RICHARD HARDING DAVIS took his pen in hand awhile ago and wrote for The New York Herald an article describing a laparatomy performed on the cruiser New York. It was thrilling to the lay mind ; it was bloody; it was a lurid picture, painted by a fleeting pen in the hands of an accomplished but over-enthusiastic and highly imaginative novelist. Mr. Davis said, in describing events after the operation, that the patient, lying on a cot, opened his eyes and saw the surgeons standing about him with arms covered with blood up to the elbows. Then he added that the operating table "dripped with blood." Surely these be bleeding war times, but we hope the New York recovered.-Buffalo Medical Journal. DR. JOHN N. E. BROWN.-Dr. Brown left Toronto, July 29th, for the Yukon District, where he expects to remain for some time, having received an important appointment on the staff of Mr. Ogilvie, the administrator of that territory. He graduated in the University of Toronto in 1892, and during the following year was one of the resident staff of the Toronto General Hospital. Since 1893 he has practised in this city, and during these years has made for himself a host of friends, who, while they are ready to congratulate him on his appointment, regret exceedingly his departure from their midst. Before leaving several entertainments were held to do him honor and bid him God-speed. Among these probably the most memorable was that given by Dr. W. H. B. Aikins at his residence, July 27th, a large number of Dr. Brown's friends being present. We desire, on behalf of THE CANADIAN PRACTITIONER staff, to thank Dr. Brown for many acts of kindness and courtesy, and much valuable assistance rendered during his residence in Toronto, and, at the same time, we offer him our kindest wishes, and hope that health, happiness and prosperity may attend him in his new sphere. THE ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS.-The following is the text of the Royal Warrant forming the Royal Army Medical Corps, which the Secretary of State for War has courteously sent us for publication : VICTORIA, R.I. Whereas We have deemed it expedient to alter in certain respects the conditions under which the officers employed upon the medical duties of Our Army are at present serving; Our will and pleasure is that the officers below the rank of surgeon-major-general serving in Our Army Medical Staff shall be formed into a corps, together with the warrant officers, non-commissioned offi. cers, and men of Our Medical Staff Corps ; It is Our further will and pleasure that the designation "Medical Staff Corps" shall be abolished, and that the corps formed as abovementioned shall be styled "The Royal Army Medical Corps." The following alterations will consequently be made in the ranks of the medical officers of Our Army: The medical staff of Our Army shall in future consist of surgeon. generals (ranking as major-generals), and the title of surgeon-majorgenerals now serving shall be altered accordingly. Officers of Our Royal Army Medical Corps holding appointments in Our household troops shall be borne as seconded officers on the establishment of Our Royal Army Medical Corps, and shall be dealt with as regards pay and promotion in accordance with the rules laid down in Articles 384, 385, and 387 of Our Warrant for the Pay, Appointment, Promotion, and Non-effective Pay of Our Army, dated the 26th April, 1897. Given at Our Court at Windsor, this 23rd day of LANSDOWNE. OBITUARY. DR. JAMES BROWNE.-Dr. Browne died at his late residence, Toronto, July 16th, ten days after an attack of apoplexy, aged 82. He practised medicine for several years in Millbrook and Peterboro', but retired from active work many years ago. He had lived in Toronto for twenty-two years. ROBERT DICKIE MOFFATT, M.D., C.M.-The many friends of Dr. R. D. Moffatt, of Toronto, were inexpressibly shocked when they heard, July 19th, that he had expired in a dentist's chair. He had suffered for some time from dental caries, and decided to have a number of teeth removed. Choloroform was administered by a competent physician, who noticed signs of failing strength after a comparatively small amount of chloroform had been inhaled. All efforts on the part of Drs. O'Reilly, Bray, Riordan, Elliott, Noble, and Gordon failed to resucitate him. He was 33 years of age, and had been prrctising in Toronto for several years. He graduated in McGill in 1888, and passed his final before the Ontario Medical Council the same year. JOHN BEATTY, M.D.-Dr. Beatty was one of the oldest physicians in Canada, having commenced practice in the town of Cobourg in 1833. He was very successful as a practitioner, and also took a prominent part in matters outside his profession, especially politics. He was for many years one of the most influential men in Eastern Ontario. He gave up practice so many years ago that he was unknown to the present generation as an active physician. After retiring from active work he lived for many years in Cobourg, the scene of his earlier labors, highly respected by all classes. He enjoyed good health up to the morning of July 17th, when he was seized with faintness while sitting in his armchair, and died without a struggle in a few minutes. CUB SAWBONES. When we marched away with the starry flag, But for me I wanted "no rear " in mine- So, when we had charged up the deadly glade, In open order and firing at will We crawled through a very rough skirmish drill— From the trees to the rocks, from the rocks to the trees— Just as close to the ground as we could freeze. When I noted the tangled thicket sway In front about twenty-five yards away, I drew bead ready to loosen a storm Till I caught a whiff of iodoform. * Cub Sawbones alone with the wounded folk I hailed with our old-time college yell, And he grinned as he watched a bursting shell. "You have a great cheek to be here," he said, Diabetes. Eulexine, a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of this disease, has been clinically tested by some of America's leading Medical professors and practitioners, who now use it exclusively for the treatment of their diabetic patients. Liquor eulexini aromaticus, in 4 ounce glass containers for filling physicians' Prescriptions. FORMULA-Jambul 3 parts 20 per cent. q.s. SOLE CONTROLLERS, THOMAS PHARMACAL COMPANY, Professional card for sample to W. LLOYD WOOD, Toronto, General Agent for Canada. 95 BROAD STREET, NEW YORK. Original Communications. SOME PRESENT METHODS OF TREATMENT OF PATIENTS AT THE ASYLUM FOR INSANE, LONDON, ONTARIO.* BY A. T. HOBBS, M.D., ASSISTANT PHYSICIAN. HISTORY. 'N the autumn of the year 1894 my attention was drawn to a couple of pamphlets written by Drs. Kirkley, of Toledo, and Rohe, of Baltimore, which detailed their observations of some gynecological work done upon insane women and their conclusions arising out of their brief experience in this new departure. There being a normal population of five hundred and fifty insane women in London Asylum, and as a large number of these became insane during the puerperium, it was reasonable to suppose that there must exist among such an aggregation many unsuspected cases of pelvic disease. * Read at the meeting of the Ontario Medical Association, held at Toronto, June, 1898. The pros and cons of the subject were carefully considered by my superintendent, Dr. Bucke, in conjunction with Dr. Meek, of London. As a result, we concluded to investigate the matter fully, and ascertain for ourselves whether much or little utero-ovarian disease existed as a complication in the already chequered lives of these unfortunates. Looking up the histories on which they were transferred for asylum treatment, we selected a number of women whose record seemed to indicate their having had, at some time previous to their committal to this institution, illnesses brought about by the accidents which maternity so often entails. The first five cases we examined somewhat surprised us, as each case presented one or more lesions of the genital tract which would, in their sane sisters, imperatively call for relief. There were diagnosed in this quintet an ovarian tumor, a subinvoluted uterus, a perineum torn to the sphincter, a retroverted enlarged uterus, and a cervix hypertrophied and lacerated. Having thus brought home to us the prevalence of hitherto unsurmised ailments, our professional instincts impelled us to deliberate as to the appropriate method necessary to remedy this co existing physical disease of those already deranged mentally. Before entering upon this new field facilities requisite to the prosecution of the contemplated surgical treatment had to be provided. We had, and still have, an apology for a hospital in two associated and overcrowded dormitories of twenty beds each, on the fourth storey of the main building; but had not at that time any equipment worthy of the name. We fitted up a room formerly occupied by some of the employees, adjoining these infirmary wards, with a crude, wooden operating table, a couple of gas stoves, some granite basins and surgical instruments. With these means constituting our whole armamentarium, we proceeded to test theories as to the advantages of supplementing ordinary treatment by surgical aids. our We selected five or six of the aptest of our female attendants, instituted a course of training interspersed with anatomical and physiological lectures, paying special regard to inculcating all the many details involved in the nursing of the different forms of surgical cases. It gives me great satisfaction to state that we now have the co-operation of a band of nurses devoted to this special work and skilled in every particular requisite to the prepara tory treatment and after-care of their charges. It is impossible to overestimate their valuable services in assisting to bring to a successful termination surgical operations done upon these irresponsible |