truth appeared in the experience of my brother, who, after becoming the father of two girls. was particularly anxious for an heir. The venerable doctor of whom I spoke but a moment ago told me that he had predicted correctly the sex of six children in one family in which he practiced. for years. A farmer friend of his had been equally successful in predicting the sex of the calves that annually came to swell the size of his stock of cattle. Certainly the theory is plausible. A knowledge of it would not in any way interfere with preserving the world's equilibrium, so far as an equal division of the sexes is concerned. I can hardly credit the idea that in the great scheme of creation the sex of offspring was left to be a mere matter of accident or chance. There must be some definite plan, some inexorable law. Is this the plan or law? If so, carry the news to the boyless Czar of all the Russias. Cincinnati, O. G. M. R. HIGHLAND COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY. HILLSBORO, O., January 13, 1903. Editor LANCET-CLINIC: The Highland County Medical Society met in Hillsboro, O., on Wednesday, January 7, 1903. The programme sent you at that time was carried out. "The Physician: His Patience and Patients," Dr. H. A. Beeson. "Chronic Goitre Catarrh," Dr. H. A. Russ. "The Lorenz Method," Dr. Gilbert L. Bailey. "Cancer of Uterus," Dr. Charles L. Bonifield. This excellent programme was carried out and thoroughly enjoyed by over thirty physicians. The work of Drs. Bonifield and Bailey was enthusiastically received and enjoyed by all the doctors present. Although it was one of the worst days of the winter, yet some of the doctors came twenty and twenty-five miles to attend. We added five new members to our list. The doctors all partook of a delightful dinner at the Hotel Parker as guests of the local druggists. Over thirty physicians. were present and had a good time generally. J. C. LARKIN, Secretary. EDISON-LELANDE BATTERY. GLENDALE, January 14, 1903. Editor CLINIC: If you are still of the same mind as to advertising the electric battery for me, I will feel very grateful. The battery is made up of fifty porcelain cups, with battery attachments running up to a fiftypoint dial; is an Edison-Lelande make, oak cabinet, has never been used. The party to whom you sent me (Wocher's) had no use for this make of battery. I will sell it for any price you think I can get; was valued at $60.00 when new. Respectfully yours, MRS. R.D. MUSSEY. [Anything reasonable for a physician's widow.] Alcoholic Soap Solution as a Disinfectant for Surgical Instruments. Dr. Karl Gerson (Deutsche Med. Wochenschrift, 1902, No. 43), as a sequel to previous bacteriological work on this subject, arrives at the conclusion that this is a reliable method of sterilization. The surgical instruments are tightly wound with absorbent cotton soaked in an alcoholic solution of soap, and thus kept until needed for use. They are thus without further preparation ready for operative purposes. For the envelopment of scissors and forceps the soaped cotton is laid between the blades of the instruments; they are then closed and the cotton wound tightly around them. The cotton covering has a double purpose; it disinfects a previously infected instrument, and what is more, keeps a sterile instrument from external contamination. After the alcohol evaporates the remaining soap agglutinating the fibers of the cotton forms a covering impermeable to air, on removal of which a thin protective film is also found covering the instrument, Instruments so treated are found to remain sterile for weeks. After use the instruments are washed in a soap solution and again prepared as before.-Med. Age. Miscellany. MID-WINTER MEDICAL RHYMES AND JINGLES. COLLECTED AND COLLATED BY T. C. M. Microbes. I've had the yaller janders till I looked like butterine; I've had the fever'n ager till I turned a bluish green; I've had th' rash an' measles an' I've had the varyloid, I've had th' grip and shingles, an' a siege o' mean typhoid; I've had th' wust lumbago that a feller ever had, I've had syattic rheumatiz, an' had it mighty bad; I've had them larinjeetuses an' tonsileetus, too, I've had appendy seetus till they carved me through an' through; I've had th' mumps and tizzik-w'y they raised me on th' croup, An' many a night in babyhood they thought I'd looped th' loop: I've had chillblains an' bunions, had sore feet f'm spring t' fall Jest trot out somepin I've not had-I-jings I've had 'em all! An' now come all th' doctors with a theery nice an' new That says all these diseases that has tackled me an' you Is caused by some poor squirmin' thing that gets beneath th' hide An' never feels quite happy till its boardin' house has died; They tell us that th' backache an' th' headache an' the blues, Is hatched by some dumb'varmint that's crawling 'round yer flues; They say that all ye haf t' do t' drive th' ailment off That makes ye burn or shiver or lay 'wake at night an' cough Is jest t' kill th' microbe that is doin' all th' dirt, An' after that ye'll never know that anything had hurt. I'spose they're right, for most o' folks that's had their critters fix'd Is deader than th' microbes-guess the doctors got 'em mixed. I'se got a little idee of my own I'm goin' to spring I hope th' doctor folks wont think I'm givin' 'em a string, An' this is it: I reckon that this theery that they've got About th' germs an' creepers which I think is tommyrot, Is jest another sample of diseases that has come From them same little microbes 'bout as big as nothin's thumb. I reckon that this bug disease that's rulin' all their minds, About th' little varmints crawlin' underneath our rinds, The Man Behind the Knife.* G. FRANK LYDSTON, M.D. I've heard a pile of jawin', By the Man Behind the Knife. Tho' the skin is somewhat rough, With a nerve that's good and steady, An' a conscience not too tough, Then a feller needn't worry 'Bout losin' limb or life; He can trust 'em both completelyWith the Man Behind the Knife. He may be a great purfessor, Who does nothin' but purfess, The Man Behind the Knife. With its langwidge polly-glot, Is the Man Behind the Knife. As I said in the beginnin' Uv this homely little rhyme, Discussions deep an' learned, Is jest a waste of time; Thar's no sense in theorizin' When the stakes is human life; Fer the patient's fate is settled By the Man Behind the Knife. S'pose you've got a whackin' tumor, In yer belly er yer brain, An' the microscope's a guessin', An' the case is fur frum plain; S'pose your child is lyin' sufferin', Er yer worried 'bout yer wife; You'll soon forget the scallops Fer the Man Behind the Knife. As it wuz in Santiago, When we asked how it wuz done, Came a mighty shout in answer, "Twuz the Man Behind the Gun!" So in our operatin' an' savin' human life; Don't cheer the fuss an' feathers But the Man Behind the Knife. So I offer this suggestion, Ter the wranglers, high an' low, Who do so little cuttin', But take it out in blow: Jest quit yer fool discussin', On the ways uv savin' life; T'h-l with ink an' microbes It's the Man Behind the Knife. * Read at the Banquet of the Surgical Section of the A. M. A., at Saratoga, June 12, 1902. The Man Behind the Knife.* GEORGE F. BUTLER, M.D. I've heard a pile of jawin', By physicians young and old, An' he's lookin' fer the stuff, Ter the Man Behind the Knife. Shake the Man Behind the Knife. With a thousand-dollar check; Jest ter give a bloomin' surgeon, Who will trifle with yer life; But call yer fam'ly doctor! Shun the Man Behind the Knife. Of all the medical men, The surgeon has the gall; Not the Man Behind the Knife. Shun the Man Behind the Knife. As it wuz in Santiago, When we asked how it wuz done, So I offer this suggestion, Yer'd better swell up with dropsy, Fer the Man Behind the Knife. * Read at the Banquet of the Medical Section of the A. M. A., at Saratoga, June 12, 1902. ! Modern Antiseptic Methods.* BY GEO. S. HULL, PASADENA. Little Tommy ran a splinter Tommy's grandma put her specs on; But his mother brought the tweezers; Then they sent for Dr. Werzol, First he took his pond'rous case-book, Next his heart and lungs he sounded, Finally he dropped some ether Then he spread some sterile towels On the table gleamed his weapons Had so many to select from, Scratched his head which wasn't sterile, Took a tourniquet and put it Used his scalpels and his scissors, In despair he grabbed the tweezers, Read at the banquet of the Southern California Medical Society, Idyllwild, May 23, 1902. The Anti-Kissing Edict. LINCOLN, NEB., October 24.-At the Convention of the Missouri Valley Homeopathic Association, Dr. E. G. Linn made an extended argument against kissing, arguing that it was a prolific source of microbic infection, and claiming that it was detrimental to health. He said that a handshake would be found to be an effective and satisfactory substitute. Come hither, Dulcinea, let us read the doleful news; Henceforth the chastest of salutes I firmly must refuse; Henceforth thy lips as citadels by me shall not be stormed, For of the dire results I have thus sternly been informed, The rosy tempting of thy lips hath ever been much prized. But, ah! 'Twould never be the same if they' Farewell the joys of wooing and farewell the dreams of bliss! This is the doom of lovers, for we may not bolt a kiss! -Baltimore American. The Very First Year He's Out. G. T. P. What an opulent thing Is the medical king: How proudly he wanders about! Far richer is he Than again he will be: It's the very first year he is out. If we ask him by chance Of his practice expanse He will tell us with smile that is bland Of the way he is run From sun until sun, How his praises are sung in the land. Of the laps he's done, With the ghastly old angel of death; He has given back heart-beat and breath. And he does not admit That at noon he must sit On a stool at a counter at lunch; That sinkers and tea The viands must be, That this medical kinglet must munch. Madame La Grippe. ALLISON WISHART, M.D. For some weeks past a heartless flirt |