Chinese Medical Journal

94 THE CHINESE MEDICAL JOURNAL

During the course of treatment intestinal obstruction developed in 2 cases, intestinal perforation in 2, and fecal fistula (through the abdomen) in 1.

In regard to treatment, 3 patients were light cases and were given general care, the rest were given antimicrobial treatment. Of the latter, 64 patients showed improvement, 6 no change, 7 died (3 cases of the caseous form, 3 of the adhesive form and 1 ascitic). Streptomycin was found to give the best result but the authors recommend the use of

two antimicrobial drugs to prevent or delay the development of drug resistance. T. Y. Chiu

Bronchoscopic Aspiration as Emergency Treatment for Massive, Asphyxiant Hemoptysis . with Report of Two Cases. Shao Ch’ang-Jung. Chinese J. Tuberc. 4(1):38-40, 1956.

Massive hemoptysis is infrequent but often fatal. In most cases death is caused not by loss of blood but rather by asphyxia produced by blood clot in the air passage,

and if the blood clot can be speedily removed the patient’s life can be saved.

The author reported 2 cases of hemoptysis in which the patients had cyanosis, unconsciousness and incontinence of urine. With bronchoscopic removal of the blood clot (twice in each case) and the use of oxygen therapy and blood transfusion the patients were saved.

It is pointed out that speed, care and full co-operation between doctor, nurse and the blood bank are essential to successful treatment, and also good nursing after operation. The bronchoscope should not be left too long in the trachea. It should be removed as soon as the clot is taken out and no gross bleeding is evident in the lung, and replaced by a catheter which in turn should be removed when the patient becomes

conscious. Preparation must be made to repeat the treatment if necessary. ea Wen Ghai

The Treatment of Sore Throat by Internal Administration of “Liu Shen Wan A#PxXL ”: A Preliminary Report. Wei Tsung-Wen. Chinese J. Otorhinolaryng. 3(4):255, 1955.

This report contains an analysis of 50 cases of sore throat treated by internal administration of liu shen wan, a drug used in traditional Chinese medicine, with good results.

In the first group of 27 patients with chronic pharyngitis, 6 were completely cured, 10 improved and 11 unknown. The second group consisted of 13 cases of chronic tonsillitis, among which 2 patients recovered, 6 improved, 3 were unknown and in 2 there was no effect. The third group of 5 patients with chronic laryngitis showed 3 improved and 2 unknown. In the last group of 5 cases of acute tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscesses, the drug showed no effect on the diseases.

The author emphasizes the excellent effect of the drug in cases of chronic pharyngitis where tonsillectomy has already been done and also in cases where drugs in western medicine give no relief.

The drug liu shen wan is composed of six ingredients having a combined weight of 0.014 Chinese ounce (—£%wWx). The ingredients consist of toad cake, cow bezoar, musk, pearl powder, chimney ash and cinnabarite. The dosage for adults is 10 pills to be taken internally twice a day or once at night before going to bed. For children the dosage is half to one third of the adult dose.

Liu shen wan has no ill effect but is said to be contraindicated in pregnancy. J. H. Liu

Pneumogastric Sympathetic Block in Otorhinolaryngology: Report of 12 Cases. Sun.

Ch’i-Cheng. Chinese J. Otorhinolaryng. 3(4)256-260, 1955.

Based on the principle of conservative treatment, the author employed the method of pneumogastric sympathetic block on 12 E.N.T. cases with good results.

The procedure consisted of injecting 0.25-0.5-1 per cent novocain intradermally into the posterior border of the sternomastoid muscle below its attachment to the mastoid

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