476  Reviews  and  Bibliographical  Notices.  {Amsipt.r;i887arm* 
Remedy  for  rhus  poisoning. — The  following  correspondence  is  contained  in 
Popular  Science  News  for  June  : 
"I  have  always  been  extremely  susceptible  to  the  poison  of  poison-ivy 
and  oak  so  as  to  give  me  great  annoyance,  unless  it  is  immediately  checked 
on  its  first  appearance.  This  common  washing-soda  accomplishes  for  me, 
if  properly  applied.  I  make  the  application  by  saturating  a  slice  of  loaf- 
bread  with  water,  then  cover  one  surface  with  soda,  and  apply  to  the 
eruption,  the  soda  next  the  flesh.  When  the  bread  is  dried  by  the  animal 
heat,  I  drop  water  on  the  outer  side  so  as  to  keep  it  thoroughly  moistened', 
and  dissolve  the  soda  crystals  in  contact  with  the  skin.  This,  you  will 
perceive,  is  merely  a  bread  poultice ;  the  bread  being  a  vehicle  through 
whose  moisture  the  soda  reaches  the  humor.  I  find  that  the  washing  or 
bathing  with  soda  water,  even  continuously  will  not  suffice  with  me.  My 
skin  requires  the  heat  and  moisture  of  the  bread  in  order  for  the  soda  to 
act  on  and  neutralize  the  poison.  I  rarely  have  need  to  retain  this  soda 
poultice  for  more  than  thirty  minutes  on  any  affected  part.  No  pain 
ensues.  Formerly  I  suffered  often  for  weeks,  as  the  poison  would  spread 
all  over  my  body.  Now  thirty  minutes  measure  the  duration  of  its  exhibi- 
tion." 
We  have  tried  this  remedy  in  the  case  of  a  child  with  an  eruption  five 
days  old,  and  of  such  severeness  that  the  fingers  could  not  be  bent.  The 
sodium  carbonate  was  scraped  upon  the  soaked  bread  and  applied  for  half 
an  hour,  when  the  pain  had  subsided  and  all  the  joints  could  be  freely 
used.  Another  application  was  made  the  next  morning,  and  this  terminated 
the  attack.  In  another  case,  where  the  eruption  had  appeared  in  the  face, 
the  remedy  acted  with  equal  promptness. 
REVIEWS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 
Practical  Urine  Testing. — A  Guide  to  Office  and  Bedside  Urine  Analysis,  for 
Physicians  and  Students.  By  Chas.  Godwin  Jennings,  M.D.,  Professor 
of  Chemistry  and  of  Diseases  of  Children,  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  etc., 
Detroit.    D.  0.  Haynes  &  Co.,  1887.    12  mo.  pp.  124. 
The  first  part  of  this  little  work  treats  of  the  physical  characters,  the  nor- 
mal constituents  and  the  abnormal  constituents  of  urine,  the  causes  of 
change  or  variation  by  physiological  and  pathological  conditions  being 
briefly  pointed  out.  The  second  part  is  divided  into  five  chapters  on  quali- 
tative analysis,  quantitative  analysis,  microscopical  examination,  analysis  of 
calculi,  apparatus  and  reagents.  While  in  part  1  the  relative  utility  of  the 
various  tests  and  methods  of  testing  is  briefly  discussed,  part  2  gives  the 
practical  application  of  the  most  reliable  and  convenient  tests  in  systematic 
order,  without  relating  to  physiological  or  pathological  influences.  A  por- 
tion of  the  eighteen  cuts  illustrate  certain  apparatus,  while  the  larger  num- 
ber show  the  appearance  under  the  microscope  of  urinary  sediments  and 
of  the  results  obtained  by  the  application  of  tests. 
In  all  cases  examined  by  us,  we  have  found  the  directions  clear,  concise, 
and  reliable,  and  we  cheerfully  recommend  the  work  as  a  valuable  outline 
of  urinalysis,  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  physician  as  well  as  of  the  phar- 
macist, who  is  frequently  called  upon  for  the  examination  of  urine  and  uri- 
nary deposits. 
