etc., etc., we were also told by some that the CRITIC & GUIDE was not the proper medium for such articles. But we knew better. For, many physicians pointed out these articles to their patients personally, and many druggists pasted those editorials on their windows or show cases, where everybody could read them, and we know that this had a great influence in driving the Koch Consumption Cure and other fakes out of existence and in reducing the sales of, or entirely killing, a lot of obnoxious patent medicines.

So far the J. A. M. A. has exposed, and exposed effectively, the villainies of the following four concerns: The Reinhardt Brothers, of Milwaukee, known as the "Wisconsin Medical Institute" and "The Master Specialists"; E. R. Hibbard, of Chicago, who ran an institute under two names: "The Boston Medical Institute" and the "Bellevue Medical Institute"; the "Epileptic Institute" and "The International Institute," a fake consumption cure company. (Oct. 3, Oct. 12, Nov. 28, and Dec. 12, respectively.)

We are promised these exposés in pamphlet form. When they do appear, it will be the duty and the privilege of every physician to give them the widest possible circulation. Intelligent and fair minded laymen should, and undoubtedly will, also help in this truly humanitarian work.

Improvements in Perfect Things.

"More improvements in alkaline antiseptic solution," "Improved formula for lactated pepsin," "Improvement in the formula for pasta kaolini," "Improved process for making syrup of hydriodic acid," "Improved method for making liquor cresolis compositus," etc., etc., are a few of the titles, that greet us with remarkable regularity-and familiarity-from month to month, in the pages of our pharmaceutical contemporaries, and we would like to ask, if the formulas in the Pharmacopeia and in the National Formulary are so perfect that to criticize them adversely is to commit a crime equivalent to that of lèse majesté, how comes it that they are in continual need of improvement and revision? Rather a long sentence, isn't it? But we will await the answer with patience. Take your time.

The Publication Date of the Critic and Guide.

As the CRITIC AND GUIDE goes this month to many new subscribers, who are not yet familiar with our vagaries, and as in the case of the tardy appearance of an issue, we are overburdened with letters complaining of the writers' failure to receive the journal, the following explanatory note is in order:

On what date is the CRITIC AND GUIDE published? It is our desire and intention to publish the CRITIC AND GUIDE during the

first 5 or 10 days of the month. And as a rule it is so published. But the CRITIC AND GUIDE is not machine made, it is not gotten out by a "staff," it is not manufactured by the aid of a pair of shears and a bottle of mucilago gummi arabici. The greater part of each issue is written, actually written by the editor himself. And the editor does not belong to those happy mortals who can write to order. He can not "grind." He writes only when he feels the inspiration, or to use a more modest word, the inclination to write. Sometimes for two or three weeks he will feel no such inclination or he may be engaged on some other literary work— and then he will not write a line. And then the issue is late. And therefore the really comprehensive answer to the question "on what date is the C. and G. published?" would be: Anytime between the 1st and 30th of the month. But, nevertheless, as a rule we are out between the 5th and 10th of the month, and the journal should be in everybody's hands not later than the 15th of the month. If you do not get it by that date, notify us.

Why has Tuberculosis Still So Many Victims ?

It is more than half a century since the thinkers in the medical profession recognized that tuberculosis in the first stages was a curable disease. In 1856 the pioneer phthisio-therapeutist, Hermann Brehmer, wrote his thesis entitled: Tuberculosis in primis stadiis semper curabilis. This being so, why do we still have so many victims?

Why are one hundred and fifty thousand people in the United States allowed to die annually of a disease that will yield to so large a degree to modern methods of treatment?—This question is asked by Dr. F. M. Pottenger, of Monrovia, Calif. (Inters. Med. Jour., Nov., 1908), and he states that the mortality, in his experience, is due to three causes, which are as follows:

First, an apparent failure upon the part of both medical men and laymen to appreciate the fact that tuberculosis is curable, and an especial failure to appreciate the comparative ease with which the early cases are cured.

Second, a failure upon the part of both medical men and laymen to appreciate and recognize the signs and symptoms which accompany early tuberculosis.

Third, a failure upon the part of both medical men and laymen to appreciate the necessity of prompt energetic treatment as soon as a diagnosis can be made.

True, but there is a fourth cause, which our good colleague has failed to mention and which is in our opinion more important than the other three combined, and that is: the inability on the part of the patient to take the proper treatment. A sweatshop worker sleeping in a dark bedroom may know that he has incipient tuberculosis, may know only too well the necessity of energetic treatment, but what of it? Who will pay his expenses for a trip to Colorado or Davos Platz? Tuberculosis is primarily a sociologic, and only secondarily a medical problem.

Large Families the Bane of the Poor.

Our good and courageous, but somewhat shallow and blustering President has delivered himself of many shallow things, but the shallowest of all his platitudes was the one about the blessing of large families-under the present economic conditions. The commandment to multiply and replenish the earth is the most cruel and most disastrous commandment for the poor to obey. We have always maintained that large families are the greatest bane to the poor. Times innumerable have we seen the advent of a child to cast an ill-concealed gloom over the whole family. In many many cases an additional child was considered a tragedy, a misfortune, a catastrophe-for such it is to many poor families. And for this reason we have always maintained that the greatest benefaction that one could bestow upon the vast majority of mankind at the present time was to spread the knowledge how to regulate reproduction. The most important thing in the world at the present time is to teach the people how to limit the number of their offspring by safe and harmless means. The subject has been distasteful to us, and tho we knew that we were shocking some very good and respectable people, we have kept on harping on it, because we have appreciated its transcendent importance, and we have the satisfaction of knowing that many of the people who were at first shocked, have become converted to our way of thinking. The world does move.

And those who are engaged in the relief of the poor begin to see that the most terrible calamity that can befall a poor man is for his wife to have several children in rapid succession. In to-day's Times (November 8th, 1908), there are two articles with the following headings:

BANE OF THE POOR IS LARGE FAMILIES.

So Says Official Report of the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor.

BABY'S ADVENT A "MENACE."

After referring to the heartrending misery which the Association is called upon to relieve, the Times says:

"It is a fact, possessing uncommon interest from the viewpoint of social economics, that much of the distress in the year has been directly traceable to the advent of babies in homes of the poor. The report says:

"It is well known among social workers that the birth of a child is a serious menace to the prosperity of the ordinary laborer's family, and that in the case of the unskilled poor in our great cities the birth of a second or third child, even in prosperous times, usually brings disaster to the home. Until the first children are old enough to work, the mother must either do profitearning work at home, hire out, or go into the factory. If, through lack of proper attention the baby is allowed to fall sick. or the mother's strength is wasted, the inevitable result is that

from one to ten persons are thrown upon public or private charity for support. The mother becomes an invalid, her children are neglected and underfed, and make an early start in the way of physical degeneracy and pauperism. Last year one of our visitors discovered a woman referred to in our report as Mrs. Davis Though only 37 years old, she was the mother of nine children, the youngest a baby of five months, and six others under working age. She was much worn with the care of her large family. As usually happens in such circumstances, the baby, too, was in a very bad condition.

"This family had long ago outgrown the father's capacity for wage earning. It can readily be seen that on the part of the Association, whose boast it is that it has never turned a deaf ear to a cry of distress, it was not only an act of mercy but also a measure of economy to save that mother and protect the lives of those children while they were still young, and while their constitutions were still unimpaired.'

The charitable associations are doing good work, work that every kind-hearted man and woman should aid to its utmost. But it is only a drop of water in the ocean. Until the common people learn how to prevent conception and as long as economic conditions are what they are, we can only hope to alleviate a small portion of the misery resulting from too many children. We cannot hope to cure or to remove it. It is too deep, it is too widespread.

Hazing.

We read in to-day's (November 5) papers that President Edmund J. James, of the University of Illinois, has declared that hazing would not be tolerated and that any student found guilty of it would be dismissed from the University. In his address to the students he says among other things:

"Hazing is a violation of good manners and of the right of individual liberty. It is provocative of public disorder. In its milder forms it is a nonsensical and almost idiotic form of amusement unworthy of the support or favor of any sensible university student. In its coarser forms hazing is a vulgar, brutal, always demoralizing, and sometimes dangerous form of sport which the University cannot countenance or tolerate."

Splendid! It does our heart good to see that the usually flaccid college presidents are beginning to acquire some backbone and are commencing to express their opinions on the evil of college life in no uncertain tones. Of these evils hazing has always been the most disgraceful, the most unpardonable one. It has always been a mystery to us how this outrage could be tolerated or condoned in any college. Harmless fun is one thing, ruffianly brutality is another. And it must be admitted that many of the hazers are nothing but common toughs who find in hazing

an outlet for their animal brutality. Such fellows are a disgrace to any college, and a disgrace to humanity. For we, for one, do not believe that a brutal hazer, who takes pleasure in hurting and in injuring a fellow student can ever develop into a gentleman (in the true sense of the word) or into a useful member of society. It is from this class that the grafters, forgers, bank thieves, political corruptionists, mob leaders against negroes, etc., etc., are recruited. Hazers should be summarily expelled, and we are sure that we could stop hazing or any attempt at hazing, in the most unruly school, in less than twenty-four hours. We speak from experience.

The college president who cannot abolish brutality in his instition is unfit for his position, whatever his other qualifications may be.

The Pure Food and Drug Law is Working.

The Globe Pharmaceutical Co., of Dayton, O., was convicted and fined for selling misbranded goods. It was selling a preparation under the trade-mark of Sartoin, which was claimed to be a "skin food." It was recommended to be used in the following formula:

2 oz. Rose Water

4 oz. Sartoin

I oz. Cologne Spirits 16 oz. Hot Water

In the circular, it was stated that Sartoin

"Is probably the most effective remedy known to science. for sunburn, rashes, and all skin blemishes, as well as creating the normal growth of all parts not fully developed or shrunken. It is absolutely harmless to the most delicate skin, and if persistently used will benefit the worst complexion."

This wonderful product was analyzed in the Bureau of Chemistry of the Department of Agriculture and was found to be nothing but commercial magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) colored with a pink dye. The statements made on the label and in the circular were found by the department to be "false, misleading and deceptive" and the conviction followed. The conviction will of course meet with the approval of all right minded persons. It is certainly time that such brazen deceptions as selling common table salt at a dollar an ounce, (claiming it to be a sovereign remedy for dyspepsia) or dyeing Epsom salt and recommending it as the most effective remedy known to science for dermatic affections, were put a stop to. Some of the decisions of the Board of Food and Drug Inspection seem to us childish, but that on the whole it is doing an immense amount of good for the protection of public health, nobody can deny.

We have not taken an active interest in the campaign that has just closed. And now we rise to make just one gentle remark: The re-election of Joe Cannon, that chunk of blatant ignorance and political corruptionism, to Congress is a disgrace to the Nation.