=Abscess at back of the Throat.=--I should pass unnoticed, on account of its rarity, the occasional formation of an abscess at the back of the throat, behind the gullet, interfering both with breathing and with swallowing, but that the description of it in my Lectures once enabled a lady in the wilds of Russia to detect it, to point out the nature of the case to her puzzled doctor, to urge him to open the abscess, and thus to save her child's life. This abscess may form at any age, sometimes after fever, sometimes without any obvious cause. It shows itself by difficulty in swallowing and breathing, unattended by cough, but accompanied by a sound similar to that of croup, but not so harsh or ringing. The neck is stiff, the head thrown back, and often there is a distinct swelling on one or other side of the neck. The finger introduced into the mouth, and carried over the tongue to the back of the throat, feels there a swelling which projects over the top of the windpipe, and causes the difficulty both in swallowing and breathing. This swelling is the abscess; a prick with the surgeon's lancet lets out the matter, and saves the child. =Diseases of the Kidneys.=--The _kidneys_ perform very important duties in carrying off from the system a large amount of useless material, and thus supplement in many respects the action of the skin, and the purifying influence which is exercised by the air on the blood, as it passes through the lungs. It is evident, therefore, that their disorder in any way must be a matter of serious moment, though at the same time the knowledge of the skilled doctor is needed to determine the nature and degree of the ailment from which they are suffering, since that requires an examination of the urine, both chemically and by means of the microscope. My remarks on these diseases must consequently be few and fragmentary.