cauterizing and to the consideration of those remedial agents which are commonly employed in surgery. The instruments used for cauterizing purposes were made of different metals, gold or silver being preferred for the more delicate ones, and brass and iron for the others. Immediately after the cauterization it was customary to apply butter, or the fat of some animal, or oil scented with roses, to the burned part.
Saliceto's other treatise—the Summa conservationis etc.—is also divided into five books, which contain chapters devoted to all the more important branches of internal medicine and to questions of diet, of the physician's behavior in the presence of a patient, etc. Especially interesting are his remarks about the importance of considering the psychological effect produced upon the patient by such matters as the physician's manner of feeling the pulse, his carefulness to inquire about the patient's various symptoms (how the night was passed, what food and drink had been taken, etc.)—an effect which oftentimes is "greater than that produced by instruments and medicines." In discussing the subject of prognosis, Saliceto makes the remark that it is always proper for the physician to hold out to the patient hope of recovery, although he urges at the same time the wisdom of telling the whole truth to the friends of the patient. He also lays great stress upon the importance of "not holding any conversation with the lady of the house upon confidential matters." Neuburger gives a number of other extracts from this most interesting work; but I must abstain from devoting any more space to this one mediaeval author, whose manner of writing makes it difficult to realize that the treatise which he has written belongs to the thirteenth century and not to a very recent period.
Roland of Parma.—Roland, who was born in the city of Parma and who spent a part of his life in Bologna, not only edited the work of his teacher, Roger of Salerno, but also wrote a concise treatise on surgery that is entitled "Rolandina." Neuburger speaks of this book as differing
