When all cases of superficial sepsis were considered together Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently encountered organism. Various anatomical sites were considered separately and it was found that the axilla and breast were particularly prone to infection by Staph. aureus. The incidence of infection by coliform bacili in Bartholin's and anorectal abscesses was significantly higher than in abscesses elsewhere. The importance of these observations in relation to antibiotic therapy is discussed.
The masturbation of female infants while really not common occurs with moderate frequency. At the meeting of this society in 1907, Dr. B. K. Ratchford in his presidential address reported f i f t y\ x=req-\ two cases of masturbation in infancy observed by members of this society, only four of which occurred in male infants. This habit, if neglected, leads to a considerable amount of moral depravity, and on the other hand, it may be fairly controlled by proper treatment. It is, therefore, a serious condition which is fairly controllable and one to which too little attention has been devoted. I say nothing of the masturbation of male infants, for sufficient attention is paid to the hygiene of the male sexual organs so that the sort of irritation which leads to masturbation in infants rarely exists in boy babies. On the other hand, in the female infant there exist fairly regularly marked adhesions between the sensitive clitoris and the surrounding tissues so that on examination the clitoris is frequently found to be buried in these adhesions.In a normal child these adhesions seem to cause little irritation ; but in the nervous, sensitive child they may cause intense irritation and lead to the formation of a habit which, if untreated, may become permanent and exert a most injurious influence over the future development of the child. The treatment of this condition is both general and local. The gen¬ eral health should be improved by such hygienic measures as are avail¬ able, and all sources of nervous irritation and excitement should be, as far as possible, removed ; but no cure can ordinarily be accomplished by such measures alone. The common use of an apparatus for separating the thighs is of little avail, and the only curative treat¬ ment is that applied to the removal of the active source of irritation, the adhesions of the clitoris. These may be separated without the use of an anesthetic. The operation is very painful, and such separa¬ tion under these conditions is difficult and apt to be followed by the formation of other adhesions. The only satisfactory method of treat-
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