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Summary. — Several Napoleonic coins were overstruck with what present-day numismatists generally call an owl's head. This was thought to be a product of modern fantasy applied to the coins a century or so after the Napoleonic period. Forty-seven specimens have been collected. These show beyond any doubt that this was no late fantasy, but rather a mark of execratio made in 1815 which referred to Napoleon the Tiger (now confined in a cage). There is no connection here with the Chouans of Vendée as it is claimed in some recent catalogues., de Callataÿ François, Forestier Jean-Baptiste. Les contremarques au tigre sur les monnaies napoléoniennes. In: Revue numismatique, 6e série - Tome 160, année 2004 pp. 343-358.

The development of ambulatory surgery has favored use of rapidly eliminated anesthetic agents or at least those whose clinical effects are easily predictable. Central analgesics such as fentanyl have not been very satisfactory; fentanyl is believed to have a short duration of action, but it has also been found to have a long half-life. A comparative study was conducted to determine whether the newer alfentanil would be more suitable for use in ambulatory surgery. 30 patients undergoing induced abortions arrived fasting at the hospital on the morning of the operation and were premedicated intravenously with .18 mg/kg midazolan and 2.2 mcg/kg of fentanyl or 24.2 mcg/kg of alfentanil. The efficacy of the premedication was assessed 5 minutes later just prior to anesthesia induction, which was achieved with 40 mcg/kg of alphadione. The delay to sleep was assessed by the disappearance of reflexes and of pain reaction. The delay to awakening was assessed by spontaneous opening of the eyes, response to a simple command, and unaided sitting up. Psychometric tests were administered 2 and 4 hours after anesthesia and compared to preoperative performance of the same tests. The 15 fentanyl and 15 alfentanil patients did not differ significantly in height, weight, or age. Premedication was considered good in the 15 fentanyl patients but excessive in 7 of the 15 alfentanil patients because of depressed respiration. There were no significant differences in pulse rate in the 2 groups. Systolic blood pressure diminished significantly in the 2 groups after induction but values returned to normal after 3 minutes. The respiratory response was significantly more marked and more prolonged in the alfentanil group, with respiratory frequency declining from 18 to 9 breaths/minute with 3 apnea episodes for 15 patients. Respiratory frequency declined from 19 to 15 breaths/minute in the fentanyl group. The average delay to sleep was shorter in the alfentanil group but the difference was not statistically significant. The duration of the operations was comparable in the 2 groups. Reinjection of analgesic was necessary for a few patients in each group. The difference was not statistically significant although the anesthesia appeared more stable in the alfentanil group. Awakening time appeared more rapid in the alfentanil group but the difference was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference in the test results for the 2 groups 2 and 4 hours after anesthesia. The results of this study do not appear to provide a decisive argument in favor or alfentanil for short term anesthesia.