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THE NEW YORK JOURNAL OF MEDICINE. VOL. VIII........THIRD SERIES

NEW YORK: BAILLIÉRE BROTHERS, 440 BROADWAY. LONDON:-H. BAILLIÉRE 219 REGENT STREET. PAIRS:-J. B. BAILLIÉRE ET EILS, RUE HAUTEFEUILLE. MADRID:-c. BAILLY-BAILLIÉRE, CALLE DE PRINCIPE 1860.

426 Medical Retrospect. [May,

curved bistoury, guarded as before; each time the bleeding was very trifling. In a few minutes he was relieved, and swallowed some milk. Applied eight leeches over the seat of pain, and directed to encourage the hemorrhage with warm poultices. Evening. Improving; the pain was very much relieved by the leeches, which bled freely. Upon examination, the swelling is found to be subsiding. R. Pulv. Doveri grs x.

Jan. 10th- Has slept none, but as had an easy night; has not been to bed but sat in his chair as he has done since the commencement of his attack. has only swallowed a few mouthfuls of water and thin arrow-root, but has had no difficulty in breathing, and no further sense of obstruction about the larynx. The edema has almost disappeared, but the the epiglottis has still somewhat curled on itself. Complains of some pain now on the right side of larynx; to apply a tobacco cataplasm. Patient convalesced slowly, but required no further treatment.

Cold Spring, April 10th, 1860.

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III.--A new Trephine; being adapted to the free and rapid penetration of the Cranium, without danger of wounding the Membranes. With an Illustration. By G. A. D. Galt, M.D., of Virginia.

The object of the trephine is to divide the cranial walls without danger of wounding the membranes or brain substance. The advantage which it possesses over the instrument now in use, will be apparent on examination of both. It consists of a truncated

                        [illustration]

cone, with spiral peripheral teeth, and oblique crown teeth; when applied, the peripheral teeth act as cutting wedges so long as counteracting pressure exists on the crown teeth, upon removal, however, of that pressure, by the division of the cranial walls, its tendency is to act on the principle of a screw, but owing to its conical form, and the spiral direction of its peripheral teeth, its action ceases. When I first devised this instrument, it was my impression that the cone was an original idea of my own, but on examination of the Atlas of Blassins, I learned I learned that an instrument had been in use, of a conical shape, with longitudinal peripheral teeth. I found after experimenting with it, that the instrument possessed very little advantage over the old trephine now in use,

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