The Portland daily press., 1893-09-06


specify only a few notable changes in
the practice of medicine and surgery
which were the outgrowth of the Berlin
Convention.
Progress of Koch's Idea.
"The president of the International
Medical Congress which was to have met
next monthssat Rome, but which has now
been postponed until next April on ac-
count of the Pan-American Congress, is
in receipt of many communications from
European doctors who have been expert
menting on the Koch lines, and some
startling developments were expected at
the Rome Congress Whether any Of
the doctors who intended to write on
the subject for the Rome Congress will
be present at the Washington Congress
don't know, but do know that there
will be some novelties spoken of before
thePan-Americans on this subject.
GA second idea of Importance was that
persons bitten by mad dogs were likely
to enjoy immunity from hydrophobia
if inoculated with. the germs Of the dis
been practised great deal in Europe
with success ever since the Berlin Con-
gress, but it has not made the same pro-
gress in America. =
an diphtheria a marked stride was
made. Prior to the Berlin Congress
tracheotomy was the common surgical
operation to allow the patient to breathe.
The throat had to be cut at great risk
of life.
At the Berlin Congress M. Bouchet, of
Paris, advocated what he called 'intu ba-
tion'-i.e e., forcing of a tube down into
the throat SO that the patient could
breathe and take nourishment.
"Dr.J. o. Dwyer, of New. York, read
/ the paper from America, and Dr. Dillon
Chicago, had papers on the same subject.
myself furnished 500 of the 512 cases
cited from America. The results of our
experiments in intubation in cases of
diphtheria has been that tracheotomy is
now almost a thing OF the past. The
percentage of recovery in cases of using
tube instead of cutting the throat is
about three to one.
Treatment of Gunshot Wounds.
another important change was the
treatment of gunshot wounds in the in
testines Prior to the Berlin Congress,
when a man got shot in the abdominal
region nothing could be done for him
except to ease his pain while he bled to
death. But thanks TO DR.. Sem, of Chi
cago, we now know how to cure by cleo
tricity.. certain intestinal gunshot wounds
which would before have been consid-
cred fatal.
Another improvement has been the
opening of the walls of the chest in GER
tain pulmonary. bles, according to the
plan divulged by DIR. Schede, of Ham
burg, at the Berlin Congress.
SIN brain surgery marked progress was
n 1oI. L +<,1x
opening the sskull to take out defective
brain matter like that found in epileptics
was never generally thought of until DR..
Detomld outlined plan by which the
cause of the disturbance could be located
accurately by outside symptoms. Now
brain surgery is quite common. Brain
tumors are removed with little danger.
Other Advances.
"Then there is the decomposition of
tumors in other parts of the body by
means of electricity. The old plan of
cutting out tumors frequently resulted
in death. DR.. Apostolic discovered the
method of removing them by electricity.
"There were many other discoveries
made public at the Berlin Congress, but
the foregoing aressthessm marked The
good work will be continued at the Pan
American Medical Congress. Practically
all the governments of North and South
America have appointed official delegates
to the Congress, insresponse to the invita-
tion of the President of the United
Stares. The national government has
appointed SIX delegates and rs similar
delegates have been appointed by the
governors ofssthe various States. judy
ing from the names in the preliminary
announcement there will be about 200
doctors from the Western Hemisphere
and Europe who will participate in the
Congress. t5E
1.-THE subjects which will receive es-
pecial attention at the Washington meet
ing will be fevers, cholera and diphthe-