42 
f  Am.  Jour.  IMiarin, 
(      .Jan.,  1882. 
The  OptKin  ][((l>it  and  Aboholistii.  A  Treatise  on  the  Habits  of  Opiimi 
and  its  ( \)]n[)oun(ls,  Alcohol,  Cliloral  Hydrate  Chloroform,  J^roniide  of 
Potassium  and  Cannabis  Indica;  JiU'ludin<^'  their  Thera])eutic  Indica- 
tions; with  Hujigestions  for  Treating  Various  Painful  Complications. 
By  Dr.  Fred.  H.  Hubbard.  ]New  \"ork  :  A.  8,  Barnes  &  Co.  ]2mo, 
pp.  259.    Price,  $2. 
That  the  use  of  opium  and  its  ])reparations  is  on  the  increase  there  can 
be  no  doubt;  the  rapid  increase  of  the  amount  annually  imported  is  far 
greater  than  could  l)e  accounted  for  by  the  increase  of  population.  During 
the  last  ten  years  several  interesting  works  have  dealt  with  this  alarming 
({uestion  ;  such  as  "  Opium  and  the  Opium  Appetite,"  by  Dr.  A.  Calkins, 
and  "  Drugs  that  Enslave,"  hy  Dr.  H.  H.  Kane.  The  work  now  before  us 
<lifiers  from  these,  and  is  mainly  devoted  to  a  recital  of  typical  cases  which 
were  treated  by  the  author,  the  causes  leading  to  the  habit,  and  the  gradually 
aggravating  symptoms  i)resented  by  the  victims.  About  two-thirds  of  the 
book  treats  of  opium;  forty  pages  are  devoted  to  alcoholism,  and  the 
remainder  to  the  other  drugs  inentioned  on  the  title-page.  In  the  treat- 
ment of  the  victims  of  opium  the  author  strongly  advocates  the  gradual 
dimimition  of  the  drug,  and  gives  examples  of  complications  and  the  man- 
ner of  meeting  them.  In  alcoholism  he  advises  the  nauseating  treatment 
by  flavoring  every  particle  of  food  with  a  mixture  of  eight  alcoholic 
liquids.  Although  for  some  years  past  we  have  had  very  little  experience 
in  the  analysis  of  spirituous  liquors,  we  have  good  reason  to  doubt  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  assertion  made  on  p.  h)9,  that  "  the  vile  decoctions  now  sold 
as  2)ure  old  rye  or  corn  wliiskies  contain  potato  spirit,  strychnia,  tobacco 
and  sulphuric  acid." 
As  far  as  we  are  able  to  Judge,  we  believe  that  physicians  will  And  the 
cases  related  to  aftbrd  fair  oi)])ortunities  for  judging  of  the  value  of  the  treat- 
ment advocated ;  but  we  hope  that  they  may  not  adopt  the  author's  nomen- 
clature used  in  the  [)rescriptions,  which  is  a  mongrel  mixture  of  English 
and  Latin.  The  want  of  both  an  index  and  a  table  of  contents  materially 
interferes  with  the  convenient  use  of  the  book  ;  in  a  second  edition  ^ne  or 
both  should  be  supplied. 
TJu'  Nar.sr  and  Mother.  A  Manual  for  the  (luidance  of  Monthly  Nurses 
and  Mothers;  comprising  Instructions  in  regard  to  Pregnancy  and  Pre- 
paration for  Child-birth  ;  with  Minute  Directions  as  to  Care  during  Con- 
finement, and  for  the  Management  and  Feeding  of  Infants.  By  Walter 
Coles,  M.D.,  Consulting  Physician  to  St.  Ann's  Lying-in  Asylum,  St. 
Louis,  etc.  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  and  Atlanta,  (Ja.  :*J.  LI.  Chambers  & 
Co.,  1881.    8vo,  pp.  158. 
The  lengthy  title  of  this  book  explains  its  ol)ject,  wdiich  is  a  laudable 
and  important  one.  That  on  the  subject  to  which  the  book  is  devoted 
many  erroneous  and  frequently  injurious  views  are  prevalent  is  well 
known,  and  the  importance  of  intelligent  care  in  the  cases  cited  is  quite 
apparent.  The  "instructions"  appear  to  us  to  be  eminently  useful  and 
practical,  and  well  adapted  for  the  enlightenment  of  nurses,  and  mothers, 
as  well,  as  also  offering  practical  suggestions  to  medical  practitioners. 
