CRITICISMS OF SOME SURGICAL TENDENCIES.

If a single writer had announced the discovery of certain undesirable tendencies in the workings of surgery and had offered criticisms thereon, it would not have awakened much surprise. When, however, during the past eighteen months, several men of high standing in the profession both in America and England have pointed out what they believe to be a tendency for general and special surgery to overstep its legitimate limits, it surely behooves the medical profession to look at the matter impartially but very carefully. For some time part of the profession has believed that there was too frequent recourse to operative measures, especially in the surgical specialties having to do with the nose and throat and with diseases peculiar to women. The too early and frequent use of obstetric forceps has been spoken of with disapproval. Resort to exploratory incision for purposes of diagnosis in intra-abdominal diseases has undoubtedly become