It is a well-established fact, though not so well known, that life may be prolonged fully ten years by residence in a southern clime where the temperature is quite uniform throughout the entire year. The strain of winter weather ages people rapidly as soon as they reach a certain degree of feebleness. Who has not observed the difference from fall to the following spring in many individuals of advanced years, during which time they age so perceptibly that it is readily noticeable by anybody, so much so that it is remarked upon all sides, even by the affected individual himself. This is due simply to the inability of the weakened organism to withstand the strain of the winter. Persons thus affected grow weaker with each winter's return, and are soon also visibly affected by the hot summer months thereafter, thus presaging a relatively near end.

elimination of effete material. A failure in any of these steps is more or less disastrous by omission or commission. Again, it follows that with the advent of milder weather the strain becomes less, and there is a diminished requirement for food and the labor entailed in its proper disposition.

In our climate the change from winter to late spring is quite sudden, and the dropping off in the food requirements is equally as abrupt. But man is largely a creature of habit, and does not lessen his food-supply as readily as his necessities often require. Many individuals complain of lassitude, lack of ambition, and a general care-for-nothingness about everything in the spring of the year, and straightway imagine themselves sick. Doctors often make the same mistake, being guided by their patients instead of common sense, and the knowledge of medicine. If, during the sudden advent of milder weather, people complain of lassitude and diminished, or loss of, appetite, it is merely Nature's adjustment of the organism to changed conditions. Abstention from eating until the desire for food returns, and the use of Epsom salts or some corresponding hydragogue once or twice, will certainly materially

shape the nose of a newborn child is apt to bruise its delicate structures, and lead to pathologic changes that require operations in later life. A subacute or chronic rhinitis, with incident swelling of the lining membrane of the nose, and the deposition thereon of dried mucus, so narrows the nasal canal that mouthbreathing is the inevitable result, carrying with it its many undesirable effects. Mouth-breathing in children is, therefore, by no means always due to adenoids.

Attention is also called to the common

practice, with most people, of picking the nose with the fingers. This is objected to on the ground, aside from its unsightliness, of its being apt to injure the delicate intra-nasal structures, with ensuing infection and resulting catarrh, usually neglected until it becomes practically incurable, at least by the general practitioner. He suggests what he considers, and what seems to be, a much more desirable procedure, as follows: "When it can be employed, a mixture of aqueous extract of hamamelis, cinnamon water and rose water in equal parts, to which has been added two to four grains

of boric acid to the ounce, will be found. both pleasant and beneficial. About onehalf an ounce of this mixture added to an equal quantity of warm water may be drawn from the hollowed palm of the hand through the nostril and expectorated. Such daily treatment of the nasopharyngeal mucous membrane would, in a comparatively short time, lessen to a great degree the number of intra-nasal operations." This latter we consider very good advice, and would add that the doctor suggests that this be done at the same time that the brush is used upon

the teeth.

Every physician should keep a written record of every case. Besides training him in accurate observation, they are valuable in subsequent treatment of the same patients, and finally become part of the physician's capital which makes him necessary to those people.

Rheumatism vs. Tuberculosis.

The conclusion has often been drawn from very limited clinical observation that these two pathologic conditions are incompatible and do not often exist together. No explanation has been advanced that we have seen.

It occurs to us that, if the observation is correct, the following line of thought may suggest the explanation:

In tuberculosis there has been demonstrated to be a deficiency in leucocytosisthe leucocytes are greatly reduced in numbers and activity from the normal. Hence, besides the employment of chemic antiseptics to destroy tubercle bacilli, the

most successful methods of treatment

have proven to be those that raise assimilation and nutrition to the very highest possible point, such as liberal diet rich in proteid-bearing foods, rest, and the employment of artificially-prepared concentrated nuclein and proteid preparations. Thus the leucocytes, the natural and efficient enemy of the bacilli, are brought up to their normal proportions and efficiency, and if the patient is not too far gone, the progress of the disease is checked and the existing lesions are healed.

On the contrary, in rheumatism and gout-the so-called uric-acid diathesisleucocytosis is excessive, and a process of elimination is the successful line of treatment-by reducing the meat and yolk-ofegg diet, by free water-drinking, by exercise and depleting hot baths and sweats, and by the administration of alkalies, iron, and arsenic-treatment in general that tends to increase the proportion of red blood-cells.

Certain other elements of treatment are for obvious reasons beneficial in both these extreme conditions, and are not necessarily incompatible with the theory

under consideration-treatment tending to correct any abnormality of the digestive function, and also that which promotes complete oxygenation of the blood, as well as treatment promoting normal removal of waste through the natural emunctories.

We make this brief mention of this as yet crudely-developed theory, asking our readers to take it up and make extended observations, applying not only to individual patients, but to family histories as well, and to report their observations in refutation or confirmation of the theory.

Santonine in Epilepsy and Ataxia.

This drug, hitherto employed only as an anthelmintic, is now highly recommended by Lydstone in Medical Times as a symptomatic remedy superior to the bromides in the treatment of epilepsy, in doses of two grains three or four times a day, gradually increasing to fifteen grains, and for the fulgurant pains of locomotor ataxia, in doses of two grains four times daily. This suggests the probability of its usefulness in other disorders of the nervous system. It must not be pushed, to full physiologic action-weakness. tremor, perspira tion, colored vision, etc

Macaroni as a Food.

It is not well known that macaroni is one of the most nourishing vegetables that can be used. This is because it contains such a large quantity of vegetable nitrogen or gluten. It should be much more used than it is. Very ripe wheat is needed to make a good article, and this is what is used in the better grades of this food. Physicians should bear this in mind in ordering the dietary of their patients. Its nutritious value is still further increased by the concomitant use of grated cheese.

On Voluntary Human Vivisection.

Medical journals and some lay publications have, for the past few months, made mention of a doctor in Brooklyn who offered to submit himself for one year to such vivisectional experiments as any other doctor, or number of doctors, might desire to make upon him. The district attorney announced that he would prevent this, or at least would prosecute those who would attempt it. This offer of the doctor's has been generally referred to as a would-be-martyr spirit, and there have been mild suggestions that such action is not needed, could serve no useful purpose, but certainly would prove derogatory to the scientific pursuit of the study of medicine, particularly in experimental lines. It seems to us that this man does not show a martyr spirit, nor is it the proper course for the district attorney to threaten action in the criminal courts.

It seems more sensible to us to look upon this offer as an advertising bluff, and a stupid one at that, or else that the man is morbid, and might very properly be placed in a lunatic asylum until he recovers his common sense, if he ever had any. Many of these sentimental ebullitions are taken seriously when they merit a smile and a shrug of the shoulders and indifferent silence.

Arsenic in Superficial Cancers.

P. Lassar, in Berl. Klin. Woch., reports several cases of epithelial cancer cured by the internal administration of arsenic. This is not entirely new, as the specific effect of arsenic upon the skin is well known.

Doctor, look over your case books and report to THE COUNCIL your observations and deductions. They will help others in similar difficulties.

Original Articles.

The following articles have been written exclusively to the editor and readers of this journal. Other journals republishing any of these articles will, as a matter of professional courtesy, kindly give credit as follows:-Medical Council, Philadelphia.

Constipation and Its Treatment.

By FRANCIS LEE THURMAN, M. D.

Keswick, Va.

Among women, nothing plays a greater role in their weal or woe than constipation. In my experience in practice, twothirds of the women in the land are in degree constipated from moderate costiveness to the extreme and incredible condition of an action in ten days.

Causes.

By far the most frequent cause is habit. Going back of habit and hunting a cause for the habit, I would say that, in my opinion, the unattractiveness of the watercloset is the most potent factor in this cause. Let a water-closet be cold, damp, odorous and out of the dwelling, and not one woman in ten will have the moral courage to obey the first call of Nature

in winter. One, yea even one, disregard

of that summons starts a train of results that only the experienced physician knows too well. As regards other causes, mention might be made of what the laity call "torpid liver," imperfect secretion of bile, or, if sufficiently secreted, a catarrhal condition or other obstruction

to the outflow of bile, thereby lessening the supply to the intestines. And lastly, not to go into minor details, inadequate muscle-tone in the intestinal walls, thus rendering the peristaltic movement imperfect and stagnation in the intestines of fecal matter.

Results.

Even in moderate costiveness some change in physical condition may be noticed, such as feeling of heaviness about the head, lack of sense of wellbeing, disagreeable taste in the mouth, and some impairment (noticeable or unnoticeable) of the faculty for quick, active, energetic mental activity.

Passing from costiveness to consti

pation the above symptoms would be intensified with probably a marked dullness about the head-often headacheand from this to severe constipation when the results of auto-infection and intoxication are often marked, the results of which seem only dependent upon a peculiar personal equation, differing largely with the individual attacked. Often in the severer forms the large intestines become greatly dilated and the nerve-tone is so abolished that peristaltic movement-the vis a tergo-which causes evacuation through muscular power, is completely destroyed.

Treatment.

For the milder forms of costiveness I recommend no medicine whatever, nor have I found any necessary where the patient proved sufficiently in earnest in these simple cases to follow instructions. And right here is one of our hardest fights, to make a slightly-sick patient view her case seriously enough to take the necessary precautions to prevent a more serious one following. My first instruction is a cultivation of regularity in habit-"Go regularly to the same place at the same time each day"-and the patient of careless habits will be surprised what difference the simple observance of this rule will make. To aid this, the diet should be as largely vegetarian. as the market will afford, supplemented by the use of plenty of nice ripe fruit. Exercise is a factor which must, by no

means, be overlooked, as I deem it one

of the most important factors in keeping up the necessary peristaltic wave in the

muscular coats of the bowels.

For the more serious cases all the above instructions are necessary and to them I would add the habit of drinking, both at bedtime and on arising, copious draughts of fresh limpid water. This removes the mucus coating the stomach and allows food, when taken in, to come in direct contact with the digestive and absorptive cells of the stomach-walls. And last, but not least, through Auerbach's and Meisner's plexus of nerves starts a peristaltic wave which, in the healthy subject, continues its movement to the rectum.