Literaiy Notices. cv 



often complain of cephalic pressure, sleeplessness, in some cases 

 sleepiness, melancholic disposition, aversions to labor and dizzine?,s. 

 The latter is most disagreeable ; the patient has a peculiar sensation 

 of emptiness, is afraid of losing consciousness, is unable to concen- 

 centrate his attention, in spite of all efforts; his movements get inco- 

 herent, and everything seems to be in motion. In those smoking ex- 

 cessively there have also been observed symptoms of ataxia, paretic 

 weakness of the sphincters, trembling and spasms. 



The nicotine-psychoses that have lately been reported, are said 

 rarely to affect smokers and to be more common in those that snuff, 

 and most so in chewers. The prodromal stage, which las's about 

 three months, shows general uneasiness, restlessness, anxiety, sleep- 

 lessness, depression of mind, often of a religious character ; after this 

 follows prsecordial anxiety, and finally the psychoses proper, consist- 

 ing of three stages: i, hallucinations of all senses, tendency to sui- 

 cide, depression of spirits, attacks of fright with a tendency to vio- 

 lent acts, sleeplessness ; 2, exhilaration, slight maniacal exaltation, 

 agreeable hallucinations: after from two or four weeks' relaxation, again 

 followed by a maniacal condition; 3, the intervals between exaltation 

 and depression get shorter, the patient becomes irritable, but other- 

 wise does not pay much attention to his surroundings; perception 

 and attention are diminished. 



It is claimed that the patient is curable in five or six months if he 

 stops the use of tobacco during the first stage ; if he does so during 

 the second stage, he may be cured in a year or so ; after the third 

 stage is reached, the disease seems to be incurable. 



Of the therapeutic measures against nicotinism, withdrawal of the 

 tobacco is the most important. Iodide of potassium, laxatives, warm 

 baths, are said to hasten the elimination of the poison that accumu- 

 lated in the system. Against the dizziness, subcutaneous injections 

 of ether have been recommended ; against the disturbances of hear- 

 ing, pilocarpin; against the amblyopia, strychnine, hyoscyamus, bin- 

 iodide of mercury, pilocarpin, etc. 



The Respiratory Centre. 



In the case of a child whose head was crushed during parturition, 

 destroying the whole cerebrum and cerebellum. Dr. Kehrn reported 

 that respiration continued rythmically six to the minute. Hand and 

 foot reflexes were also present. All spontaneous movement was of 

 course absent. The medulla was cut across one centimeter above the 

 calamus but no change in respiration or reflexes followed. A section 



