waters of the James when the Virginia Cavalier, hunted, rode and danced the hours away.

Mr. Fisher has so arranged his groupings that each picture is complete and we feel that the curtain of time has been deftly drawn aside, and we have in reality been looking backward.

A Queen of Hearts: by Elizabeth Phipps Train.

Dramatic stories, that is stories with the environment of the stage have been infectious this year, for we have had several of them, but none that are better thon this Queen of Hearts, and Dr. Holmes would have been pleased with the demonstration of his own theory of heredity.

The author has carried her Queen of Hearts most successfully through a career as a vaudeville danseuse who is, a strong true woman, full of heart and genuine love. It is, as a matter of fact, not what our occupation makes us, but rather, what we make it, and ourselves.

Perhaps Pauline Mavis is super-sentimental in her treatment of her father Picot, but it is a good failing for this generation is not overburdened with parental reverence.

We recall with pleasure the dramatization of Miss Trains "A Social Highwayman", and venture to predict that the "Queen of Hearts" will also be dramatized.

A Damsel Errant: By Amelie Rives. The Lotus Library.

Price 75 cents.

The gift of words is certainly to be coveted; add to this a strong imagination, and a fine taste in selection, coupled with a courage in carrying out convictions, are attributes that apply to Amelie Rives. Her Damsel Errant is placed in the romantic background of the middle ages and of chivalry. It is a pleasant story full of life and action.

From DODD, MEAD & CO.,

Publishers New York.

Portraits and Silhouettes of Musicians. Translated from the French of Camille Bellaigue, by Ellen Orr. Price, $1.50. There is much of mystery in the real ego of the musician. We listen with pleasure to the voice of his talent, but

acxuaintance with the real entity is vague and ambiguous, True, we remember that Hayden, Mozart, Weber and others lived, we are more or less familiar with their music but as a rule our knowledge ceases there, so we are indebted to Miss Orr for bringing these delightful people to our acquaintance. Miss Orr is thoroughly at home with her subject and invests it with much life and vivacity.

The illustrations are fine and the general mechanism of the book all that could be desired.

A LIBRARY IN ITSELF.

Few people are able to buy as many books as they would like, yet it is possible without them to keep in touch with all the leaders of liternture, as well as to follow the world's progress in every department of science and industry. THE YOTTH'S COMPANION already provides the means for more than half a million households-at an expense to each of $1.75 a year. Every issue of THE COMPANION gives as much reading matter as a 12mo book of 175 pages, and THE COMPANION Comes every week. The quality of its contents is shown by the announcement for 1898, whith promises contributions this year from the Rt. Hon. W. E. Gladstone, Rudyard Kipling, Speaker Reed, Capt. A. T. Mahan, Mary E. Wilkins, W. D. Howells, Lieutenant Peary, the Marquis of Dufferin, Senator Hoar, Justin McCarthy and more than two hundred other eminent men and women.

All new subscribers for 1898 will receive THE COMPANION'S gold-emqossed calendar. beauiifully printed in twelve colors. A handsome illustrated prospectus of the volume for 1898 will be sent to any one addressing

THE YOUTH'S COMPANION,

205 Columbus Ave., Boston, Mass.

ELIZA H. ROOT, M. D., Editor, Chicago, Ill.

It is a pleasure to us, to announce to you the acceptance of the Department of Obstetrics, by Dr. Eliza H. Root, of Chicago.

Dr. Root in her salutatory most succinctly states the case concerning obstetrics and the need for such a department in this journal.

Any co-operation our friends can give Dr. Root will be a mutual favor, and any communications to her, should be addressed to Dr. Eliza H. Root, Editor Department of Obstetrics, The Woman's Medical Journal, 489 Monroe St., Chicago, Illinois. The Managing Editor.

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF OBSTETRICS.

Eliza H. Root, M. D.

T seems proper that a Medical Journal by women and for women should devote some of its space to the subject of Obstetrics. With a view to greater usefulness as a Medical Journal, we begin the new year with this added department. We feel confident that this move will be welcomed by our readers, for the Art and Science of Obstetrics is essentially woman's. Out of her needs the art has been evolved, and with her rests the foundation of the science.

Obstetrics is supposed to deal with normal processes and not with diseased conditions as in gynecological and general surgery. Child-bearing, though a physiological process is not without dangers, to both mother and child. These dangers arise from two distinct sources-The first is external to the mother and depends upon her environment, that menaces her safety with infections. These may occur during gestation, during labor and during the period of lying-in. The second source is internal and belongs with the woman herself. It grows out of conditions that make the passage of the passenger unsafe and impossible and finds

expression in faulty development of the parts concerned in parturition and in accidents of mechanism.

It is the obstetrician's sacred office to avert these dangers whenever possible, and he averts them in direct proportion to the skill and knowledge at his command. "That infinite power for taking pains" that some call genius, brings its reward in the practice of obstetrics as it does in all lines of work.

The treatment of the first named source of dangers must be prophylactic and remedial, while those of the second must be mechanical and covers a wide range of surgery. If a perfect prophylaxis is observed, remedial measures will fall into disuse. While thorough knowledge of and training in the second will contribute greatly to the safty of childbearing. There is no one confinement but what faces dangers arising from both sources named. Every one who has practiced in obstetrics knows how near to the danger line, both mother and child may approach and yet escape.' There is no branch of medicine, in which the physician can so fully appreciate the real value of his services as in obstetrical practice.

To make obstetrics only a stepping stone to some other branch of surgery is ruinous to skillful obstetrics. The subject and its practice.requires the earnest devotion of a life time with a commensurate erudition in all branches of practical medicine.

I once heard a physician, a woman, say: "I would never touch an obstetrical case if I could afford it, but I need the money". The Lord help the poor woman, I thought, that falls into the hands of such an obstetrician (?). The res ponsibility of the situation is too great to admit of such make-shift practice. There is no reason why many, yes, very many of our medical women should not devote themselves to this all-absorbing branch of surgery with the same earnestness that characterized the life work of a Madam La Chapelle or a Madam Boivine.

In the last decade, obstetrics, in our country has had a wonderful uplifting. Our best medical schools are giving the subject more attention than ever before, still there is by far too much of slovenly obstetrics in vogue.

Not to be behind in matters of progress, The Woman's Medical Journal has set apart this department for the pur

pose of broadening and deepening the interest of women in this especial branch. t will afford opportunity for systematic reports of cases and of deviations from the normal or usual, however slight, many of which are said to be rare, simply because of carelessness in observation or failure to report them when observed.

With New Year greetings we have set before our friends and readers an open door,

Come in friends and let us make The Woman's Medicsl Journal a means of contributing valuable matter to the science of obstetrics.

OHIO COLLECTIVE INVESTIGATION.

The collective investigation of the treatment of diphtheria and membranous croup in the State of Ohio for the twelve months ending February 28, 1897, conducted by the Board of Health, report of which is published in the Ohio Sanitary Bulletin, under date of June, 1897, was unique and valuable from the fact that comparisons were made between those treated with and those treated without antitoxin. The year was especially favorable for such investigation since diphtheria was very prevalent during a large part of the year and an unusually large percentage of the cases were of laryngeal type. The investigation differed from other made concerning the same disease also in the fact that all the cases were collected from one well defined territory and reports of all cases classed as diphtheria were requested.

It is worthy of record that the Board undertook the investigation on a purely scientific basis, having neither bias in favor of any recognized older course of treatment nor prejudice against any of the newer remedies.

In response to over 6,000 blanks distributed through the friendly co-operation of the health officers of the cities and towns of the state upwards of 3,000 cases of diphtheria occurring in the state during the year were reported. Among these there were nearly 400 deaths. About 500 cases which did not appear from the date submitted to be undoubtedly cases of diphtheria were excluded from the report.

Nearly half (44 per cent.) of the cases included had been treated with antitoxic serum. In the latter group the mor