^^Dec!"!,  !*™  }  Revieivs  and  Bibliographical  Notices,  571 
The  report  exhibits  the  great  amount  of  care  and  judgment  bestowed  upon  it, 
^nd  the  "  Circular  "  well  sustains  the  reputation,  which  the  Surgeon  General's 
'Office  has  acquired  through  the  publication  of  similar  documents  in  past  years. 
A  Contribution  to  the  Treatment  of  the  Versions  and  Flexions  of  the  Vnim- 
pregnated  Uterus.  By  Ephraim  Cutler,  A  .  M.,  M.  D.  Reprinted  from  the 
Journal  of  the  Gynaecological  Society.  Boston  :  James  Campbell,  1871.  8vo. 
44  pages.    50  cents. 
The  pamphlet  enters  fully  into  the  consideration  of  the  frequently  occurring 
female  complaints  mentioned  in  the  title,  and  imparts  much  sound  advice, 
based  to  a  considerable  extent  upon  the  author's  professional  experience.  The 
subject  is  illustrated  with  twenty  cuts,  showing  the  various  positions  of  the 
uterus  and  the  instruments  requisite  in  effecting  a  cure.  From  the  concluding 
remarks  of  the  author,  we  extract  the  following : 
"  There  is  no  doubt  in  my  own  mind  that  the  present  mode  of  suspending  the 
dress  of  females  from  the  waist  is  a  prominent  exciting  cause  of  uterine  ver- 
sions and  flexions.  This  impression  is  so  strong  that  it  is  impossible  for  the 
writer  to  close  this  article  without  re-alluding  to  this  subject.  First,  there  is 
the  corset  surrounding  the  waist.  Even  if  worn  loosely,  it  none  the  less  commu- 
nicates the  superincumbent  weight  of  garments  on  to  the  abdominal  region,  and 
•crowds  the  viscera  down  to  the  lower  part  of  the  cavity  in  the  pelvis.  In  this 
state  of  things,  let  the  vagina  be  weakened  by  inflammation,  what  would  be 
more  natural  than  for  the  uterus,  unduly  weighed  down,  to  tip  over  or  bend, 
thus  dilating  still  more  the  toneless  vagina,  and  increasing  the  difficulty  ?  The 
natural  points  for  suspending  the  garments,  in  men  and  women,  are  the  shoul- 
ders. The  bones  of  this  region  with  their  investments  are  admirably  suited  for 
this  purpose.  Weight  applied  here  is  supported  by  the  whole  thoracic  and 
pelvic  skeleton.  There  is  no  crowding  of  the  diaphragm  upwards,  or  abdomi- 
nal viscera  downwards,  as  in  the  suspension  from  the  waist.  How  disastrous 
this  waist  suspension  is  in  men  !  Take  the  sailors,  they  are  notoriously  subject 
to  hernia.  No  doubt  their  unusual  efi'orts  in  pulling  ropes  combine  to  aid  this 
result,  but  the  tight  waist  belt  must  make  it  more  sure. 
"When  Paris  fell,  it  was  hoped  that  with  it  would  go  the  fashions,  and  that 
the  common  sense  of  mankind  would  cause  them  to  look  for  modes  of  dress 
from  medical  artists,  who  understand  the  needs  and  requirements  of  the  body, 
from  a  physiological  as  well  as  aesthetic  point  of  view.  Health  and  comfort 
should  be  combined  with  beauty.  The  person  who  will  invent  a  meUns  of  sus- 
pending the  garments  of  women  from  the  shoulders,  which  shall  combine  ease, 
lightness  and  mechanical  adaptation,  will  deserve  and  receive  the  reward  of  a 
benefactor." 
Diseases  of  the  Skin  /  the  recent  advances  in  their  pathology  and  treatment. 
By  B.  Joy  Jeff'ries,  A.M.,  M.D.  Reprinted  from  the  American  Journal  of 
Syphilography  and  Dermatology.  Boston:  Alexander  Moore,  1871.  8vo. 
79  pages.    Price,  bound,  $1.00. 
This  essay  was  written  in  answer  to  the  Boylsten  Medical  Prize  Question 
for  the  past  year,  and  was  adjudged  ,the  prize  by  the  Medical  Committee  ap- 
pointed by  the  President  and  fellows  of  Harvard  University.    The  subject 
