Year. 1883.. 1884. 1885. Average....... City Hospital, Charity Hosp'l, U. S. M. Hosp'l, City Hospital, Memphis. Memphis. These are official figures gathered from printed records. An analysis of them is useless since they speak plainer than words. Our city being a large railroad and commercial center her hospital gathers patients from a vast area of surrounding country. This, at the first glance, might seem as an imposition, but in reality it is but a natural sequence to our commercial development, an obligation always imposed and one that is always in ratio to a city's commercial growth and prosperity. It is a duty which other cities gracefully assume and discharge liberally, and one from which Memphis should not shrink. The City Hospital at St. Louis gets its patients from all over the West and Southwest, while the Charity Hospital at New Orleans gathers its patients from all over the world. If we undertake to care for the sick who enter our portals: we should do it in a style worthy a progressive and enlightened community, and give them all the advantages which modern science offers for recovery. We cannot but think that if our citizens were properly approached on this matter they would feel the necessity of improving the condition of our institution and would be willing to submit to some increase in taxation to accomplish this end. One serious objection, however, which might be urged against this is that under existing laws citizens of Memphis are not entitled to the privileges of the hospital. Anyone who has lived in the city three months or more must go to the poor-house, and the poor of our city had rather take their chances of recovery mid squalor and poverty than go to this place. Memphis needs a hospital constructed upon the most approved plan of modern hospital architecture, capable of accom modating 100 or 125 patients in addition to a limited number of private rooms for pay patients, and furnished with all that is requisite for the scientific treatment of disease. The privileges of such an institution should extend to all alike without regard to creed or residency. When she has secured this, Memphis may truthfully say that she is abreast her sister cities, that she has performed her duty nobly and well. ANTIFEBRIN.-Since the introduction of the thermometer into clinical practice, and the custom established of daily noting the thermic march of disease, the want of safe and reliable antipyretics has been a constant source of anxiety and perplexity to the practitioner. Cold water, upon which we have greatly relied, is cumbersome, and requires constant care and experienced nurses if harm does not follow its use. Quinine must remain our great antipyretic when antiperiodic influences are required, regardless of its disturbing influences on the "thermogenetic nervous centres." Salicylic acid will bring down the temperature, and before the discovery of antipyrin was considered the most active and least dangerous of this class of remedies, but the cerebral disturbances which it occasions has limited its use, yet it still ranks first in the therapeutics of acute rheumatism. Phenic acid, although limitedly employed in fever before salicylic acid, its antithermic power was not fully recognized. Later, it was proven to be actively antipyretic but often dangerous, even when given in relatively small doses. Resorcin is an antithermic, but its action is transient, and when given in sufficiently liberal doses to secure a free fall of temperature, toxic phenomena have been observed. Kairin is also transient in its influences as an antithermic, and reaction is preceded by a chill, while it destroys the red globules and the oxyhæmoglobin, profoundly altering the blood. Thallin is believed to be the most powerful of antithermics, reducing the temperature with great rapidity, which sometimes terminates in collapse. Antipyrin in large doses is toxic, but not nearly so markedly so as resorcin, phenic acid, kairin and thallin. With the action of this remedy we have all become quite familiar. There are many cases of hyperthermia, in the treatment of which antipyrin appears to be indispensable, and we almost wonder how it was possible to get along without it in former times. Yet its practical utility will probably grow as we become still more familiar with its action. It would appear that with these antifebrile remedies we have quite enough, but when another is presented, we naturally indulge the hope that it may present properties more desirable than its predecessors. Such is claimed for the new candidate for the confidence of the profession, ANTIFEBRIN. Attention is called to antifebrin by Drs. Cahn and Hepp of Strassburg, assistants at Kussmaul's clinic, in Centralblatt fur Klinische Medicin, August 14. It is a white, crystalline, odorless powder, imparting a slight burning taste to the tongue. It is almost insoluble in cold water, less so in hot water, but dissolves freely in wine. It has neither toxic or antipyretic effects on dogs, but the authors speak enthusiastically of the antipyretic properties of the new drug in the human subject and the absence of toxic influences attributable to it. It was given in solution, powder, or suspended in water. The dose varied from four to fifteen grains, no more than thirty grains having been given during the period of twenty-four hours. The effect begins to show itself within an hour, reaches its maximum in about four hours, and lasts from six to eight hours. The pulse became less frequent and increased in volume as the temperature declined. The digestive organs were not disturbed, as is frequently the case when antipyrin is being used. In some, unusual thirst and decided diuresis occurred during the remission, but no complaint was heard, and the general condition of the patient was perfectly good during the hours of freedom from fever. Antifebrin can be obtained in Strassburg for the modest price of twenty-five cents an ounce, at wholesale. THE New York Polyclinic during the session of 1885-6 had a total of 240 practitioners in attendance upon the various clinics, making since the opening of the school in Nov., 1882, 812 matriculants. We are in receipt of the Annual Announcement for 1886. The list of professors is almost identical with that at the organization of the Polyclinic. Dr. Leaming has been made Emeritus Professor of Diseases of the Chest and Physical Diagnosis, and remains as President of the Faculty. The following is a list of the professors in charge of the various departments: Diseases of Children, Dr. John H. Pipley; General Medicines and Diseases of the Chest, Dr. E. Danvin Hudson, Jr.; Diseases of the Mind and Nervous System, Drs. L. C. Gray and M. Allen Starr; Dermatology, Drs. A. R. Robinson and E. B. Bronson; General Surgery, Drs. Wyeth and Gerstor; Orthopedic Surgery, D. Gibney; Gynecology, Drs. Munde, Wylie and Hunter; Ophthal mology, Drs. Gruening and Webster; Laryngology, Dr. D. Bryson Delavan; Physiological Chemistry, Dr. George B. Fowler. A Department of Otology has been created and placed in charge of Dr. O. P. Pomeroy. The Laboratory of Pathology and Histology is in charge of Dr. John S. Thatcher. The increase in the size of the classes has necessitated an increase in the number of clinics, and during the session of 1886-7 as many as 86 clinical demonstrations will be given every week. A RELIABLE STIMULANT TONIC NUTRIENT.-It is a well-known fact that the development and prolongation of many diseases depend upon the lack of resistant and recuperative power in the patient attacked. This being the case, medicines often fail of their effect, unless preceded, accompanied or followed by such adjuvants as tonic nutrients. A preparation best adapted to promote the objects to be kept in view in prescribing for patients whose vitality is exhausted or impaired, must combine the qualities of a stimulant, tonic and nutrient. It is a fact that many preparations in the market, which are highly commended by their manufacturers, fail to meet this three-fold indication. They are, for the most part, mere stimulants, and lack any real nutritive value. Their administration, therefore, induces temporary stimulation, followed by a depressing stage of reaction, and they are not infrequently injurious rather than helpful to a convalescent patient. Our readers will, therefore, be interested to learn that Parke, Davis & Co. have introduced a preparation of Beef, Iron and Wine which is a true food, containing the proteids or tissue forming material in the form of peptones, instead of the innutritious beef extract so largely used. It is guaranteed that each ounce of this improved preparation contains four grains of Citrate of Iron and Ammonium, and represents one ounce of Fresh Beef Peptonized. Physicians who have been disappointed in the use of the inferior beef, wine and iron preparations in the market, will find this one to admirably meet the indications for a Tonic Nutrient. TRI-STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY-The annual meeting of the Tri-State Medical Society will be held in this city on the Wednesday and Thursday after the second Monday in November next. The secretary reports an increasing interest in the society and the promise of many interesting papers. He has issued a circular asking for contributions of papers and reports of cases. It is hoped that all who can prepare papers will respond early, giving title of paper, that the committee of arrangements may be enabled to issue a programme of the meeting and that members may come prepared to discuss the various papers. We trust the attendance will be larger than that of any previous year and hope we will have the pleasure of shaking the hands of many of our old friends on that occasion. AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION.-The fourteenth annual meeting of this Association occurred in Toronto, Canada, October 5, 6, 7 and 8, at Shaftesbury Hall on Queen street, West. Dr. G. B. Thornton, our Memphis Sanitarian and President of the Board of Health of the Taxing District, was the only person attending from this city. He was the bearer of the following letter, which explains itself: MEMPHIS, TENN., October 1, 1886. To the President and Members of the American Health Association, Toronto, Canada: GENTLEMEN-Having the highest regard for your honorable body, and recognizing in you the highest authority on matters pertaining to the public health, the Memphis Merchants' |