Physiology of Vision, The A Theory. By George H. Talbot, M.D. Practical Points in the Practice of Midwifery. By George R. Southwick, M.D. 445 300 493 Prevention of Premature Baldness, The. By John L. Coffin, M.D..... Professional Etiquette and Medical Courtesy. By Charles Sturtevant, M.D.. 404 Relation of Syphilis to Nervous Diseases, The. By E. P. Colby, M.D....... 54 Relation of the Pharmacopoeia to the Question of Potency. By J. W. Clapp, M.D. 105 23 Saving the Twenty-four Hours' Urine. By F. P. Batchelder, M.D............. ..... 410 260 417 Some of the Oral Manifestations of Syphilis. By John L. Coffin, M.D. 97 .... Treatment of Conjunctivitis and Phlyctanular Keratitis. By George A. Suffa, Three Cases of Insanity Complicated with Degenerative Disease of the Kidneys. By Henry I. Klopp, M.D... 155 III Use of Rubber Gloves in Surgery, The. By Horace Packard, M.D. 202 EDITORIAL. Action Taken by the Consulting Board of Westboro Insane Hospital upon Consolidation of the Dispensary with the Massachusetts Homoeopathic Hospital... 377 426 267 324 268 176 173 174 464 224 Meeting and Membership of the Institute. Report of Committee of American Institute on Death of Dr. I. T. Talbot... Do Physicians and Pharmacists Live on the Misfortunes of Humanity Dr. Dwight Warren 470 178 130 130 178 .... Homoeopathic Hospital to be Built in Ann Arbor International Congresses at the Exposition of 1900 International Homoeopathic Congress, 1900.. Meeting of the Illinois Homoeopathic Medical Association Notice of Gerrish's "Anatomy by American Authors" Obituary: William C. Cutler, M.D., Laura Maxwell Porter, M.D........269–271 Report of the Action of the House of Representatives on the 'Hahnemann Boston Homœopathic Medical Society, 28–34, 78, 131, 179, 272-281, 327, 522, 570 Massachusetts Surgical and Gynecological Society National Society of Electro-Therapeutists Report of American Institute of Homoeopathy... Gleanings and Translations.. 34-38, 90-94, 134-140, 293, 390-392, 436-443, Reviews and Notices of Books... •39-46, 141-144, 189–191, 237, 238, 289- 293, 345-347, 392-395, 433-435, 489-491, 533-538, 580-583. 5673 DEC15 1900 LIBRARY THE NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL GAZETTE No. 1. JANUARY, 1899. Vol. XXXIV. COMMUNICATIONS. THE CURATIVE ACTION OF CERTAIN REMEDIES IN BY GEORGE B. RICE, M.D., BOSTON, MASS. [Read before the Massachusetts Homeopathic Medical Society, October 8, 1895.] Those who are trained for special work, who devote their thought and action toward treating diseases of certain definite parts of the body, take upon themselves responsibilities toward the medical profession, and particularly the homœopathic medical profession. One of these responsibilities I believe to be the study of remedies as affecting healthy and pathological states of these certain parts, their influence on the healthy tissues and their power in curing diseased conditions. Accuracy in first diagnosis, accuracy in after observation, and care in selecting those cases for internal remedial treatment which come within the scope of cure are of course essential. Clinical evidence is not always reliable, but when the curative effect of a drug has been repeatedly clinically verified by capable observers one is surely justified in attributing to this remedy curative powers. I give nothing original here, but can, I hope, add to the confidence reposed in a few of our homoeopathic remedies, as exerting a restorative influence over diseases of the upper respiratory tract. For the sake of brevity, I will take up single diseased conditions rather than single drugs, giving a group of the remedies which have proven themselves reliable in those conditions with their several indications. VOL. XXXIV.- No. 1. I Other remedies than those I have clinically proven effective may be indicated of course, but frequently the symptoms one finds are localized and constantly met, and those I may give here. I have chosen for consideration the symptom nasopharyngeal catarrh because, although not a disease, it is a symptom of a variety of diseased conditions, and because the causes behind this symptom when recognized present a certain variety of pathological states, not all of them I believe curable by the internal indicated remedy alone. Perhaps we are most frequently called upon to prescribe for this symptom as found in children between the ages of three and sixteen years. In these cases, although the parent complains that the child has catarrh, further questioning will frequently develop these additional symptoms: mouth breathing, snoring, difficulty in articulation, slight deafness. Objectively, we find the patient rather pale in appearance, with a short upper lip, open mouth, and pinched look of the An examination of the throat shows the tonsils to be more or less hypertrophied, enlarged follicles on the posterior wall of the pharynx, while the use of the rhinoscope or finger reveals an enlargement of Luschka's tonsil; this hypertrophy may be in the nature of a soft mass nearly filling the nasopharynx, or partially obstructing the posterior nasal passages and Eustachian orifices, or it may be fibrous. in character presenting numerous crypts and depressions. nose. After cleansing away the collected mucus the surface is seen to be reddened and irritated or perhaps pale and puffy. In many such cases I believe that surgical or other local measures must supplement or precede the internal remedy. Particularly is this necessary when mouth breathing is a prominent symptom; but even in this case the remedy is of importance, and a permanent cure without its use cannot be accomplished. I shall mention but three remedies for this condition, namely, calcaria carbonica, calcaria phosphorica, and calcaria iodata. These remedies I have proven as effica cious over and over again. The calcaria carbonica patients with fair complexion, flabby muscles, excess of adipose |