New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-30
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THERAPEUTICS.

TEXT BOOK OF GENERAL THERAPEUTICS. by
w. bale White. NJ: D.. F, r. {; p. With Illustra-
tons. I2mo, PIP. 81. Macmillan & Co.
The author OF this book is senior assstantp physician
to and lecturer on Matcra Medica and Therapeutics
as Guys Hospital London. HIS work embraces the
most modern aha the best grounded theories and prc-
tees and while it promises to be of much value 10
physicians Il is full of interest for the lay reader who
Is In the treatment of disease and the main
tenance OF health. Dr. White deals especially with
modes Of treatment which do not fall under the head
ing Of drugs He has, he says, thrown some of bis
lectures at Guys Hospital into the form of short
textbook which includes description of all those
medical therapeuticsl methods which omitted In
most books on therapeutics' Among the topics
treated are General Medical Clmstology,' Treat
ment OF Disease by Climate "Treatment by Com
pressed Air. "oerfels Method of Treatment for
Chronic Cardiac Disease" Diet" On the Drinking
of Water Baths" Cold Water Antipyretic,'
a. Artificial Baths "on Lavage or Washing Ont the
stomach Massage The Weir Mitchell Method
"veneseotion1 Electricity and ElectroTherpeutics'
"Hypnotfsm and Its Therapeutic Application
Metallic Therapy' and "Treatment of the Diseases OF
the Spinal Cord by Suspension" T. is last is really
the ATTEMPT 30 spinal complaints by hanging the
patient OF course, he is TO he hanged Just enough
and not much but the immediate effects are rather
unpleasant. though good frequently results nom the
method.
fashionable cures and among other things he speaks
asrcspectfy, not of the equator but OF courses oi
mineral waters generally expressing the opinion usI
where these waters contain powerful chemicals they
are more apt TO do harm than good and thaI "hou
good results 1t is dne far to the water qua wSer
than 10 the minerals hold in suspension ITO Is
almost equally sceptical concerning artificial baths
that is to saw baths OF earth sand and slime, and
those made by sleeping various herbs in hot wafer
In all these cases. he holds 1t is simply inc
heat that operates therapeuticaliy, ana 10
most instances plain warm water Wouu
answer every purpose served by the ARTIFICIAL
baths. HIS chapter veDesection Is Interesting 40
showing that after the strong reaction OF medcdA
science from the old sangrado system. the pendu-
INN Is returning to a modified belief in bleeding
Fifty years ago all doctors practiSed IT, Then IL was
almost universally dropped. Twenty years ago what
came 10 be called the blood-etting controversy
arose. and ragged fercely for several years but as
consequence Of this renewed discussion facts were
,ddced which proved that there diseases in which
veneseoton was positively indicated. DIT White con-
Iemns the treatment antipyrec, but holds that
,the withdrawal Of blood from the veins IS OF the
rreatest value in in which either from disease OF
the heart itself from disease of the lungs OF rom
impairment Of the respiratory movements Dioou
stagnates the night side of the heart" Inc "holo
Of this chapter is interesting
The remarks upon therapeutic applications OF elec-
trc,ty viii also be found valuable. as well as the
,hapter on massage. to which form OF treatment Dr.
White ascribes considerable importance In certain
GLASS of cases In discussing hypnotism he Is hardS
Iust TO the pionees in that field. speaking with TOO
much dsdain of the experiments of Eiotson and Ash
burner The truth is that Elllotson established the
therapeutic value of hypnotism called then animal
magnetism) a generation before the Nancy and sal
petriere schools were heard Of and Charcot LegeoiS
Blnet Richat Pere. Liebault. etc. have actually maze
very few advances upon the work Of the brave old
London doctor Dr. White, 1t may be said, makes
mention OF the experiments of Esdac in India. which
were undertaken forty years ago. and In which al
the hypnotic phenomena of suggestion were ELECTED
ard fnteccltly examined Giles de Ia Tourette. IN
his work on the mcdico legal aspects Of hypnot1sm'
puotes Esdaile freely but the latter's own country
man. the writer Of this volume. prefers 10 take as
authority the much later, and not more advanced
French schools These schools still dsputing
hopelessy over fundamental problems. and neither of
them has approached real solution of the main dues
uon-what is hypnotismf AS TO Heidenhains alleged
explanation which Dr. White seems TO approve IT IS
as elusive all that have preceded It, concerning
the value of suggestion in connection with the hyp
motto state the author cites Voisins description of
cases in which he hypnotlzed unacs, and suggested
10 them that they should longer suffer from hal
lucinatiOns: by this means he cured them" Surely
such facts should have stimulated experiment In all
the unatc asyums of the world, for If mania can DO
cured by suggestion the treatment OF mental diseases
will be revoutioniZed, most serious aiflcuon be
conquered and the taxpayers everywhere be relieved
OF heavy burdens Dr. White, however cautiously
observes that the whole subject of the herapeucal
use Of hypnotism is in its infancy We must receive
all reports Of cases said TO have been cured by 1t with
the greatest caution, and probably future experience
viii show that many authors have suggested its value