there being about one hundred and fifty physicians present. A marked feature of the meeting was the presentation of an exceptionally large number of fine papers. Of the "foreign" brethren there were present Drs. Van Lennep of Philadelphia; Shears, of Chicago, and Emerson, of Boston, all of whom read papers of a high order of merit. The banquet tendered by the local physicians will be long remembered by those fortunate enough to be present. A detailed account of the meeting will be found in another column.

Artificial Albumen.-Considerable attention has been attracted in scientific circles by the announcement of Professor Lilienfeld's discovery of the process of production of albumen from coal-tar products. The discovery is a great stride in the solution of the complex composition of organic substances, and is thus of great theoretical importance. The question of its practical value remains to be proven. That it could be used as a substitute for proteid food is doubtful, the evidence deduced from experience with similar synthetical substances being against such a conclusion. The coaltar preparations atomically identical with quinine are found in practice to be wanting in many of the important characteristics of quinine. Saccharine is similar in composition to sugar, and it was thought upon its discovery that it could be substituted for sugar, but experience has proven that it possesses effects radically different from sugar. În other words, it is chemically identical, but not physiologically identical. Certain chemical elements needed in the animal body, such as iron and phosphorus, are almost useless in their pure form, are more easily assimilated when artificially combined with an organic substance, and are capable of the most complete absorption when in natural combination with organic matter. There is an unknown, undetermined something in the atomic arrangement of organic substances, which has so far eluded the grasp of scientific investigation. If Professor Lilienfeld has discovered the secret of incorporating this unknown property in his artificial albumen, then it will have the peculiar physiological characters of natural albumen and will be valuable as a substitute for natural proteid food. If not, the practical value of artificial albumen is an unknown quantity to be determined only by careful experi

ment.

Seasickness.-Dr. S. M. Jennings, formerly ship surgeon in India, makes some suggestions on the treatment of seasickness in the "Yale Medical Journal." He recommends that patients should diet for at least three days before undertaking the voyage, keeping the bowels open. Until used to the ship's motion he recommends the eating of the simplest fare. Dr. Jennings says that carbonated waters have frequently warded off attacks of seasickness, and he advises their use on signs of nausea. Frequently travelers go aboard ship loaded with various prepared foods, meat juices, and so on, for use in place of the ordinary diet. Such things Dr. Jennings condemns. The ship's bill of fare is the best.

In the way of medication a dose of strychnine, 1-60 of a grain,

night and morning, is often helpful. Creosote in one-minim doses is also recommended. Sub-nitrate of bismuth, Dr. Jennings says, has never been of service in his experience. Patients ill with seasickness should keep on deck. The recumbent position is beneficial and may be necessary.

Echinacea Angustifolia.-Dr. J. C. Fahnestock, of Piqua, Ohio, writes: "In carbuncles, where there exists great redness, this redness has quite an area of extension, great pain, throbbing, and before the different points where opening will appear, the skin will raise up about the size of a buckshot, filled with yelow pus. General lassitude, with slight fever, and always worse in afternoon and evening.

"Echinacea angustifolia will relieve all of these symptoms very quickly. It is more prompt in its action in these cases than any other remedy I have ever used."

Bacteriaphobia. -The victim of bacteriaphobia is still rampant. When this dreaded iconoclast exclaimed with Swift:

"Lord! I wonder what fool it was that first invented kissing?" we thought his work was done; but no, Yorick may no longer even hold Phyllis by the hand. The germ, the awful germ! is there. She has unclean hands, he must not touch them.

"Alas! Poor Yorick!"

Kissing has been forbidden because of the danger of transmitting disease germs. Now handshaking is forbidden. The hands are not aseptic. If one becomes defiled by contact with one's neighbor's hands the inference is plain. He must touch nothing that has been touched by the neighbor's hands. The physician who is consistent in this belief must not defile himself by accepting fees, else when the fee and the germ have done their work, and some foul disease has claimed him for its victim, he will needs exclaim: "Malice and lucre in them

Have laid this woe here."

And Yorick, poor Yorick! deprived, as he is, of sweet contact with his Phyllis, he can only stand aloof and say:

"I throw a kiss across the sea,

I drink the winds as drinking wine,

And dream they all are blown from thee,

I catch the whisp'd kiss of thine."

Back Numbers.-It has been the custom of the NORTH AMERICAN, to keep complete files of back numbers for the convenience of its subscribers, but it is impossible for this to be longer done. After January 1, 1899, number for three years back only will be kept in stock, and only a small number of these. Those wishing back numbers must send in their orders at once.

Correspondence.

DISPENSARY AND OTHER ABUSES OF THE MEDICAL

PROFESSION.

EDITOR NORTH AMERICAN:

The abuses in the medical profession have reached such a state of affairs that it has alarmed the profession and caused much comment among the laity, and it is time that the medical profession protect its own interest, and go about in a business manner to improve the condition of things. The fault of the tradesman and even the professional man of to-day, is his cutting in prices of his labor and lowering the standard that ought to exist in his trade or profession.

Observing many abuses that do now exist, I will strive to advance methods that may seem prudent to adopt, and think might be accomplished in a thorough and proper manner.

First. What should constitute a medical and surgical dispensary? One that is in corporated and gives free medical and surgical treatment to those who call and are worthy. All others should not be allowed to exist. No private dispensaries. Should all be subject to the laws and rules of the State Board of Charities.

Second. How managed? Each dispensary shall have a drug clerk, who shall have each applicant who calls for treatment to fill out a written application, stating name, residence, rent paid, family income, number of individuals dependent on the income. Shall send away those whom he thinks there is no doubt can pay a doctor's fee. Shali hand or send all applications so filled out to the inspector of that district. Shall also send away those who live nearer another dispensary of the same school, unless the applicant has a note from the clerk of that dispensary, or it is an urgent case that needs immediate treatment, but he or she should be referred to the other dispensary for further treatment. If he thinks them worthy, they may receive treatment for that time, and for other times unless the inspector instructs him,to the contrary.

The drug clerk may be a senior or graduate of a college of pharmacy or a doctor of medicine.

Third.-Who are worthy to attend the dispensaries? Those who have no property, money, credit and work. Those families of seven or more persons, who pay ten dollars or less per month for rent, and the family income is ten dollars or less per week. Those families composed of from three to seven persons, who pay eight dollars or less per month for rent, and the family income is nine dollars or less per week. Also all others of like condition and their circumstances are proportionally the same. The inspector can interpret the full extent of this, and extend it to such a point, so as to accomplish the object for which his services are rendered.

Fourth. Inspectors, how appointed. The State Board of Charities should divide the city into districts, and appoint one inspector for each district. He should be a man fully efficient for the work, and should not be a member of any religious body, who have under their control a hospital or dispensary in the city, nor shall he be a politician, nor shall he receive his appointment through the influence of a politician or any of the religious bodies referred to. He shall be subject only to the State Board of Charities.

His Duties. He shall take the applications filled out, and in the hands of the drug clerk, and investigate the same and keep a full record in a book especially arranged for the purpose. Shall make a list of those who ought not to have visited the institution, and hand a cpy of the same to the drug clerk, who should put the same in a book (black list), for future reference, and send those persons away when they call again. He shall make reports to the State Board of Charities.

Power Given.-He should be given power to arrest a person who has obtained the treatment under false pretenses as in filling out the application in a wrong manner, thereby deceiving the drug clerk as to their financial circumstances. The above act should be made a misdemeanor and be associated with a fine.

I will acknowledge that during the first year, the inspectors will have all they possibly can do, but I believe, by the beginning of the second year, the attendance at the dispensaries will become so much smaller and with the improved methods, they will establish in their work will cause them to be fully able to do the work easily and efficiently. If all dispensaries would send away those who live nearer another dispensary of the same school, and those whose incomes show that they can pay a physician his regular fees, they will then have a much smaller number of persons at their clinic.

An inspector ought to make at least one hundred investigations per day. Considering that many of the patients come two or three times per week, and several sometimes from the same family, you may readily see that the number of investigations will not be so large as the figures given in the reports of dispensaries would indicate. And each week the number of investigations would be be lessened and a good, energetic man could so establish a system that would enable him soon to take charge of a large district.

Dispensaries are to give assistance to all poor who can not pay a doctor, therefore, the investigations are to find out if they can or cannot pay for the service of a doctor. Those who try to live on charities and will not work, have no money or property, are worthy to attend the dispensaries. The children should not be neglected and allowed to die without treatment, just because the parents are lazy. False names and addresses can be detected after the first call, and rules can be made to meet the emergency by the State Board of Charities, which will stop the second call.

Persons who have lately moved into another district, can be easily attended to by the inspector. The large majority of those who move frequently are worthy cases.

Some four years ago, when we started the dispensary in this ward (twenty-sixth ward of Brooklyn), our women's auxiliary investigated the cases that called at the dispensary, and the result was very satisfactory, weeding out some who ought not to visit the institution, and created a black list which stopped those coming who ought not to. It has been found to be true that dead beats go in flocks, and if you give one or two a lesson, you will frequently stop the rest. To illustrate:-For two winters, the auxiliary gave out food and clothing free to the worthy poor, and it was not long in the first part of the first year that they met one of the flocks, and upon investigation and talking at their meetings, soon found that flock had been living on the charities of all the churches of the ward and begging from door to door. Money they received. went for beer, for their carousal on Sunday. Offer them work and they would not. They have left this community.

No private dispensaries should be allowed to exist, as it is against the rules of the County Societies, for a physician to put so low a price on his services, and by putting so low a price on the services, he increases the number of dead beats who can pay the regular fees.

There are dispensaries in different parts of the city who charge ten or twenty-five cents for medicine or treatment, and it has been observed that they keep from their doors those who are the most worthy and permit and encourage those who can well afford to pay a doctor to attend them. Yea, many of the patients possess far more wealth than the doctor who attends them at the dispensary.

Another source of injury to the profession, is that druggists prescribe over the counter and oftentimes give surgical treatment, both of which are most often given in a manner that does not meet the high standing of the medical profession, and the doctor is called in later, who first has to correct the wrong treatment given, and then pursue a course of treatment to give a good result. If the wrong treatment given by the druggist at first prevents the doctor from obtaining good results, he is blamed for the whole treatment. Now to protect the doctor's fees and standing, a law should be made that a druggist should not be allowed to prescribe or give surgical treatment, and there should be a heavy fine for violation of the law.

Patent medicines are so numerous and so many different compounds are put up by druggists at the present day, that they become a nuisance to the medical profession, the honest druggist, and a source of swindling to the public. Names of no meaning in connection with the compound and the literature associated with the sale of them, are to deceive the people. A law should be made and enforced as follows: That all patent medicines and other compounds to be sold in this state, should have registered in Albany, stating the composition, quality, quantity, of the ingredients, and the method of preparing the same, which shall be opened to the inspection of the medical profession, and the public, so that a doctor when he is called to see a patient will know what action has been