adaptation, the child was delivered, still-born, with a caput succedaneum that showed by its size the pressure to which the head had been subjected, and by its position over the vertex, and nearer the forehead, what the nature of the presentation had been. The child was unusually developed, weighing nearly twelve pounds, and the head, which was uncommonly firm and advanced in ossification, measured seventeen inches in circumference.

The uterine atony which had caused the delay in the labor continued after the birth of the child, necessitating constant compression and kneading of the womb to cause contraction. A momentary relaxation of vigilance was followed immediately by hemorrhage almost to collapse; but luckily the uterus responded to vigorous manipulations, and the after-birth was brought by expression during a contraction. Rupture of the perineum was, of course, inevitable with so large a head in such a position, but the tear did not extend through the sphincter Four stitches brought the edges of the wound fairly together. The patient made a slow recovery. The protracted and severe labor, the loss of blood, and the traumatic metritis which immediately set in, taxed her strength and endurance to the utmost. The temperature rose to 105° repeatedly, but mainly by the aid of arnica, which produced a striking effect, the case was conducted to a favorable issue.

Dr. Talbot reported a similar case where the position was the same, but the child smaller and pelvis larger. The forceps was applied, but the child was dead when born. A year later the same woman was delivered, by the aid of the forceps, of a child in the same position, with safety to the child. A third time the position was found to be the same, but the child was born without interference.

Dr. Krebs reported a case which was almost identical with that of Dr. Wesselhoeft, the membranes rupturing early and labor not progressing for several days. The presentation and position were the same as in Dr. Wesselhoeft's case. The woman had had an enormous appetite. The forceps was applied, but with no good result.

Called in assistance and etherized the patient, and again applied the forceps, but as this did not advance the head, decided to turn. The child was turned, and delivered, but only after constant attention for twenty or thirty minutes was it resuscitated.

Gave the woman Arnica 6 and she made a good recovery. Used flaxseed tea with carbolic acid as an injection for offensive lochial discharge.

Dr. Krebs thinks it best to turn in these cases.

Dr. Blake reported a case of albuminuria in an otherwise healthy

woman. She was married, twenty-seven years of age, of light complexion, had had scarlet fever when twelve years old, diphtheria twice, and urticaria occasionally. Two years ago she noticed that her urine had a strong odor. The urine was examined, and found to be about one half albumen. For several months there has been albumen, but no casts. She has had puffiness of the legs, which passed away during rest. Has no pain in the back, but occasional rheumatic pains in various parts of the body. Otherwise she is apparently healthy. Have given her Apis, Ars., Terebinth, and Phos., with milk diet, cracked wheat, bread and fruit.

Dr. W. Wesselhoeft remarked that, according to a recent German medical journal, among the Prussian soldiers it was found that about sixteen per cent had albumen in their urine, after fatiguing marches, when in perfect health; also that in nearly all acute inflammatory diseases, albumen is found in the urine.

Dr. Talbot had a patient, otherwise healthy, with albuminuria. At night, albumen was found abundantly, but it was deficient by day. If he kept quiet during the day, the urine was the same at night as in the morning. Improved and finally got well under Nitric Acid.

Dr. Sanders reported the successful treatment of a man with albumen and casts in the urine. He passed at times a gallon of urine in a day. Gave him Sulphur, Aconite, Terebinthina with Glycerine, and Lactic Acid with Glycerine. After about two months of this treatment he had a gonorrhoeal discharge which lasted for two weeks, since which he has been in perfect health.

Dr. Thayer has used Nitric Acid for albuminuria with good results. He cured albuminuria in three children with Ferrum met.

Dr. de Gersdorff reported the cure by cantharis of a patient with much albumen in the urine, together with a dread of water and difficult deglutition, amounting almost to hydrophobia. He was induced to try this remedy by the recollection of another somewhat similar case where Cantharis had been successful. A young woman, whose marriage was delayed, became very nervous, dreaded all water, and had spasms and pleuritic pains. Had a Cantharis blister applied to the chest, and suffered the usual consequences of Cantharis poisoning; but nevertheless she was cured by this severe dose of Cantharis.

MASSACHUSETTS HOMEOPATHIC MEDICAL SOCIETY. REPORTED BY NATHAN R. MORSE, M. D., SALEM, RECORDING SECRETARY. THE thirty-ninth annual meeting of the society was held in Meionaon Hall, Tremont Temple, Boston, on Wednesday, April 9, 1879.

MORNING SESSION.

The society was called to order by the President, D. B. Whittier, M. D., of Fitchburg, at 10.30 A. M.

The records of the last semi-annual meeting, and the meetings of the Executive Committee, were read by the secretary, Nathan R. Morse, M. D., Salem.

On motion of S. M. Cate, M. D., of Salem, it was voted that the delivery of the president's address be deferred until after the election of new members and the report of the treasurer.

NEW MEMBERS.

Before the society proceeded to ballot, the president called for the report of the special committee, appointed at the semi-annual meeting in October last, to investigate the charges preferred against E. Jeannette Gooding, M. D., of Boston, a candidate for membership in the society at that time, and the first name on the list of candidates to be balloted for to-day.

REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

To the Massachusetts Homœopathic Medical Society:

LYNN, Dec. 13, 1878.

The committee appointed to investigate the case of E. Jeannette Gooding, M. D., of Boston, with relation to the charge preferred against her by J. H. Osgood, M. D., of Boston, at the last semi-annual meeting of the society, beg leave to report, that after a thorough investigation, we find that the charge of her having practised according to the clairvoyant method since her graduation from the Boston University School of Medicine is without foundation. We therefore recommend that the report of the Board of Censors be accepted.

Respectfully submitted,

MARTHA J. FLANDERS, M. D., Lynn.
M. G. HOUGHTON, M. D., Boston.
H. A. CHASE, M. D., Cambridgeport.

On motion, the report was unanimously adopted.

The society proceeded to the election of candidates for membership, and the following physicians, having passed the Board of Censors, and received the recommen- . dation of the Executive Committee, were regularly elected members:

E. Jeannette Gooding, M. D., Boston; F. L. Radcliffe, M. D., Lynn; Charles Leeds, M. D.; Chelsea; David Foss, M. D., Newburyport; Edward P. Goodrich, M. D., Isadore Albert, M. D., Laura Maxfield Porter, M. D., and C. F. Nichols, M. D., Boston.

By cash paid on account of printing Vol. IV. Transactions

$1,037 92
235 00

109 25

Dr. H. K. Bennett, of Fitchburg, gave notice in writing as follows: "At the semiannual meeting of the society to be held in October next, I shall move that the annual dues of members of this society shall be three dollars, to take effect from the annual meeting in April, 1880."

PRESIDENT's Address.

The President, D. B. Whittier, M. D., of Fitchburg, now delivered an able and instructive address, entitled “The Value of Objective Symptoms in the Treatment of Disease." The address, although lengthy, gave evidence of much study, careful thought, and was attentively received by the members present.

On motion of Dr. Sanders, of Boston, the thanks of the society were extended to Dr. Whittier for his able and instructive address, and it was further voted to refer it to the Committee on Publication.

Dr. Bennett, of Fitchburg, moved that a committee of three be appointed by the chair, to consider and report at this meeting upon some of the important suggestions contained in the president's address. Adopted, and the following members were appointed: H. K. Bennett, M. D., Fitchburg; O. S. Sanders, M. D., Boston; and H. L. Chase, M. D., Cambridgeport.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON MATERIA MEDICA.

J. Heber Smith, M. D., of Melrose, Chairman of the Committee on Materia Medica, said that he had no papers on the subject to present to-day. He had hoped, however, to be able to present a report at this time upon the subject of Tarantula Poisoning; but the mass of matter which he had received upon the subject was so voluminous that he had not been able to arrange it properly, either for a report at this time or for publication. He had a large correspondence in regard to the subject with Drs. Hering, Smith, and several army surgeons, and he came before the society to-day to apologize for the false proving which he had given it some four years ago. The tarantula, by which Dr. Sherman was poisoned, came through the mail, and decomposition had undoubtedly commenced at the time the virus was imbibed into the system, and hence the symptoms in his case were such as might come from the scalpel or any other kind of animal poisoning, and therefore the symptoms there reported cannot be reliable. He asked pardon for that erroneous report, and trusted

that if he was guilty of such errors in the future, he might make suitable retraction with as good grace as he had done at this time.

Another year he hoped to have this matter of poisoning by the tarantula properly arranged. He found only one case on record where poisoning had occurred from the bite of the tarantula. All of the army surgeons agree that there is no greater danger from the bite of this spider than there is from the sting of a wasp. On motion, voted that the bureau be closed.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON OBSTETRICS.

The Committee on Obsteterics reported through its chairman, Thomas Conant, M. D., of Gloucester, and the following papers were presented and read, each by its author, except the first paper:

1. Retained Placenta followed by Septicemia, by J. H. Sherman, M. D., South Boston.

2. Eclampsia Apoplectica, by E. U. Jones, M. D., Taunton.

3. Puerperal Scarlet Fever, by M. J. Flanders, M. D., Lynn.

4. Apoplexy following Confinement, by M. V. B. Morse, M. D., Marblehead.

No discussion followed, and on motion voted that the bureau be closed.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON CLINICAL MEDICINE.

The Committee on Clinical Medicine presented their report through its chairman, H. C. Clapp, M. D., of Boston, and the following important papers were presented, although a portion of them were not read until the afternoon session :

1. Idiopathic Gangrene of the Vulva in Childhood, by H. C. Clapp, M. D., Boston.

2. Diphtheria, by E. U. Jones, M. D., Taunton.

3. The Care of the Insane, by Samuel Worcester, M. D., Salem.

4. Report of Two Cases, one of tuberculosis and one of tumor in cerebellum,

both following measles, by C. E. Hastings, M. D., Boston.

5. Nitrite of Amyl in Disease of the Heart, by A. M. Cushing, M. D., Lynn.

6. Paralysis following Diphtheria, by M. P. Wheeler, M. D., Boston.

7. Typhoid Pneumonia and Resulting Abscess of Left Lung, by E. P. Scales, M. D., Newton.

8. A Case of Membranous Dysmenorrhea with Tonsilitis, by W. E. Richards, M. D., Boston.

At 1.15 P. M., the society voted to take a recess for lunch until z P. M.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

The meeting was called to order by the president at 2 P. M.

Dr. Bennett, in behalf of the Committee on the President's Address, reported that the committee appointed for that purpose at the morning session had attended to their duty, but in view of the large amount of matter to be presented at this session, they would decline to make any extended report other than to commend the address to the attention of the Committee on Publication as including matter of the highest practical value to the profession, and to ask that they be excused from any further consideration of the subject. Adopted.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

The election of officers for the ensuing year being next in order, the president appointed the following members as a committee to collect; sort, and count the ballots Drs. Phillips of Boston, Murdock of Watertown, and Leeds of Chelsea.