sinking into obscurity. Of perchloride of iron, too, a long list of negative evidence is wanted. The article is a valuable one, and ought to be disencumbered from the trash that correspondents have heaped upon it.-Boston Medical and Surgical Journal.

Amputation at the Knee-Joint.

Dr. Thomas M. Markoe, of New York, has succeeded in collecting records of 51 cases of amputations through the knee-joint performed in this country since 1856. In the year mentioned he published an account of 18 cases operated upon by American surgeons, with only 5 deaths. Of the 51 operations now mentioned in his paper to the New York Medical Journal, 39 were necessitated by accidents or injuries, and of these, 20, or more than 51 per cent. died; of the remaining 12, operated upon for conditions arising from disease in the leg or joint, but 2, or about 17 per cent. died. This is a very favorable showing, and would be still more so if 4 successful cases, the notes of which had not arrived · in time for publication, were included. There would then be 55 cases, with 40 per cent. of deaths. And here let us revert to what appears to be an error; 22 of the 55 recent cases died, and according to Gross' Surgery, 5 deaths took place among the 18 reported in 1855. This would make 27 instead of 25 deaths in the total number, and would raise the per cent. from 34, as given by Dr. Markoe, to 37. Dr. Markoe looks very favorably upon the disarticulation as compared with amputation through the thigh, but we conceive that he makes a serious error in taking into his calculations all cases of amputation of the thigh, whether of the upper, middle or lower thirds. Every one knows how much more fatal operations are as they approach the trunk; indeed, Dr. Markoe claims this as a reason why disarticulation should be preferred, yet he fails to exclude all but amputations through the lower third, to which alone, it is manifest, disarticulations should be compared. Again, his comparisons, it strikes us, would be more valuable if made with reference to whether disease or accident necessitated the amputation. A preponderance of either of these classes would greatly modify the result, as may be seen at a glance, by turning to the figures quoted above. The points made

by Dr. Markoe are: 1st, That the ancient prejudice against this operation and the objections to it on the ground of the danger of opening so large a joint as that of the knee, are unfounded, at least, in the degree to which they are practically important. 2d, There seems good reason to believe that the shock to the system, and the demand upon its reparative power, are less in amputation at the knee-joint, than in amputation higher up. 3d, The condition of the stump during the progress of cure, is more favorable and less distressing to the patient because the muscles not having been divided, voluntary motion is not prevented nor is it painful, and retraction, by which the end of the bone may be uncovered, cannot take place. 4th, The bone being unwounded, the dangerous and troublesome accidents likely to follow exposure of the medulla by the saw, such as necrosis, osteo-myelitis and pyemia, are avoided. 5th, The stump remaining after knee-joint amputation, is much more serviceable than those following operations higher up, permitting the whole weight of the body to be borne upon it with ease and comfort.-Pacific Medical Journal.

Renewal of Prescriptions by Druggists.

Various societies in America have now passed resolutions respecting the practice of druggists renewing prescriptions without authority; and the Medical Societies of the City and County of New York have notified the same to the druggists of the city; and the following legal opinion has been given on the subject by Mr. J. D. Harnett, attorney and counsellor-at-law:

"In answer to your inquiry, 'Have physicians a right of property in the prescription given by them to their patients?' I state, first, the prescription is a direction from a physician to some druggist to put up for and prepare for the patient's use, a certain medicine. When the druggist performs this act, and files away the prescription, he has no right to again put up and prepare medicine from that prescription, unless he do so by the orders of the physician who originally gave it. He has no more right to do so, than a merchant would have to deliver, on a written order for one barrel of flour, sundry barrels after the one called for had been delivered. A more important feature is, however, involved in the

matter of physicians' prescriptions being duplicated by a druggist without the physician's authority or instruction, which is, that the medicine so duplicated may be entirely unsuited to the patient's changed condition of health, of which the druggist has no opportunity of knowing. No one is capable of judging in such matters but the attending physician. The druggist who duplicates a physician's prescription without the physician's orders, commits a crime against society, inasmuch as he permits medicine to leave his store which may cause the death of the person to whom it is administered. Second: medical societies have a right, (and, in deed, I think it is a duty which they should attend to) to pre. scribe and establish a rule for the government of druggists in such matters, which, no doubt, druggists would carefully observe. This would save the medical profession from many charges of mal-practice, and many persons from the injuries resulting from the continued use of a medicine not advised or prescribed by a physician."-British Medical Journal.

Treatment of Disease by Faith and Prayer, instead of Medicine.

In the current number of Good Words, is an account by Mr. William Gilbert, of visits paid by him to two of the Continental establishments at which "the treatment of disease by faith and prayer instead of medicine" is carried out systematically.

The institution first visited was that of the Lutheran pastor, Christoph Blumhardt, in the Black Forest; and here Mr. Gilbert found a handsome house, with gardens, etc.-in fact a bankrupt water-cure establishment converted into a semi-religious house, with the gambling and dancing salon turned into a chapel. Here were assembled just that class of valetudinarians who might be met with at any fashionable but quiet resort of invalids, averaging a hundred and sixty in number, who promenaded, attended chapel, took regular meals, and kept early hours, and went away benefited accordingly. A conversation with the pastor elicited that "he did not deny the efficacy of medicine, but at the same time had a much greater reliance on the efficacy of prayer, being fully convinced from his own experience, which was great, that the majority of diseases could be cured by prayer and faith, with

out the application of scientific remedies. In surgical cases he did not deny the necessity of calling in a skillful surgeon." Our surgical brethren will feel complimented at this admission, which is not in strict accordance with the views of one of the "peculiar" witnesses at the recent inquest. Mr. Gilbert did not see any cases of cure, nor were there in the institution any persons suffering from serious diseases; he was assured, however, that there had been "some wonderful cases" during the preceding months.

Dorotha Trudel was a young woman who resided at Männedorf, on the banks of Lake Zurich, and who, being of a pious disposition, betook herself to prayer when some members of her family had been given over by the physicians. They recovered, and on sickness again breaking out in the village Dorotha was called in to pray over the sick, who recovered without any medical advice. Unfortunately, medical jealousy appears to have been excited by the reputation she thus obtained, and a prosecution followed, with the imposition of a fine, which, however, was remitted on appeal. Persecution naturally gave publicity, and publicity only increased reputation, so that Dorotha became the rage, and sick folk flocked together from all sides. In the midst of her successes, and in spite of them, Dorotha unfortunately died, (in 1862,) and her "system" is now carried on by others, with what success we are not informed.-Lancet, March 7, 1868.

Abstract of the Proceedings of the Erie County Medical Society.

The semi-annual meeting of the Erie County Medical Society was held in Buffalo on the 9th instant. The following gentlemen were elected to membership on compliance with the by-laws:Drs. Eddy, Hopkins, Schuyler, Willoughby, Nichols and Chace, of Buffalo; Dr. W. D. Murray of Tonawanda, and Dr. Newman B. L. Parker of Akron.

The literary exercises consisted of an oration by Dr. Henry Lapp of Clarence, and a memoir of the late Dr. Cyrenius Chapin by Dr. G. F. Pratt of Buffalo. After the applause which followed the reading of Dr. Pratt's paper, Dr. James P. White said in substance, as follows:

I have been more than gratified in listening to the memoir that has been read in our hearing. The excellencies of the pioneers of

our profession in Western New York, are indeed well calculated to fill our hearts with pride. The record of these excellencies, unless preserved for us in papers like the one to which we have listened, must soon be beyond our reach. The lives of such men should not thus cease to exert their influence upon us. One such memoir, that of Dr. Marshall, has been deposited in the archives of this Society, and permit me to express the hope that this Society may have, and urge its right to have, and that at no distant day another memoir of our honored dead from the pen of his surviving son. No man is so fitly prepared to perpetuate the memory and influence of my departed friend, Dr. Trowbridge, and none more willing to do us this high honor.

After other appropriate remarks by Drs. Boardman and Snow, it was, on motion of Dr. James P. White,

Resolved, That the thanks of this Society be tendered Dr. Pratt for his very interesting memoir; that at the expense of this Society 1000 copies be published in pamphlet form for gratuitous distribution, and 600 copies for distribution with the Buffalo Medical Journal, and that a copy be presented to the State Medical Society, accompanied with a request for its publication.

The committee appointed to select orators for the meeting in January next, reported the names of Dr. William C. Phelps for orator, and Dr. C. F. A. Nichell for substitute.

M. G. POTTER, Sec'y.

Genesee County Medical Society-Semi-Annual Meeting.

BATAVIA, June 9th, 1868.

The semi-annual meeting of the Genesee County Medical Society was held at Batavia, June 9th, 1868. Present-0. R. Croff, President. in the chair, L. B. Cotes, J. R. Cotes, M. W. Townsend, A. P. Jackson, E. B. Lounsbury, G. W. Croff, L. L. Tozier, H. D. Benham, J. C. Watson, J. Root, J. S. Billings, A. G. Ellen. wood and M. C. Potter.

The following communication was received:

To the Secretary of the Genesee County Medical Society:

Sir:-The undersigned, a member of the Genesee County Medical Society, has to respectfully report, that a fellow member of this Society has been guilty of a violation of the code of ethics