The dressing of wounds after the new processes of antiseptic practice receives a great deal of attention. To one familiar with the dressings during our civil war, on examination of the present multitudinous plans to exclude “germs” would bring back the days of our grand-fathers in surgery with their balms and balsams and salves; and some of the dressing is not more rational. According to Esmarch (p. 151 and 152) the dressing of gun-shot wounds should be purely antiseptic. “Do not examine the wound at all, rather than examine it with unclean fingers—and everything is unclean, in the strict sense that is not antiseptic. “* * * * To avoid pernicious putrefactive influences the wounds must not be touched by the hands, but closed rapidly by antiseptic plugs, in order to preserve them from the contact of putrefactive agents until they can undergo the Lister treatment in the hospitals if necessary. He proposes that every soldier should carry in the lining of his uniform two balls of _salicylated jute_ wrapped in gauze.” We make this particular quotation to show to what old-maidish precision the antiseptic idea is leading good surgeons. This ever-present inextinguishable “germ” is the evil spirit hovering over every wound. Nets of gauze are set to protect it; strong odors from the witches cauldron are summoned to stifle and destroy the malicious fiend. We are thankful though that the civil surgeon still sees “union by adhesion,” and “first intention,” and “granulation,” in regions so far remote from Listerism that there is little hope it will enter there, and if it does it will hardly captivate the even-minded country surgeon. When the days of probationary Listerism have ended, we will not be surprised if the verdict is against it. But we have digressed from our book. It is the XVIth chapter on “Diseases of the Skin” that will be often consulted by the busy doctor. Having made his diagnosis, here is a goodly array of remedial agents, from the most eminent teachers to help him out of difficulties. We miss chrysophanic acid in the composition of his formulæ for the treatment of psoriasis. It certainly has made as much headway in the favor of the general practitioner as any of the more recent agents. But why say anything about a book which has made its way through the world, and has now come to its sixth edition? The hundreds of medical men who will read it, will traverse a field of surgical treatment far beyond the facilities of those possessed of the best private libraries. As long as the author keeps up with the current of surgical treatment, his book will be sought after. We congratulate the author, and Dr. Brinton, on the success of this book, and advise our friends to buy it.