damsels. And now goody goody sorts of people begin to say that surely John and Richard must have been out of their senses when they did such a wicked thing. And then the lawyers for the defense take up the plea, and show that the maternal grandfather of John was queer, and that Richard had an uncle's cousin who, so the neighbor's said, was not quite right. And the eloquent counsel proves to the jury that John and Richard do not sleep well o' nights, and must surely have been insane when the deed was done. And then His Honor from the bench charges the jury that the prisoner must always be given the benefit of the doubt. And the twelve good men and true, under the bewilderment of the cross-questioning, and the persuasive eloquence of the gentlemen for the defense, and the charge from the bench, fail to agree; and so John and Richard are remanded for a new trial. And time goes by, and the public partly forgets, and important witnesses drift away, and the proverbial law's delay puts off the hour of re-hearing, until finally a nolle prosequi is entered, and John and Richard slip out of the prison doors unpunished, again to prey upon community, or else receive some sentence so light that other Johns and Richards are not deterred from wrong-doing by the example.

But all the while the breath does not come back to that cold body, whose open wounds are crying for vengeance; and the scared eyes of the poor helpless girl, whose life was remorselessly choked out by the pitiless fingers, still vainly stare upward to the heavens for the justice which man has denied.

Gentlemen of the Jury, is it not barely possible that there was truth in that old form of indictment which said naught of mental aberration or insane impulse, but which did say that John Doe and Richard Roe, without the fear of God before their eyes, and instigated by the devil, did thus send a fellowmortal unsummoned before his Maker.

Soft-hearted sentimentalists, there is an old book which says: "The murderer shall surely be put to death."

Learned Judge upon the bench, we have been giving to the prisoner the benefit of the doubt for these long years, and our dead lie unavenged, and our prisons are filled with unpunished criminals, and life is 'unsafe upon our streets. Suppose we try for a while the other plan, and when the plea of insanity is set up give to community the benefit of the doubt.

THE SACRAMENTO MEDICAL TIMES.

VOLUME 1, No. 1, of this 42-page journal is before us. The first article is on Resection of the Long Bones, by Thos. W. Huntington, B. A., M. D., Surgeon S. P. Co.'s Hospital, Sacramento. Dr. Huntington is a talented young surgeon, and writes a terse, interesting paper. The second article describes "An Improved Ether Inhaler," and is by the editor, James H. Parkinson, L. R. C. S. I. Then, there is an interesting summary of recent progress in obstetrics, diseases of women and children, by Wallace A. Briggs, M. D., which is followed by similar reports on surgery and pathology, by Dr. Huntington; on ophthalmology, otology and laryngology, by Wm. Ellery Briggs, M. D.; and on therapeutics, dermatology and venereal diseases, by G. Crocker Simmons, M. D.; ten pages are occupied by a valuable report of recent meetings of the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement. The leading editorial bravely and defiantly announces that no patented or proprietary medicines shall be advertised in its pages, and that the journal will be "run solely in the interest of its subscribers," and, that it claims the support of the profession of the interior. Other editorials, respectively, advocate "An Asylum for the Criminal Insane," review "The New Medical Register," and liberal appropriations for the State Board of Health; there is also much valuable miscellaneous matter.

This journal deserves the support of the profession of Northern and Central California, and the physicians of Southern California would also do a graceful and profitable act by adding the Sacramento Medical Times to their list of journals.

Sacramento has some of the most excellently managed hospitals in California, and we have only wondered that, with this valuable clinical material, a remarkably able corps of physicians, and the fact that Sacramento is the political center of the State, our medical brethren of the capital city have not long before this taken steps to publish the results of their pregnant observations, so that others might share in their progress.

Dr. J. Hobbins, M. R. C. S. L., of Madison, Wisconsin, made us a pleasant call last month.

OFFICIAL REGISTER OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS.

THE third edition of this valuable work is at hand. It contains a list of all the State Boards of Examiners to date, the laws regulating the practice of medicine; Decisions of the Supreme Court; Rules of the Board of Examiners; list of all the physicians who hold certificates from the State Board of Examiners; medical institutions represented; list of army and navy medical officers; Code of Medical Ethics; Fee Bills; Directory of Medical Colleges, Hospitals, etc.; Catalogue of Eclectic Physicians; Catalogue of Homeopathic Physicians and Catalogue of Irregular practitioners.

This is a work of great value. There is no other similar work in the United States equal to this in either comprehensiveness or accuracy.

It is marvelous that an eminent surgeon like Prof. Plummer would make the sacrifice of time and comfort necessary to accomplish this laudable undertaking.

We have but one criticism, viz.: That it is a mistake to publish in a State work a so-called list of hospitals and dispensaries and yet name no hospital outside of San Francisco. For instance, the Sacramento County Hospital is far superior to the San Francisco City and County Hospital - this we know from careful personal observation - yet the latter is in the list and the former is omitted.

The St. Vincent's Hospital, at Los Angeles, is at least the peer of any institution in the State; it cost $125,000, and has been in successful operation for several years, yet it is not in the list. We do not know personally, but Stockton, Oakland and San José, probably, each have county and, perhaps, other hospitals; San Bernardino has one of the largest and best managed county hospitals we ever visited, and the County Hospital at Los Angeles is also an institution of considerable importance, as it has a capacity of 150 beds almost all of which are constantly occupied; yet, owing to the rule of the State Board of Examiners confining the list to San Francisco, none of these institutions are mentioned in this State Register.

We trust that before another State Register is issued, the liberal and courteous spirit invariably manifested by Doctor Plummer will be participated in by the whole Board.

NEW YORK EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

"THOS. ADDIS EMMET, A. PALMER DUDLEY, HORACE P. HANKS AND J. B. HUNTER RESTORATION OF CERVIX AND PERINEUM; DEATH FROM ETHER.

I WITNESSED many operations of this class by Bache McE. Emmet, Horace P. Hanks, and A. Palmer Dudley, of the New York Post Graduate Medical School.

They are all elegant and successful operators, and Prof. Hanks is quite noted as an ovariotimist; but space will not permit me to report their operations in detail.

Thos. Addis Emmet, Woman's Hospital. Two nurses and three assistants. Case-deep, double lacerated cervix. Color of the cervix livid and ugly; great enlargement, marked cystic degeneration. Dr. Emmet said this condition was closely related to malignancy. He had watched four cases of lacerated cervix with cystic degeneration that had developed into epithelioma. For the last sixteen years he had believed in this relationship of lacerated cervix and epithelioma. Has never known of a case of epithelioma in a woman who has not gone through childbirth.

He made the positive statement, that "there is no epithelioma of uterus except after lacerated cervix." Whenever physicians all learn the importance of operating on the lacerated cervix, epithelioma of the uterus will be a disease of the past. Examine all women carefully a month after confinement. "If a woman has no septic poisoning, nature will repair the damage."

This last declaration is a very important one, and emphasizes the importance of antiseptic obstetrics. He recommended the liberal use of antiseptic injections soon after confinement, in all cases of lacerated cervix.

In operations on the lacerated cervix he said: "Bring the uterus down with a tenaculum to the outlet of the vagina, but not beyond"

In this case he, with scissors, removed first one cystic lip and then the other. Said he did not believe it good surgery to leave these cystic tissues. I noticed that two of the cysts contained pus.

Dr. Emmet said: "You can control bleeding by making traction. If you cut an artery, have assistant make traction at that point with tenaculum. Bring vaginal mucous mem

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orane and uterine mucous membrane together. There is nothing surer in surgery than a good result, if this operation is properly performed. This will heal by first intentions, and there will be no cicatricial tissue. The man who leaves stump to heal by granulations, after amputation of the cervix, has a different idea of the pathology of the tissues than I have.

Thos. Addis Emmet, assisted by his son, J. D. Emmet, and his cousin, Bache McE. Emmet. At Woman's Hospital.. Patient had been confined five months before. Dr. Emmet said he would rather not operate so soon after confinement, but the woman could not stay here. The laceration extended to vaginal junction, and atrophy had begun to take place, so that he had but little tissue to work on. The uterus was about five inches in depth.

This operation was performed specially to be witnessed by Prof. Winkle, of Munich, President of the German Gynelogical Society.

Dr. Emmet said he was very sorry he didn't have a more serious case to operate on. He removed the tissue of the laceration, at the same time saying: "If you don't go to the bottom of the pouch of the laceration, especially of the internal tear, you will do more harm than good. I do not believe this operation is done right more than one time out of ten."

He was careful to leave intact the mucous membrane of the uterine canal. He introduced silver sutures, first through one lip and out, then through the main stump and out, and then through the opposite lip. With a sound in the uterine canal to guide him, he left space for os. He cut off the wires about an inch long.

In all the operations on the cervix I saw silver sutures were used, except in those where an operation on the perineum also was performed. In the latter class of cases catgut sutures were used.

Dr. J. B. Hunter. Woman's Hospital. Lacerated cervix. Excised one side, and introduced three silver wire sutures. Then with sound in uterine canal as guide excised other side, and used three more sutures. Said he liked silver wire the best, because he could twist them tighter than any other suture, and thus prevent hemorrage. Said Dr. Skene used silk.

Dr. Hunter said he left wires in ten days to two weeks. Uses No. 27 wire. He exhibited a case that he operated on two