needle was allowed to enter deep sutures effect of the drug became alarming.

The dose, to be of service, must be large, I frequently repeated-to grain every a hour; some even go so far as to state that ain is the proper dose for an adult.

The solution should be filtered, else very iblesome abscesses form at points of injec1; such abscesses occurred in the early part ny case.

ome few writers advocate the use of small es; the history of their cases, however, ws the worthlessness of this opinion, since ones which have not succumbed under itment by small doses were exceptionally d, and should not be classed amongst cases cute traumatic tetanus.

ne great difficulty in connection with the itment of tetanus by curare lies in the fact t no two specimens of this drug agree in ngth, and hence experimental injections o rabbits or dogs) should be made before ng the fresh sample.

he amount of cardiac distress produced by are is an objection to its use; the heart beats ome innumerable owing to the paralysing et of the drug on the inhibitory fibres of the

'us.

It is possible that this trouble may be rcome by using nitrate of pilocarpin, which an opposite effect on the cardiac nerves. he fact that we are not acquainted with a able antidote to curare is also objectionable, en the Indians desire to prevent its action y immerse the animal in water and give it re quantities of rum, or even administer the e of the sugar-cane. To keep up artificial iration is probably the only thing we can unless, indeed, ligature or amputation ve the point of entry of the poison. Caric acid is a powerful antagonist to the drug, the difficulty of introducing it without inious effect renders it valueless. Pilocarpine, ough possessing an opposite action on the rt, will scarcely counteract the ill effects of are.—Dublin Journal of Medical Sciences.

HE USEFUL ADMINISTRATION OF ARSENIC DISEASES OF THE SKIN.-DR. EDWARD L. YES, in the Journal of Cutaneous and ereal Diseases for August, 1886, thus dissed this mooted question

Arsenic is distinctly a cutaneous stimulant; refore, in the initial stage of a malady possing an inflammatory element (notably ecma), it is not only not useful, but may be ually pernicious. Used after the acute ge has been controlled by appropriate ans, it often speeds the parting guest and vents it from lingering in a state of proged and desperate chronicity. A fitting angy is the use of friction and massage in joint ease. This remedy is very efficient, but it its time and place. When the joint is tely inflamed, massage only adds fuel to the ne; but when the fire has been subdued, n the stiffness and loss of motion, perhaps erwise inevitable, may be often overcome the skillful application of massage. If the at would get well without the massage, re is no call for its use, yet that it has its use hardly be denied; and so with arsenic. rsenic, in my opinion, is not useful, unless stomach tolerates it well and appropriates

it in a kindly way. When digestion is interfered with by the use of arsenic, nausea or inappetence produced, it generally does no good, often harm. In such instances, preparing the stomach beforehand, changing the diet, disgorging the liver, giving attention to the patient's personal habits, will allow the remedy to exert a influence where, unaided, it would be without value or even harmful. The same remarks apply exactly to the administration of cod-liver oil, and often to the use of other tonics.

The different preparations of arsenic may be called into play here in selected cases. I have more than once taken a patient with chronic psoriasis, who had hopelessly given up the use of Fowler's solution because it troubled his eyes, ruined his digestion, and seemed to irritate his skin, and conducted him to a cure by combining arsenious acid with nux vomica and pepsin, with some change in diet, or by substituting the arsenite of soda for the arsenite of potash. The Bourboule water, a mild solution of the arsenite of soda, is a very gentle way of administering arsenic; too gentle, as a rule, but yet I believe often effective of good, particularly in the case of weak digestion. Fowler's solution, especially if it has been long prepared, is very likely to disagree with digestion, and for this reason I seldom use it.

The more diffused, generalized and chronic that a given cutaneous malady is, the greater do I consider the indication for the use of a suitable preparation of arsenic, if the stomach will take it kindly. The more localized an affection is, be it ever so chronic, the less indication is there for arsenic in a general way, in my opinion.

Generalized chronic eczema, generalized psoriasis, and pemphigus may, perhaps, be selected as the maladies in which arsenic may be expected to exert what may be termed a certain specific general effect in controlling the symptoms exceptions to the contrary, notwithstanding. Yet the combination of mild doses of arsenic with other remedies is not. without value in some localized maladies, and in combating some forms of acne and some cutaneous manifestations of syphilis. Much also might be said, but more cautiously, in the case of neurotic maladies as affecting the skin, and where an element of nervous debility keeps down the patient's general vitality, and prevents other suitable remedies from being effective.

In short, I think that there is so much value in the intelligent use of arsenic that it seems a sin to allow its association with that timehonored humbug, promiscuous blood-letting, as an appropriate analogy, to pass unchallenged."

ANOTHER APPLICATION FOR ANTIPYRINE.DR. JOHN BLAKE WHITE, physician to Charity Hospital, New York, sends the following to the N. Y. Record:

"The high road to truth is the knowledge of facts, and well it is for searchers after truth when facts can be ascertained and carefully recorded.

"Symptoms are the alphabet, cases the language, of disease, and that physician subserves his profession who carefully records his experience.

"During the past two years I have abund

antly tested the therapeutic value of the drug known as antipyrine, in various forms of headache. The prompt relief obtained through its use compels me to accord to it a high rank among our medical resources. I have already called attention (Medical News, July 10, 1886) to the potent antipyretic power possessed by this remedy in the management of various forms of fever, and have observed that after its administration the urgent symptom of headache, so uniformly present in these cases, was soon controlled.

"Antipyrine undoubtedly possesses brady. crote properties in a high degree, as the pulse is notably softened and moderated in frequency soon after a proper dose of it has been taken. It produces some somatic change favorable to a reduction of the pulse in cases of fever, and so exerts a calming influence upon the vaso-motor system. The capillaries, through its agency, doubtless dilate, and local congestions are dissipated, as the relieved patient usually sinks into a refreshing repose soon after its exhibition. In the course of large experience with antipyrine I have found that, when administered in masterful doses, it not only promptly relieves the symptom of headache whenever present, whether resulting from disordered digestion, disturbance of the menstrual functions, loss of sleep, undue mental effort, or even associated with dreaded uræmia, but also possesses reliable prophylactic virtues against recurrent attacks of cranial neuralgia. So confident am I of the power of this remedy to disappoint neuralgic headache when imminent, that I have instructed many patients, who are liable to such visitations, to keep in readiness and take a dose of antipyrine as soon as they have premonition of its recurrence, and all so far testify in favor of its efficacy.

"The value of this remedy in the above respect has not only been tested in my hospital and private practice, but I also record the fact that it has proved successful in the hands of professional friends, upon whom I had urged its employment for the relief of neuralgic affections of the head and face. I have been singularly impressed with the promptness of relief which often followed the adininistration of even a single dose of fiften grains of the antipyrine. The grateful relief from headache usually ensues within half an hour after the drug is taken. A sense of drowsiness ordinarily supervenes, followed by a brief but sufficient slumber, and the patient awakens quite relieved of this distressing symptom. I have never yet seen the sleep-disposing properties of antipyrine alluded to by any other observer, although this effect seldom fails to ensue when a full dose such as I have named has been taken."

THE EXCRETION OF DRUGS BY THE MAMMARY GLANDS.-A good many observations have been made upon the subject of the medicines excreted by the mammary glands. It has been claimed that mercury, iodine, bromine, arsenic, strychnine, chloroform, sulphur, and chloroform may be thrown off by this gland when taken into the stomach of the nursing woman. It cannot be said, however, that our knowledge of the subject is as complete and definite as it should be, and hence, the recent experiments by FEHLING are of interest.

FEHLING observed the effects on nursing. various drugs given to the nursing mother According to the Paris correspondent of t British Medical Journal, when doses varyi from two to three grammes of salicylate of so were administered to the nurse, every time the a child was suckled within an hour after the a ministration of the dose the salicylate appearin it its urine. After an interval of twenty four hours there remained no trace of the drug When the child was suckled too soon after the medicine had been taken, the salicylate con not be found in its urine. Elimination completed at the same time in the mother a the child. With iodide of potassium the sults were the same. The milk, when analyze gave the characteristic reaction. In the fant, elimination lasted seventy-two hours, the mother seventy-four. After twenty-fou hours the milk still contained iodide of pota sium. With ferrocyanide of potassium reac tion was very pronounced in the materia urine, but absent in the child's. Prolonged ap plications of iodoform upon vaginal and vulva wounds of women in parturition, after pr longed use, generally resulted in iodine bein. found in the milk and urine of the mother, b not always in the urine of the infant. Th child was never indisposed, even when iod form was used to dry up the umbilical cor There was only a small quantity of mercury transmitted through the milk of a nursi mother, and its presence was not constant. appeared that the food of wet-nurses-evet acid fruit-juices and vinegar-had no influen on their nurslings. THORNHILL had state that he had observed prolonged sleep occur children after administering to their wet-nurse such narcotics as tincture of opium in doses from twenty to twenty-five drops. FEHLING observed neither prolonged sleep nor constipa tion in the children. Hydrochlorate of mo phine or chloral, in tolerably strong doses, d not affect the sucklings. Subcutaneous injer tions of moderately strong solutions of sulphate of atropine produced very pronounced sym toms in the mother, and dilatation of the pup in the infant, which disappeared in twentyfour hours. This substance should, therefore be employed in very feeble doses. In a ver great majority of cases the milk of a wom attacked with fever had no influence on the nursling. In those rare cases where the te perature reaches 104°, the variations in the child's temperature were identical with the of the mother. In some instances children ho died of intestinal catarrh where the mother milk could be the only cause of the affection BUMм has observed, in a case of inflame breast, the passage of the micrococcus from the milk into the digestive apparatus of the chil -Med. Record, Sept. 11, 1886.

THE DIURETIC ACTION OF WATERMELONIn the course of a prolonged study of remed used in Russia as diuretics, POPOFF (Vratch No. 4, 1886) finds that watermelon has be commended as an extremely cheap but effective substitute for grapes, in the treatment of chro ic congestion of the liver, chronic intestin catarrh, etc. It is extensively used by th peasantry in southern Russia (especially ne the river Don, and in the Caucasian districts

the form of the freshly expressed juice, as a uretic draught in cases of dropsy, uro-genital fections (especially gonorrhoea), etc. The thor experimented with the inspissated fresh ice or syrup of the fruit, and with commercial elon-honey (arboozyni miod). The diuretic tion proved most striking; when animals reived from 50 to 100 grammes of the syrup ith food) in twenty-four hours, the daily antity of urine was three or four times eater than under ordinary conditions; again,

intra-venous injection of the syrup, "the ine for several minutes flowed in a stream om a canula tied into the ureter." On the bcutaneous injection of 0.4 to 0.7 gramme to frogs, the syrup rapidly slows the cardiac tion up to complete arrest in diastole, and oduces prostration with voluntary moveents, while reflex action with the excitability the motor nerves and muscles remain intact. 'hen very large doses are used, in the latest ages there is observed, also, a failure of reexes and of nervo-muscular excitability, but e phenomenon is then undoubtedly nothing at an ordinary symptom of præmortal agony. dogs the internal administration of 500 ammes at a time produces no effect except >werful diuresis Intravenous injections of ie or two grammes of the syrup cause an imediate increase in the secretion of the urine, he latter assuming a dark color and containg sugar. This increase lasts for ten to sixty inutes, and is accompanied only by a slight eeting decrease in the blood-pressure. On the jection of 0.25 to 0.5 gramme for each kiloramme, a considerable fall of the pressure ad a great acceleration of the pulse rapidly llow. An intravenous injection of 3 grammes er kilogramme produces a further fall of pressre and a fleeting increase, with a subsequent idden enormous decrease in the frequency of le pulse, the animal dying from cardiac paralsis. Experiments show that the quickening f the cardiac action is dependent upon the yrup acting on the peripheral ends of the vagi. a all cases intravenous introduction of the yrup rapidly produced a strong sedative effect, the animal remaining strikingly quiet, and iving no response to tactile or even pathic irrition." Another group of experiments showed hat the diuretic action of melon-syrup was ependent mainly upon its direct influence on he renal tissue.-London Med. Record.

MORE ABOUT THE NEW ANTIPYRETIC, ANTIEBRIN.—It would seem as though there were lready a sufficient number of antifebrile remdies to satisfy the most enthusiastic therapeutist, but the list is being added to alost daily, and the clinical mine shows as yet o sign of threatened exhaustion.

The latest discovery in this direction is anounced by DRS. CAHN and HEPP, of Strassurg, in the Centralblatt für klinische Medicin, f August 14, 1886. The substance is known, hemically, as an acetanilid or phenyl-acetamid, he formula for which is CH NHČ2H,O1, but he writers have given it the more convenient ame of antifebrin. It is a clean, white, crysalline, odorless powder, imparting a slight urning taste when placed on the tongue. It s almost insoluble in cold water, but freely in lcohol and alcoholic liquids, such as wine. It

melts at 235.5° F., and sublimes unchanged at 557.5° F. It possesses neither acid nor basic properties, and is very rebellious to the action of most reagents.

The authors have experimented with the remedy in a number of febrile troubles-among others, typhoid fever, erysipelas, acute articular rheumatism, pulmonary phthisis, and septicæmia-and state that the results obtained were very satisfactory. It is given in doses of from four to fifteen grains, shaken up in water, dissolved in wine, or enclosed in wafers. A maximum dose of thirty grains per diem was not exceeded. In general terms it may be stated that it is about four times the strength of antipyrine. The effect of the drug upon the temperature is noticed at the end of about an hour, and attains its maximum usually in about four hours, passing off again, according to the size of the dose, in from three to ten hours. The action of antifebrin manifests itself externally by a reddening of the surface and moderate perspiration. The patients sometimes complain of a cold feeling, though there was never any decided chill noticed. The pulse-rate falls proportionately to the temperature. There was never any nausea caused by even large doses.

In conclusion, DRS. CAHN and HEPP speak enthusiastically of the marked antipyretic properties of the new drug, and of the absence of any untoward symptoms attributable to it. It has also, they claim, the advantage of cheapness, being obtainable for the moderate price of about twenty-five cents an ounce at wholesale.-Med. Record.

THE USE OF MANACA IN RHEUMATISM.-DR. F. SPENCER HALSEY, while house physician at the Almshouse and Workhouse Hospital, at Blackwell's Island, during the summer of 1885, employed fluid extract of manaca in many cases of different forms of rheumatism. He gives the clinical record of seven cases as typical of the class in which manaca may prove of service.

Case I was acute at the outset, but became chronic after the acute symptoms had subsided under the administration of salicylate of sodi

um.

Oil of gaultheria was tried for a few days without benefit, then the fluid extract of manaca was given, and all the symptoms underwent marked improvement. When the patient was discharged, a month later, she was enabled to get around with little difficulty. The remaining six cases were chronic from the beginning. The fluid extract of manaca gave beneficial results in three of them; in the three others no improvement resulted. The remedy was given in fifteen-minim doses at the start and rapidly pushed to 3j, three times a day. In one case the drug was even increased to 3 ij. but the patient experienced no relief from his rheumatic pains, and complained of dizziness. The drug was discontinued, and oil of gaultheria substituted with good results.

DR. J. BERGER (St. Louis Med. Jour., May, 1886) states that he has used manaca in rheumatism for about five years, and that it has given better results than any other single remedy he has ever employed, and that it is perhaps better than any combination of remedies. He has used it in all forms of chronic rheumatism, and

thinks there is no doubt as to its possessing anti-rheumatic properties to a great degree. He would explain its modus operandi by the power it has of eliminating lactic and uric acids from the system, and preventing their formation in excess, thus assisting digestion and assimilation.-N. Y. Med. Jour., Sept. 11, 1886.

SUBPREPUTIAL MEDICATION.-The editor of the Medical World reports in the July number of that journal the successful treatment of an obstinate case of acute inflammation of the urethra, involving the bulbous portion and possibly the neck of the bladder, by means of topical applications beneath the prepuce on both sides of the frænum. The medication employed consists of five grains of morphine rubbed up with half a drachm of lanolin, and a portion of the ointment about the size of grain of wheat was used at each application. To this combination was added the muriate of cocaine in such quantity that about a quarter of a grain would be applied each time. In commenting on this case the editor says:

46

Thus it seems that we have an efficient and easily managed mode of treatment for most of the local diseases of the genito-urinary apparatus. If begun promptly we believe that it will abort gonorrhea. It will certainly relieve urethral and vesical irritability immediately, and the cure may be permanent when not dependent upon stone or other mechanical cause of irritation." In the August number of the World he states that further trials afford additional evidence of the efficacy of this method of treatment.-Gaillard's Med. Jour., Sept., 1886.

GASEOUS MEDICATION PER RECTUM.-The Lancet of August 7, 1886, states that M. BERGEON has recently communicated to the Paris Academy of Sciences a new method of treating disease by gaseous rectal medication. His experiments have been mostly confined to the treatment of pulmonary diseases, for which he prefers sulphurous mineral waters. He passes from four to five liters of carbolic-acid gas through half a litre of sulphur-water, and then introduces the gas into the rectum, the, operation being performed twice in the course of 24 hours. It is stated that after a few days there is a marked diminution of the cough and expectoration, while the sweating ceases and the general condition of the patient is much improved; meantime, careful physical examinations show a notable improvement in the local condition. The treatment is equally successful in the early and in the advanced stages of the disease.-N. Y. Med. Jour., Sept. 11, 1886.

RULES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF ANTIPYRINE.-PAVAY (Wiener Med. Woch.; Glasgow Med. Jour.) has employed this drug in a large number of cases and gives some useful rules for its administration. He adopts a middle course in regard to the dosage. When the temperature does not exceed 103° F. he divides 31 grains into three powders, and administers one powder every halfhour. If the thermometer registers 104°, three doses are given as before, each dose consisting

of 15 grains. With a temperature of 105 and above, he gives 62 grains in four doses, half a hour apart. It is seldom, the writer asserts that the temperature fails to fall from 2 to 4 and to remain lowered from six to sixtee hours. If for any reason the stomach will ne retain the drug, it may be given by the rectum in doses of from 30 to 45 grains, or hypoder mically in a fifty-per-cent. solution.

CHRYSAROBIN AND SALICYLIC ACID PSORIASIS.-DR. GEORGE HENRY Fox, in the second edition of his Photographic Illustra tions of Skin Diseases. speaks of a combinatio of chrysarobin, salicylic acid, and collodion for the external treatment of psoriasis. The for mula which he advises is as follows: Chrysa robin, 10 parts; salicylic acid, 10 parts; flexibi collodion, 100 parts. This combination i known at the New York Skin and Cancer Ho pital as the Compound Chrysarobin Pigment DR. FOX speaks very highly of this treatment Chrysophanic acid causes more staining of th integument, and sometimes excites a prett severe dermatitis, besides injuring clothing This combination does not produce these u pleasant results.

IODOFORM IN CHRONIC UTERINE CATARRE -DR. KUGELMANN, of Hanover, relates his es perience with iodoform, which he was induce to try by its good effects on a nasal and laryn geal catarrh in his own person. His metho of application of the drug is by insufflation with a metallic catheter, with lateral opening near its beak, by which the powder is take up, and, being inserted within the uterus, it i expelled by compressing an elastic ball at th other end. The applications are made twice week. The method is painless and free fro danger, and has been very successful in th author's hands. Previous dilatations by lamin aria or other tents, or by metallic dilators, ma be necessary.

NITRITE OF AMYL AS AN ANTIDOTE FO OPIUM.-L'Union Médicale reports the case a person who took two ounces of laudanur and showed every symptom of opium-poiset ing-coma, small pulse, feeble and infrequen respiration (six to the minute), coldness ar cyanosis. Belladonna proved useless. while in halation of nitrite of amyl immediately in proved and ultimately restored the patient.

SIERRA SALVIA IN GONORRHOEA.-DR. W A. GORDON (Gaillard's Medical Journal) hs had good results in gonorrhoea from twenty drop doses of the tincture sierra salvia, give thrice daily. It is usually given in glycerin flavored with orange or lemon syrup.-Wester Druggist.

A NEW CAUSTIC.—It is reported that a mi ture of calomel and benzol makes a very ef cient caustic for the removal of epitheliomato growths.-Med. Record, Sept. 4,‍1886.

Vol. IV.

Original Articles.

CHICAGO MEDICAL SOCIETY.

[OFFICIAL REPORT.]

Stated Meeting, Sept. 20, 1886.

J. E. TODD, M. D., Second Vice-President in the chair.

DR. N. S. DAVIS gave his

IMPRESSIONS OF THE BRITISH MEDICAL ASSO

CIATION.

An abstract of his remarks is as follows:

The British Medical Association held its recent meeting at Brighton, the most fashionable and desirable watering place in England, very favorably situated for such a meeting of the profession of that country, being accessible to London as the great central point and having accomodations that cannot be found in any other town or city of moderate size in Great Britain. The British Association impresses one as being a body of men more advanced in life with more solidity than our assembly, not more intellectual development, but more of what you might call sturdy physical development. Indeed, this impression of solidity is forced upon the mind about everything. We excel them very much in exterior ornamentation, variety of architecture and in a great many ways, but for an impression of solidity and steadiness without haste, as an ordinary rule they excel

us.

The British Medical Association is not a rep resentative body in any sense, but was composed originally much after the fashion of calling together an assembly, organizing a national body and selecting a certain number to constitute a council and submitting the business affairs to the council. Subsequently a rule was adopted by the original council qualifying the profession in any given locality to form a local society and adopt such rules as were not in opposition to the constitution and by-laws of the national society; these societies were recognized as branches, and each member of a branch became nominally a member of the general body with a right to attend the general meeting, but they are not entitled to take part in the general government. They may elect one, two or three members of the council, so that as branch after a branch has been organized, and the membership increased, it has greatly enlarged the

No. 20.

council, until, I gather from the proceedings of the Association, the council of the British Medical Association numbers 71. This council has the entire control of the organization; they determine the places of meeting, and all matters in reference to the workings of the organization come before them first. Certain matters are brought before the general body at their meeting for their sanction, but they must originally go through the council. The council has at least four stated meetings in the year; they meet every quarter, and if business of importance is to come before them they may have other meetings. At the annual meeting of the Association the programme is so arranged that, when they open at half past twelve (they do not hold sessions in the forenoon), the council holds an hour's session; that is the meeting of the council of the preceding year. New members of the council are elected by the branches yearly, so that new members come in each year and others go out, and the council is not always made up of the same parties. Following this meeting, two o'clock is appointed as the time for the meeting of the general body, but that did not occur this year; it was crowded out. At a subsequent hour we had what they called the council of the present year. The first meeting was the council of 1885, the next, council of 1886. The sections held no meetings the first day. I watched the proceedings carefully with special reference to learning what might be of use to our own National Association. One of the complaints made against us is that we lose too much time in eating and drinking, and social occasions, and too little advance is made in real science and professional knowledge. The meeting of the council was held with closed doors. This peculiarity runs through everything, the council not only prepares the reports on business matters, but when they are submitted to the general body the council designates the man to move its adoption and the man to second the motion. I do not think that would be tolerated in America over one meeting, but it is a uniform, regular custom there and they seem to take it very easy.

The three sections that had the largest attendance were Medicine, Surgery, and Public Medicine. They have the same trouble there as here: there is a certain class always coming and going. They come in and sit down, and if at a little distance they can't hear very well, they sit a little while and don't get enough of