him I would give him another course, that would prove to him whether he was right or not. So I gave him a few doses that I calculated would rouse every part of the alimentary tract, and at about 7 p. m. gave a heavy dose of saline cathartic. That night there was something doing. The man who waited on the patient said he hoped he would not live long enough to have another such experience as he had just gone through. He said vessel after vessel of the foulest, most terrible fecal matter, had been discharged by that patient, he ever had any knowledge of; and thought he had had a little experience in that line before. I did not see all the discharges from this patient's bowels, but what I did see was of a character far beyond my most ardent expectations. Indeed, it was a fearfully and wonderfully malodorous conglomeration.

I continued the intestinal antiseptice and gave quinine and strychnine arsenates. In twenty-four hours more the patient was feeling well; and his temperature being normal, got up and dressed. In a few days he was in a practically normal condition and at work. This man did not appear very sick at any time; and while I expected it would be proven that the source of trouble was in the bowels, I never expected such a weighty and substantial fecal confirmation. That the illness then ended is sufficient proof.

Another was a woman thirty years old, who had not felt well for several weeks, but had taken no treatment. Insidiously she got worse until she was in bed. I was then called. I found the temperature 105° F., pulse low, 84-tongue but slightly coated. I took her through a process of cleaning out, but the temperature continued high, except when given a powerful antipyretic, when the temperature would drop a degree or two and she would begin to sweat and continue til bed and gown were soaked. Then as soon as the clothing was changed and dry the temperature would begin to mount up again, till 105° F. was reached.

Every effort to clean out was followed by seemingly sufficient discharges, yet the temperature would hover around 105 unless antipyretics were pushed; and when there were discontinued on account of the temperature coming down to normal, and sweating, the temperature jumped right up again. Another physician thought it typhoid, but on account of the high temperature at the beginning, he thought it might be mixed with a malarial fever.

I could not reconcile myself to either idea. At the end of two weeks I settled down to clean that alimentary canal, though the patient was quite sure there was nothing to clean out, as she had

eaten practically nothing during her illness—a cracker and a cup of tea being all she could swallow. Well, I at this time gave a combination that I thought would touch every spot, and followed by a saline-and I made it all a little heroic. Four hours after the saline, the bowels did act, sure enough. I saw all that passed, and surely it was not less than three gallons, and the odor was fearful in the extreme. It did seem impossible that that little woman could have hid away in her intestinal tract, all that noxious fecal accumulation, but the proof was before me. You will understand I was using intestinal antiseptics all the time, and they were still continued. By the next morning, or scarcely twenty-four hours after the bowels had finished throwing off all this material, the temperature was normal and stayed there. I gave strychnine arsenate to pull her together; appetite returned, and on the second day the woman was practically well. Recovery was complete in a few days.

What all might this case have been? Or what might it not have been called? It developed symptoms so insidiously that it would have been normal typhoid, had the temperature not been so high at first. Then it was suggested that there was a malarial type jumping in, and causing high temperature so frequently; and so on. But it surely looks like it was nothing but a bowel loaded with poisonous excrement. So it is not always so simple a matter to clean out.

MENTAL INFLUENCES.

J. A. BURNETT, M. D., CECIL, ARK.

It is a fact well known by all physicians that the mind has a powerful influence over the body, but to what extent no one exactly knows; besides some persons are more easily influenced than others. A suggestion that would have a powerful influence on one person may have but little or no influence upon another. All know that what will excite one person will not excite another, or what would insult one would not insult another. Those of a mental temperament are most easily influenced, while those of a motive temperament are hardest to influence. Those of a vital temperament hold a place. between the mental and motive temperaments. No one will deny the fact that words will insult a person. It is known to all anger flushes the face and retards digestion. Sorrow brings tears to the eyes. All know the influence of grief, caused by the death

of relatives and all know there are a vast number of suicides on account of disappointment in love affairs. Fear in many instances excites the action of the bowels and kidneys. Soldiers have been known to suddenly take diarrhoea when marching into battle. Fright relaxes the muscles and shocks the nervous system. Most people know the bad effect of fright on pregnant women. I read that infants had been poisoned on milk from women who had just suffered from great fright. All intelligent parents know the influence of bad company, and have their children to avoid them if possible. It has been well said that "birds of a feather will flock together" and that “a person is of about the same character as that of his associates.” It has also been said that “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

Magnetism is in my opinion nothing but mental influence. Not everybody can have the same influence over others, as their magnetism is not always compatible, that is, the minds will not harmonize if the temperaments do not harmonize. Any close observing person has seen people that he did not like; that is, he could not enjoy their presence and in some cases they see people whose presence is disgusting and they cannot really enjoy their presence even if they try, and could not tell the reason why. It is because their temperaments are not harmoniously blended and their magnetism-minds,-are not compatible. In marriage, business relation, etc., the temperaments must harmonize or sooner or later a failure will be the result. This explains the philosophy of elopements. It is because men and women come in contact with each other, and their magnetism is so much more in harmony than it is with their wives or husbands. Lewd thoughts and companions have much influence on the sexual system; such will produce an early puberty in both sexes, while moral surrounding with little. thought on the sexual system, with proper education and food, with but little or no meat, will produce a late puberty in both sexes.

Our thoughts and food make us what we are. Many instances are on record in all medical literature, both ancient and modern, of many cases of maternal impressions. Dr. Ervin D. Brooks, in September, 1904, New Albany Medical Herald, has the following to say in his article on "Prenatal Influences":

"Since the time when Jacob out-generaled his tricky father-inlaw and laid the peeled willow rods in the drinking troughs when the strongest of cattle went to drink, causing them to bring forth. ring-streaked speckled and spotted offsprings, and for how many

generations previous to that time we are not informed, mankind has believed in the fact that offsprings are affected by the conditions surrounding the pregnant female.

"This was made large use of by the people of the Greek nation in its palmiest days, and history records that the expectant mother was surrounded by the most elevating influences, the most beautiful paintings and statuary and her mind filled and occupied with ennobling thoughts of deeds of valor and lives of heroism. To this many have ascribed the fact that the Greeks attained an eminence in poetry, sculpture and painting, and valor in war, which has been the admiration and wonder of all succeeding generations. Women so beautiful and men so strong and heroic have not been usual since that time, although a few individuals in any generation may equal the best of Greeks. Since the ugliest women and puniest men are as likely to marry as those of opposite type, and much more likely to produce a numerous offspring, which offspring may be as strong and handsome as children of vigorous and comely parentage, provided their parents have no transmissible disease or infirmity, we must insist that some factor other than heredity is the potent cause."

Dr. Florence Dressler said: "When parents realize that chiliren are as prenatal influences make them, then only may we look for perfect manhood and womanhood."

In an article on "Psychology of Crime," September, 1905, Medical Talk, L. W. Billingsley has the following to say:

"The quality of thinking determines consciousness and consciousness forms character."

He further says:

"Criminals feed their minds on the suggestion presented in police gazettes, yellow journals, and sensational novels and also by the talks of their criminal associates. We are all modified by every picture thrown on the mental canvas. Even if we do detest a crime we cannot immerse our consciousness in its turbid waves without taking on some of its slime and filth that we do when we read, talk and think of crime in its details."

It is believed that criminals produce criminals. "Like beget like," and it has been suggested that certain classes of criminals. should be castrated, especially male criminals, for such crimes as rape.

Dr. Lyddston, in his book, "The Diseases of Society," advo

cates resection of the vasa deferentia in male criminals and removing the ovaries in female criminals.

Prof. Shaw, of the University of Michigan, in his book on “Animal Breeding," has the following to say concerning male animals, which may throw some light on the subject:

"Castration usually corrects all tendencies to viciousness, at least it does so in no small degree. The influence which it thus exerts upon the spirit and temper of the animal is even greater than that which it exercises upon development. But when done at a comparatively early period the immediate results are not so apparent since sufficient age has not been reached to manifest in any striking way the characteristics of temperament. The influence thus exercised is always of a softening character and so potent is it that after castration the elements of danger from males previously pronounced vicious in character is almost wholly eliminated. Thus it is that in horses and oxen kept for labor, castration is almost universally practiced. The animals are thereby also rendered more useful, since in addition to an increased mildness of temper they are also possessed of more reliability in the line of obedience. This greater tractability is doubtless owing in part to a complete elimination of the unsettling influences arising from sexual desire. It has been noticed that castration enhances fidelity, even in the dogs. In the absence of castration it would scarcely be possible to manage animals kept for labor without the hazard of many accidents to those engaged in handling them, and in some instances the loss of life."

The same author further says in regard to female animals:

"The objects sought in spaying are first to render females incapable of breeding, and second to render them more capable of being easily fattened. In many instances it may not be desirable to keep females for breeding because of undesirable form or because of excess of numbers. In such instances, therefore, the goal of these is the block, and at an early age. If not spayed, as soon as these animals become capable of breeding they are notably restless during the period of heat, and are also at such times more or less of a disquieting factor to the animals with whom they feed. Such disquietude is unfavorable to flesh production. When the ovaries are removed the energies of the system, that were previously concentrated on building up and sustaining those parts concerned in generation are diverted to the production of meat. Beyond these advantages no others that are very marked would seem to be se