512 Howrah Hospital Report for 1846. 



the period at which I have usually resorted to sugar of lead, 

 I have not found it answer the end intended.* 



Hepatitis* — Out of five cases of hepatitis admitted, there 

 have been three cases of abscess, of which two have been com- 

 bined with dysentery of the severest kind, and in one of these 

 complicated cases, in which there existed a further aggrava- 

 tion of pericarditis, the presence of abscess was not suspected, 

 so completely was it masked by the virulent dysentery. 



In making a few remarks upon abscess of the liver, I shall 

 give the sum of my experience in reference to other cases as 

 well as to these. In the consideration of hepatitis advanced 

 to the stage of abscess, the most important points are the 

 early detection of abscess, and the prompt application of 

 appropriate means of cure. I have no doubt that many lives 

 have been prolonged since the stimulus given to the early 

 opening of abscess of the liver by Drs. Mouat and Murray. 

 The success of the operation of exploration and of subsequent 

 opening of the abscess depends of course upon its bold and 

 early adoption; otherwise, the chance of success is a very 

 contingent one, depending upon the amount of disease in 

 the liver, the size and number of the abscesses, the particular 

 pathological character of the abscess, the condition of its 



* The remark of Dr. Green regarding the inefficacy of sugar of lead has 

 induced us to compare the mortality from dysentery in the hospital under 

 the General bleeding, calomel, and ipecacuanha system, and under the sooth- 

 ing treatment by local bleeding opiates, sugar of lead, astringents, &c. The 

 results are as follows : 



Bleeding and Mercurial treatment. Opiates and Astringents. 



( 227 admissions. / 80 admissions. 



t n ) 48 deaths. T Q ) 10 deaths, 



mo years. < 21 ratio of mortality in d years, j 12ra tio of mortality 



( per cent. ( per cent. 



We are quite aware of the danger of arriving at erroneous conclusions 



regarding the action of medicines from a limited comparison of facts ; still 



the above return is undoubtedly unfavourable to the system introduced by 



Twining, which we believe has long been losing ground with the profession in 



India.— J. M. P. 



