which any newspaper might be proud. They are up to date in the news columns and are particularly clean in moral tone from first to last. One Sunday was passed in the city. The people impressed the writer as being generally very devout and religious in their acts of worship. Churches are numerous and well attended, so far as could be learned by an individual. In the old French quarter there are numerous churches, some of them dating back in age for more than two hundred years, and preserve within their walls some of the finest paintings and stained glass to be found in America. The medical profession of New Orleans embraces men of the very finest and highest type to be found in any city. Their hospitality is lavish and generous to an extreme. The people, and this includes the motormen and conductors on the street railways, have the qualification of quiet politeness to everyone. Every street-car has a rear section of one, two or three double seats, as the case may require, for colored patrons, who are treated with as much civility as those of the Caucasian race. The schools are numerous, and in structure comparable with the best in the North. In this there was quite a surprise expressed by many of the visitors. The schools appeared to be about equally divided between the whites and the blacks. If there is a difference observable at all it is in favor of the schools conducted for the Commencement Exercises. The auditorium of the University was packed to the doors on the afternoon of May 2, the occasion being the eightyfourth annual commencement of the Medical College of Ohio. The exercises were opened with a prayer by Rev. Dr. Young. Remarks were made by the dean, Dr. P. S. Connor, M.D., LL.D., and the valedictory address was delivered by Dr. Thaddeus A. Reamy. The delivery of the fifty-four diplomas was left to Prof. Howard Ayres, LL.D. The interesting period during the exercises was when the prize winners were announced. Breathless silence, followed immediately by cheers as each winner was announced, attended the reading of the names by the Secretary of the College, Dr. James G. Hyndman, as follows: Prof. Whitacre's Prize in Pathology. negroes alone. No mixed schools are to be found in New Orleans, nor should they Fifty dollars in gold; awarded to Mr. exist any place else. The section work of the Association, which means the scientific, was in every particular quite up to the times-no better or worse than in other years. The registration numbered a very few over two thousand. The following officers were elected: President J. H. Musser, Philadelphia. First Vice-President-Dr. G. C. Savage, Tennessee. Ernest O. Swartz, King's Mills, Ohio. Dr. C. M. Paul's Prize in Surgical Pathology. A case of surgical instruments; awarded to Mr. Robert Conard, New Vienna, Ohio. Prof. J. G. Hyndman's Prize in Laryngology.-Case of laryngological instruments; awarded to Dr. Oliver H. Pinney, Transit, Ohio. Prof. S. C. Ayres' Prize in Ophthal mology.-An ophthalmoscope; awarded to Dr. Albert A. Yungblut, Dayton, Ky. Prof. A. Ravogli's Prize in Derma tology. A gold medal; awarded to Dr. Arthur Vos, Cincinnati. Prof. C. L. Bonifield's Prize for Best Final Examination in Clinical Gynecology.-Awarded to Dr. K. G. Zwick, Covington, Kentucky. Prof. Zinke's Two Prizes in Obstetrics. Cases of obstetric instruments; awarded to Dr. C. R. McKinnis, Coalton, Ohio, and Dr. R. C. Shelton, Bradyville, Ohio. Faculty Prize for Best Final Examination in All Departments.-Gold medal; awarded to Dr. Harry E. Shilling, Troy, Ohio. Honorable mention, Dr. Sidney Lange, Cincinnati, and Dr. Chas. E. Hauser, Cincinnati. The furthur announcement of the positions gained by the different graduates at various hospitals was then made by Dr. Hyndman as follows: Resident Physicians, Cincinnati Hospital-Dr. Harry E. Shilling, Troy, Ohio; Dr. Charles Goosman, Cincinnati; Dr. Arthur Vos, Cincinnati, and Dr. Sidney Lange, Cincinnati. Resident Physicians, Christ HospitalDr. Charles Andrew Langdale, Cincinnati, and Dr. Gordon Frank McKim, Burlington, Kentucky. Resident Physicians, Jewish Hospital -Dr. Charles Edwin Hauser, Cincinnati, and Dr. Frank Philip Zerfass, Oxford, Ohio. Resident Physicians, St. Mary's Hospital-Dr. Claude Youtsey, Newport, Kentucky, and Dr. Karl George Zwick, Covington, Kentucky. Resident Physicians, Good Samaritan Hospital-Dr. Grear Hill Baker, Cincinnati,; Dr. Robert Cofield, Bethel, Indiana, and Dr. Merrick Linley Bates, Cincinnati. Resident Physician, National Jewish Hospital, Denver, Colorado-Dr. John Henry Creekbaum, Ripley, Ohio. Clinicians, Outdoor Obstetric Department-Mr. G. R. Roessly, Cincinnati, and Mr. William F. Lauterbach, Dayton, Ohio. Resident Physician, Speers Memorial Hospital, Dayton, Kentucky-Dr. Walter C. Cook, Price Hill, Cincinnati. At the magnificent banquet that followed at the Hotel Alms in the evening about two-hundred guests were present. Dr. H. D. Hinckley was a facetious and vivacious toastmaster, and the toasts were responded to by Drs. Shaler, Berry, George B. Orr, J. W. Rowe, S. E. Allen, H. H. Marsh, and P. S. Conner. NAMES OF GRADUATES. Baker, Grear Hill, Cincinnati, Ohio. EDITORIAL NOTES. Ar the commencement of the Medical College of Ohio, on May 2, 1903, Francis J. McMechan, of this city, graduated. The event was interesting, as he was the third one of his family to graduate from that college. In 1851 his grandfather, Dr. John McMechan (deceased), formerly of Darrtown, Ohio, graduated there. Many years later his father, Dr. J. C. McMechan, graduated from the same institution, and now he has fallowed in their footsteps. HARRISON COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY. -Following is the programme of the meeting of the Harrison County Society at Cadiz, which took place April 28, and was a very successful occasion. The papers read were excellent. Hope to have them for the Cincinnati LANCET-CLINIC. Address by the President. Dr. J. D. West, Hopedale, O. Electricity from a Therapeutical Standpoint. J. W. Gordon, Bowerston, O. Smallpox. R. P. Rusk, Cadiz, O. Hospital Experience. W. R. Allison, Hopedale, O. The Ray Bill. The Ray bill, making a diploma from a high school or college necessary to enter the second year of a medical college in Pennsylvania, which has already passed the House of Representatives, has been so amended by the Senate as to read, "Provided that graduation from a literary college of good standing after two years of scientific work in the college shall be accepted by the medical council of the State of Pennsylvania as an equivalent for the first year in a recognized medical college, provided that it is accepted by the medical college as dealing adequately with chemistry, physics, physiology, anatomy, and the biological sciences." The bill was vigorously opposed by representatives of the smaller colleges of the State. There seems no doubt that it will pass as now amended. Had the bill been passed in its original shape, it would have sent many medical students out of the State, since it would have barred their entering the second year of most of the large medical schools.-Philadelphia Med. Journal. THE United States Public Health and Marine Hospital Service has established a hospital at Cape Nome, Alaska, and the hospital at Dutch Harbor will be discontinued.-Med. Age. Obituary.. JOHN MOFFETT, M.D. Dr. John Moffett, of Rushville, Ind., the oldest practicing physician in the county as well as the oldest in continuous service, died of erysipelas at 8 P.M., Thursday, May 7, at his home, North Perkins street, after a week's illness. Dr. Moffett was born in Washington County, Va., October 23, 1822. His age was eighty years, six months and seven days. In May, 1844, he entered upon the study of medicine with Dr. William H. Martin, in this city; October, 1846, he entered the Medical College of Ohio, at Cincinnati, where he continued his professional studies until March, 1849, when he graduated. Immediately after, he spent one year as superintendant of the Cincin nati Hospital. April 15, 1850, he began the practice of his profession in Rushville and had just completed fifty-three years of faithful, efficient and thoroughly conscientious service in ministering to the af flicted. of the Central College of Physicians and In 1879, Dr. Moffett became a member Surgeons at Indianapolis, and was elected to the Chair of the Principles of Medicine, a position which he filled three years, when he was transferred to the Chair of Obstetrics which was resigned by him March 4, 1887. There was no one in the community more respected and loved than was this good physician, this noble, Christian man, and no other life excelled and but few equalled his in its power to bless every one within the reach of its beneficent influence. One asks with sadness, as the poets pass away, who is going to sing the songs of the future? When the great men die we ask, where are they who are to be the great men of the days to come? And so, when we see the family doctor who never refused to answer a call, if physically able to answer it, who went his rounds, faithful, generous, devoted, threading his way through crowded streets that were pastureland when he began practice, more than fifty years ago, called away, we ask with a pang at our hearts, who can ever take the place of the beloved physician? Surely a life of such usefulness must be as inspiring as it is worthy of imitation to those seeking entrance into that profession, so richly blest and honored by it. The funeral service was held at the late residence, Sunday at two o'clock. The officiating ministers were Rev. Arthur Hackleman, pastor of the Morgan Street Baptist Church, Rev. V. W. Tevis, St. Paul's M. E. Church, and Rev. S. A. Mowers, Presbyterian Church. The St. Paul's M. E. Church Male Quartet furnished the music, and the entire service was very beautiful and deeply impressive. A common feeling of sorrow seemed to have touched every heart. All were mourners because each one felt that he had sustained a personal loss. His fellow physicians, about thirty in number, attended in a body. The pall bearers were Drs. W. H. Smith, Lot Green, J. C. Sexton, Charles H. Parsons, Frank G. Hackleman.-Rushville Weekly Jacksonian. 2. That the loss of low tones in 50 per cent. suggests an auditory equivalent for a recognized ocular lesion. 3. That there was definite scotoma in four cases and impaired sensation of vision in eight of them. 4. That the disease was symmetrical. 5. That 80 per cent. showed marked improvement on abstinence from tobacco, and this abstinence being supplemented by drug treatment, three were cured. But the habit was so strong and the will so weak that the forecast was not always encouraging.-Med. Press and Circular. PLASTER-OF-PARIS dressings that are liable to be moistened by secretions from a wound, as, for instance, in the treatment of compound fractures or of excisions, where the fenestrum is made, can be nicely protected by painting the exposed parts with melted paraffine.-International Journal of Surgery. Correspondence. INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF MEDICINE AT MADRID. MADRID, April 23, 1903. Editor LANCET-CLINIC: On board the S. S. Princess Irene, of the North German Lloyd, twenty-seven physicians from different parts of the United States were traveling among two hundred passengers of the first cabin. All were bound for Madrid to the International Congress of Medicine, greatly interested in the success of the meeting. The voyage was smooth and pleasant, the sea quiet and calm, and the whole crowd greatly delighted. N. Senn was usually in the smaking room, busy translating a French book of surgery, while smoking and puffing his cigar. In the evening we had medical meetings in the smoking room, where interesting medical subjects were discussed as matter of conversation. For several evenings anesthesia occupied the time, reviewing all the most important points. Some were in favor of chloroform, others in favor of ether, and the conclusion was to use the first in patients of good general condition and the second in patients with weak action of the heart. The mixtures of C. E. A., so often used, were considered as the most insecure and rather avoidable. Every one had cases to report where the patient collapsed after a few inhalations of chloroform and their dreadful experience. Then the conversation came on the different means to resuscitate the patient, the ways of producing artificial respiration, the injections of the sulphate of strychnia, the injections with the solutions of salt, which Dr. Nancrede considered of the greatest benefit. At other times the subject of conversation was on the glanders, actinomycosis, and other subjects, which were discussed between the puffing of cigars and pipes in an atmosphere thick and heavy from tobacco smoke. Dr. Howard Kelly, of Baltimore, although not very fond of the tobacco smoke, was taking part in an interesting discussion on appendicitis, and referred to some forty cases, where pins were found in the appendix which the patient had swallowed accidentally. An interesting discussion was begun by Howard Kelly on the Bible concerning the different names of God. He showed himself to be not only the great surgeon, but a deep and profound student of the Bible and of the Jewish language. This discussion on Bible subjects was so interesting that the passengers requested Dr. Kelly to hold the divine service on Sunday, which he did in an admirable man ner. On Monday morning we were in Gibraltar, and from there we proceeded to Madrid. In an other letter I will relate something more special on the Congress. Very truly yours A. RAVOGLI. Exploratory Incision in Gastric Ulcer. The treatment of extremely severe and chronic cases of ulcer of the stomach lays severe tax upon the skill and the patience of the medical attendant. When hematemesis has occurred, and all remedies have failed to check the recurrence of pain upon movement and the digestion of moderately soft diet, then the question of an exploratory incision should be considered. If dilatation be present there should be no hesitation in urging the operation, as in that case the removal of cicatricial con tractions in the neighborhood of the pylorus may effect a speedy and brilliant cure. The incision may reveal non-malignant stricture of the pylorus, or an ulcer that may be excised or stitched up in a fold of the outer coat of the stomach. The risk attending a properly performed exploratory incision is so slight-modern surgery has reduced it to something like 5 per cent. -that there need be no hesitation in advising a patient to submit to the operation, especially when his condition and outlook are deplorable and obstinate to other measures.—Med. Press and Circular. IN cases of brain injury, operation is never permissible unless there is distinct evidence that some condition exists which trephining will probably relieve. A bullet or larger body is not to be sought for unless it gives clear symptoms of compression. or irritation, or there is hemorrhage.-International Journal of Surgery. Current Literature. The Use of Salicylic Acid and Boric Acid as Preservatives in Food. The question as to whether preservatives should be used in food is one which has been agitating the general public and the medical profession for the past few years. There are some-mainly those who are interested in the matter from a pecuniary standpoint-who aver that certain preservatives are not harmful to health, or if so, to such a slight extent that their use is of little consequence. Others contend that preservatives should not be used at all, or when mixed with food, a label should be attached to the compound, indicating the nature and quantity of the preservative. A commission was appointed in Great Britain some time ago to look into the matter, and has recently handed in its report. The commission generally condemned the employment of preservatives in food, and recommended that the law should be altered so as to require manufacturers to state the nature and amount of the preservative, whatever it may be, which is present in certain articles sold. The commission would allow the use of salicylic acid, but would limit it to one grain per pint. In the Lancet, March 14, is an article by Drs. Macalister and Bradshaw, who join issue with the findings of the commission, and as the result of experiments made by themselves endeavor to show that the presence of salicylic acid in food, even in comparatively large quantities, has no injurious effect on the health of con sumers. The writers of the article lay down the postulates that salicylic acid is considered. injurious to health for the following three principal reasons: (1) That it is an antiseptic and anti-fermentative, and is, therefore, liable to interfere with the digestive processes by destroying the digestive ferments; (2) that after absorption it is apt to injure the general health and to interfere with nutrition, and (3) that it is an irritant and is, therefore, apt to injure the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestinal canal. The conclusions which they came to were these: They found-by |