SELECTED
Mussafia, A., and Puddu, V.: 23:
281,
503
ABSTRACTS
ResuIts of Two Precordial
Leads.
Cuore e circolaz.
1939.
In 500 tracings on 400 patients, two precordial leads were compared, one with the exploring electrode on the fourth intercostal space at the parasternal line (CF,), and the other with the exploring electrode at the apex lead (IV F). In both, the indifferent electrode was on the left foot. Lead IV I? is more specific and more sensible than Cl?,, when the general cardiac state is considered. However, in some patients with heart disease, CF, alone was affected; especially in some cases of myocardial infarctions was the electrocardiographic change present only in Cl?, The authors recommend the use of both precordial leads together, at least when coronary thrombosis is suspected. JENSEN.
Coelho, Eduardo, lar Fibrillation
and deoliveira, Artur: Tachycardia and :Paroxymal Ventricuin Infarction of the Myocardium. Cardiologia 3: 169, 1939.
Three case reports of ventricular tachycardia and one of ventricular following cardiac infarction are given. The attacks were of unusually tion and occurred in younger patients (aged 45, 40, and 38 years). is accompanied by numerous electrocardiogram tracings.
fibrillation long duraThe article AUTHORS.
Davis, John S., Jr.: Diagnosis and Treatment of Gonorrhea1 Gonorrhea1 Endocarditis. Arch. Int. Med. 66: 41-8, 1940.
Septicemia
and
The diagnosis can and should Gonorrhea1 endocarditis is a fairly common disease. be made early so that proper treatment may be instituted. Since a positive blood culture is frequently hard to obtain and is not the only diagnostic criterion, it is not absolutely necessary, and it may be dangerous to delay the diagnosis for lack of this one determination. The high percentage of diagnoses made al; autopsy bears mute testimony to this. The high mortality should, in the future, be curtailed and the majority of the patients should recover. AUTHOR.
Rosenberg, Arch.
Int.
David Med.
H. : Bacterial 66:
441,
Endocarditis
and Syphilis
of the Aortic
Valve.
1940.
The literature dealing with bacterial endocarditis and syphilitic valvular disease is .critically reviewed, and the reported eases are grouped categorically as proved, doubtful, and unproved. Since Libman first directed attention to the infrequent concurrence of these diseases, only ten proved eases have been reported. To these, the records of seven Of the remainmore instances are added, making a total of seventeen proved cases. ing cases in the literature, four are regarded as doubtful, and in twenty-nine the existence of syphilitic aortic valvular disease remains unproved. Based on the available data, a study of the incidence is made, and the suggestions offered for the interpretation of the rarity of this combination are discussed. Attention is drawn to the diagnostic difficulties and to the limitations of a positive Wassermann reaction. Contrary to the opinions expressed in current literature, it is apparent from this study that bacterial endocarditis associated with syphilitic aortitis per se (without involvement of the aortic cusps or commissures) is not of rare oeeurrence. With greater interest directed to the clinical and anatomic reseognition of bacterial endocarditis superimposed on syphilitic valvular deformities, it is likely that their coexistence may be observed more frequently than heretofore. AUTHOR.