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Industrial Hygiene Digest October, 1960 5=3 ' &3 00 t=0 951 Tobacco Amblyopia. H. S. Hedges. Virginia Med. Monthly 87, 144-145 (Mar. I960). The author reports 4 cases of eye damage from tobacco. Sudden blackouts may occur, probably caused by constricting spasms of some of the cerebral vessels. The first patient was a trailer truck driver. He said that sometimes, when driving, suddenly every thing went black before him; he could not see a thing and had to get off the road as best he could and wait till his sight came back. The author ordered him to stop smoking, and the man reported later that he had not had a blackout since he had stopped. Not all these black outs are binocular; when only eye is involved, often the upper extremity of the same side is paralyzed. Premature presbyopia occutb, especially among women smokers, who generally first complain of dull headache and asthenopia on close work. The second case presented was that of a 38-year-old man who waa unable to read newspaper print even with a glass intended for one 10 years older. When he stopped chain-smoking, all trouble disappeared. If these cases are not arrested, a central scotoma develops for red and green, which is relative at first, but which gradually increases till all perception of central red and green is gone. A 50-year-old man lost his job because of defective eyesight. Since his eyes indicated damage from tobacco, he was asked to stop smoking, and he has recovered. The fourth patient was a 62-year-old man, a heavy smoker, who had been told by ophthalmologists that nothing could be done for his advancing blindness. When he was ordered not to smoke for 3 months, his uncorrected vision recovered to 20/30. Advanced cases of eye damage from tobacco occur in long-time smokers, and the cigar is the worst offender, though the cigarette is by no means harmless. Moderate smoking of mild tobacco does not seem to do much harm. -- J. Am. Med. Assn. Absts. 952 Mass Screening for Tuberculosis and Missed Cases. D. A, Trauger, G. V. Hromadka and Eleanor C. Connolly. Am. J. Public Health 50, 829-836 (June I960). In Long Beach, California, during the years, 1954, 1955, and 1956, a total of 52 new active cases were found through x-ray screening of persons who appeared for screening on their own initiative or as part of a pre-employment examination. This number represented about 10% of all new active cases reported to the health department. Twenty-two of the 52 per sons had either a history of contact with active tuberculosis at some previous period or had been under medical supervision during the year prior to their diagnosis as a tuberculosis case. Four of these 22 had both a history of contact and recent medical supervision. Thirty of the 52 persons found apparently could not have been found in an earlier stage of disease except through more widespread practice of routine medical examination or through earlier appearance in a tuberculosis screening program. -- Authors' summary 953 Inhalation and Skin Test in the Diagnosis of Asthma Bronchiale, H. Nilsson and J. Kaude. Diseases of Chest 37, 535 (1960). The inhalation test is a valuable investigational method in the diagnosis of bronchial asthma. It can be carried out simply and safely, its results being superior to those of skin tests. Observations based upon 1070 inhalation tests in 200 asthmatics showed that dermal sensitivity corresponds to pulmonary sensitivity in only one-third of cases with positive skin tests. However, in the presence of strong skin reactions the incidence of positive inhalation tests is high. Milder skin reactions are less valuable in selection of allergens for performance of inhalation tests. The highest coincidence of positive skin and pulmonary reactions was found in tests with animal hair extracts. In cases of negative skin test and allergen concerned may induce a positive inhalation test in approximately 21%. The authors suggest that the inhalation test be cautiously employed as an adjunct to skin testing. -- Can. Med. Assn. J. Absts. 954 Etiological Investigation of Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease. J. F. Cantelon. Can. Med. Assn. J. 83, 326-327 (Aug. 13, I960). There is a genetic factor present in many patients with arteriosclerotic heart dis ease that was evident in 35% of the group studied. Diabetes mellitus was found in 27%, which was in keeping with the finding that of 100 consecutive deaths in the diabetic clinic of the out- 9. 03120630