has become more rational; but the most important step is yet to be taken. The elements of language and mathematics are necessary as a basis; to these the chief facts of geography, history and several of the sciences should be added. [Concerning the study of history, the best way to get its lessons, many pages could be written, which I will not enter upon here]. Upon this frame-work a superstructure is built by our educational institutions, ranging up to the most complete classical course given in our largest universities.

But one thing, the most important thing in our modern life, is completely left out of the ordinary education, and only lightly touched in any of our educational institutions. It is the subject of economics. When this subject is presented in our advanced colleges, it is treated in an abstract way-a "far away" sort of waywithout application to practical needs, and with due regard for existing institutions. The philosophy of money, the principles involved in the transportation question, and the many questions concerning land titles, land tenure, taxation, etc., are not taught. Yet these questions enter into the daily lives of us all, and they should be a part of the common-school education of every American boy. One objection is that they are too difficult. They are not half as difficult as algebra or Greek. It seems that "the powers that be" wish a veil of mystery to shroud these questions, just as the Indian medicine man wishes to be protected in the monopoly of the incantation business. The people are made to believe that these questions are "too deep" for the ordinary mind, yet every college student, and almost every school boy, solves more difficult problems every day. I now have in mind a man who kept a fish stall in a market house who has become immensely wealthy by giving some plain, every-day business attention to the economics of street car transportation. And the people are foolish enough to allow the companies of this man to use the public streets, which belong to the people, and they pay five cent fares while the cost is less than two cents. Even school children are charged this exorbitant fare. The city has spent millions for a magnificent park, but the poor, even the children of the poor, must pay a tribute to the street car company in order to go to the park. The city would better have spent less for the park and owned the means for the people to get to it to enjoy it. But this need not be an expense, for a slight profit could be made at two cent fares.

The

The general study of economics would rapidly bring better conditions to the masses. farmer is the original producer, and consequently the foundation of society. He has to contend against two things-uncertain crops and unstable prices. A proper solution of the money question, as outlined in the book called "Rational Money," would render prices comparatively stable; yet the average farmer is caught by "jingoism," and cares more about the American flag floating over distant islands than for his pressing and legitimate interests at home.

A proper solution of the railroad question would not force coal miners in Pennsylvania to starve while the farmers of Nebraska are burning their corn to keep warm. A rational arrange

ment of public transportation would bring producers and consumers closer together, to the great advantage of both; yet the attention of voters is kept on questions of far less importance to them, and our educational institutions continue missing the mark by "pottering about" on branches of little practical every-day value.

We pride ourselves on our schools and colleges, on the universality of education in this country, on our newspapers and magazines, and on the unusually high intelligence of our people, as a whole, yet we do not apply the same to our most vital interests. Public utilities, such as transportation, the telegraph, banking, etc., are left to the management of private coteries, and of course the management is in the interest of these private coteries, and, locally, street-car transportation, telephones, and usually the water supply, gas, electric lights, etc., are left to private ownership and operation, of course, in the interest of the owners instead of the public, tho the streets belong to the public. When will the people waken up to these facts, and cease to waste the precious school-time of youth on impractical subjects, and put that time on subjects which involve the general good of all? When will voters cease to allow their attention to be occupied by "flap-doodle," to the neglect of the most vital puplic interests, a proper management of which would vastly improve the condition of all?

Regent Carl Vrooman, of the Kansas Agricultural College, in a recent address to the students, said:

"I have been much interested in this college for the good work in which it is a pioneer. In Germany we find bootblacks who can speak four languages and Ph. D.'s by the score waiting upon tables in cheap restaurants. This is because in former times education was a matter of Latin and Greek, of writing poetry in dead languages; and much of it now is mere scholasticism. Harvard was the first of the old conservative colleges to decide that Latin was not necessary. She must go farther and say that not literature nor science nor anything requiring mere memory is necessary for education. This younger college can teach the old universities.

"Here the individual is taught to make the most of his life, and how to succeed in the stress of modern competition. China is a monument of the death-like influence of learning divorced from life; of that conservatism which is so in love with the good that it cannot see the better, that will not change the bad for fear of making it worse. I, too, love to grope amid antiquity and bear my tribute of admiration before the noble minds of old; I, too, love to revel in the old heroic days and bathe my spirit in the glamor of the times that are past, but only that therefrom I may gain a deeper inspiration with which to face the mightier problems of to-day."

Dr. Hulbert Fuller, of Chicago, has written a very entertaining book devoted largely to economic problems. It is in the form of a novela novel with a purpose-entitled, "God's Rebel." On page 121 occurs the following:

"With algebra, geometry and many branches of proverbial uselessness, the very children of the poor were stuffed to the point of idiocy; the binomial theorem and nebular hypothe sis fed and consumed their grey matter: any one of them was capable of finding the locus of a point in space equidistant from three given points not in a straight line; but anything as simple as A, B, C, which directly concerned their economic intelligence and was invaluable in fitting them for usefulness as citizens of a republic, was neither to be thought of nor taught. In a monarchy, the professor reflected, there might be sufficient reason for putting all studies under the ban which tend to dispute the fact of the divinity of kings; to the Roman superstition science had been a stab in the heart; but why, under a republic whose government is the people, these fundamental principles which go to insure its continuance should pass untaught, unhonored, aye, even dishonored, was beyond Kenneth's power to fathom. Was it dry? was it uninteresting? was it infamous? On every hand public discussion obtained, and (Continued over next leaf.)

paper." Oh, no! and he never, never, climbs the back stairs to the editorial sanctum. Far be it from him.

To most the obtaining of the degree is the initial step to a life of hard work, and these enter at once into the practice of medicine, waiting for patients and gaining step by step the prominence of successful general practitioners. They have been faithful, plodding students, conscientiously bent on getting the most practical knowledge available for the money they have invested in their education, and altho one seldom hears of them afterward, save in the most unassuming manner, they, after all, perhaps most notably represent the profession, the rank and file—the practical

men.

Again, there is the brilliant man, whose quizzes are pyrotechnic in matter and manner, the men "with a pull" who seek hospital positions, win them, branch out in some specialty, and become the quoted men of the profession, sometimes justly so, sometimes alas! merely because of a showy skill in dealing with glittering generalities that impresses and disinclines for criticism. These are on the border-line, and if they step to the one side will have it in their power to cast the greatest possible discredit upon the profession, because they, "in the light that beats upon the throne" should, like Cæsar's wife, be above all suspicion of unworthy methods.

Last, least in numbers, but greatest of all, are the true scientists, the ardent unselfish students, the true specialists, the men who learn thru and by their own mistakes, who possess the rare attribute of genius, the Virchows, the Pasteurs, the Hutchinsons, the McDowells, the Listers, all those whose names truly belong on the roll of fame. How many of this year's graduates will attain a place in that roll? How many will strive for it? The road is thorny, the rewards are few and far, and the gold obtained is too often solely as a halo after death, too seldom as a lining to pockets. Yet it is, after all, highest and best.

Doctors and the Birth-rate. There seems at present a lively and salutary interest in the matter of the birth-rate of the various civilized countries, notably in France, where for some years there has been a steady decrease, to such extent as to awaken grave fears as to the decadence of the country in importance among the powers of the world. The decrease during 1897, according to statistics recently completed and publisht, was 6,479 over that of the previous year, when the rate was so low as to attract worldwide attention. Investigations have been made at various times to determine the cause of this falling-off, and the chief result seems to have been a falling-out among the investigators. A noted authority claims that it is solely due to the extension of various venereal diseases, and another laughs him to scorn, saying that nothing save alcoholism can be blamedthat if the use of wine, absinthe and liqueurs was not so common, the old birthrate would soon be restored.

A claim that seems more inherently plausible is that the decrease is due to general knowledge of means of prevention of conception, and also of ways to produce abortion at different times during the period of pregnancy. The particular method in use thruout France seems to be coitus frustratus, or "withdrawal," a practice affecting the health and development of individuals and thus causing the possible degeneration of a once mighty nation in other respects than that of mere numbers.

It has long been known that preventive practices were in common use among the well-to-do classes not only in France, but thruout the world; but in the country named the practice is not thus confined, even the peasantry being adepts. A reason for this seems to be found in the fact that in that country heads of families are taxed in proportion to the number of liv

ing offspring, thus not only increasing expenses proportionately but disproportionately. A vigorous plea is being made to obtain amendment of the laws to a different state of affairs, taxing the childless in proportion to their means, instead of putting a premium upon the gratification of lust at the expense of society.

In this connection it is an interesting fact that the doctors, who are chief among the advocates for reform and for the encouraging of child-bearing, are themselves among the heaviest offenders, very few physicians having more than one child, many none, a small proportion so many as two, and still less performing their duty to the State by producing three children.

Marriage of Asexualized Women.

The question of marriage in its relation. to sociology has for some years occupied to sociology has for some years occupied the attention of the medical profession, and various considerations of mental and physical health have been debated upon, settled, and the discussion again opened. Considering the furor that at one time prevailed for the removing of the sexual organs of woman for any neurosis that manifested itself, it is scarcely to be wondered at that the matter of the possession of the power of procreation has formed a part of recent debates upon these questions. A clever parody shows how the fever of operation possessed the profession. A gynecologist is represented addressing his class:

Count that day lost whose total operative sum Shows not two ovaries removed, an hysterectomy done.

Such operation has been frequently done upon virgins, and as they yet possess the natural desire for a human mate and a home, they occasionally marry. It has been suggested that such marriage is in the nature of a fraud upon the prospective bridegroom, unless he has been informed as to the mutilation which had been per

formed, a rather improbable thing. The statement has been made that the exist-ence of this condition should be considered in certain instances as constituting just grounds for divorce, and it is curious to note that a case has recently come before the Supreme Court of New York, with a rather odd result. The suit was brought on the ground that the hope and intent of having children is a paramount reason for entering upon the marital state, and that incapability for performing this function, when artificially produced, is a just cause and impediment to entering upon the con-tract of marriage. The court holds that the having undergone an operation causing inability to bear children does not constitute a bar to marriage, reasoning from the fact that women who have past the menopause are also incapable of being im pregnated, and it has never been claimed that such marriages should be annulled. The judge said that in his opinion there was no essential difference between a woman who thru no fault of her own had

lost her ovaries, and one whose ovaries have become functionally inactive from the

lapse of time. If one is incapable of marrying so is the other. The possession of organs necessary to the production of children is in his opinion not necessary for marriage, so long as there is no impediment to the indulgence of the sexual passion.

The matter of the ignorance of one of the contracting parties as to the existence of the mutilation is not toucht upon, and this is of some interest. There seems a reversion to the Jewish idea that sterility constitutes or should constitute one of the few lawful grounds for the abrogation of the marriage contract. A point that also seems to be overlookt is that by such discussions women seem, in a manner, placed between the two unenviable positions of being, in the married state, regarded as either legalized handmaids of lust or as performing the functions of brood animals. We suspect that many have higher ideals.

A New Treatment for Phthisis in the Incipi

ent Stage.

advanced one the injections had a good and in some instances an exceptional beneficial effect; and in the far-advanced cases

Dr. Thomas J. Mays of this city presents to the profession a new and apparently effective treatment of phthisis or pulmonary tuberculosis in the earlier stages of the affection. Dr. Mays claims that the rational therapeusis of the affection rests upon a nervous pathology, the vagi being seriously implicated in the neurotic basis, possibly from lack of sufficient stimulation. Hence he reasons that a measure calculated to arouse the nerves out of this ab

normal condition should produce markt effect upon the general and local condition. In pursuance of these ideas he experimented with various conservative irritants immediately over the course of the nerves in the neck, determining finally that from four to seven minims of a 23-per cent. solution of pure silver nitrate best served the purpose.

Dr. Mays begins by giving one injection on the side of the neck on which the affected lung is situated, repeating this ordinarily in a week or ten days, sooner if coughing is excessive. The point selected for the injection is immediately over or slightly behind the pulsating carotid artery in the region of the neck, midway between the angle of the lower jaw and the clavicle. Care should be taken to avoid puncturing the blood-vessels. To relieve the pain which sometimes follows the injection, it is sometimes well to precede its use by the injection of a few drops of a 21per cent solution of cocain.

In the analysis of the results there is shown a surprising increase of weight, appetite and general strength, and an improvement in the physical signs, more markt in the cases treated in the earlier stages than in those representing later development. Even when the case was an

contributing much to the comfort of the patient. In his conclusions Dr. Mays states that whether these effects are lasting, time alone can tell; but the histories given show that they are at least of decided temporary value.

There seems little possibility of harm resulting from the treatment as outlined, and every possibility of good when it is combined with other good hygienic, dietetic and medicinal treatment. In the present stage of investigation concerning lung-tuberculosis, any measure so promising as this cannot help but be received with interest by the profession, and we recommend the measure as outlined for general experimentation and investigation, inviting reports from all who give it trial, as to their results, whether favorable or the reverse.

Night-sweats of Phthisis.

Possibly the most annoying feature connected with the average case of pulmonary consumption is the lack of definite knowledge as to the best means of handling the night-sweats without causing reactions that would be in other ways of unfavorable effect upon the health of the patient and the course of the disease. These sweats are so exhausting to the patient and so usually resistant to all therapeutic agents that investigation in this line, with the obtaining of definite results, cannot fail but be of great benefit to the profession.

A comparatively new agent is camphoric acid, for which excellent results in the treatment of this condition have been claimed. The claim is made that its beneficial results are lasting, not requiring repetition of the dose for several days, never the same night.

The dose usually is about a half-dram,