in twenty-four hours after delivery. It is not necessary to have nephritis in order to have uremia. A uremic condition of the blood exists before nephritis.

Dr. J. W. Chambers related a case of uremic convulsions in a pregnant woman who died. The kidneys at the postmortem revealed no diseased condition. There is no definite relation between the kidneys and the symptoms in these cases. Worry, uneasiness, etc., may bring about this condition. Abuminuria and casts are not so important as it was formerly supposed. The general tendency at the present time is to bleed. for everything. Dr. Michael's explanation of the efficacy of bleeding is probably not correct, but it puts the patient into a position to eliminate the poison. He spoke of the inadequate kidney encountered by the surgeon.

Dr. Streett: His experience teaches that all cases of albuminuria have nephritis. The methods of examining the urine are not sufficiently accurate. Cases of albuminuria also present a small percentage of urea. Casts, as Dr. Chambers has said, are often found, nearly always hyaline.

a case

Dr. E. G. Waters related in which the specific gravity of the urine passed before eating in the morning was 1028, while that voided after eating had a specific gravity of 1000.

Dr. Pennington: The only symptom to lead one to suspect albuminuria was a little indigestion for two or three weeks. Hysteria was out of the question. The temperature next morning was 101°. He mentioned a case of uremic convulsions following scarlatina, cured by the hypodermic injection of the fluid extract of jaborandi. In the present case the depression was so great that he was afraid to try pilocarpine. He spoke highly of the use of nitroglycerine in cyanosis. As to the use of water as suggested by Dr. Streett, the patient could not have swallowed. He has had no experience with venesection.

EUGENE LEE CRUTCHFIELD, M. D., Recording and Reporting Secretary.

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE PASSING OF THE INDEX
MEDICUS.

DETROIT, MICH., June 7, 1895.
Editor MARYLAND MEDICAL JOURNAL:

Dear Sir: .- I notify you, as a subscriber, that the Index Medicus terminated its existence under my supervision, with the April number. I have published this journal since January, 1885, at an annual loss of from $500 to $1000, in view of my interest in a purely scientific publication, in which I had no mercenary interest whatever. This is a larger sum than has been contributed by any professional man or body of professional men to this purpose.

Owing to the hard times of 1893 the subscription list of this journal was greatly shrunken, and difficulty was found in making collections from subscribers. The deficit in 1893 was a very material sum, which was largely increased in 1894. Announcement was then made to the medical profession that unless the subscription list of the journal could be placed upon a paying basis I must discontinue its publication. Many friends of the Index Medicus appealed to me to defer action until they could by individual and organized effort arrange for an increased number of subscriptions, or for a fund whereby its continuance might be assured. After a period of six months it is found that the prospective deficit this year, assuming that all subscriptions are collectible, will Inasmuch as I can be nearly $2000. not afford to carry such a burden I have decided as above announced.

Very sincerely yours,

(Signed) GEO. S. DAVIS.

USE OF MERCURY IN ACROMEGALY.Dr. Schlesinger of Vienna (Medicine) reports that a patient affected with acromegaly and at the same time with paralysis of the oculo-motor muscle on the right side, with gray decoloration of the optic discs and hemianopsia, under the influence of inunctions of mercury so far recovered that the ptosis disappeared and the visual field is again nearly normal.

MARYLAND

sick-list was 3624, which is a decrease compared with last year, but the average number

PUBLISHED WEEKLY.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION, $3.00 a year, payable in advance, including postage for the United States, Canada and Mexico. Subscriptions may begin with any date.

DATE OF PAYMENT.-The date following the subscriber's name on the label shows the time to which payment has been made. Subscribers are earnestly requested to avoid arrearages. CHANGES OF ADDRESS.-When a change of address is ordered, both the old and new address must be given. Notice should be sent a week in advance of the change desired.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.-Original articles are solicited from members of the profession throughout the world. Reprints will be furnished in payment of accepted articles if the author's wish is so stated at the time.

CORRESPONDENCE upon subjects of general or special interest, prompt intelligence of local matters of interest to the profession, items of news, etc., are respectfully solicited. Marked copies of other publications sent us should bear the notice marked copy" on wrapper.

Address: MARYLAND MEDICAL JOURNAL, 209 Park Ave., Baltimore, Md.

WASHINGTON OFFICE: Room 22 Washington Loan and Trust Co. Building.

BALTIMORE, JULY 6, 1895.

THE recent war between Japan and China and the superiority of the former country over the latter in every The Japanese Navy. particular makes a report of the health of the Japanese Navy especially interesting. This is issued by the Director-General Yasuzumi Saneyoshi, F. R. C. S., Eng., H. M., and is a very carefully prepared report. It is for the twenty-sixth year of Meiji, which is 1893.

From this work it is seen that the number of cases of disease and injury returned for the twenty-sixth year of Meiji shows a decrease in comparison with the preceding year, but as there was a decrease in the number of cases of influenza and intermittent fever, whose course is short, and also a decrease in the mean daily force of the service this year, it is found that the ratio of cases for the total force has increased somewhat when compared with the preceding year.

The mean daily force in the service for this year was 9322 men and the total number of cases of disease and injury entered on the

crease over last year. The number of deaths was 56. It is interesting to note that there was a decrease in the number of cases of the infectious diseases and typhoid fever over last year.

There were only five cases of smallpox, one of which was left over from last year, and there were 2063 vaccinations, of which 543 were successful and 1520 were unsuccessful. The number of venereal cases was much larger than any previous year The tables in connection with this report will be especially interesting to the statistician and the little volume is a great credit to the Director-General.

THE articles written for medical journals may be divided into many classes. One class is that in which the author Medical References. simply relates a case and gives it unadorned to the profession. Such work is often enhanced in value if several cases are cited and some inferences or conclusions are drawn. In other instances the author will search the literature honestly through and see what has been said before him, and if necessary quote or paraphrase it so that the reader may compare without going through the same research. Too many men, however, relate a few cases, draw some conclusions and then tack on a long list of formidable references from several languages to give an effect to their work. Of course these authors have looked up every reference and verified them in most cases, but it not infrequently happens that the references will be found in some encyclopedia, as the Index Medicus, and are simply copied to impose on an unsuspecting public. Such work is bound to be found out in the end.

When ground which has been untouched for a long time is gleaned over and the literature of the subject is brought together, it is only right that a list of references should be given that the reader who so desires may look up what most interests him and may use what he wishes in his own work. But the habit too frequently indulged in of tacking on a list of references which have never been looked up and which the author could never read, even if he did look them up, is entirely wrong and brings no glory on his head, as

THE daily papers have called attention more than once to the need of sanitary supervision of children in the Defective Vision. public schools, as well as of the schools themselves, and

whatever steps may be taken to remove sanitary and other defects will show their traces in an improvement in the general condition of school children.

A committee was appointed by the Baltimore City School Board, the object of which is to investigate the subject of defective vision among public school children. About thirty per cent. of the graduating class of the Baltimore City College this year wore eyeglasses and any person who has studied at the German universities will remember the large proportion of students who wear glasses. It looks, too, as if defective vision were on the increase and it is high time that attempts were made to prevent these defects at an early age when it can often be done.

There are many causes, direct and indirect, which contribute to defective vision and these lie not only in the children themselves and their family history, but also in the situation and general position of the school buildings. It is a far-reaching question and one that should be discussed from every side before a decision is reached. Oculists may be needed, but so also are sanitarians and hygienists.

The one flaw in these suggestions is that the oculists would gladly offer their services free.

This should not be allowed. Such work is difficult and there is no reason why the physician should not be paid for his work as well as anyone else. There is always a great tendency for medical men to offer their services free for just such purposes, not because they desire to be philanthropic, but because they wish to make themselves better known. It is not usually found that the best men will undertake such work as this. The time consumed is great, the pay little and if the laborer is worthy of his hire at any time,

he certainly earns it when he is a medical

man.

For such work to have value it should be done by men who understand their business, for there is no more difficult work than accommodation work and the fitting of glasses by skilled hands takes brains, consumes time and is worth money, and no corporation should have such important work done by those who would give their services.

Unfortunately the bosses and political heads do not always pick out the best physicians to do the city work. This fortunately for Baltimore has its exceptions, but this is a notable exception. If the eyes of the school children are defective at birth and this defect grows worse during school life, the correction should be made by those who understand, else a bad eye may be made worse and a good eye may be damaged by improper glasses.

This whole subject of the sanitary supervision of the public schools is unusual and important and nothing short of a special committee of intelligent men could begin this.

Food Inspection.

***

IT is with some degree of satisfaction that the Health Department of Baltimore looks back on its work in the past year in inspecting food and food supplies. Impure, adulterated milk, diseased meats and decaying vegetables have all been discovered and confiscated and destroyed, and it is hard to calculate the amount of good done by the prevention of the consumption of such unfit food. Of course much poor food finds its way into the markets and is used, but the vigilance of the inspectors under the able guidance of the health commissioner has been the means of confiscating food unfit for consumption and has deterred many through fear of loss from exposing such food for sale. This good work is especially beneficial in the warmer months when fruit and vegetables soon decay and spoil, and when the temptation is so great to sell them. Crabs also and fish have received attention from the inspectors and in this way the sickness and mortality of the city has decreased and a feeling of security has been obtained.

It is very gratifying that the courts so far have upheld the inspection and confiscation of bad food and milk and have realized the importance of this law.

The scientific world has suffered a great loss in the death of Thomas Huxley.

The colleges of the State of Washington have adopted a four years' course.

Mikulicz succeeds Trendelenburg at Bonn, who took Thiersch's place at Leipsic.

The Philadelphia Medical and Surgical Reporter will hereafter be edited and published in New York.

A Frenchman now living in Russia is said to have attained the immense age of one hundred and twenty-six years.

Dr. William G. Grace, a London physician, has made a greater reputation for himself in playing cricket than in medicine.

The Rush Medical College of Chicago announces that it will give the degree of Doctor Medicinae Civitatis or Doctor of State Medicine.

As a result of the examination held by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine on June 4, twenty of the twenty-eight applicants examined were accepted.

The ninth annual meeting of the American Orthopedic Association will be held at Chicago, September 17, 18 and 19, 1895. Dr. John Ridlon is president of this Association.

A meeting of health officials was held in New York last week and rules were formulated relative to the quarantine and detention of vessels and persons coming from yellow fever ports.

A doctor's health has been estimated by an Atlanta, Ga., jury to be worth just $400. The discrepancy between the jury's estimate and that of the unfortunate physician was $9,600.

The International Congress of Thalassotherapy which met at Bologne last year will meet again this year in August and will consider the treatment of disease by sea air and sea bathing.

It is said that the latest sensation in Paris is the alleged important discovery by a M. Groussier of an infallible law whereby the paternity of children who have no acknowledged father may be ascertained.

A committee of the Spanish Chamber of Deputies has reported in favor of making vaccination compulsory in Spain. It is expected that the proposed measure will encounter some opposition when it comes under discussion in the Chamber.

Dr. Albert C. Gorgas, for many years a surgeon in the United States Navy, died last Sunday at Philadelphia. Dr. Gorgas had held many important positions and was at the time of his death connected with the Naval Museum of Hygiene at Washington.

St. Luke's Hospital of New York expects to move its patients to its new building in the fall. As a result of this proposed change, and the sale of a good many lots on its present property, it has been obliged to decline to receive new patients for the present.

The food inspectors of Baltimore report that during the month of June they inspected 10,130 gallons of milk, of which 630 gallons were applied. . Four arrests for the sale of impure milk were made; one of the men paid his fine, and the other three cases were taken to court. Professor Tonry made thirty-nine analyses of milk. Besides a quantity of vegetables and fruit, 29,570 pounds of meat, poultry and fish were condemned.

By the will of the late Rufus Waterhouse of New York City, St. Luke's Hospital will receive about $200,000 to establish a ward for consumptive sewing women or consumptives dependent on sewing women. Mr. Waterhouse was a large wholesale clothing manufacturer and saw much misery among sewing women and his wife died of phthisis, both of which facts led to this form of bequest. Mr. Percy H. Pyne also left this same hospital $20,000.

PUBLIC SERVICE.

UNITED STATES ARMY.

Week ending July 1, 1895.

Leave of absence for one month to take effect about July 1 is granted First Lieutenant Champe C. McCulloch, Assistant Surgeon.

Leave of absence for one month to take effect between July 1 and 10, with permission to apply for an extension of 10 days, is granted Major Blair D. Taylor, Surgeon.

First Lieutenant Frederick P. Reynolds, Assistant Surgeon, now at Fort Sam Houston, will proceed to Fort Bliss, Texas, not later than July 1 and report for temporary duty during the absence on leave of Major Blair D. Taylor, Surgeon.

UNITED STATES NAVY.

Week ending June 22, 1895. Medical Director A. A. Hoehling placed on Retired List.

Medical Inspector G. W. Woods ordered for examination preliminary to promotion to Medical Director.

Surgeons G. F. Winslow and R. A. Marmion ordered for examination preliminary to promotion to Medical Inspectors.

UNITED STATES MARINE SERVICE.

Fifteen days ending June 15, 1895. George Purviance, Surgeon, relieved from duty at Philadelphia, Pa., (temporarily) and detailed for duty on Board relating to Ford's Theater disaster, June 8, 1895.

W. A. Wheeler, Surgeon, detailed as Chairman of Board for physical examination of canditates for Revenue Cutter Service, June 1, 1895.

S. D. Brooks, Passed Assistant Surgeon, granted leave of absence for twenty-one days, June 14, 1895.

J. H. White, Passed Assistant Surgeon, detailed as Recorder of Board for physical examination of candidates for Revenue Cutter Service, June 1, 1895.

W. J. Pettus, Passed Assistant Surgeon, granted leave of absence for thirty days, June 6, 1895.

L. E. Cofer, Assistant Surgeon, to inspect unserviceable property at San Diego Quarantine Station, June 12, 1895.

H. S. Cumming, Assistant Surgeon, relieved from temporary duty at Boston, Mass., and ordered to rejoin his station at New York, N. Y., June 3, 1895.

PUBLICATIONS.

DEGENERATION. By Max Nordan. Translated from the Second Edition of the German work. Fourth Edition. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1895.

In this remarkable production the author, a German physician and a pupil of Lombroso, seems to think that the whole world is going to the "demnition bow-wows" and reminds

one of the clever insane man who thinks that

all persons are mentally unbalanced except himself. His idea is to show that not all degenerates belong to the lower classes and are criminal prostitutes, anarchists and such like, but often authors, artists and others may reach a point of eccentricity approaching insanity. Persons who follow blindly certain crazes, the founders and disciples of certain schools of music, art, literature, etc., may all be degenerates. Those easily excited, the enthusiastic, especially the youth, are led off by this or that fad and join the great army of degenerates.

This is an attempt at a scientific criticism of this subject and is very ably written even if rather diffuse. It is divided into sections or books; the first one being entitled "Finde-Siecle," the second Mysticism," the third "Ego-mania," the fourth "Realism" and the fifth and last "The Twentieth Century." No one is spared in these chapters. Tolstoi, Wagner, Zola, Ibsen and others are all described and analyzed. The final chapter is on the Prognosis and Therapeutics of Degeneracy. The book is one that demands a careful reading and while ephemeral in character will hold a large audience of readers.

REPRINTS, ETC., RECEIVED. Catalogue Law Battery Co. New York. Report of the Kensington Hospital for Women. Philadelphia, 1895.

Sixth Annual Report of the State Board of Health of Florida. Jacksonville, 1895.

When to Wear Glasses and How to Choose Them. By Dr. Arthur G. Hobbs, Atlanta.

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago. Fourteenth Annual Announcement. 1895.

Scopolamine as a Mydriatic. By Arthur G. Hobbs, M. D., Atlanta. Reprint from the Refractionist.

Aseptic Prophylaxis of Asiatic Cholera; Arsenization. By Reginald Barkley Leach, M. D., Paris, Texas.

The Writings of Mauriceau. By Hunter Robb, M. D. Reprint from the Johns Hopkins Hospital Bulletin.

A Case of Acute Delirium. By Thomas P. Prout, M. D., Morris Plains, New Jersey. Reprint from the Medical News.