While we should and do welcome these improvements, there remains much to be done by medical men in instructing teachers and parents along the line of individual cases, so as to have them brought to a full realization of the evil effects of impaired vision upon the intellectual development and physical growth of a child, and to impress upon their minds that in all school work the visual apparatus needs examination by those who are competent to give intelligent opinion and judicious advice. A few oculists go so far as to say that no child should be allowed to enter school until its eyes have been properly examined under a cycloplegic. This, however, is too radical, but I do say that no child who shows the least symptom of the eye strain should be permitted to remain in school without an examination of its refraction under atropia or some other reliable cycloplegic.

If this matter were understood as it should be, I do not believe that any physician or parent would send a child to an optician for examination, for it is well known that a great majority of opticians have not the least idea of the relation of eye strain to the general health, and that they as a class condemn the use of all "dilating" medicines, as they call them.

This class of opticians have also done much to prejudice the minds of the people against the use of lenses, because they are inclined to place lenses upon all who may be so unfortunate as to call upon them for advice. No doubt the temptation is strong to put on a weak lens even when not needed, as this is the only way they can collect a fee, so that after all the bait, "examination free," is too often the tempting cover that hides the hook which lands a patient, and sends him home with a useless or needless spectacle or eyeglass, and thus in the end he pays dearly for his effort to get something for nothing.

There seems to be an unaccountable prejudice in the minds of many against the use of "drops," but the oculist sees almost daily (not only in children but in adults as well) the evil results of the effort to avoid them. Case after case could be cited where children were wearing a minus fifty or minus one dioptre lens, with aggravation possibly of their symptoms of headache, nervousness, etc., when the proper examination resulted in a prescription for a plus one dioptre or even stronger plus lens, with complete cessation of all symptoms.

Without a cycloplegic the mistake is also often made in children of putting on a weak plus lens when a much stronger plus lens is the one required.

All this and much more, with its harmful results to the most valuable of our senses, that some incompetent man may have the pleasure and profit to be derived from selling a pair of spectacles that cost him from one to five dollars for the sum of from five to twenty dollars. Our duties, therefore, to the school children not only consist of the hygienic and sanitary surroundings necessary to reduce the number of little sufferers from eye strain, but to see that when, in spite of our precautions, it does not come, that they are properly cared for, for by so doing the children are more suitably equipped and better protected, and as a consequence there would be a greater probability of them becoming good and useful citizens.

Nose, Throat, Heart and Lungs.

CONDUCTED BY

DR. J. MARTINE KERSHAW. ST. LOUIS.

ELONGATION OF THE UVULA,*

Elongation of the uvula is a common cause of cough and clearing of the throat. Cough due to irritation through an elongated uvula, is worse on lying down, talking, and the inhalation of cold air. There is little if any Cough when in the upright position, and when quiet. A speaker subject to this affection, is often obliged to cough a number of times while. making a speech, and he is quite as frequently obliged to clear his throat before finishing his oration. The singer experiences the same trouble, though in a much more aggravated form, and, of course it is much more noticeable. It is safe to say that the musician can never be a successful vocalist while suffering from an elongated or relaxed uvula. The consumptive, with an elongated uvula, coughs ten times, where he would cough but once, were he not a subject of this difficulty. The cough of bronchitis is greatly aggravated by this condition of the uvula, and the dry, nervous cough of the run-down man or woman, is aggravated to an extreme degree through irritation of the larynx by the relaxed uvula; and spasm of the glottis with symptoms of impending suffocation, have been set up by an elongated uvula reaching and entering the larynx. Thus, for a number of reasons an elongated uvula can create a deal of discomfort, and aggravate several important diseases of the throat and chest.

ease,

It is primarily caused by the extension of chronic naso-pharyngeal disacute attacks being set up through exposure, colds, draughts, and causes of acute catarrhal affections. The chronic form of this disease

other

is usually observed in an individual run down in physical health, and poorly nourished. The individual may have enough to eat, but the food is not assimilated. Where the nervous system is faulty from whatever cause, the most pronounced symptoms of irritation of the larynx are observed, and these symptoms cannot be allayed, or overcome, unless positive attention is given the elongated uvula. Where the subject is strong and of good constitution astringent applications, such as solutions of adrenalin, alum, tan

ic

acid, vinegar, acetic acid, etc., will prove immediately helpful; but, where the subject is nervously and physically run down, and the causes of the lowered physical tone cannot be removed, a small portion of the uvula should be excised. It relieves at once any irritation due to that organ, because of its undue length. It does not abate any cough or laryngeal irritation due to other causes, but it does relieve that due to this organ, and that, in many instances, amounts to immediate and inestimable comfort to the individual having an irritable larynx, and an elongated uvula at the

same time.

*Read before the Missouri Institute of Homeopathy, in Kansas City. April, 1903.

J. M. K.

THE MEETING AT KANSAS CITY.

The recent meeting of the Missouri Institute of Homeopathy marks what we hope is the beginning of a new era in the State medical society and savors some little of the times gone by when something was accomplished and some definite plans for the future outlined. It was a good old fashioned meeting where each met the other upon common ground, and above all when there was an evident desire to learn and discuss something of the advantages gained in Homeopathy.

One and all seemed alive to the fact that more and more good is to be expected from medicine; indeed the bureaux of Surgery and Gyneacology were even pushed back for the discussion of subjects medical and clinical verifications. In the course of discussion the question as to the effects of cotton-seed oil upon the human body came up and Dr. Frank Elliott and Dr. Patterson were appointed a committee to investigate the subject and report at the next meeting. This is a broad field and the gentlemen sent out in quest of knowledge regarding this article of every day diet, have plenty of room for research and a large field to conquer. So far as we know it is the first step the society has taken along the line of original research; it is a step in the right direction and we expect results in the present instance.

A few words regarding the Legislative Committee, which has heretofore accomplished little or nothing. The members of this committee, have, to put it mild, hustled," they have hunted up and written to more than 2000 physicians in this state and in regard to bills introduced among the law makers have made a creditable showing indeed, while for the first time since a chair of Homeopathy was created in the Columbia University, has an appropriation been made to maintain it; true, the amount so appropriated was small, but we believe the proper man, willing to sacrifice some thing for the sake of seeing the institution fairly in operation, has been found, and further that as one man the entire profession (Homeopathic) in the state will support and help him.

But there are many things yet needful in the way of improvement; the never ending troublesome shifting of sections and voting special time to certain sections should be discontinued, as well as indiscriminate discussions, a certain time and a certain hour should be allotted each section and this time reserved except for especially urgent reasons, the chairman meanwhile having arranged for the time of his bureaux with the executive committee.

Such an arrangement would obviate the necessity of a three days session, or if business matters demanded more time the officers and various committees could continue longer.

Two full close days well fitted with work would accomplish as much as is now done in three, and we believe make the attendance better, but at

this session, the representation was all that could in reason be expected, St. Louis sent her usual quota and the physicians from various parts of the state attended well.

Financially the society is in a good condition, and with a healthier feeling among its members should find the way easy for a successful meeting in 1904.

The new officers are all young men, full of vigor and strength, yet not too young to have discretion and good judgment. Crutcher has had good experience in the Secretary's chair and knows well the burden resting upon him as President, while Mellies has ample experience in medical societies and will not shirk any work laid upon him. We have not now at hand a list of the various bureaux chairmen.

In the daily papers we find the report of an inmate of Asylum No. 2, this state, who died during the night, having retired apparently well. Upon examination of the body and holding a post mortem, the sternum and a number of the ribs were found broken. The attendant was arrested. Such a state of things right here in Missouri, in the year of our Lord 1903, among an enlightened people, and worse than all, occurring in a hospital for those whose reason is dethroned and who are entitled to every care and humane methods that can be found.

Complaints are at times made from asylums where the patient, though subjected to rough treatment, has forced it upon himself but in no case or under any circumstances has it been charged that attendants brutally abused these charges, not even in the prison containing the worst criminals of all classes has the breaking of bones formed a part of the discipline.

There is something radically wrong in the management when such things exist and it is but reasonable to suppose than when this aggravated case came to light, many more cruelties of less severity, but none the less painful occur.

We do not for a moment wish to be understood as saying that a guard or attendant should risk his life unnecessarily, or hesitate to use heroic measures for his own protection, or the protection of others, but there is no reason why the injury inflicted on this patient was not reported at once and the man given proper medical attention, nor was there any reason why it should be attempted to hide the cause of death.

Apparently harmless patients at times become suddenly violent and it is a case of "control your man, or be at a madman's mercy," but, these unfortunates are the wards of the state, confined for their own safety and the safety of others; not to be abused or injured, and this case in the year 1903 presents a picture equal to that which existed before the days Hahnemann and Pinel. No effort should be spared to probe this matter to the bottom, and if it is the result of an attendant's unbridled rage and fury, no condemnation is too great for him and his punishment should be according to his deeds.

If, on the other hand, environments and conditions are such that he was compelled to kill his man, or subject his own life and that of others to imminent danger, it is high time that a renovation be made and Asylum No. 2 placed in a position to better care for its inmates.

Mayor Wells has made most of his appointments and thus far, has found no homeopath whom he considers good enough to hold any of the medical positions, it seems however that candidates are much more eligible in his eyes if they are adherants to the university.

Some one has said that the "chief business of a Physician is to usher into the world some human being or at the other end of the scene usher some hopless body out of it," true it forms an important part of his work, fraught with responsibilities, some times under the greatest of difficulties and most adverse circumstances, and this constant contact with suffering wears upon him even as does a continual dropping upon the surface of a rock.

Said a lady the other day, "It is my desire to secure the opinion of an old doctor" one full of experience whereupon her companion pertinently inquired where such might be found, far apart indeed are the physicians past 60, a few of the old timers still remain but by far the greater majority have given up the strife. Experience they have enough, skill, judgment and discretion far in excess of the generation preceding but the staying power is gone, the continual grind is too much for human endurance and in a comparatively few years the doctor is a wreck physically and too often financially. The medical profession as a rule, look but lightly upon the demise or disability of a brother practitioner, if he is ill we pass with a shrug of the shoulder and the exclamation and excuse "It was his own fault."

But what of the future? Shall we in death as in life go like "the Quarry Slave," or shall we in the midst of earthly vicissitudes, approach the end as one who "lies down to pleasant dreams."

Shall the contact with suffering and too often sin, harden óur whole being? and change us to a mere machine, mechanically doing those things, needful to maintain professional standing and practice? Shall we as time goes on, yes or even at the beginning of our professional career do things only for "the money in it."

Shall we allow, jealousy and selfishness to blot the sunshine and beautiful spots in our make up, plodding onward with nothing in view but “me and mine" either socially or professionally?