INOCULATION AGAINST ANTHRAX. 
307 
If pus manifests itself within the cranium, what is the result? 
In spite of contrary suppositions, there is no authentic case on 
record wherein a collection of purulent fluid within the arachnoid 
has been absorbed, and the greatest of surgical rarities is spon¬ 
taneous evacuation of cerebral abscess ! 
It may be admitted that, under conservative treatment, in 
some few isolated instances, where pus had collected near the sur¬ 
face, it also succeeded in penetrating the obstructing barriers and 
securing for itself an outlet external to the skull; but such incul¬ 
cates no lesson or example (other than resort to the trephine and 
knife) worthy of dependence ; and should it fail to secure such 
outlet, as is necessarily the result in the majority of instances, the 
retained fluid must needs be a source of incalculable and grave 
mischief. The statistics of such conservatism exhibit a death 
ratio of seventy-four per cent. Neudorfen, who is one of the fore¬ 
most advocates of operative interference, exhibits tables wherein 
the death rate is but fifty-seven per cent., and with the disadvan¬ 
tage -that such interference in the majority of instances was de¬ 
layed until the last hour. And yet, with this discrepancy ( seven¬ 
teen per cent.) in the favor of surgical measures, we find the mul¬ 
titude of surgeons, Ashurst among others, persistently and dog¬ 
matically inculcating strict conservatism and dependence upon the 
operations of nature. Per contra, I am glad to note that such 
eminent authorities as Gross, Liddel and Roberts have recently 
entered the lists in endorsement of Neudorfen. 
{To be C 07 itinued.) 
INOCULATION AGAINST ANTHRAX AND ITS VARIOUS FORMS. 
(Abstract from the Report of Prof. Robertson to the Royal Agricultural 
Society.) 
The experimental work undertaken in connection with the 
above named diseases of farm stock was specially directed—1. To 
test the statements regarding the efficacy of Pasteur’s preventive 
for anthrax. 2. To discover the best means of carrying out pro¬ 
tective inoculation for the disease recognized in Britain by the 
