and remained away for over three months, but the phthisis has remained and the symptoms may return. It was a very interesting case, and I dare say, if you could have seen it, you would have been greatly impressed with the severity of the disease and the seeming impossibility of her recovery. When you find a person breathing from two to four times per minute and pulse 84 to 120, it is anything but a mild case. I have never seen symptoms more indicative of death than this woman presented without dying. As to the remedies: comparing this with the remedies which have been used by the older homoeopathists, such as iodine, zinc, belladonna, sulphur, etc., I think we owe considerable success to the use of iodoform. Whether this remedy would be successful in other cases remains to be seen. In cases of almost certain fatality, it is interesting to watch one by one the issues of the

case.

Dr. Colby: Dr. Clapp has been much more courageous than I would have been in diagnosing such cases. I am free to confess that I have never been able to stand up in my boots and say decidedly whether I thought it was tubercular meningitis or meningitis. We may all of us experience cases with symptoms mentioned here. In the use of iodine, iodoform, or iodide of potassium largely we get results by means of absorption. I remember very distinctly a case which gave very strong symptoms of tubercular meningitis and it recovered by the use of iodoform. I did have courage to say to the gentleman in consultation that I had decided to give iodide of potassium, there was so little hope of the patient living. When we receive anything from Dr. Clapp we do not feel like differing from him; we expect to agree with him. The nervous symptoms arising from depression is something to be thought of in this case, and the fact that a case recovers under treatment is interesting.

Dr. Clapp I would like to state for Dr. Colby's information that the diagnosis in this case was not an absolute diag nosis; I do not believe that it was possible to make an exact diagnosis. I meant only that it seemed to me to be tubercular meningitis, and I think so still. The post-mortem

appearances after tubercular meningitis, where the tubercules are found on the brain, are not always of the gross character that you might suppose. Tubercules are not always visible. Then in a case of this kind, of course, it is not certain that a person is full of tuberculosis, though the meningitis is of that character.

Dr. Percy I remember a historical case of tubercular meningitis where there was no doubt as to the diagnosis. It was in the British Medical Journal, a most interesting article. No one likes to say that a case of tubercular meningitis cannot recover, but that it may recover. I think we should think recovery probable in any case that comes under our observation.

3. Dr. Hinson's paper on "Rhus Tox: Some Considerations of Its Value in Ocular Diseases" was interesting and provoked considerable discussion.

Dr. Conrad Wesselhoeft: I think it is a very good plan for any of us, no matter how familiar we are with remedies, to overhaul them. Rhus is a remedy to be discussed in connection with the eye. It is one of the best known and best proven remedies that we possess. The evidence is not so great as it seems. The symptoms of Rhus are well known. I will not go over them here, except to say that the characteristic of Rhus, as you might call it, is an erysipelas inflammation. I will compare what I know of Rhus poisoning with cases of erysipelas, and find that Rhus produces an inflammation of the skin, while erysipelas affects the smaller tissues to such an extent that the epidermis is raised in blisters. seems to me from all the seeming provings that the kind of inflammation that Rhus is capable of producing is confined to the cellular tissue. If this is applicable to the tissue of the eye, it seems to me that it refers to the connective tissue entering into the composition of the eye more than other structures. It has been said that Rhus affects particularly the mucous membrane. In my observation of cases by ivy poisoning, the swelling of the face may be enormous, opening the lids impossible; forcing them open you will find the conjunctiva much inflamed. In cases of ophthalmia it seems to

me that Rhus would be indicated very often from internal symptoms, though really violent poisonings I cannot find are produced from Rhus itself. Take the provings of Rhus that we know, poisonings voluntary and involuntary: the voluntary, which you obtain the most often, show that Rhus causes inflammation which affects the other parts very severely. There is no doubt that the symptoms indicating Rhus are prominent. Feelings of pressure, itching, and burning in various parts of the body are indicative and characteristic of Rhus poisoning, and are sufficient indications and warrant its use in diseases of the eye, as well as other parts of the body.

He

Dr. Spalding: One fact that I have never seen mentioned regarding Rhus. My grandfather on my mother's side did not poison from ivy; could handle it with impunity. claimed it was obtained from eating a leaf of the Rhus. He used to recommend other people eating it. A neighbor, acting on his recommendation, nearly died from eating it.

Dr. Piper: While I was in the school here one of my classmates, who was very susceptible to ivy poisoning, was rendered proof against the poison of ivy by taking a small dose (2x) of Rhus.

Dr. Halsey: I know an old gentleman in Vermont who was eating poison ivy. I asked him what he was eating. He said he guessed it was sarsaparilla, did n't know 'zactly. Was never susceptible to the poison before or afterward.

Dr. Conrad Wesselhoeft: I would like to add a few words. It is a very well-known fact that a great many people are not at all affected by it can handle it. Many others are affected by the burning of the roots of the ivy, and it is well known that the smell will poison some. One person one year will be poisoned, or he may be exempt.

Dr. Spalding: Dr. Bigelow and a friend brought home a large quantity to make tincture. Dr. Bigelow was not affected by it, while his friend nearly died from erysipelas. I once took some of the leaves and rubbed them on my wrists. Forgot all about it for weeks, then my wrists began to itch and grow red; redness lasted many weeks. Some animals

are not susceptible to poison; horses tied to an ivy-covered wall will eat the vine, causing profuse flow of saliva.

Dr. Earl In inflammation of the cornea an early symptom is swelling of the lids; patients are very susceptible to light. We must remember that we are dealing with a condition. I do not agree with Dr. Hinson. I find mercurials produce much better results in mild cases.

4. Dr. Johnson's paper, entitled "Ferrum Picrate in a Case of Anæmia Infantum Pseudo-Leukæmia," was not discussed. 5. "A Medical Medley," by F. S. Piper, M.D.

Owing to the lateness of the hour, the last two papers were omitted.

Meeting adjourned at 10.15 o'clock.

FRANK E. ALLARD, Secretary.

HOMEOPATHIC MEDICAL SOCIETY OF WESTERN

MASSACHUSETTS.

The Homœopathic Medical Society of western Massachusetts held its regular quarterly meeting at Cooley's Hotel, Springfield, on Wednesday, September 20, 1899, the President, Dr. Frank A. Woods, in the chair. The report of the Secretary was read and accepted.

Dr. William S. Walkly, of Pittsfield, and Dr. Harry E. Rice, of Springfield, were proposed for membership in the society, and their names were referred to the Board of Censors. The following candidates were elected to membership: James M. Gates, M.D., Springfield, O. W. Lane, M.D., Great Barrington, G. B. Maxwell, M.D., Chicopee Falls.

The committee appointed to draw up an application blank for the use of the Board of Censors presented, through its chairman, Dr. O. W. Roberts, a blank, which was accepted by the society, and the Secretary was instructed to have the same printed.

It was moved that the President appoint a committee of three to make revisions in the constitution and by-laws and report at the next regular meeting. The President appointed on this committee Drs. O. W. Roberts, A. M. Cushing, and Samuel Fletcher.

A report was then heard from Dr. Cushing, delegate to the American Institute of Homoeopathy at Atlantic City.

There being no further business, the Scientific Session was opened by Dr. Horace Packard, chairman of the Bureau of Surgery.

1. Congenital Stricture of the Rectum. Report of Case and Exhibition of the Patient. O. W. Roberts, M.D., Springfield.

This was a most unique and interesting case, of a boy five and one half years of age, born with stricture of the rectum. From the time of his birth until he was three and one half years old, movements of the bowels, and those small and usually liquid, could only be secured by daily dilatation of the rectum by sound or bougie, with rectal enema. The child was pale and puny, and the retention of fæces forced him to carry an enormously distended abdomen. At three and one half years of age he was operated upon by Dr. Packard (case reported in North American Journal of Homœopathy, 1899), who first made an inguinal colotomy, through which artificial anus the accumulation of fæces was disposed of, and daily movements of the bowels secured through the same opening.

A number of weeks later a second operation was performed, for the purpose of removing the strictured portion of the rectum and preserving the external sphincter. Ten days later he was for the third time anæsthetized and the artificial anus in the inguinal region was closed. An uneventful convalescence followed. The child has since that time had regular and spontaneous movements of the bowels, with perfect control of the sphincter. He is in perfect health.

Dr. Packard gave a further account of the operation. An opportunity was given to examine the rectum, which showed plainly the remarkable results obtained by the methods employed in the above operations.

Dr. Worcester, of Clinton, cited a case of urethral stricture on which he had successfully employed the galvanic current; but was of the opinion that, as a usual thing, the results from the use of electricity in these cases were not permanent.