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run to death;" meals irregular, rest broken, or you may be deprived of rest entirely for several days; a severe head ache comes upon you and your nerves cry out for rest and sleep, but still the sick cry out for your attention. What are you to do? You can "bridge over" by taking a drug and still continue your ministrations to the sick. The temptation is great-not for your own gratification, but in behalf of others. You yield, not from weakness, but from magnanimity. The same conditions come again, and you yield again and yet again and again. Each time it becomes easier, and your realization of the danger grows less and less until you lose sight of it altogether. What was occasional becomes frequent, until, to your dismay, it has become a habit. You are human; drugs and neglect of proper rules of living have the same effect on you as on others. You were strong, but now you are weak; you were resolute, but you have changed; your mental vision was clear, but now it is "astigmatic" and "amblyopic;" you were free, but now you are a slave. Pitiful transformation !

What will pay for such a misfortune? If success comes so high, it is not worth its cost. Sacrifice is noble, but sacrifice with such results should be avoided.

Realize that you are human. Realize that it is more important that you live a proper and hygienic life than anyone else in the community, for you are the health pilot, and you should set a proper example. Command both yourself and your business. Do not allow your business to drive you to drink or drugs, not even "for the sake of humanity," for you are yourself a part of humanity, and as important as any other member of the community. If you direct and use the aid of others with good judgment, "humanity" need not suffer, even in an unusual stress of sickness. Plenty of willing aid is nearly always at hand, and if you do not properly direct it, it is your own fault. It is well to instruct many among your clientele how to take pulse and temperature and keep a chart of

the same, and how to properly do numerous other nurse duties. Then in many cases you can leave a thermometer and direct that a daily report with chart be sent you, and thus the number of necessary. visits can be greatly reduced, enabling you to get rest when you need it, and still do your duty to your patients. Don't be afraid of your practice slipping from you by using intelligent lay help. If you do it with good judgment, confidence in you will be increast, and hence your fame and practise will be increast; but, better than all, it will enable you to take proper care of yourself, and continue to be a man. Beware of drug taking, and of breaking the rules of health. Nature cannot be cheated. The fact that you are a physician will not save you. Nature knows no such thing as "professional etiquette." Nature's laws are impartial.

Doctor's Ideals.

Any who live only for the physical pleasures of life belong with the pigs. Indeed, there are very few if any such, for even among the lowest of humanity it would be difficult or impossible to find one who has no hope, no memory, no ideal beyond the merely physical. "High living," in the best sense, does not relate to what money will buy. The millionaire cannot eat in proportion to his wealth, and however costly his mansion it is only a house after all; and even among the most elegant surroundings, with costly viands and wines, servants and equipages without limit at his command, he may be poverty stricken in health, head, heart and soul.

For example, a couple of years ago an extremely wealthy speculator in South African gold mines, on his way from the gold fields to England committed suicide by jumping overboard. His life seemed empty, in spite of his wealth. His friends feared danger, and had him carefully watcht, but he eluded his watchers and destroyed himself. Can we imagine more abject poverty? An honest hod carrier,

whose ideal is to earn money that he may give comfort, and now and then a little outing, to his little family, is wealthier.

Beyond the physical necessities, food, raiment and shelter, and these on a modest scale, life really consists in our ideals. Those who love the highest ideals and who strive to live up to and realize them, live the highest; and those whose ideals are lowest live the lowest, however rich they may be in material wealth; and any who have no ideals, if there be any such, can scarcely be said to live at all.

There are ideals of all kinds, and one person may have several kinds, in different relations. For example, a mechanic may have an ideal in regard to doing better work than any other workman in his line, and he doubtless has other ideals of life outside the shop.

The world has been advanced entirely by idealists. Inventors have had their ideals before the realization. Patriots have sarificed their lives for their ideals, and because of this we have the blessings in government that we now enjoy. Many pages could be written along this line of the world's authors, artists, statesmen, scientists, etc., etc., all idealists.

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Doctors should have ideals both in their professional work and outside. We are all mediocre in our work until we strive to excel. Our professional ideal should be to at least win a place above mediocrity. Then, I still insist, that every doctor should live a life outside his profession. He should have an ideal as a citizen, and live up to it. There are other ideals also, as to relations to family, kin, friends and society. One should keep his ideals ever before him; if they are what they should be, they will always be good company. They will help you to be a better doctor, citizen, son, husband and father. A man without an ideal is much like a ship without a compass during a cloudy night when the stars. cannot be seen. But ideals cannot be bought. Others cannot make them for you. Each must make his own.

As to doctor's ideals within the profes

sion, relations to patients and to professional brethren, standard of service to patients, etc., it just oceurs to us that perhaps some of our many readers will give expression to their ideals for the benefit of the "WORLD family." This would be an interesting and profitable "class meeting."

Government and Spelling.

November Medical Mirror contains the following from the pen of the genial Dr. I. N. Love:

Dr. C. F. Taylor, editor of THE MEDICAL WORLD, in his journal gives not only good service to his subscribers in furnishing a symposium of bedside experience that is valuable, but in every issue, in his "Talks," touches up affairs of state and matters of vital interest to every citizen. I do not always agree with Dr. Taylor's views, but whether I do or not I am invariably imprest with their evidences of study, thought and sincerity.

I do agree with him, however, in favoring Government ownership of all public franchises. Surely, if the Government can conduct the postal service so successfully she can the telegraph, telephone and the railroads and postal savings banks.

As regards Dr. Taylor's views on phonetic spelling, he may be right but I don't like it. Somehow or other to spell through thru, thorough thoro, tough tuf, looks too easy; and I feel that since I had to struggle through the intricacies of - our present tough system of spelling I want those who follow after to do the same. The fact is,, spelling is a most excellent mental gymnastic, and it won't do to make it too easy. Phonetic spelling looks awfully uncultured, don't you know, and whenever I see it, it's hard to get rid of the idea that the pen wielder indulging in it has erred from the standpoint of good spelling.

Suppose we eliminate the diphthong and "let it go at that." Still, the fact that the World editor wants the more radical changes made would almost prompt my acquiescence.

Thanks, Brother Love, for your frank expressions. The above shows that we are in substantial agreement in regard to matters of state, for "Government ownership of all public franchises" embraces almost the whole of my political belief. If my "Talks" have aided in bringing you to this view it is another of the many indications that they have done much good. We will all hope that your brilliant pen will aid in spreading this light, to the end that the masses of the people in this country shall be enlightened enuf to con

duct their own public affairs in the interest of all.

Now as to spelling, I do not advocate fonetic spelling, because that would be too much of a revolution. Its theory is all right, but its practice would disturb establisht practice too much. I advocate only a little step toward simplified and rational spelling. Over a quarter of a century ago the foremost scholars of this country began a movement in favor of a reform in spelling. In 1876 the American Philological Society publisht a declaration on this subject. Further action was taken from year to year, and the Philological Society of London was also interested, and in 1883 both societies agreed upon twenty-four rules for the correction of the orthography of certain words and classes of words. Thus the scholars. did their work as far back as 1883, but the "prac. tical" men, the "business" men, the "meu of action," still lag behind!

Also

Brother Love (and all other progessive brethren), please look in the Century Dictionary, immediately following the letter z, and see the rules above referred to, with a list of amended spellings. look in the front part of Webster's International Dictionary, page xcvii, and see the same. You will find even greater attention given to this subject in the Standard Dictionary. What I am doing is to make a small and modest beginning at carrying out the rules agreed upon by the leading scholars of both this country and England sixteen years ago. Don't you think it is time to begin?

Spelling as it now exists is not "an excellent mental gymnastic." Its contradictions and lack of method lead to insanity rather than reason. The only good mental gymnastics are those that embrace logic, rule and consistency. A mind trained along such lines becomes stronger and clearer.

It seems that Brother Love wants a sort of aristocracy of learning, and hence would make language, the instrument of learning, as difficult as possible. Surgical

instruments are made as near accuracy and precision as possible; why not language, which is our universal instrument? Let wealth and fashion create an aristocracy, if they wish, and let them "keep the bars up" as high as they can; but let learning be a true democracy. If difficult and absurd spelling has kept some out, let us remove this obstruction as rapidly as we can, that all who wish may read and write the language without committing an absurdity in every line. If written and printed language were as simple and consistent as it should be, the time now given to it could be used to make clear, logical thinkers of our boys and girls, and they would grow up to be mentally stronger men and women.

One of our Missouri subscribers wrote me a year or two ago, "Don't make spelling too easy. It won't do to let in every Tom, Dick and Harry. We must keep the bars up." I replied that I wanted to let the bars down, or remove them entirely if possible, and let all who desire to come into the pasture of learning. No nation ever had people who were too learned. Learning is too precious to confine to an aristocracy.

Of the rules adopted by the philolocal societies above mentioned, the first one is, "drop silent e when fonetically useless." In many words the final e is not only fonetically useless, but it is a false guide. One of the rules of pronunciation is that a final silent e indicates the long sound of the preceding vowel; as in wine the i is long, and win the i is short. There are many such words, as kite, kit; mite, mit: white, whit; bite, bit; fine, fin; twine, twin, etc. For this reason such words as definite, medicine, opposite, uterine, examine, etc., should be spelled without the final e, unless you wish to pronounce the i in the last syllable long, as in wine, kite, etc.

The National Teachers' Association,consisting of over ten thousand teachers, has sent out the following announcement:

Secretary's Office, Winona, Minn., Aug. 1, 1898.
ANNOUNCEMENT-AMENDED SPELLING.

The Department of Superintendence of the N. E. A, at its meeting in Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 17, 1898, appointed a committee consisting of Dr. Wm. T. Harris, United States Commis

sioner of Education, Washington, D. C.; Dr. F. Louis Soldan, Superintendent of Schools, Saint Louis, Mo., and T, M. Balliet, Superintendent of Schools, Springfield, Mass., to recommend a list of words with simplified spelling for use in the publisht proceedings of the Department.

The report of the committee was duly made and the spelling so authorized was used in the publisht proceedings of the meeting of the Department held in Chattanooga, Tenn., Feb. 22-24, 1898.

At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the N. E. A. held in Washington, D. C., July 7, 1898, the action of the Department of Superintendence was approved and the list of words with simplified spelling adopted for use in all publications of the N. E. A. as follows:

Program (programme); tho (though); altho (although); thoro (thorough); thorofare (thoroughfare); thru (through); thruout (throughout); catalog (catalogue); prolog (prologue); decalog (decalogue); demagog (demagogue); pedagog (pedagogue). You are invited to extend notice of this action and to join in securing the general adoption of the suggested amendIRWIN SHEPARD, Secretary.

ments.

Are not doctors as progressive as teachers? Should not medical editors be as progressive as any other class?

The following is quoted from an address by the president of the American Philogical Association:

"It is of no use to try to characterize with fitting epithets

tice medicin. It is sending communications to other medical societies thruout the country, and to examining boards, boards. of health, etc., of the various States. We hope that this is a step toward the establishing of a uniform standard by the various boards of examiners, and a uniformity of State medical laws. All this will pave the way toward a National Medical Law, which we hope will be possible in the not distant future. For circulars issued by the above-mentioned society, address E. Amberg, M. D., Sec'y of Committee, 32 W. Adams Ave., Detroit, Mich.

An Example from Canada.

The following clipping from a Canadian. newspaper, sent to us by a Canadian subscriber, tells its own story. We fear that it will be many years after Canada has an

and adequate terms of objugation the monstrous spelling of interprovincial medical law before we have

the English language. The time lost by it is a large part of the hole scooltime of the mass of men. Count the hours that each man wastes in lerning to read at scool, the hours which he wastes thru life from the hindrance to easy reading; the hours wasted at scool in lerning to spell; the hours spent thru life in keeping up and perfecting this knowledge of spelling, in consulting dictionaries-a work that never ends; the hours that he spends in writing silent letters, and multiply this time by the number of persons who speak English, and we shal hay a total of millions of years wasted by each generation. The cost of printing these silent letters of the English language is to be counted by millions of dollars for each generation, and yet literary amateurs fall in luv with these squintings and lispings. They try to defend them by pleading their advantage in the study of etymology, but a changeless orthografy destroys the material for etymological study, writn records ar valuabl to the filologist just in proportion as they ar accurat records of speech as spoken from year to year."

The Association is trying to get a resolution thru Congress as follows:

Resolved, That the Public Printer be and is hereby directed in all works for Congress and for the Departments begun after the passage of this resolution to adopt the following rules for amended spelling, except in educational and other works where a different orthography may be acquired:

First.-Drop "ue" at the end of words like "dialogue," "catalogue," etc., where the preceding vowel is short. Thus, spell "demagog," "epilog," "synagog," etc. When the preceding vowel is long, as in "prorogue," "vogue," "disem. bogue," etc., retain final letters as at present.

Second-Drop final "e" in such words as "definite," "infinite," "favorite," etc., when the preceding vowel is short. Thus, spell "opposit," "preterit," "hypocrit," "requisit," etc. When the preceding vowel is long, as in "polite," "finite," "unite," etc, retain present forms unchanged. Third.-Drop final "te" in words like "quartette," "coquette," "cigarette." etc. Thus, spell "cigaret," "roset," "epaulet," "vedet." 'gazet," etc.

Fourth-Drop final "me" in words like "programme." Thus, spell "program, '"oriflam," "gram," etc.

Fifth-Change "ph to" "f" in words like "phantom," "telegraph," "phase," etc. Thus, spell "alfabet," "paragraf," "filosofy," "fonetic," "fotograf," etc.

Sixth.-Substitute "e" for the diphthongs "" and "" when they have the sound of that letter. Thus, spell "eolian," "esthetic." "subpena," "esofagus," "atheneum," etc.

N. B.-No change in proper names.

The members of the American Philological Association say that the scope of their work is constantly extending, and they bave hope of getting favorable action by the Senate and the House at Washington.

The Wayne Co. (Detroit, Mich.) Medical Society is continuing its efforts to promote the establishment of inter-state reciprocity concerning the license to prac

an interstate medical law. However, we must continue pushing the idea until all legal practitioners will be free to practice. anywhere under the stars and stripes.

LICENSE FOR; ALL; CANADA. PROPOSED BILL TO ESTABLISH INTERPROVINCIAL MEDICAL REGISTRATION.

ULTIMATELY, IT IS HOPED, THE SCHEME WILL BE EXTENDED TO THE ENTIRE BRITISH EMPIRE.

Toronto, November 9.-(Special.)-Dr. T. G. Roddick, M.P., for St. Antoine Division of Montreal, was in the city yesterday in connection with the Interprovincial registration of medical practitioners. Dr. Roddick was intrusted by the Canadian Medical Association with the duty of forwarding the cause of interprovincial registration. He held a conference yesterday upon the subject with Dr. Williams, of Ingersoll, and Dr. Thorburn, of Toronto. These three discust the proposed bill which, if past by Parliament, will give effect to their object.

The scheme of the bill is that provision be made for the examination by the dominion Medican Council of candidates desiring a license to practice anywhere in Canada. This, if arranged, will in no way interfere with the autonomy of the existing provincial councils.

The Dominion Council will consist of delegates from the provincial councils and the amalgamation will do away with the evil which now exists of Ontario practitioners being unable to practice in Quebec, or any other province, and vice versa. The bill will be retroactive.

All members of the medical profession of ten years' standing or over will be immediately licensed to practice anywhere in Canada without special examination. Those of less than ten years' standing will be at liberty to take the examination for such a license. The aim of the bill will be to establish a system applicable to Canada generally, with the ultimate hope of bringing about an Imperial medical council, providing a license to practice anywhere in the empire. Hon. Sydney Fisher, under whose attention the matter will come, has pronounced himself in favor of the move.

It is suggested that the following subject be discussed in our columns in the near future: "Do intestinal antiseptics disinfect the canal ?"

What do you think about it? What have you found to be the best antiseptics for this purpose, and in what form and doses?

Perhaps you can propose other opportune subjects, and at the same time give your views for publication. The advance in medical science was never more rapid than at present. Cannot you contribute something to it?

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Editor MEDICAL WORLD:--An entry in the ledger before referred to in this series recalls to mind that in the early fifties a fairly good office could be had for $36 a year. This first office was a whole building in itself, but it was a small building. There was a large door in the center, framed strongly enuf to withstand a siege, while a window each side, glazed with diamond panes, was heavily shuttered. The building was just as long as it was wide, and its square shape gave it the appearance of a block house. It had but one story, and the steep pitch roof came down from a central point just alike on all sides, so that it lookt like a huge extinguisher. The building was painted white, while the trimmings, the door, and all the shutters, eight in number, were painted green.

The interior was exceedingly plainly furnished. There was no rich carpet with velvety pile, into which the feet would sink as in a bed of moss; instead, there was a generous sprinkling of sand covering the floor, which had been scrubbed white. One or two crude prints, considered at that date as the perfection of reproductive art, hung frameless on the wall. One of these was a portrait of George Washington, a face which adorned even the poorest home, in those days, a tribute to a man whose name was one to conjure by.

Conspicuously displayed was a diploma written in Latin, which only the initiated could read, and which, for that reason, inspired the gaping country people with awe and led them to attribute marvelous knowledge to the happy possessor, for, said they to themselves, if he can read that he must know everything.

The furniture of this office was simpler than many a modern kitchen. A plain pine table stood in the middle of the room. Four plain wooden chairs, cheap but strongly made, completed the fittings. The painter, who attended to the outside decoration, having some green paint left, kindly painted these green for nothing. He said it was a pity to waste the paint. but those who saw the furniture said it was a pity the painter had any paint left.

In the corner was a case of small drawers, and in these was kept a choice but limited assortment of herbs and drugs which were used not only in practice, but sold to the villagers for a consideration. there being no apothecary store in the place. Camphor was one of the drugs greatly in demand, but rankly redolent above all was the penetrating odor of asafetida, which permeated the atmosphere and saturated everything.

On the corners of the table were several books which constituted the whole library. Samuel Cooper's Dictionary of Practical Surgery was one of these, while the Edinburgh Dispensatory was another; the Physicians' Prescription Book completing the trio, and almost completing the library. Thomas Watson's Lectures on the Principles and Practise of Physic maintained the equilibrium on the opposite corner, and aside from its valuable suggestions was almost as entertaining as a novel.

In the drawer of the table was an oldfashioned turnkey for pulling teeth, one or two excavating tools and pluggers for filling teeth, a small pocket case of instruments, a long keen-edged butcher's knife. a bright fine-toothed tenon saw, and an old-fashioned tourniquet. The whole outfit cost less than $10, for each article was second-hand, altho just as good for practical purposes. Even this slight outlay represented many days of self-denial even to going without dinner to save money.

On the wall hung two small, cedar, brass bound pulleys, fitted with strong hempen cord. This was a familiar article in all surgeons' offices at that time, for the reduction of dislocations was not then a matter of skill, but a question of force.

On the table, when a doctor was at home, was a small, strong, wooden, leather covered with-the-hair-on, brassbound chest, with a clasp and padlock nearly as large as the chest itself. When he was making his visits, this chest sat, prominently displayed, in the chaise, on the seat beside him, and when he entered

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