of the plasma
has to do with a report on surgery. I propose to use it for the purpose of
explaining some peculiarities in the process of repair in surgical cases.

A few months ago I had a case of delayed union in a fracture of the tibia,
at the hospital, and spent more time in waiting for nature, unassisted, to
accomplish a cure, than I should ever spend again. One week after putting
the patient on the use of ten grain doses of hypophosphite of lime, I had
the pleasure of seeing bony union commencing. And why? Simply because the
quantity of phosphate of lime in solution in the plasma was not sufficient
to supply the waste of bone tissue in all parts of the body, and at the
same time furnish a supply for the provisional callus which is thrown out
in the repair of fractures.

In September, 1878, August G----, aged 18 years, single, a native of
Switzerland, was admitted to the Santa Clara County Hospital with
incipient spinal disease. He was of that peculiar temperament which
indicates a scrofulous cachexia. The fifth dorsal vertebra was
sufficiently prominent to indicate the sight where the attack was being
made by the enemy. There was considerable tenderness on pressure; slightly
accelerated pulse, and elevated temperature;--in other words, a well
defined case;--one which would have resulted in caries and deformity
within a few months. By the administration of ten grain doses of
hypophosphite of lime for several weeks, I had the pleasure of seeing
recovery take place. Reasoning by analogy, I am led to conclude that the
nature of the wound should, to a great extent, govern the kind of food
given the patient during the treatment. In many cases of surgery,
medicines are not necessary. But in some exceptional cases, as in similar
ones to those above noticed, medicine is demanded. And in all cases of
flesh wounds, I believe the patient will be benefited by a liberal diet of
animal food; that is, after the first inflammatory condition has subsided.

Why this is so, is simply because those very materials are furnished to
the system which are required for the repair of the tissues injured, viz.,
the organic compounds. In flesh wounds of weak and debilitated persons
which are slow in healing, a diet of beef tea, eggs, oysters, etc., will
often bring about a rapid improvement. Thus, we see that chemistry,
organic and inorganic, has something to do with surgery.

I will now present the following cases which have seemed of speci