THE COUNTRY DOCTOR. Who would not be a country doctor? Inasmuch as the country doctor belongs to a somewhat different order from the city genus, it is manifestly proper that his chronicle should be writ by one of him. He is necessarily a somewhat busy man and consequently is sometimes as hard to find as a Spanish armada. Some people, who live in walled cities and don't know, may question his usefulness. To such I would say,-Verily the country doctor is more essential to the welfare of society than is the French language to an American bill of fare. He devoteth himself to the relief of the woes of his fellow-man-sometimes for a consideration. He goeth forth in the gray of the morning full of energy and benevolence, and returneth in the gloaming full of Faith, Hope and Charity (accent on Charity), and is greeted by his faithful wife with the announcement that Simon Peterson's wife's mother, away over on the ridge, is sick of a fever; and by the heir to his bottles and uncollected accounts, with a demand for a half shekel of silver with which to purchase "electric cycle oil.” He eateth his supper (for, behold, the country doctor eateth his dinner at noon, as did the patriarchs and prophets) he eateth his supper, I say, in peace and promiseth to go out to Simon's later and giveth up his silver to his first born. He toileth with ceaseless industry and taketh his pay in oats, eggs, and evanescent gratitude, and giveth his old clothes to his hired man; for he knoweth how sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have an ungrateful employer. He weepeth with them that weep and he rejoiceth with them that rejoice and maketh no extra charge for twins. At home he drinketh milk with them that drink milk, and abroad he drinketh ginger ale with them that drink gin, and his breath remaineth as frankincense and myrrh mingled with attar of roses. He knoweth the way of the specialist, yet he is not of them; and some of the "ectomies" and "otomies" reported are to him as a tinkling cymbal and as sounding brass, and some alleged results even as a tale that is told, peradventure to the marines, God bless them. Yet, perchance, in the early morning he taketh out an eye or a tooth, and at midday repaireth the man who has been extracted from the hungry threshing machine, and at eventide he fashioneth a splint with his jack-knife, and in the silent watches of the night doeth a podalic version, and when he goeth home he leaveth them, like the ostriches on the midway, "all alive, yea every one alive." Then as he rideth beneath the twinkling stars and beside the still running waters, while the night bird gently calls, his busy brain rattleth not loosely in its calvarium, for if he be for a time free from the burden of his responsibilities, he composeth reams of exquisite poetry, yet publisheth he no line thereof, and the teeming millions of the children of men pass on unheeding, never knowing what they escapt. Birds of a feather, as you know, are gregarious; and in order that he my mingle with his kind, he, once in each year, girdeth up his loins and betaketh him to the city, where he lendeth not his money to strangers and where, with consummate skill and grace, he dodgeth the wily trolley-car, and while his wife bloweth in his shekels, yea talents, at the bargain counter, and buyeth a four dollar gown for $11.98, he sitteth at the feet of his erudite urban colleag, and with bated breath listeneth to his words of wisdom, and he seemeth to himself like a child playing on the seashore, picking up here and there a curious stone or pretty pebble, while the boundless ocean of truth lyeth undiscovered before him; and he boweth his head in humility. Then he riseth up and goeth home, and burneth yet more midnight oil, too ofteh, alas, in a "tubular lantern" on his dash-board. He buyeth much books and searcheth them diligently for jewels of science, and refuseth to be comforted because no man maketh a really good index. He liveth on terms of intimacy and friendship with his conscience, and loveth his neighbor as himself, yet tradeth he not horses with his patron, for he knoweth a horse from a haystack, and tradeth not for his health. He tempereth his bills to the shorn lamb, said lamb having "coughed up" a goodly fleece when he went to the city to consult one of the magi. And when the almond tree flourisheth in the sere and yellow leaf and the grasshopper becometh a burden, he turneth his thoughts to other things and endeavoreth to raise the largest tomatoes and biggest cucumbers in town, and when the untimely frost killeth them, he seeketh the seclusion which the woodshed grants, and sayeth with the preacher, "vanity of vanities, all is vanity." And when the silver cord is loosened and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and while the mourners go about the streets, he goeth to his long home, unhonored and unsung, where he wasteth no time in fruitless search for his city colleag, but is greeted by his erstwhile patients, and possibly some mistakes, and together they wander down the stately corridors of the infinit, and in unison lift up their glad voices in harmonious antistrophe to the majestic music of the spheres. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow him all the days of his life and he shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. To be a country doctor is to struggle manfully, alone, and at disadvantage against the world, the flesh, and the unholy ptomaines of pathologic bacteria. To have been a country doctor is, like virtue, its own reward. Who would not be a country doctor?-Dr. Fred. Phelps Stiles, of Sparta, Wis., in Chicago Medical Times. DIARRHEA IN INFANTS. W. J. Fenton, in the Medical Times and Hospital Register (London), calls attention to the fact that although micro-organisms are killed by sterilization of artificial foods, spores are not, and these spores may be developed in the milk or in the intestines after sterilization. He also calls attention to the infectiveness of diarrheaic stools, and says that ordinary cleanliness is not sufficient where diarrhea exists. Under the head of Treatment-Prophylaxis-Fenton says: "The most important point is breastfeeding. No artificial food, however carefully prepared, has the same value either in regard to general health and nutrition or the prevention of diarrhea. Its importance should be carefully explained, and its practice insisted upon wherever possible. A second point is to avoid weaning either immediately before or during those months when diarrhea is most prevalent." He believes in sterilization of artificial foods by boiling when the infant is bottle fed. For diet in infantile diarrhea Fenton recommends entire stoppage of milk. In its place he gives albumen water (white of one egg to a half pint of previously boiled tepid water), rice or barley water; beef, mutton or chicken broth, either alone or diluted with barley water; meat juice, scraped meat, thinned by the addition of an equal quantity of water; whey, thin arrowroot or barley water peptonized. In severe cases water alone may be all that can be retained. [To the above the editor would add somatose and water in the strength of 60 grains to 8 ounces. This may be given every two hours. Several severe cases have done well on this and had no other food for two or three days. Water is always given ad libitum. It is best not to allow more than 120 grains of somatose in 24 hours.] In the way of drug treatment Fenton seems to rely principally on calomel, 1/6 to 1/4 of a grain, frequently repeated, plus castor oil, a few minims thrice daily. The homopath should get the best results with the indicated remedy. Probably the most useful are pulsatilla, ipecac, arsenic, calcarea carb., mercurius, according to the case. Any other drug may be called for. CAUSE OF CHOREA. Dr. Poynton reported to the International Medical Congress his belief in the rheumatic origin of chorea. In investigating the origin of rheumatic fever, rabbits injected with the diplococcus of rheumatism had developed chorea. After death the diplococci were found in the pia mater and in the endothelium of the cortical capillaries. His associate, Dr. Paine, had also found the micrococci in the mitral valve, the cortex and the pia mater in a case of human chorea. The urine in one case of chorea presented the same diplococcus. This diplococcus produced chorea, endocarditis and rheumatism in a rabbit. Poynton thinks other bacteria, as erysipelas, may also produce chorea. APHORISMS. A constipated pocket-book has a larger relation to unhappiness than does a constipated bowel. "A stitch in time" may keep it from ripping further, but you will grow old all the same. The word "clap-trap" does not mean the same to all men. Enuf of Hate will precipitate its natural solvent, Love. In studying antitoxin statistics, be sure that you don't confound diphtheria with diphtheory. Dreams are broken shadows of the mind. "A soft answer turneth away wrath." Alas, it is just as true that wrath turneth away a soft answer. Life is fiction and friction. There is hope for the physician who will admit that he is guilty of malpractise every day of his professional life. An official announcement of the death of the devil would create no flutter in heathendom, and but little in Christendom. Life is an evolutionary sentence. Days are its commas; weeks its semicolons; months its colons; years its exclamation points, and death is at once its period and its interrogation point. Don't be vain of he-ness. No odds how much a man's brow may bulge, the merest Biddy can beat him to death when it comes to driving a hen.-Dr. W. C. Cooper, in Medical World. Prophylactic aphorisms. In times of typhoid fever: Sterilize all drinking water. Pasteurize all milk and cream. Keep flies from all food supplies. Thoroughly wash in sterilized water all fruit and vegetables intended to be eaten raw. Disinfect all discharges of every description, from those sick with typhoid. A practical suggestion to doctors is offered in a recent issue of Pediatrics. This is for a method of examining a child's throat. The necessities are a dark room, a candle, and a brightly polished tablespoon. The candle is lighted and the spoon placed behind it for a reflector. These are held in one hand, while with the other, the baby's tongue is pushed out of the way. By the brightness of the light a double purpose is served, for not only is the throat clearly visible, but the baby's attention is generally kept fixed. DOCTOR GETS A $34,000 FEE.-Pittsburg, July 3.-Executors of the estate of the late C. L. Magee have settled the fight with Dr. Walter C. Browning, of Philadelphia, over fees for services rendered the sick politician, by paying Attorney William B. Rodgers, counsel for the doctor, a warrant for $34,000, the amount of the recent award of the Allegheny County Orphans' court judges. The amount settled the original claim of Dr. Browning that the estate of Mr. Magee owed him $190,000 for medical services he had rendered. The fight has been under way for about two years.-Illinois Medical Bulletin. PUBLISHER'S DEPARTMENT. The Clinical Reporter. D. M. GIBSON, M. D., Editor. PUBLISHED MONTHLY. W. W. GILBERT, M. D., Manager. SUBSCRIPTION PRICES: ONE YEAR, $1.00; SIX MONTHS, 50c. Remit by Draft, Post Office Order, Postal Note or Registered Letter at our risk. Make all drafts or money orders payable to THE CLINICAL REPORTER, ST. LOUIS. Telephone Connections. BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS for review, EXCHANGES, CONTRIBUTIONS, and matter for the Editor should be addressed to D. M. Gibson, 241 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, Mo. This journal is not responsible for the individual views of contributors. Address all correspondence relating to subscriptions, advertising or business management to The Benj. F. Bailey Sanitarium Company will be pleased to furnish you, upon application, references from among their patrons. It will be a pleasure to put you in communication with those who have been treated there. SEVERE REFLEX PAIN. J. H. Tilden, M. D., of Denver, in the June number of the Chicago Medical Times, in an article advocating the use of tampons in gynæcological practice, reports, among others, a case which was characterized by severe reflex symptoms and which had not yielded to the treatment accorded by two other practitioners. Dr. Tilden's procedure was, the introduction of a glycerine tampon and the administration of antikamnia in ten grain doses (two five-grain tablets) to relieve the pain. The tampon was removed each night at bedtime and followed with hot water injections. The patient on being discharged, remarked, that since following this treatment she could run the sewing machine without the usual pain and tired feeling. COCA INCREASES ASSIMILATION. The efficacy of Vin Mariani as a tonic does not lay in its property as a nervous-stimulant, but in the more effectual and lasting property arising from improved assimilation, thus provoking continued support. This is scientifically explained by the physiological action of Coca upon the several systems of the human organism. Aside from any cerebral action Coca is a depurative of the blood, freeing the stream from a burden of waste products, which, manufactured through ordinary wear and tear in the vain struggle for existence, may, because of some physical imperfection, have been improperly eliminated. The presence of these waste products not only interfere with assimilation, but precede a long train of following troubles such as rheumatism, gout, diabetes and liver and kidney disease. But man must |