[Focal Point “Reading Animal”. Hermann Cohn and the Emergence of the Fin de Siècle Hygiene of Reading].

From the 1860s onward, ‘eye experts’ increasingly fretted the alleged surge of myopia attributed to an increase of reading matter circulating in schools. In order to avert the inauspicious prospects, revised school desks designed to prevent children from becoming myopic were introduced. During the 1880s, said experts turned to printed matter, maintaining that books must become more reader friendly.

[Hematological parameters and prognosis in established or imminent HELLP syndrome. Apropos of 12 case reports].

We describe the clinical and biological characteristics of 12 pregnant women with the HELLP syndrome as defined by Weinstein in 1982 (H for hemolysis, EL for elevated liver enzymes and LP for low platelet count). The data demonstrate that this syndrome is an obstetric emergency threatening the lives of both mother and child. However, if delivery is prompt the prognosis is good.

[Thoracopagus fetus. Ultrasonic diagnosis at 16 weeks].

This paper reports the ultrasound diagnosis at 16 weeks' gestation of thoracopagus conjoined twins. Ultrasound examination showed the two fetuses conjoined at the sternum, with a single heart and a single liver. After informing the couple of the extremely poor prognosis, medical termination of pregnancy was requested.