Bronchial Asthma.

The object of this monograph, which in its third edition is an abridgment, is to maintain the theory of the origin of asthma in an inflammation of the bronchioles and an endogenous obstruction of the larger bronchi. Asthma is a symptom of ta fibrinous bronchitis of which latter a microorganism is the cause (p. 80). The organism is, Berkart believes, the streptococcus. Rickets is the basis for the development of the asthmatic paroxysm, and rickets he regards as very often inherited. This, in brief, is Berkart's theory as to asthma. His book has much of value as regards symptoms and the Undings in the sputum, and some of bis theoretical considerations arc suggestive. The chapter on the diagnosis, though short, has many good points that help in differentiating the dyspnea of asthma from that of other obstructive lesions of the respiratory tract, llerkart's advice as to treatment is in general