A Medical Index-Catalogue

Abstract

AMONGST the vast and rapidly-increasing mass of scientific literature it is a singular satisfaction to meet with a first-rate work such as this “Index Catalogue,” which holds out good promise of being a clue to some parts at least of what is far too large for any single grasp. And if in any department of science it is more important than in another to trace generalisations to their foundations upon observations, and to have the facts before one, it is in medicine, which still contains so many dogmas whose foundations are not beyond attack, and so many observations in want of an adequate theory to explain them. In giving a clue to medical knowledge this “Index Catalogue” is in one respect at least, and in one very important respect, unique among its class; for under subject-headings such as, in this volume, hernia, hooping-cough, hydrophobia, hip-joint, hospitals, hygiene, insanity, c., it gives a list not only of all the books and pamphlets in the library dealing with them, but also a list of the full titles of all the articles on them in all the periodical literature that it possesses, Journals, Transactions, Reports, Reviews, Bulletins, c and when we reflect that the list of such periodicals taken in by the Surgeon-General's Office amounts now to at least 3005 (of which a very considerable proportion are weekly or monthly publications), such a careful classification of their separate articles would seem to be beyond all hope. However, the unexampled energy of Mr. J. S. Billings and his able assistants, which gives us every month the Index Medicus, has proved equal to this gigantic task, which it would have seemed to most men mere foolishness to attempt. The advantage to the student is immense; for in such periodical literature, by modern fashion, a great number of important facts in medicine lie buried, and there would hardly be a chance of finding them without some such help as is given us here. For though the literature of science is far less at present in bulk than the literature of some other subjects, most notably divinity, yet the literature of natural science, even in one of its many subdivisions, such as medicine, is paralysing in its profusion. To take as an instance the literature of a disease which, though just at present it is the fashion to talk much about it, is yet so rare that many doctors with considerable experience have never seen it, viz. hydrophobia, we find catalogued here not only 368 books dealing with it specially, but also the full titles of more than 1900 signed articles, not in the general but the medical press of the European languages, that have to do with it as well; and yet that is not a fifth part of what is catalogued under “Cholera” in Vol. III., and not a tenth of what is catalogued under “Fever” in Vol. V. The subdivision and arrangement of the masses of information so gathered together is admirable, and that, for subjects so difficult to deal with as hospitals and hygiene, which occur in this volume, is not a little to be proud of, and one that any student will appreciate. To the accuracy of every entry it would be absurd to pretend to testify on our own investigation, but frequent use of the five preceding volumes and some testing of this sixth volume leave us in little doubt that a very high standard was previously reached, and will be found to be maintained, and of course that is one of the points of cardinal importance in what is practically a dictionary of reference. Index Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon-General's Office, United States Army. Vol. VI. Heastie-Insfeldt.(Washington: Government Printing-Office, 1885.)