of endometritis, all gonorrheal. The consensus of opinion is in this line. Why do we not observe more of these cases of gonorrheal infection? First, ignorance, and second, because it has traveled so far that we do not recognize it. As a rule, the gonococci are propagated by continuity of surface. It only attacks the urethra in one-third of cases; the vagina in one-quarter the cases, and the cervix in the balance. Why? Because of gravitation of discharge and favorable formation of cervical epithelium. Besides this, the patient tries to shield herself and her partner. In the majority of cases there is bitter suffering, so by the time we see the case it has caused endometritis, or has infected the ovaries.

The second paper of this committee was by Dr. E. G. Ogden, and was entitled, "A Few Cases Demonstrating the Value of Pathological Examinations for Clinical Diagnosis."

Discussion: Dr. William H. Van Den Berg-There is a caution necessary in this field, that is, not to carry the microscopic examination too far; not to depend upon it too much, lest we hamper the treatment. A careful pathological examination also enables a physician to make a more exact prognosis (case cited). An important point in the diagnosis is also the microscopic examination in typhoid, etc., too often neglected. Another important point is that if our cases were more thoroughly examined and the results carefully recorded, it would give so much better statistics, and show better evidence as to the value of our remedies in these cases. Repeated examinations, microscopic and pathological, are of great importance. Also the careful examination of the blood in fever, malaria, anæmia, etc.

Dr. E. G. Ogden, in closing, referred to and reiterated the statements of the paper.

The committee on diseases of women and children, Dr. E. G. Tuttle, chairman, presented a paper by Dr. F. W. Hamlin upon "Antitoxin in Diphtheritic Croup.'

Discussion: Dr. C. E. Teets-My experience with antitoxin has been very limited, and in the few cases in which I have used it, it has proven very unsatisfactory. The results, however, in the case cited were remarkable (case related). The physician does not do his duty when he simply examines the pharynx when there is a suspicion of diphtheria. He should always examine the larynx.

Dr. M. Deschere-It is impossible to simply discuss a matter from any given case. These gentlemen are to be congratulated upon the results in this instance. The treatment of diphtheria in general, however, is open to discussion. Before the days of antitoxin similar cases were cured without it. I have read, seen used and carefully watched, the effects of antitoxin (although I have never personally used it), and in the old school the gain in results is indeed great. Let us take for granted that the old school statistics are correct, and that with them the per cent. has fallen from 40 to 50 down to 12 to 15. If under antitoxin death only claims 12 to 15 per cent., I know that the statistics from private practice of homeopathic physicians, with most careful diagnosis, falls to 6 to 7 per

cent., and in some proportion of these statistics, carefully gathered from our best men, only show 2 per cent. When we have such results to show, why seek a remedy that has not shown superiority?

What is antitoxin but the product of disease which it cures? It smacks very much of similia similibus. Behring himself, advocate of serum therapeutics, wrote that the law of similia underlies serum therapeutics.

We have no right to discard antitoxin, but to seek to place it among remedies where it belongs. Experience clinically shows that it has no pathological effect upon the heart, lungs, kidneys or nervous system when used in diphtheria, except to do harm; but upon the local process the effect is marked. The danger in diphtheritic croup is a local one-it is the presence of the membrane that constitutes the immediate danger. In its effect upon the general organization antitoxin falls way behind our homœopathic remedies.

Merc. cyanide has wonderful effect, local as well as general, upon the state of the patient, and is far more homoeopathic to diphtheria than antitoxin. The latter may be successful in overcoming the local manifestation of diphtheria, but as long as it can only do that we must not put it foremost as a remedy for diphtheria, for it is not equal to the carefully selected remedy. Antitoxin has one advantage, i. e., one dose is given and results are waited and watched unhampered. If we only had as much confidence in the homœopathic selected remedy, the results would be far better. As to hypoderm treatment, it may be that there is something in that method to favor the action of the remedy. If we fall into the same methods as the old school of using every new remedy as it comes along we might as well abandon homœopathy. We should be careful not to advocate these remedies at the cost of homoeopathy.

Dr. B. G. Clark-I have never used antitoxin. The doctor says he saw the case two days without giving it suitable treatment. Now it seems to me that any good homoeopathic remedy should have been tried before resorting to antitoxin. My own statistics fall below the results given for antitoxin, and as long as they do I will stick to homœopathy. The local means used often causes very serious results by disturbing the patient. Diphtheritic croup, with a clean pharynx, is an indication for diphtherinum.

Dr. F. W. Hamlin-I believe the use of antitoxin is scientific, and I would as soon think of declining to use electricity in certain conditions. Have treated thirty-one cases now with homoeopathy and antitoxin, and have lost three. Before this I lost at least onethird of my cases, so that I now use antitoxin in every case of diphtheria.

Dr. M. Deschere-Antitoxin belongs to the nosodes, like tuberculinum, syphilinum varotinum, etc.

Meeting adjourned at 10:30.

H. WORTHINGTON PAIGE, Secretary.

The Worcester County Homoeopathic Medical Society.-The regular quarterly meeting of the Worcester County Homoeopathic

Medical Society was held Wednesday, May 11, at the Y. W. C. A. rooms, Worcester.

The meeting was called to order by the vice-president, Dr. Amanda C. Bray. The records of the last meeting were read and approved. Dr. J. Emmons Briggs, of Boston, was elected a member of the society. Dr. F. T. Harvey, of Clinton, was elected a delegate to the American Institute of Homoeopathy, at Omaha, with power to appoint a substitute.

On motion of Dr. Rand it was voted to leave all arrangements for the August meeting with the chairman of the bureau to report at that meeting.

At the conclusion of the business session, the meeting was taken in charge by the chairman of the Bureau of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Dr. Bray, and an interesting programme was presented.

The first paper was read by Dr. E. A. Murdock, and entitled "Abortion." The writer outlined his method of treatment and reported several very interesting cases.

Dr. Pratt followed with a paper entitled "Cases from Gynæcological Practice." Dr. Russell Bingham then read a paper upon the subject of "Electricity in the Treatment of Diseases of Women." The writer had used this agent for some time, and with good results, in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea, amenorrhoea, endometritis. ovaritis, and pelvic inflammation, subinvolution, prolapsus uteri,

It is a powerful stimulating, sedative tonic, indicated in all subacute and chronic cases, but must be used with extreme caution. In its application in every case there is room for the exercise of nice judgment, for there is no rule to determine the degree of toleration. Shall it be a galvanic or faradic current; a strong, medium or feeble current; of long or short duration? Shall it be a general faradization, or central galvanization, or a combination of both? or shall it be only a local application? These are some of the questions which must receive careful consideration in every individual case, or one will surely meet with disappointment in their treatment.

Dr. G. Forrest Martin, of Lowell, was present as a guest of the society, and at this point he read an exceedingly interesting paper upon the subject of surgical treatment of submucous tears of the perineum.

The writer believed that this form of laceration was frequently overlooked, and hence in reality a more fruitful source of trouble afterward than the more extensive and perfectly apparent tears. These submucous tears are not difficult to discover if the proper care is used. Mere ocular examination of the perineum, or even of the entire vaginal floor is not enough. They will escape detection if the examination stop here. But if the forefinger in the vagina and the thumb on the anterior verge of the anus are made to carefully test the thickness and resistance of the parts between them, and if this examination be carried across the pelvic floor, the trouble, if present. will not be overlooked. It will be seen at once, that not only is the supporting portion of the structure gone, but there is left nothing but a wall of tissue intervening between the vaginal canal and the

rectum. The writer then carefully described his method of repairing this form of perineal injury, which consisted, in short, of carefully uniting the torn edges of the muscle fibres, subcutaneously. By means of a longitudinal incision carried across the perineum outside the vaginal canal, the mucous membrane is deflected backward and the divided ends of the muscles exposed. The deep sutures are then inserted, and the integrity of the muscle restored. Superficial sutures are then used to close the skin incision. The advantages claimed for this method were (1) its simplicity, and (2) the fact that the vaginal mucous membrane was left intact-the only sutured surface being without the vaginal canal, which means a great deal in the healing of the wound and in the facility with which it can be cleansed and cared for.

"The Significance of Puerperal Temperatures" was the title of a paper read by Dr. S. E. Fletcher. The writer spoke briefly of the different forms of fevers in the puerperal state, and distinguished them as infectious and non-infectious. He called attention to the fact that the parturient woman is equally, if not more susceptible to the same acute febrile diseases as her non-parturient sister, and that as these diseases appear in the puerperal state, their course may be so modified, and their diagnosis so difficult as to be often confounded with the various forms of septic infection to which women are so liable at this time. He reported several cases illustrating the various forms of puerperal fevers.

Dr. J. M. Barton read a short paper describing the application of the tissue remedies in uterine diseases.

The last paper was read by Dr. Amanda C. Bray, entitled, "Ovarian Neuralgia," with report of case.

Meeting adjourned at 4 P. M.

F. R. WARREN, Secretary.

Medico-Chirurgical Society of Central New York. The third annual meeting of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Central New York, held in Syracuse, June 2, was a grand success. Fifty-four members were in attendance.

This session, both in the quantity and quality of its papers, was a record breaker. Twenty papers were on our programme, and nineteen of them were presented by the writers. The interest was unbroken from beginning to end, and short practical discussions followed every paper.

The officers for the ensuing year elected were as follows: President, W. H. Proctor, Binghamton; first vice-president, F. F. Williams, Canton; second vice-president, William M. Gwynn, Auburn; secretary and treasurer, E. Elmer Keeler, Syracuse.

The first paper in the morning session was presented by Dr. F. F. Williams, of Canton, who also later gave a well-merited tribute to the memory of Dr. J. H. Keeney, lately deceased, of Oswego. A copy of these sentiments was ordered by a vote of the society to be sent to Mrs. Keeney, and to be placed on our records.

The second paper was a careful study by Dr. Anthony, of Syracuse, upon "Sidelights on Infant Mentality."

Dr. Haviland then gave a most novel paper upon "Honing Pigeons as Medical Messengers," showing their value in a country practice beyond the aid of the telephone. This paper was printed entire by one of our daily papers.

Dr. Martin, of Binghamton, then gave a carefully prepared history of two "Operative Cases of Appendicitis." This paper brought out the old, and yet ever new discussion upon the medical and surgical treatment of this disease.

"Alcohol as Medicine" was the subject of a lengthy paper presented by Dr. E. L. Hinman, of Oswego, in which the evils of King Alcohol were most conclusively exhibited.

Dr. C. H. Bresee, of Auburn, then gave a paper upon the subject, "Is There Science in Medicine? If So, Where?" The doctor is evidently a believer in the doctrine first expounded by Hahnemann, and offered several very conclusive arguments to prove that we represent the only truly scientific school of medicine.

Dr. Sheldon, of Syracuse, as president of the staff of the Syracuse Homœopathic Hospital, then presented a short report telling of a few of the many reasons why all the physicians present should do all they could to help our hospital.

A letter was read by Dr. Keeler from Dr. Norton, of the State Society, urging all the members of the M. C. S. to attend and join the State Society at its next meeting in Syracuse, September 22 and 23.

The annual address was given by Dr. W. E. Deuel, of Chittenango, in which a grand future was predicted for the M. C. S.

The afternoon session was filled to overflowing with papers by Dr. S. L. G. Leggett, of Syracuse, on "One Case Where the Remedy Indicated the Disease Miasm Before it was Known"; by Dr. C. É. Hinman, of Syracuse, and Dr. A. F. Mills, of Binghamton, on "Uric Acid Diathesis"; by E. A. Simonds, of Carthage, on "Typhoid Fever"; by Dr. R. W. Chaffee, of Syracuse, upon the "Neces sity of the Microscope in Medical and Surgical Diagnosis"; by H. A. Church, upon "Diseases of the Labyrinth." Dr. E. B. Nash also gave a few pages from a forthcoming work of his upon homœopathy.

It being seen by the report of the treasurer that there was considerable balance on hand, Dr. Keeler moved that the sum of $30 be voted to the Hahnemannian Monument Fund. Unanimously carried.

The committee on membership, composed of Drs. Lukins. Haines and Williams, reported the following, and they were all duly elected: O. O. Sumner, B. S., M. D., of Norwood; G. E. Baldwin, M. D., of Syracuse; F. M. Hyatt, M. D., of Auburn; R. F. Gates, M. D., of Brownville; Lynn A. Martin, M. D., of Binghamton; W. H. Leonard. M. D., of Tully; C. E. Spire, M. D., of Clyde; W. C. Du Bois, M. D., and C. Schumacher, of Syracuse.

The next meeting will be held the first Thursday in December. E. E. K.