 cropsy, the brain, in its anterior aspect, appeared normal, but the oc- 

 cipital lobes on both sides showed extensive disease. The left occip- 

 ital lobe was the seat of the old lesion, the whole lobe appearing of a 

 yellowish-green color, sunken in appearance and the convolutions 

 narrowed, the change in color and contour extending forward and up- 

 ward into the angular and supra-marginal gyri, and inward along the 

 median surface of the occipital lobe, the tip of which was quite soft- 

 ened. The posterior surface of the right hemisphere was of a yellow- 

 ish-red CQlor, and presented several hemorrhagic spots, indicating a 

 more recent and active disease process. The case is of interest and 



1 Occidental Med. Times, Sacramento, Cal., Sept., 1893. 



