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[Some things are worth repeating. Particularly is this true of ideas different from the prevailing ones. We will venture that perhaps many thousands of our readers, as they read the above lines, will wish that they had Dr. Cooper's treatment of pneumonia before them. We will ask the Doctor to kindly give us his treatment in full for pneumonia, for next issue. Privately he writes us concerning the results of his treatment of pneumonia, but he does not give permission to publish the same, because they are too good to be believed. We will ask him to allow us to publish his results in next issue, along with his treatment.-ED.]

A Castrated Young Man-"Doc."-Treat ment of Pneumonia.-Nocturnal Emissions. Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-My experience with castrated individuals has been limited to one case. When I was a small boy, one day a lot of us were jumping from a spring board down on some hay on the barn floor. One of the boys came down in a sitting posture and a stick ran thru the scrotum and lacerated both testicles. The boy was about fourteen or fifteen years old at the time. He grew up a slender, weakly fellow and married the most beautiful woman in that part of the State; had no children and died at the age of twenty-eight of consumption. am aware that this case is of no value statistically.

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I cannot agree fully with "Juvenal" in his criticism of the people who call me "Doc." Some of the best friends I have ever had or ever expect to have, have called me "Doc." I admit that being addrest as "Doc" by some people is extremely unpleasant; but to resent it would be bad form, in my opinion. I believe it would be much better to abolish the title altogether and stick to plain · Mister."

The season for pneumonia is at hand. Put the sthenic cases on aconitin gr. 1-134,

veratrin gr. 1-134 and digitalin gr. 1-67, every fifteen to thirty minutes, to effect, and then often enuf to maintain it, with sulfocarbolates enuf to deodorize the stools. The patient will be well in forty-eight hours in a large per cent. of the cases, and the balance will be much better. In the asthenic type use strychnin arsenate gr. 1-134 in place of the veratrin, and witness the same result. With the above method, as a rule, the cough does not néed treatment..

The movement for uniformity of the requirements for license to practise medicin ought to receive the support of all men. I would suggest in Dr. Law's case of nocturnal emissions, that he investigate the condition of the urethra, urine and intestinal tract, tho I can't see what there is abnormal about a seminal emission two or three times a month if the man's testicles are in working order at all.

I should say that the case of pneumonia detailed by Dr. Baskerville got a trifle too much opiate for the best good of the physician, tho such treatment is very profitable to the undertaker. Still one must only use his best judgment as to the drug indicated. However I would never expect to accomplish anything from doses given six hours apart. My idea of treatment can be summed up in a few words: Given a case that may be expected to drag along for weeks, the medicin may well be administered in doses five or six hours apart, because the action of the drug must be chronic to do much. But in an acute disease like pneumonia the medicin should be given "early and often," like the ward "heelers" vote "de gang," in order that acute effects may be obtained.

New Windsor, Colo. E. I. RAYMOND.

Castration for Crime.-" Doc." Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-In commenting on Dr. Hachenberg's article, on page 460 of November WORLD, you ask for facts. Well, here is one: About thirty years ago three men were castrated in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, for seduction, and for several years afterward that county had almost complete immunity from that crime, and the men who were operated on were strictly virtuous when last heard from. Castration will do more than the death penalty towards abolishing crime.

"Juvenal" (page 465) has a wrong idea of "Doc," and a large bump of self esteem. Four-fifths of my patients call me "Doc," and I do not have convulsions

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or heart failure over it either. They are honest, hard-working people, who pay their doctor bills promptly, without grumbling, and who would not do any of the wicked things "Juvenal" tells about, and most of them never go into "barrooms or bad company" but do go to church. When I was supposed to be drowned, several of them riskt their lives to recover my body from the water during a winter gale on the Gulf of Georgia. Would "Juvenal's" patients do as much for him? Admiral Dewey is spoken of as "The Old Man" by every man on board his ship. He knows it and does not resent it, for it is a term of endearment, and the men who use it would fight and die for him. I have not got any of those fancy diplomas "Juvenal" speaks of, but just a plain every day one from the University of Minnesota (Regular); but as I also hold a Sea Captain's commission, I know whereof I speak, and I want no better evidence of the love, honor, and respect of my patients than to hear them say when I enter the house, "we're all right now, thank God; here's Doc."

W. A. KING, M. D.

Blaine, Washington.

Tinea Tonsurans.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-From time to time infallible cures for tinea tonsurans, or ringworm of the scalp, appear in medical journals. Those who recommend them doubtless have entire faith in them. This faith, however, is usually born of a very limited experience with the disease. Individual cases in private practice, with hygienic surroundings, may usually be cured in a short time. Even where there

are

several uncomplicated cases in a family, prompt cures may be expected.

For this purpose, almost any good parasiticide, with or without epilation, proves effectual. The most used are corrosive sublimate, naphthol, oleate of copper, oleate of mercury, acetic acid, aqua calcis, iodin, pyrogallic acid, preparations of sulfur, chrysarobin, resorcin, and salicylic acid. No one of these remedies will cure in all cases. It is a rule of "cut and try." If one fails after faithful trial, try another. Tinea is not always the simple affection that shows itself in a few characteristic spots. From scratching, from irritation, and particularly from the use of too strong remedial applications, the skin is plowed up and made ready for other "vagrant germs to take root in, so that we have

dermatitis, eczema, favus-like discharges and crusts, and the problem of treatment and cure becomes a decidedly complex

one.

The idiosyncrasy of the patient also enters into consideration as well as inherited, constitutional or acquired vices and powers of resistance. In a score of similar cases similarly treated, some will recover in a short time, others less promptly, and a few prove so obstinate as to exhaust one's patience. Sometimes these obstinate cases are benefited by appropriate tonic or specific internal treatment.

But when the disease once gets firmly rooted in schools, children's homes, and eleemosynary institutions where large numbers of children are herded together, the cure of tinea tonsurans is altogether another matter. Only those who have had experience with it in such places can have any just conception of what a task it is to get rid of it. The two unsightly and disgusting plagues of children's institutions are sore heads and sore eyes. One is about as repulsive and difficult to cure as the other.

Some experience in an institution for children with which I am connected will illustrate distinctive features of the disease as seen at its worst.

In the institution are nearly 400 boys and girls, ranging from two to twelve years of age. About five years ago there was received into the institution a child with a slightly suspicious trouble of the scalp. The examiner leaned to the side of pity, permitting his sympathy to, dominate his better judgment, hoping doubtless that the trouble would not prove a serious one. But from this one case followed over five years of anxiety and trouble, and hundreds of dollars of extra expense.

In a short time there were several cases of ringworm of the scalp, all traceable to this one child. These were isolated, treated, and apparently cured. Soon another crop appeared, to be treated in like manner. Then more cases appeared, and some of the cured ones relapst. The utmost care was taken in regard to individual towels, bedding, especially pillows, clothing and belongings, and the battle raged with victory almost in sight, only to meet partial defeat, until at last the disease secured a firm foothold in the institution.

Special nurses were employed, eminent dermatologists called in council, the most

approved methods of treatment pursued, but the tinea had come to stay. For two or three years the institution was never entirely free from it.

The problem was, not how to cure individual cases, but how to make them stay cured, and how to prevent further spread of the disease. The characteristic advice of one specialist was "When you have reduced the number to the last half dozen obstinate cases, cut their heads off if you would get clear of the disease." And he was not so very far out of the way. About two years ago the most thoro isolation was decided on. A separate building was secured, and sixty-seven infected children removed to it. They were provided with special nurses and attendants, and all needful appliances.

The main building was thoroly washt, scrubbed and disinfected, and all the appointments freed from every suspicion of taint. Fifteen more cases of the disease appeared, and these were also sent to the lazaretto-making in all eighty-two cases treated there. As fast as they were cured they were returned to the main building.

The great majority of these cases were soon cured, but at the end of six months a number of stragglers" remained-fit subjects for Dr. Blank's decapitation method.

Then the special hospital was abandoned, and the few stubborn cases domiciled by themselves for further consideration.

For a year past these intractable cases have been under the particular care of an eminent specialist, and it is not safe to say to-day that the pesky disease is fully eradicated. A casual visitor might not see any evidence of it, but the doctors know that it is lurking about ready to show itself when vigilance is relaxt.

It is not my purpose to commend any special mode or line of treatment, for the remedies already mentioned, either alone, or in combination, or in succession, will generally prove satisfactory in isolated cases; but I simply desire to illustrate what the disease may do and become where there is abundant material to work on, and isolation difficult to enforce.

83 St. Mark's Ave., BENJ. EDSON, M.D. Brooklyn, N. Y.

Transfusion of Blood.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-Mrs. A. W. T., who had been confined to her bed about eight days, became greatly prostrated on the evening of October 13th from a wasting

hemorrhage. The usual means, both internal and external, were used to restore her, but to no avail. Finally, transfusion of blood was decided upon. With the aid of our local druggist, we improvised an apparatus which answered the purpose admirably. We got two glass tubes two or three inches long with one end of each smooth enuf to insert into the vein. The other end of each we connected with a gum tube twelve or fourteen inches long.

We were now ready for the operation, but no one of the family or friends present was physically able to supply the desired blood. The need being urgent, my son. Dr. Evans M. Free, had his arm bandaged and with his own hand opened a vein and inserted the glass tube into it. Then I opened a vein in the patient's arm, and when the blood ran thru the tube, dispelling all air, I introduced the other end of the tube into the vein in the patient's arm. The effect was prompt and gratifying. The circulation was soon restored, consciousness returned, the cold hands and feet became warm again-in short, her life was saved. I have been in practice fifty years, and do not remember ever having seen a case like this reported. For this reason I have mentioned the details of the procedure, which, however are simple, and I see no reason why others could not easily do the same under similar circumstances. Stewartstown, Pa. J. L. FREE, M.D.

Nasal Catarrh ; Climatic and Medicinal
Treatment-Notes.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-A call is made in last WORLD for a good treatment for nasal catarrh. There is no cure for this prevalent disease that equals change of climate from the locality where the disease was acquired to opposit climatic conditions. If the disease is acquired in a cold, dry locality, a change to a warm, moist, or sometimes to a warm, dry climate, is very good treatment, and a change in the opposit direction, i. e. from warm or foggy to dry cold climate, is usually effective.

Here in South California we have a great many immigrants, tourists, and health seekers, a majority of whom are afflicted with various catarrhs, nasal, pharyngeal. bronchial, gastric, vesical, vaginal, etc.. and the climatic change is very beneficial in a large number of cases, and more decidedly benefical if the proper selection of locality is made. There is great diversity of climate here, from the damp, breezy

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coast, thru the various grades of orange, apricot, walnut, and vine lands, back to. the hot, dry interior, and on up to the cañons and pine-covered slopes of the Sierra Madre mountains. Those who are fortunate enuf to get into the right locality, in accordance with the law of opposites briefly defined above, are generally much benefited if not cured of nasal and pharyngeal catarrh especially, and helpt in most catarrhs.

Usually the cañons and pine-covered slopes of the mountains are the best at an elevation of two to three thousand feet, but the dry elevations are not always best, as witness a typical case:

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My brother, Rev. L. F. Bickford, came to California during the "boom" and located at Pasadena, where I then resided. He and his two sons had nasal catarrh, acquired at Lebanon, Mo., in the hills north of the Ozark Mountains at quite an elevation and quite cold in winter. and I expected that the warm dry air of Pasadena, at the foot of the mountains, would soon cure them, but at the end of a year they were no better. He then moved to Westminster, in Orange Co., six miles from the beach and thirty feet above high tide, where you could taste the salt in every breath and drip with fog every second morning, and in a year they were all well. They had found the opposite to the air of the Ozarks. He is now President of Glen Rose College on the upper Brazoo in Texas, another opposit to the fogs of Westminster, and he remains free from catarrh.

Not every sufferer from catarrh can change his climate, most sufferers must stay at home; then "what will they do to be saved?" I confess that after I have corrected all the secretions that need correction, enjoin correct habits, and tone the vital forces, I am prone to prescribe a chlorid of sodium solution for cleansing nose and throat and carry the victims over till hot weather again when they are usually better till changeable weather in the fall. But that will not do for all cases, as some are great sufferers from fetor, ulcers, impeded breathing and constant droppings into throat, hawking and gagging making life a burden. They must have treatment, and so what will we do for them. This all depends on the character and stage of the disease, whether acute or chronic, atrophic or hypertrophic; but we will suppose the patient has the most frequent form, that of either

chronic or chronic hypertrophic rhinitis. In such cases I usually thoroly cleanse the mucosa with warm salt water or Dobell's solution, then apply tinct. benzoin comp. entirely thru to the pharynx with cotton on a probe. If the nares are closed by hypertrophied turbinates or a general hypertrophied mucosa, I aid the benzoin by negative galvanic electrolysis with an ordinary steel needle, with a light current until surface looks a little pale or white, sticking the point of needle in three or four places, and working back at subsequent sittings as the swelling subsides and makes room to get further back.

Scabs and crusts I soften with vaselin and remove with wash and cover raw surface with acetanilid and bismuth powder.

I give a tonic and alterative treatment internally and have patient spray nose and throat with:

Zinc sulfas,

Colorless hydrastis, Fl. ext. hamamelis, Aqua dest.

The strength of the preparation to be determined by testing, as some can bear much stronger solutions than others. If there is much fetor I add creosote; if the nose is rather dry with little discharge, I omit zinc and use liquid vaselin with oil atomizer. I get better results from weak soothing sprays than strong, irritating solutions. Of course I ring the changes on treatment to suit the case, spraying with eucalyptol, listerine, witch hazel, liquid alboline, and changing from iodid potass. to iodid arsenic for a more tonic alterative.

With a faithful application of such a treatment, varied to suit indications, I generally give much relief and sometimes cure the catarrh ; at least until the patient "takes cold" again.

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This is my say"; and if you are inundated with " sure cures" and scientific expositions from the catarrh doctors and eminent specialists, you can drop this crude affair into the waste basket.

Dr. Smith asks what will remove grease spots and dirt from clothing. My wife cleans my clothes and her skirts, etc., with a decoction of quillaia, or soap bark, and does it clean too, so that by turning and pressing they look like new (if not too much worn) and do not gather dust readily. This is the next best to taking clothes to your tailor for renovation.

I remember an inquiry some time ago for

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bones were absent. The brain was about the size of an egg, and rested on the base of the skull. The eyes were large and glassy looking. The child moved the arms and legs for a few seconds after delivery. This monster weighed eight pounds.

As there was no carpet on the floor and the floor was tight, I scraped up part of the

A Case of Hemicephalus, with an Excess of amniotic fluid, thus securing five and oneAmniotic Fluid.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-October 15th, I was hurriedly summoned to see Mrs. M. I was met at the gate by the midwife, who informed me that Mrs. M. was going to have twins; that everything had gone all right until two hours before, when the pains suddenly stopt, and that she had been unable to reëstablish them, altho she had given whisky, hop tea, had burned feathers under the bed and had her drink a little urine. As she had exhausted all her favorite remedies, she had lighted her pipe and sent for counsel.

I found Mrs. M., 39 years old, multipara, in twelfth confinement. She was of a nervous temperament, medium height, and Irish-American. She was resting quietly in bed and said she felt no inconvenience except a little short of breath. She stated that she had noticed nothing out of the ordinary until the end of the fifth month, when the abdomen began to distend very rapidly; at the time that I was called the waist measured sixty-four inches. I could determine nothing of the position of the uterine contents on account of this immense distention; by digital examination I found that the bag of waters was presenting, and the parts nicely softened.

I at once gave a ten gr. dose of quinin sul. and a hypodermic of 1-20 gr. strychnin sul. After twenty minutes I had her step upon the floor, and in two minutes the pains promptly returned and she took to her bed; the pains continued and were strong and regular.

I then ruptured the bag of waters and to say that every one present was surprised would only mildly express it. The water shot up my coat sleeve like a stream from a fire engine; and as the bed had been prepared with an oil cloth with a sheet covering, the water ran on the floor in a stream.

The child was delivered spontaneously. The body and extremities were well developt, the neck was very short and thick, both the parietal bones, part of the occipital and the upper portion of the frontal

half, gallons, and estimating the amount that escaped at one to two gallons, there could not have been far from seven gal lons of amniotic fluid.

The placenta was large and cord short. The woman made an uneventful recovery. Curlew, Iowa. F. L. ADAMS, M. D.

Local Anesthetics; Agents and Methods.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-The fact that the ingestion of certain drugs per orem would produce mental stupefaction and physical torpor has been known from the dawn of authentic history. Mankind have ever been physical cowards, and altho fanaticism, pride, or exceptional will-power may have enabled individuals to control the manifestations of physical agony, they have dreaded and abhorred pain.

Hence the virtues and vices of agents capable of annulling physical and mental suffering have been "Sung in poetry, rehearsed in prose" from time immemorable. It would seem that man has known alcohol since he has known himself. Ulysses (850 B. C.) sought the temporary oblivion of his woe in the lethal power of nepenthe. Christ, on the cross, was tendered "gall," a common custom in such executions. Ancient Chinese history extols hashish.

Larrey, after his campaigns, suggested refrigeration as a local anesthetic. Mesmer. in 1776, produced insensibility to pain by hypnosis, in a number of minor and major surgical cases. Morton, in 1846, and Simpson in 1847 made the first public recommendation and use of ether and chloroform as anesthetics in surgical operations. These agents at once became popular with both laity and profession, but in a comparatively short time professional enthusiasm was arrested by the reports of many sudden deaths which had occurred under the influence of these drugs. When, in numerous instances, neither the disease nor the operation could be held as actual causative factors in the sudden dissolution, investigations were instituted; notable among which was the Hyderabad commis

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