BOOK NOTICES 255

The Practical Medical Series. Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat. The Eye by E. V. L. Brown, M.D. and Louis Both-man, M.D. The Ear, Nose and Throat by George Shambaugh, M.D. and Elmer W. Hagens, M.D. 686 pages. Price $2.50. Published by the Year Book Publishers, 304 S. Dearnborn St., Chicago, 1932.

Four hundred and nine pages are de­voted to the subject of the eye. A great many of the important ophthalmological contributions published during the year have been abstracted in this book. It is impossible to single out any of these abstracts for mention here. The book is a valuable one for reference and fur­nishes material for a quick résumé of the literature of the year.

Lawrence T. Post.

Behandlung der Netzhautabhebung mit multipler diathermischer Stiche-lung (Treatment of retinal detach­ment with multiple diathermal puncture). By Dr. K. Safar, Vienna, with an introduction by Professor Dr. J. Meiler. 162 pages with 12 reproductions in the text and 3-color plates. Paper covers, price 9 marks. Verlag von S. Karger, Ber­lin, 1933.

This is a reprint from part sixteen of "Abhandlungen aus der Augenheil­kunde und ihren Grenzgebieten". The introduction by Meiler calls attention to the fact that Safar, working in Meller's clinic, began to make use of multiple diathermal puncture through the sclera and choroid in 1930; independently of Weve, whose first publication on the same method appeared in 1932. The new method yielded a greater percentage of successes than Meiler himself had previously experienced, and also proved to be free from danger.

Safar recommends Lindner's method for localizing tears; describes his own operative procedure with diathermy (the high frequency current), and in­cluding the types of electrode and their application.

Ninety-five pages are devoted to a recital of case histories, six pages to a review of the results obtained, three

pages to a tabulation of all the cases operated upon by diathermy, and two pages to discussion of the visual acuity obtained in eyes in which the retina was reattached.

A further chapter is devoted to the histologie findings in the eyes of two patients who had been successfully operated upon by diathermy but had died of intercurrent disease.

The method is seldom followed by complications, and there is little danger of bleeding. The operation may be re­peated at the same area or elsewhere, without appreciable difficulty, if this proves necessary. Cicatrization is deli­cate, but slow, and it is therefore neces­sary to keep the eyes quiet for a long time. W. H. Crisp.

Standard Classified Nomenclature of Disease. Compiled by the National Conference on Nomenclature for Disease. Edited by H. G. Logie, M.D., CM., Executive Secretary. 702 pages. Price $3.50. Published by the Commonwealth Fund, 41 E. 57th Street, N.Y. 1933.

At the second International Hospital Congress held in Vienna in 1931 a spe­cial international committee was ap­pointed to propose an international no­menclature for disease.

The nomenclature adopted has been designed primarily for clinicians. The system of classification is topographical and etiological ; that is, each disease (in­cluding injury) is described and classi­fied in the terms of the tissue or organ in .which it is principally manifested; and secondly in etiological terms.

There are ten main topographical di­visions. The one particularly concerning ophthalmologists is under the general designation, "Diseases of the organs of spécial sense".

The etiological classification has eleven subdivisions. Not all of these ap­ply to every topographical division. The numerical designation consists of two parts connected by a hyphen, the first part being a topographical and the sec­ond an etiological numeral.

There is a very complete 196 page in-dex.to the volume.