physicians, until January 25th, 1880, when death relieved. her of her suffering. Dr. Hough notitied me that a post morten examination would be held the following day, which was performed, and developed a very marked case of cirrhosis of the liver, the organ weighing eight and a half pounds. Correspondence. Midwives. Editor Peoria Medical Monthly: Apropos to the subject suggested by the article quoted from the Louisville Medical News, in your August number, on the midwife, I desire to report a case which but recently came under my observation. On the 10th of this month (January, 1885), I received an urgent, call to visit a Mrs. S., of this place, who lived but a couple of squares from my residence. Obeying the summons as speedily as possible, I reached her bedside about 5 o'clock P. M., and found patient in bed thoroughly saturated with blood, as were her clothes up to her loins. She was pale, pulseless and constantly threatened with syncope. Being informed of what the trouble was supposed to be, I dispatched the husband for Warming my hands by washing them in some warm water I proceeded to investigate the cause of such an alarming waste of blood. Found mouth of womb slightly patulent with a piece of tough fibrous membrane, grasped by the inner os uteri. Grasping the membrane as well as I could between my two fingers, with a little manipulation on my part, and encouraging the patient to exercise all the efforts she could to expel the matter, I had the satisfaction of relieving the mouth and neck of the womb both of membranes and blod clots. Exhibiting the tincture valerian and ergot in teaspoonful doses every 30 minutes found pulse to return to wrist in three or four hours, accompanied by slight uterine pains. Left at 9 P. M. with directions to be called at once if hemorrhoge returned. Visited her next day to find her improved, with no further trouble in the way of hemorrhage. History of case History of case was this: The patient, a lady of some 34 years of age, mother of six children, had an abortion about one year ago, since which had not been very regular nor felt entirely well. Had gone some two months prior without a monthly show, when with some lumber pains a slight show made its appearance which continued for four or five days, until the morning of the day on which I was called. When her wasting became quite free she suggested that her husband call in a midwife of the neighborhood who remained with her the whole day, doing nothing but waiting upon nature to relieve her. patient. Now, I do not wish to disparage nature one whit. An observation of the successes of our homœopathetic competitors will surely convince the most "doubting Thomas" that nature does good service in a very large majority of the ills and mishaps that our frail bodies become troubled with, but somehow or other it is nature's way to wait for assistance, and if that assistance is not rendered, to be very perverse in going wrong. So it was in this case, and had not the neck of the womb of this patient been freed from this placental plug the strong probabilities are that such a state of affairs would have been continued until nature would have taken her from her children and husband and friends. Had this woman, who aspires to be a midwife, but the elementary knowledge of what the trouble was in this case (which was easy to learn), she might have long before relieved the patient. If midwives are to remain as a social factor in our body politic, in the name of progress and the interest of the well-being of humanity let them be qualified to fill their important station intelligently. Metropolis, Ill., Jan. 25, 1885. S. J. RHOADES, M. D. Arsenical Treatment of Cancer. Editor Peoria Medical Monthly: I notice an article in the January, 1885, number upon the treatment of Epithelioma, by H. M. Lawson, M. D. His views are so in accord with my own as to the curability of all such cases that I will very briefly give my observations of some cases almost similar to those he refers to, and with almost the same remedies. I make a specialty of chronic diseases, and have been constantly in practice for nearly forty years. The last twenty have been mainly devoted to the management and treatment of such diseases. The character of most, or a greater share, of cancerous troubles are marked by a low vitality. Scrofulous and other blood eruptions are often found in connection with all such abnormal or malignant growths. What then is indicated? To my mind, arsenic in some form and as much should be administered as will change this condition of the patient, at the same time a good generous diet and other medical adjuncts, to keep the system in an open soluble condition. The skin should be attended to with washing and rubbing with a flesh brush, but always be careful not to use too frequent baths as the low vitality cannot withstand ablutions and again react, like one might expect. And instead of the rumex acetocella to to the diseased part, I have used a great variety of other plants of the same class, all of which seemed to be the thing and did fairly well. But the best I have found to be oleate of zinc, boracic acid, sub-muriate of mercury and tinc. of lobelia, as circumstances seem to demand, with flax seed meal poultice to assist in getting rid of the local inflammation if the opening was in the mammary gland, or if on the face, a cloth saturated with flax seed meal solution would answer very well. To sum up the whole, success of cure depends wholly and entirely upon the constitutional change that must be produced upon the patient. Local applications can no more cure a cancer or carcinoma than can you dam up and stop the flowing of a spring by commencing at its entrance from the ground. The use of some preparation of arsenic and that carried just so far, is to my mind the ne plus ultra in such cases. JAMES M. HOLE. Salem, Ohio. Book Notices. Modern Medical Therapeutics. A compendium of recent formulæ and Specific therapeutical directions from the practice of eminent contemporary physicians, American and foreign. By GEO. H. NAPHEYS, A. M., M. D., etc. Edited by Joseph F. Edwards, M. D and D. G. Brinton, M. D. Eighth edition, enlarged and revised, 8 vo. cloth, pp. 630. Philadelphia, D. G. Brinton, 115 S. Seventh St. 1885. When a medical work has, in the course of a few years, passed to an eighth edition, praise or criticism become alike superogatory. So, with this standard work before us, it has passed the period at which criticism would have inquired into the necessity for its appearance, or where praise would have added it to the library of the progressive physician. Still it is not forbidden us to state that it is the typical work of its kind in our language, and is a rich storehouse of the experience and teachings of hundreds of the foremost minds in the profession. When we are puzzled just what to do in a certain case, it is helpful beyond measure to turn to "Napheys" and read in a few lines what Bartholow, Da Costa, Sequin, Flint, Davis, and a host of others equally learned and skilled would do under similar circumstances. It is not only instructive, but suggestive and inspiring, and it is no longer any wonder that this work has passed through so many editions and has become the every day counsellor of thousands of busy physicians. The revision has been carefully and well done. Much that is new has been added, all that was unnecesary or stale has been eliminated and to-day it stands without a rival in the broad field of applied therapeutics. Official Register of Physicians and Midwives-Now in practice, to This volume contains the names and addresses of 5,585 physicians to whom certificates have been issued by the proper authority; to this number should be added some 300 more, practicing under the ten years exemption clause, in the medical practice act, which gives a total of 5,885 practicing physicians in this state. This is a slight reduction 7 from the number given in the first Register of 1880, which then gave the whole number at 5,979. When the medical practice act went into effect, July 1, 1887, there were 3,600 graduates and licentiates (or a per centage of 48), and 3,800 non-graduates (52 per cent.), practicing in Illinois. Now the graduates number 5,032, or 85 per cent., and the non graduates 853, or only 15 per cent. of the whole number engaged in the practice of medicine. With these facts before them there are yet to be found otherwise intelligent physicians in this and other states who claim that the State Board of Health is a failure, and that the law creating it should be repealed. We pity such for their stubborn blindness. Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Nasal Catarrh. Three clinical lectures delivered at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York. BY GEORGE M. LEFFERTS, A. M., M. D. Professor of Laryngoscopy and Diseases of the Throat, in that college, etc., etc. 12 mo., cloth, beveled boards, pp. 50. Published by Lambert & Co., St Louis, Mo., 1884. Price, $1. This is a very pleasing little book upon a very important subject, and the author has treated his subject in the very best way to do the most good to the largest number, viz: Eschewing all the technicalities, with which most specialists seem to delight in beclouding their branches, he gives plain specific instructions whereby all practitioners can easily and successfully (if possible) examine, diagnose and treat nasal catarrh. The book is profusely illustrated and cannot fail to aid and instruct the general medical reader. It is handsomely printed and bound and reflects much credit upon its publisher. Human Osteology.--Comprising a description of the bones, with delineations of the attachments of the muscles. the general and microscopic structure of bone and its development. BY LUTHER HOLDEN, Ex-President and member of the Court of Examiners of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, etc., etc. Assisted by James Shuter, F. R. C. S., M. A., M. B., etc., etc., with numerous illustrations. Sixth edition, 8 vo., cloth, pp, 276. Wm. Wood & Co., New York, 1885. As the bones form the groundwork or frame work upon which the human structure is built, so osteology is the foundation of all anatomical and surgical knowledge and skill. Holden's Osteology has long been a text book and accepted authority upon this subject, and Messrs. Wood & |