The evening times., 1900-09-10
THE MEDICAL CONGRESS.
DR.. Hickiing Talks of the Interna-
tiOnaI Gathering ia Paris.

ioAo1 UatheEinS IN Paris
Dr. Percy Hickling. of 221 Tnird
Street northwest, returned to this city
a few days ago from Paris, where, as a
delegate, he attended the sessions of the
International Medical Congress. DR..
Hlckling was a passenger on the st. Paul
on the trip on which that steamship
broke the record from Cherbourg TO
New York. He is the visiting physician
at the Washington Asylum. The Inter
national Medical Congress convened on
August 2, and met daily until August 9.
There were present CLIO physicians
from all over the world.
Speaking Of the meeting DR.. Hickiing
said The Congress convened at the
Sale des Fetes. the large ampitheatre
IN the Exposition grounds, on August 2,
and an address of welcome was delivered
by the President of the French Republic.
Daily meetings were held in various
parts OF the city in the public buildings S,
and at the Medical Academy.
Upon registration. each physician
was presented with card emitting him
TO admission to the Exposition grounds
at any time during the session of The
Congress, and with a small medal On
O@AN S'SS Va NAiO mutual NdS d rep! t5SAid-
tion of the Goddess of Medicine, with the
words Ianguenten Suscicat Ignem,' and
the diverse was stamped with a view OF
the Cathedral of Notre Dame the EiffeI
Tower, and Hotel des InvaIides, and the
words Congress InternationaIe de Mede-
Gin, Paris, a Aout, 1900.'
The mornings were devoted to the
sessions of the Congress, while the af-
ternoons were given over to viewing
the sights of the Exposition. The pro-
gramme of entertainment which had
Deen projected for the evenings was ma
teriafly interfered with by the assasina-
tion of King Humbert and the attempt
upon the life of the Shah of Persia, who
was at the time in Paris visiting the
Exposition.
The only entertainment given in the
evening vas at the Palace of the Luxem-
bourg where fete was held in our honor
on the 9TH of August. 1t was a magnid-
cent affair At the Palace We were re-
Ileved OF our coats and hats in the large
hall on the first floor. The stairs which We
next ascended were lined with soldiers. We
were conducted to the Sale des Fetes. a
large and magnificent hall where we were
entertained with an exquisite performance
of theatTicals. Barb Bluette. a serfo-com-
&c rendition of the nursery story of Blue
Beard which is being staged at the Thea
tre Francois was performed on this occas-
ion NJ. Mount-Sully, of the Comedie
FTancais. the celebrated comedian recited.
ard grand ballet was given with Mile
Charles. Gf the Grand Opera. as the pre-
mieuT danseuse. assisted by NJ Viscuse ana
Nine. Mariqutta Sarah Bernbardt also
recited- Forty-ive musicians under the
direction of NJ. 0. de Lagaonere director
al the Theatre de Ia Renaissance, rendered
the musical programme. In the Sale de
Dance torty-hYe musicians. under the di-
Tectlon OF NJ. Auvray. rendered the dance
music. The immense garden of the Pal
ace was brilliantly tliumined, and here was
stationed Il band of field music a buffet
was loaded with all manner of refresn-
ments, and the product of the grape was
plentiful \ reception which the Presi-
dent was to have held on the evening Of
the Sth was postponed to the following
Saturday afternoon at t o'clock. I did not
attend but understand that it was much in
character like those held In the White
House.
The representatives of each country
were assigned to separate reception rooms
in the Academy of Medicine. where visits
were exchanged during the week. The
evenings were spent at private dinners
and receptions The Ladies' Committee
had room in the Academy where the
wives and daughters of the visitors were
entertained, place for rest was pro-
vided here, and a refreshment table was
always loaded with exquisite dainties
The members of the Congress held their
supper on the 4Jh of August and it proved
a great success.
The business meetings of the Congress
were divided into seventeen sections
anatomy, general pathology. pathological
anatomy, internal pathology, diseases of
children, therapeutics and materia laedi-
ca. neurology. mental diseases. derma-
tology, general surgery, genito-uTinary
diseases. opthmology, iaryngoiogy. and
military surgery and hygiene. The Off
cial languages Of the Congress were
French. English, and German, and II pa
pers We're ~ead in one of the three Ian
guages and were printed II the langud ge
in which they were delivered
4 attended closely the surgical meet
lngs in which | US most interested. Gne
of the papers read was by NJ. Rene lie
Fort, OF Lille, France, who described his
experiments in rectifying facial deformi-
ties and beauUifying the human face His
ability in altering the human visage was
truly marvellous. Noses could be built
up, or reduced in size. Ears could be in
duced to lie fat TO the head. Even the
mouth could be altered to suit the fancy
of the owner.
''0ne Of the most interesting features of
the Congress was a clinic in which was
shown new method OF employing an an
aesthetic. The surgical case was one Of
gastro-entrostomy. ard was performed bv
DR.. Severeanu- The anaesthetic used was
a 'steriliZed solution OF cocaine. which was
introduced into the system of the subject
by an injection into the spinal canal The
effect of the anaesthetic was to deaden
the nerves of the body below the dia-
phTagm, and the operation was performed
in one-tenJh of the time it usually re-
quiTes, and while the patient was telling
the spectators that no pains al all were
experienced from the use of the surgeon ;
knife. The demonstratoT explained that he
had made his first experiments upon AM
mails, TO see if their spinal cord would be
injured by the operation. Even the strong
est injections he found had no permanent
effect upon the subject either in the spi-
nal cord or in any of its members. Every
portion of the body below the diaphra g1n
was thoroughly anaestheJamatiZed be-
ginning about five minutes after the in
lection had been introduced and the effect
lasting from forty-five minutes TO an hour
and a quarter, according to the quantity Of
the anaesthetic employed.
'Au operation in craneotomy was per-
formed by DR.. Doyen in four minutes ana
thirty seconds, by means of an original
electric appliance, his own invention. The
usual time consumed in this difficult ot,-
Grafton is from thirty to fifty minutes. Dr.
Doyen introduced a novel method of de-
monstration showing a number of surgical
operations by means of the biograph. 1t
is wonderful how vivid and how well this
method showed the details and technique
of the operation In the teaching of sur
gerry this means has marvellous possibili-
ties. and will undoubtedly be utilized.
Il was not especially interested in the
mental phenomena, and did not attend the