follicular pharyngitis had not been sufficiently observed by practitioners; for his own part, Dr. Hale had recognised and treated such a condition of the pharyngeal mucous membrane for years, and had met with a large percentage of cases so affected. He had found Biniodide of Mercury one of the best remedies. Follicular deposits are generally met with in strumous cases, and their presence always led him to examine carefully for the existence of tubercular deposits in other organs, especially in the lungs. The case of a clergyman who had been a patient of Dr. Hale's for many years illustrated the importance of this connection. This patient had not only the follicular deposit in the pharynx as a chronic condition, but from exposure to a chill after preaching suffered from an attack of subacute laryngitis of the follicular kind, involving the vocal cords, necessitating complete rest of the vocal organs. Dulness on percussion over the apex of the right lung, where congestion with hæmoptysis had occurred under Dr. Hale's care twenty years before, caused grave suspicions of tubercle, but happily under a course of medicine consisting of Biniodide of Mercury 5*, Iodide of Potassium 3, and Iodium 3, with Cod-liver Oil and sea air, complete restoration of voice and removal of the physical signs of lung disease followed the treatment. Mr. Kyngdon had quite demolished Dr. Blake's theory of light as the factor in producing hay-asthma. There were, nevertheless, some remarkable physiological effects produced by the non-luminous rays in the solar spectrum which Dr. Hale suggested would form an interesting subject for inquiry. Referring to the effects of sunstroke Dr. Hale mentioned a case of painful interest to him where chronic inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord had its origin in sunstroke. Dr. Hale described a remarkable case in which, owing to the idiosyncrasy of the patient, the smell of horses or of a stable produced most violent attacks of asthma resembling the symptoms of hay-asthma. Dr. Hale had tried with some effect the Tincture of Anthoxanthum odoratum in hay-asthma, but it is probable any stimulating vapour would act as a palliative.

Mr. ENGALL said that amongst other remedies there was one which he thought would be of use in follicular pharyngitis on account of its action on the mucous membrane. This was the local use of Glycerine. He had tried it in the form of gargle with great benefit in cases of deafness from the closure of the Eustachian tube. He had been led to use it for this purpose from observing the effect of it upon the mucous membrane of the nose in a case of congenital closure of the lachrymal canal. In this case from the time of the child's birth the canal was so obstructed that a large tumour formed in the sac which he feared would have ended in fistula. After several medicinal means had failed he ordered the internal nostril to be moistened with diluted Glycerine by means of a hair-pencil; after persisting in this for a few days the distension of the sac suddenly disappeared; and

As

although many months had now passed it had remained perfectly cured. As to the hay-fever, he did not think that light could be the cause of it. The body was not exposed to its influence, being clothed; the face was the only part exposed, as the head was protected by a natural or by an artificial covering. regards "clergyman's throat," he found that one efficient means of cure was to teach the natural use of the voice, as the cause of it in most cases is undue tension and too prolonged use of the organs forming the voice through lack of sufficient rest by way of pauses. Let the patient be made to read and this fault is easily discovered. By directing him how to read and speak so as to ensure a momentary rest, between the words if the case is very bad, or between the sentences in less severe cases, the cure could be effected. It is a common error with speakers and readers to suppose that in order to be heard the voice should be loud. The best way to ensure this is the distinct articulation of every word; and the greater the distance to be reached the slower should the utterance be, and the more marked the necessary emphasis.

Dr. KIDD said follicular pharyngitis is often a very chronic disease. He had found much help in its treatment from the use of Antimonium tartaricum according to a suggestion of our dear and much valued friend Dr. H. R. Madden some years ago. The usual dose he (Dr. Kidd) gave was five grains of the second decimal trituration on the tongue at bedtime every night for a few weeks. He had in other cases found Ferri sulph., five drops of the first decimal dilution three times a day, very helpful. Of all local remedies he had found table salt (Chloride of Sodium) in Glycerine and water, used by the spray-producer, most effectual, two drachms of table salt dissolved in two ounces of Glycerine and four ounces of water used twice or three times a day. The Chloride of Sodium he considered to have a specific effect on the follicles, improving their secretion. As to the pathology of hayfever and hay-asthma Dr. Kidd quite agreed with Mr. Blackley as to the pollen theory. In simple hay coryza with sneezing he had found Nux v., four to six drops three or four times a day, most effectual. In hay-asthma for twelve or fifteen years he had used Arsenic with singularly good result; the first centesimal dilution about three to four drops three or four times a day, or Fowler's solution the same dose. In the treatment of hay-coryza and hay-asthma a most important aid he considered to be to endeavour to blunt the sensibility of the mucous membrane. For this purpose for many years he had prescribed half an ounce liquid Extract of Opium blended into a cream with an ounce of beef marrow used three or four times a day. The effect of this was most beneficial.

Mr. POPE (Vice-President, in the Chair) said that they had all much reason to feel obliged to Dr. Blake for the suggestive paper he had read, as well as for the interesting discussion to which it had led. The ulcer under the tongue to which Dr.

Blake had referred had, he thought, been alleged to be a premonitory symptom of measles, as well as of hooping cough. He had looked for it on several occasions in both forms of disease, but had never observed it, and believed that where it had been noticed it was a mere coincidence and not of any importance as a diagnostic indication. With regard to the etiology of hay-fever, Mr. Pope thought that the evidence as to its dependence upon floating pollen had been so fully and clearly set forth by Mr. Blackley in his recent work on the subject, that at present it was incontestable. It had been shown that whenever other circumstances, such as heat and light, for example, to the influence of which hay-fever had been ascribed by some, had been supposed to excite an attack of the disease pollen had also been present; and further, it had also been shown that in the absence of pollen these other circumstances did not give rise to the symptoms of this painful illness. If pollen was the cause of the disease, it seemed hopeless to attempt to cure it, in the correct sense of that term. As long as the poison was being inhaled, so long would the patient suffer. All that was left to us to do was to palliate. Of the various means of palliation suggested that named by Dr. Kidd of a mixture of fat and opium seemed to him the most promising. In reference to a remark about the Iodide of Sulphur he would state that a very fair proving of it by Dr. Kelsall would be found in an early volume of the Monthly Homœopathic Review (vol. ii, p. 154). The medicines known as "American Remedies" had been spoken of somewhat disparagingly. He was afraid that there was only too much reason for doubting their value. He believed that the cause of the disappointment which had been met with in using them was due to the indications for prescribing them having been, in too many instances, purely empirical. Their information regarding them was only partly derived from physiological experiments. On this source they could rely, and if they, in studying the works of Dr. Hale, restricted themselves to the provings he had recorded, and ignored, as at least doubtful, all the empirical notions of the so-called Eclectics and others of the same class he had unfortunately mixed up with them, the remedies he had introduced to their notice would prove of great service. It was when they were non-homoeopathic that these medicines had led them astray, not in cases where they were homoeopathic. Mr. Pope concluded by expressing the pleasure with which he had heard that Dr. Cooper had a proving of the Chlorate of Soda in his desk.

Dr. BLAKE, in reply, observed that epithelioma of the tongue had been spoken of by Dr. Cooper. Dr. Blake had tried the much vaunted chromic acid in a case where the submaxillary glands were involved, and it had failed as all remedies do fail when that is the case. Dr. Blake considered carcinoma linguæ to be primarily, i. e. before gland invasion, essentially a local disease

quite amenable to local treatment. He had seen many cases disappear under Hydrastis, but always used locally as well as internally. He thought that syphilis lingua was often called carcinoma. In connection with the allusion to the use of lunar caustic by one of the speakers, it is interesting to note that Argentum is administered internally by homoeopaths for one form of follicular throat. In reply to Mr. Kyngdon, Dr. Blake said that it was during the spasmodic stage that sublingual ulceration had been observed. It was quite a mistake to suppose, as observed by Drs. Hale and Kyngdon, that hay-asthma did not occur on board ship; it was a problem to the exclusive pollen school to explain it, they had been compelled to such ingenious explanations as that pollen might be carried over the sea in "dust clouds," or that hay might be on board to feed the cows! Dr. Blake would remind Dr. Hale that it was at the sea-side, in the Island of Thanet, that Dr. Bostock fell a victim to this besetting calamity, where he was not in the way of pollen from grass. insolatio produces profound disturbance of the nutritive function, as in the sad case of his own child detailed by Dr. Hale, more was to be hoped from Argentum and its salt than any other known remedy. Anthoxanthum might be a remedy in some cases, but to the homoeopathic it should be employed in just those cases which simulate asthma from hay, but are not caused by pollen irritation. In Mr. Kyngdon's interesting instance it is quite possible that the disturbing cause was an emanation from the scrotal follicles of the deer. You know that musk will induce asthma in certain persons, and it was unnecessary to remind the members how nearly allied are the Moschide and the Cervidæ.

When

CASES ILLUSTRATIVE OF DISEASE OF THE URINARY ORGANS.

By HENRY HARRIS Esq., M.R.C.S.

(Read before the British Homœopathic Society.)

THE first case I have to bring before the Society to night I have called tubercular disease of prostate. It is not my intention to preface it with any remarks upon the nature of the disease it professes to illustrate, but to let it

tell its own tale, and at the close point out the grounds upon which I found my diagnosis.

W. C—, æt. 32, a strongly built man, five feet eleven inches in height, and weighing fourteen stone, in early life a bookbinder, latterly a gas inspector. Comes of a consumptive family, but has always had good health with the exception of occasional attacks of gout in the feet.

He

At the end of the year 1870 he consulted me, complaining of an increased frequency of micturition, with some little pain after passing water, which was occasionally tinged with blood, or perhaps it would be more correct to say contained streaks of blood. The urine on examination appeared to be normal, with the exception that it contained a rather larger quantity of mucus than is usual. received Terebinthina and Belladonna, and in a fortnight all the symptoms were removed. He remained free from any trouble till January, 1873, on the 27th of which month he again came under treatment for the same symptoms but in an aggravated form. The water at this time contained a considerable quantity of muco-pus, very little albumen, no casts, and varied much in character on different days. The pain was mainly at the commencement and after micturition. Thinking it possible he might be suffering from calculus I carefully sounded him, but failed to find a stone. This examination did not appear to cause much pain. On the 24th of February he had an attack of gout, which yielded in a day or two to Bryonia and Colchicum. At the beginning of March, as no satisfactory progress had been made, he by my advice took another opinion; an examination by catheter was made, which gave excessive pain and was followed by rigors. No stone was discovered, but a roughened sensation at the neck of the bladder was felt; examination per rectum revealed no enlargement, and but slight tenderness of prostate. The case was pronounced one of cystitis. The treatment recommended was steadily pursued till the end of the month without any benefit accruing. At this period I noticed that the patient was losing flesh and had him weighed on the 2nd of April; he weighed 12 stone, he was weighed each week up to the