life and cnaracter of the deceased were made by Drs. Jones, Beach and Mills, and informal preparations made to attend the funeral.

Dr. H. C. Brison was recommended for membership.

Society adjourned.

O. JOHNSON, M. D., Secretary.

T. W. JONES, M. D., 1st Vice President.

THE CROW AND the Country Doctor—(a medICAL FABLE.)—A flock of Crows were much alarmed one day at the sight of a strange object in the midst of a field upon which they customarily fed. They at once called upon an Old Crow who practiced his profession in those parts, and who made a specialty of corns, to give his opinion about the matter. The Crow, having examined the object, shook his head, and said that it was a serious case, and that it was lucky he had been summoned so soon, though he should have been called earlier, and he would like the advice of his friend, the Owl, who had had the benefit of travel abroad, and who was particularly skillful in cases which called for the Steady Use of the Eyes. He would also like to have the Frog, who was spending his summer vacation by a neighboring pool, and who had a wide reputation for his physiological knowledge, to see the case. The Crow, the Owl, and the Frog, met, and having studied the object at a suitable distance withdrew to the shade of a High Wall in order to deliberate. The Frog first opened his mouth, and observed that it was a nice Case, which reminded him of a very curious experience that he had had with a piece of Red Flannel two summers before, when he received a severe contusion upon the centre of Goltz. After telling all about this very apposite event, the Owl observed that such cases were extremely rare. He had, however, had two very much like them, the details of which he had forgotten. He then related some very humorous obstetrical stories, which much amused the Crow.

Having received these opinions, the Crow thanked his Colleagues for the valuable light they had furnished. He had himself been at first disposed to think the trouble a case of Terror Corvorum, or Scare-Crow; but the advice given reminded-him now that the appearance in the cornfield exactly resembled a country doctor whom he occasionally met, and who, after practicing medicine for forty years, was at present trying to live on What he had Saved.

This diagnosis was finally agreed upon, and reported to the anxious Crows outside, who were much relieved.

MORAL. This story shows the profit that is got from consultation, and the lucrative nature of the practice of medicine.-Boston Medical and Surgical Journal.

MEDICINE.

THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF DIGITALIS.-In the October issue of The American Journal of Medical Sciences Dr. Samuel Nickles, of Cincinnati, summarizes the present state of our knowledge of the physiological action of digitalis, and his paper is specially instructive, since the doctrines now universally taught regarding the action and uses of digitalis differ in a number of important points from those held two decades ago. Then we were taught that digitalis was essentially a sedative affecting strongly the nervous system, thus causing feeble and slow heart action. Now the latest authors teach that the nervous system is only secondarily affected, while the heart is directly influenced, its action becoming more powerful though slower. Twenty years ago we were taught that digitalis was a diuretic directly acting upon the kidneys, thus producing in many diseases a greater secretion of urine. To-day we are told that digitalis does not act upon the kidneys at all, and only secondarily affects the secretion of urine by causing a change in the systemic circulation. In one point, there is universal agreement, that digitalis recklessly used may produce the most disastrous effects, and that these may occur quite unexpectedly in consequence of cumulative action.

But not only in regard to the modus operandi do present authors differ from their predecessors, but also as to the therapeutic indications. Two decades ago digitalis was held to be indicated when the heart's action was too powerful; now we are informed that it is useful only when the heart's action is too feeble. Then authors taught that digitalis would control and hence favorably influence a hypertrophied heart, while present writers contend that every disease of the heart attended with excessive action is aggravated. It was held for a century that digitalis, though not eminently useful, was still often of great service in dropsy dependent upon organic disease of the kidneys; but now we hear that in diseases of the kidney attended with diminished diuresis, it is almost always useless, and exceedingly dangerous.

DYSPEPSIA. The superiority of lactopeptine over pepsine as a digestive agent is everywhere acknowledged, and is rapidly succeeding it. From extended experience in the use of lactopeptine, we unhesitatingly recommend it as a most valuable remedial agent in certain forms of dyspepsia, vomiting in pregnancy, and especially in cholera infantum.— Canada Lancet.

MUMPS AS A Sudden Cause of DEAFNESS.-Disease of the ear during the progress of acute infectious disorders is a not infrequent occurrence. Especially are suppurative inflammations of the middle ears common during the progress of scarlet fever, and non-suppurative inflammations are a frequent attendant upon the progress of measles. The nature and treatment of these ear diseases are well understood. But occasionally during the progress of mumps a sudden and complete loss of hearing occurs which is not so well known, either as to its nature or to its treatment, and a paper on the subject from the pen of Dr. Leartus Connor, of Detroit, which appears in the October number of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, is both timely and instructive.

As the result of his personal experience and of the study of thirtythree recorded cases, Dr. Connor concludes that

1. Mumps do in some rare cases produce complete deafness.

2. This deafness is usually attended with all the evidences of disease of the labyrinth.

3. These show that it sometimes begins in the cochlea, but more frequently in the semicircular canals.

4. Owing to the lack of early observations and treatment it is impossible to say that it is not transmitted through the middle ear from the parotids to the labyrinth.

5. The history of some of the cases would seem to suggest that such an origin was possible.

6. This possibility renders it very important that every case of deafness during an attack of mumps be at once carefully examined, so as to settle the question.

7. This possibility offers the only hope for the successful treatment of these cases so as to prevent deafness. Thus, if there be a middle ear disease, we might hope that revulsive and counter-irritant treatment would arrest the disease and save the labyrinth.

8. As to treatment of the labyrinthine disease nothing has thus far been devised that has produced any satisfactory result.

THE value of arsenic injections into goitres has been definitely decided by Dr. Dumont, of Switzerland, as related by Jonquiere in an abstract in the Internat. Cedtralbl. fur Laryngologie, etc. He treated twenty-six patients thus, with no benefit whatever.

MEDICAL DELUSIONS.-The Medical Record gives the following as "some medical delusions:" "1, It is a delusion that veratrum viride or aconite will abort croupous pneumonia or essentially modify its course; 2, that potas. chlorate is of any use in catarrhal angina: 3, that potassium nitrate is an anti-ipyretic, anti-rheumatic, or (to any appreciable extent) diuretic; 4, that lime-water will, in practice, dissolve a diphtheritic or croupous membrane; 5, that nitrate of silver is of any value in epilepsy; 6, that the excessive and continued use of iron induces plethora, with dizziness, flushings, and palpitations; 7, that iron should not be aiven in phthisis; 8, that mercury is antiphlogistic; 9, that arsenic has any value in diabetes mellitus; 10, that potassium iodide promotes absorption of serous exudations and non specific connective tissue in hyperplaisi; 11, that sulphur and sulphur in baths is of any value in rheumatism; 12, that charcoal, when moist in the stomach and intestines, has any absorptive power, or is of any use in flatulence by virtue of that power: 13, that dilute acids are "cooling," i. e., lower temperature and lessen heart-action in the non-febrile; 11, that colchicum is of benefit in rheumatism; 15, that drinking sulphuric acid prevents chronic lead-poisoning; 16; that iodoform given internally is anything but a poor substitute for potassium iodide; 17, that croton-chloral has a specific effect on the fifth cranial nerve; 18, that tannic acid (or the plants containing it) is of any value given internally for hemorrhages, except perhaps those of the stomach and bowels, or, 19, that it is of any value as a gargle in chronic pharyngitis, or, 20, that it is an astringent to mucous surfaces and blood-vessels; 21, that turpentine is a stimulant to the heart and nervous system; 22, that musk is a nerve or heart stimulant (it belongs, with turpentine, to nerve depressants); 23, that ox-gall is of the slightest therapeutical utility at either end of the digestive tract; 24, that hydrocyanic acid in ordinary medicinal doses is either a local or general sedative (it is rather an irritant); 25, that quinine in either small or large doses is a stomachic tonic, except in convalescence from malarial attacks; 26, that hydriodic acid has any specific effects other than those possessed by the iodides."

NEURALGIA AND RHEUMATISM.-C. W. Prindle, M. D., of Grand Rapids, Michigan, writes, "Have used Tongaline extensively in all forms of neuralgia and rheumatism, finding it a safe, easy and efficient remedy. For all the cases of neuralgic or rheumatic pains, accompanying the colds that predominate in this damp and malarial region, it seems to be a specific."

OBSTETRICS.

CREDE'S METHOD FOR DELIVERY OF THE PLACENTA.-The vigorous controversy over "Crede's method," which has recently involved so many obstetricians, has led Crede to restate in detail the manipulation he advises. As many American practitioners habitually adopt what they believe is his practice, I think it will be of interest to know exactly what that method is; I therefore have translated his own description, giving the italics as found in the original, in the Archiv fur Gynakologie, xxiii., 2, 313: ***

"The natural detachment of the placenta occurs within a few minutes after the birth of the child, and is recognized by a discharge of blood, and by a marked diminution of the size of the uterus, which may now be felt as a firm ball, the size of a child's head, between the umbilicus and pubes. As soon as any after pains have occurred, the midwife grasps the entire uterus through the abdominal walls with both hands and presses it towards the concavity of the sacrum; she repeats this several times, if necessary, but only during a pain, until the placenta is found at the vulva or is entirely expelled. If, from imperfect contraction of the uterus, or from tenderness of the abdominal walls, sufficient pressure to expel the placenta cannot be made, the attendant, guided by the umbilical cord, feels carefully in the vagina for the placenta; if a portion is felt, then, with one hand, gentle traction is made on the umbilical cord, while with the other pressure is made over the uterus. If the point of insertion of the cord in the placenta cannot be reached, or if on gentle traction of the cord resistance is felt, no further effort to deliver the placenta in this way may be made until after several uterine contractions have occurred, which may be increased by gentle rubbing and pressure. If the placenta is found low in the vagina, and readily reached by the finger, then the attendant shall pass the index and middle fingers as far upon the placenta as possible and press it gently downwards and backwards, while with the left hand the cord is made tense. When the placenta appears at the vulva the attendant shall grasp it with the fingers of one hand and draw it gently upwards and slowly turn it upon itself several times in order that the membranes may form a cord and not be torn away. When delivered, the entire after-birth and any coagula are removed under the flexed leg of the woman and placed in an empty basin.

"All strong traction on the umbilical cord, or attempts to extract the placenta when high up by introducing a part or the whole hand, or to aid the efforts at extraction by straining, coughing, blowing in the hands, etc., are very dangerous and therefore are inadmissable and forbidden.”—(W. H. TAYLOR, M. D., in Lancet & Clinic.)