Editorial Department.

EUGENE H. PORTER, A.M., M.D.

GEORGE W. ROBERTS, PH. B., M.D.

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EDITORS.

Contributions, Exchanges, Books for Review and all other communications relating to the Editorial Department of the NORTH AMERICAN should be addressed to the Editor, 181 West 73d Street. It is understood that manuscripts sent for consideration have not been previously published, and that after notice of acceptance has been given will not appear elsewhere except in abstract and with credit to the NORTH AMERICAN. All rejected manuscripts will be returned to writers. No anonymous or discourteous communications will be printed. The Editor is not responsible for the views of contributors.

THE OMAHA MEETING.

HE memory of Omaha will long remain green with those who attended the American Institute of Homoeopathy in 1898. Like Marseilles, it lay broiling in the sun one day-and not one day, but every day that the Institute convened. It must be confessed that Omaha as a convention city was not a success. Its excess of heat, its lack of first-class hotel facilities, and its remoteness from populous centres, made it a somewhat unfortunate place of meeting. But against these accidents of climate and location, must be counted the zealous and enthusiastic work of the local committee. To its efforts in great measure the success of the meeting was due. The selection of Creighton Medical College for the use of the Institute showed admirable judgment. Rarely has the Institute been so well and conveniently housed and provided for in every way. Beside the general assembly room there were rooms for all needed sectional and committee meetings, as well as space for exhibitors, and rooms for officers. It was a model building for the convention.

The attendance at the Institute was somewhat smaller than anticipated. Yet it was fairly satisfactory in view of the hard times, the presence of war, and the great distance to be traveled by the majority of homoeopathic physicians to reach Omaha.

But in spite of the drawbacks enumerated the Institute had one

of the most successful meetings in recent years. The programme presented was a strong one, and the promise so held out of an excellent meeting was more than realized. The sectional meetings almost without exception, attracted crowded audiences, and the papers presented were far above the average. The debates were characterized by a directness, a brevity, and a fullness of knowledge somewhat unusual, but not unexpected, by those who knew how much time, thought and labor had been put forth in preparation. Few meetings of the Institute have been so harmonious and united, so free from any offensive political intrigue, and so markedly interested in scientific work. The sections of clinical medicine, materia medica, surgery, gynæcology, and sanitary science, all had splendid meetings, with fine papers and animated debates. So, too, in fact, did most of the remaining sections. It may be said that more real work for Homœopathy was done at Omaha than at many other meetings more numerously attended. If there were any who feared that the discussion carried on during the year, in the journals, regarding the Institute and its policy would be productive of discord, they would have been most pleasantly disappointed. The Institute was never stronger or more united than to-day, and in the coming year we shall hear little of "rings" and "reform." The improved condition of the treasury was a matter of great satisfaction. With every bill paid and quite a substantial balance on hand the financial outlook is very consoling when compared with that of a year ago. Space is wanting even to mention the important questions of public policy discussed by the Institute. Among those upon which favorable definite action was taken were the following suggestions of President Wright: Resolutions were adopted, first, instructing the legislative committee to work for legislation requiring medical expert witnesses to be appointed by the courts or other competent State authority, provided the appointing power shall not discriminate against any particular school of medical practitioners; second, characterizing the present lack of uniformity of State medical laws as constituting a needlessly oppressive system; third, pledging efforts for forestry legislation, such as may prevent further destruction of forests, and provide for the reproduction of forests

where needed; fourth, providing for the appointment "of a committee of our more scholarly and judicious members, consisting of three, together with Drs. Dudgeon, of London, England, and Villiers, of Dresden, Germany, to consider and report next year," as to the choice of the words curentur or curantur. Some of the other important resolutions adopted will be considered in future numbers of THE NORTH AMERICAN. The press reports of the meetings were excellent, and the press committee is entitled to a vote of thanks. The next meeting of the Institute will be at Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1899.

ALCOHOL IN THE ARMY.

The following order has been promulgated by Major-General Miles, Commanding General of the Army:

The army is engaged in active service under climatic conditions which it has not before experienced. In order that it may perform its most difficult and laborious duties with the least practicable loss from sickness, the utmost care, consistent with prompt and efficient service, must be exercised by all. especially by officers.

The history of other armies has demonstrated that in a hot climate abstinence from the use of intoxicating drink is essential to continued health and efficiency. Commanding officers of all grades and officers of the medical staff will carefully note the effect of the use of such light beverages, wines and beer, as are permitted to be sold at the post and camp exchanges, and the commanders of all independent commands are enjoined to restrict or to entirely prohibit the sale of such beverages if the welfare of the troops or the interests of the service require such action.

In this most important hour of the nation's history it is due the Government from all those in its service that they should not only render the most earnest efforts for its honor and welfare, but that their full physical and intellectual force should be given to their public duties, uncontaminated by any indulgences that shall dim, stultify, weaken or impair their faculties and strength in any particular. Officers of every grade, by example as well as by authority, will contribute to the enforcement of the order.

This is a wise move. As pointed out by the NORTH AMERICAN, in its July issue, the use of alcohol predisposes to all diseases peculiar to warm climates. Its use should therefore be abolished in the army.

As understood by the NORTH AMERICAN the above order was meant especially for the soldiers in Cuba. It ought also to apply to those in this country at the various concentration camps. The men at these camps are in the position of athletes training for a contest. Trainers do not allow their men to use alcohol in any form, it makes them unfit when the time comes for the supreme effort. And so it is with our soldiers at Tampa, at Chickamauga, at Camp Alger, and at the various other places of rendezvous; they are there to prepare for physical work of the most exacting nature and should not use alcohol.

A study of the physiological action of alcohol shows first, a stage of excitation or stimulation of the vital forces. This is followed by a reaction-a stage of depression. The larger the amount of alcohol taken the more prompt and the more marked the reaction. The secondary action is more prolonged than the primary. This is the reason why alcohol is not a good thing to use while engaged in active work. The loss of vital energy converted into work, plus the reaction from the alcohol necessarily weakens the subject and soon puts him at a disadvantage. If the task set is a long one his efficiency, owing to this condition, is curtailed. He cannot do as well as the man without alcohol.

Parke, in his famous experiments, showed that a man using alcohol could not do so much physical work as the same man abstaining from alcohol could do. These experiments were conducted on soldiers. British army surgeons have found it necessary to advise against the use of alcohol in India and in other tropical climates where British soldiers are stationed. They have found total abstinence the best preventive of sunstroke and of tropical disease. Arctic explorers have long tabooed the use of alcohol in the far North. Men who do use it are less able to withstand the cold. Clinical experience right here in New York shows that extremely hot or extremely cold weather does its greatest damage on the habitual user of alcohol.

If the newspapers are to be believed, General Miles' order was needed at the camps in this country. One day in July it was necessary to send two armed companies into Chattanooga to round up

drunken and disorderly soldiers from the camp at Chickamauga. Each of these men, while drunk, was physically worthless as a soldier. While recovering from his drunk his efficiency was impaired. This same day over two hundred men were overcome by the heat. Undoubtedly, nine-tenths of the two hundred were men who had been celebrating pay-day by drinking. Succumbing to the heat showed their physical impairment.

When a movement was started among the chaplains at Camp Thomas to stop the sale of liquor at the regimental canteens it was found that the chaplains were not unanimous in wanting this done. They were interested in the subject from the moral standpoint which does not concern us now. Presumably, the opponents of this reform measure were ignorant of the physical side of the question. Every chaplain and every other officer should be informed of the physiological action of alcohol. Then he would know that as a distinctly business proposition, the sale of liquors to the soldiers by Uncle Sam is a grave mistake. The NORTH AMERICAN is aware that beer is the only alcoholic beverage sold at the canteens. Beers, as well as stronger liquors, have been condemned by the British army surgeons.

It may be urged that if beer is sold at the canteens the men will not want to go to the neighboring towns for their liquor. This would be all very well if intoxicating drinks were a necessity, and the only danger lay in taking too much. But, intoxicating drinks in any quantity are harmful under existing conditions: that being so they should not be sold in the camps. Another reason against their sale at the canteens is this: there are many men, both in the army and out of it, who can be good so long as they are out of reach of temptation; if the temptation is right at hand they yield. Many soldiers who drink at the canteens, where the soldiers' credit is good, would not go to the towns to drink where they have to pay cash for what they get. Such men would be kept from temptation. Men who insist on getting liquor anyhow, should, if they get drunk, be severely punished and have future liberty curtailed. The Government has a right to expect its men to be always in the most fit physical condition.