E. Laplace (Deutsche Med. Wochenschrift, No. 40, 1887), after repeated and careful examinations and experiments, became convinced that dressing materials consisting of wood-wool, made with sublimate in the usual manner, were far from being germless themselves, much less efficient as antiseptic applications. Gauze, however, showed much better results, but were far from realizing an idealistic asepsis. He likewise found that ordinary sublimate, in the presence of albuminous material, is quickly precipitated and becomes at once ineffective. L. experimented at first with hydrochloric acid as a means of preventing changes in the sublimate from occurring in the presence of organic matter, and particularly albuminous material. But, as hydrochloric acid itself was far from possessing the stability needful for the purpose of preparing dressings, he substituted for it, with the most gratifying results, tartaric acid. The proportions are as follows: sublimate, 1 part; tartaric acid, 5 parts; distilled water, 1,000 parts. OPERATIVE TREATMENT OF PYOTHORAX. E. Rochelt (Wiener med. Presse, No. 32 and 38, 1887). The expansion of the lung is greatly impeded after the usual operation for empyema by incision, by the free entrance of air in the pleural cavity. Mader, Subbolik and Immerman devised means for preventing this. R. operates by first resecting a rib, leaving the periosteum intact, and subsequently opening the pleural cavity by means of a trocar and canula. A drainage tube accurately filling the latter is now introduced, through which a disinfecting fluid is injected and its outer opening closed by means of a spring clamp. The tube is connected to an aspirating bottle, into which the pus is discharged. The tube is again clamped, and the bottle into which the pus has been aspirated removed, being replaced by another containing a sublimate solution, 1 to 500. Removal of the clamp and raising and lowering the bottle thoroughly irrigates the pleural cavity. This being accomplished, the patient holding his breath in expiration, and the clamp again applied, the irrigating bottle is removed, and a short hard rubber tube connected to the outer end of the drainage tube. This hard rubber tube has a soft rubber diaphragm which acts as a check valve, effectually preventing the ingress of air during inspiration, but in no wise interfering with the egress of fluid from the pleural cavity during expiration, fits of coughing, etc. For purposes of further irrigation the short rubber tube containing the valve may be removed after guarding against the entrance of air by clamping the drainage tube beyond, and the washing bottle reapplied. During the intervals of irrigation, absorbent antiseptic dressing are kept applied.