imagination in which the writer of these essays has wandered, the work-a-day life would lose its barrenness and assume the hues to be seen only by him with a God-given fancy and an imagination. To read Butler's essays is to be carried by him into realms unreal but delightful and exhilarating. G. T. P.

AMONG THE MAGAZINES.

Two articles of unusual interest are to be found in the January number of The North American Review, "Christian Science," by Mark Twain and "Railroad Building as a Mode of Warfare," by Captain John McAuley Palmer, of the United States Army. The characteristic reasoning of Mark Twain, that while Christian Science may kill a few of those who are really sick, it will cure so many of those who think they are sick that the world will be better and happier, contains a certain amount of truth. The writer argues that Christian Science has the best of other cults because it has the three essentials to a successful religious fanaticism: an individual to be worshiped, plenty of money and a practical promise of benefit on this earth.

The paper by Captain Palmer is especially interesting at this time when the United States has assumed charge of colonies peopled by practically barbarous nations, for by a plan of road building in such possessions, the writer has shown with a logic that is convincing, that with economy of money and of time these peoples may be brought to submission to our forces. Working out his plans on an imaginary island, whose topography presents the same conditions as Luzon, Captain Palmer convinces the reader of the practicability of his suggestions by argument so logical, by reason so sound and by evidence of such thought and study and knowledge as to impress one with the importance of this very excellent contribution to the science and art of peaceful warfare.

"Dickens as a Man of Letters" is one of the leading features of the January number of The Atlantic, that literary gem of literary Boston. There is always a feeling, when one seats himself with The Atlantic that he is in good company-in quite distinguished company-for literary America seems more closely woven into the history of The Atlantic than of any other magazine. A review of the literary life of that magazine is found in a sort of salutatory article called "Number Four Park Place"-the new home of the editorial staff is an old building on a quaint street of the old town.

THE EDITOR'S BOOKSHELF.

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We have always felt, however more pretentious some may be, that there are very few American medical journals better than The Saint Paul Medical Journal, and yet it has been so miserably gotten up, the style of printing has been so trying that one was constantly overlooking its merits in dodging its typographical faults. It is most gratifying to see that journal in its January number, in new form with new style of printing and to be favorably compared with any of the more "dressy" journals. We have always admired the St. Paul journal because it is edited on "the spade is a spade" order for which this journal is ofttimes considered more forceful than politic or nice. ED.

The Youth's Companion announces for its forthcoming volume new stories by the late F. R. Stockton, Jane Barlow, Sarah Orne Jewett, Alice Brown, C. A. Stephens, Harriet Prescott Spofford, Homer Greene, Norman Duncan, Mary Stewart Cutting, Jack London, Sarah Barnwell Elliott, E. W. Thomson, Arthur Stanwood Pier and Walter Leon Sawyer.

The Enno Sander prize for the best essay on "The Differential Diagnosis of Typhoid in its Earliest Stages," has been announced by the Association of Military Surgeons. The first prize is a gold medal of a value of $100.00 and the second a life membership in the Association, which has a value of $50.00. The full particulars and conditions of the competition may be secured from Dr. James Evelyn Pilcher, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The judges selected are Dr. Austin Flint, of New York, Colonel Calvin Dewitt, U. S. A., and Professor Victor C. Vaughan, of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

William Waldorf Astor is reported to have recently given $250,000 to build a new out patient department to the Hospital for Sick Children in Great Ormond St., London, in memory of his daughter Gwendoline, recently deceased.

It is reported that Mr. J. Ogden Armour, of Chicago, will endow a Lorenz Hospital for Crippled Children to the extend of $3,000,000.

Are American Spring Waters Impure?

A "sage femme" is a being, male or female, who arrives at absolute conclusions from things that are not so. The prototype, from whence the name, was the medieval "sage femme" who did. not hesitate to pass upon a maid's virginity by simply looking at her water. Fortunately this has been abandoned, but the "sage femme" type of mind has not become extinct. Far from it. She still flourishes in law, medicine and in the pulpit and sometimes creeps even into medical journalism.

An exquisite instance of this can be found in the December number of The Medical Summary, in an article by Dr. W. H. Vail, of Saint Louis. Dr. Vail's motives in advocating the use of certain distilled waters were doubtless of the best, for these waters are excellent waters and the firm that prepares them above suspicion; but his methods are those of the medieval uroscopist. May we remind Dr. Vail that in these latter days other methods than inspection are now necessary in passing upon the purity of any kind of waters, whether virginal or natural spring. "Personal investigation" may be honest, as were doubtless those of the "sage femmes" in the majority of cases; but now-a-days we require that we should know something of the training and methods of the investigator before we accept his conclusions. Dr. Vail tells us nothing of either.

It is an axiom that the more a man knows the less absolute his statements. We are willing to be convinced. THE CLINIC AND PURE WATER JOURNAL exists for the purpose of publishing facts concerning American spring waters, so we ask that Dr. Vail kindly inform us as to where are located the many waters referred to in the following extract:

"I have visited and personally tested many waters and the spot from which they eminate and bubble forth from the bowels of the earth, and I have found them to be not only injurious to health, but to contain disease producing germs, of typhoid in particular. I have ascertained that they are not natural springs as claimed, whose constituents are of nature's varieties. Nothing are they but dug-outs, or holes in the ground, whose headwaters are no more than artificially produced ponds, full of contamination and disease, introduced, controlled and promulgated by money-sharks and fraudulent devices. These so-called natural springs, eminating

ARE AMERICAN SPRING WATERS IMPURE ?

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from nature's handiwork are, like many often heard of medicinal waters, nothing more than ordinary pond or brook waters, subject and liable to all manner of contaminating influences. This is the reason why so many patients fail to get good results from the many vaunted waters, and these failures led me to make a personal investigation of these preparations and their source."

Now, in all fairness, Dr. Vail ought to tell us where he has found these "deadly preparations emanating from nature's handiwork" for we are not quite sure that we would know one under that name if we chanced to meet it. We were taught long ago that no figure should be used in rhetoric which could not be drawn by the pencil of an artist, but please what would an "eminate from Nature's handiwork, full of contamination promulgated by moneysharks" look like? It's worse than Alice in Wonderland.

If Dr. Vail means that there are typhoid contaminated springs now used for drinking purposes, known only to Dr. Vail, then why is not the doctor criminally responsible for every death resulting therefrom so long as he keeps this knowledge to himself? For the sake of his duty to humanity and the honor of his profession, he should name them and if his charges are proved by chemical or bacteriologic examinations, made by this journal, we pledge him. to the best of our ability to publish the facts; but if, on the other hand, these examinations show that Dr. Vail, in the excess of his zeal, has made statements that are exaggerated as to fact, then Dr. Vail shall bear the expense of these examinations and publicly retract what he has recklessly said upon insufficient data concerning the natural, American mineral waters.

It is possible that there are natural springs in this country in the condition described by Dr. Vail; but if such is the case, careful consideration of the matter, frequent visits of inspection on the part of the writer, rigorous chemical examination of specimens of water gathered by this journal, have failed to show such a condition of affairs, and we feel confident, and assert with all modesty, that the investigations made by members of the editorial staff of this journal have been more extensive than those of any single medical man in this country.

Dr. Vail does not say that there are occasional instances of this deplorable condition of the natural springs but broadly implies that his investigation of natural spring waters, the "vaunted medicinal waters" (and these must be the best known waters of the whole country) finds them for the most part not springs at all;

but deceptive, artificial devices of man-mere dug-outs or holes in the ground-and reeking with filth.

We invite the Saint Louis physician to cite to us an instance of such a condition at the sources of supply of any of the "vaunted waters" of America. We urge upon him, in the name of the medical profession which he believes is being so imposed upon, to give some specific data upon which he bases his startling charges, and we assure him that we shall give careful investigation to the matter and will give wide publicity to the frauds if they exist.

In the meantime is it to be believed that such states as Massachusetts would abet and foster these frauds and menaces to public health? Is it to be believed that the United States Government would offer its support to "typhoid dug-outs" and "artificially produced ponds full of contamination and disease, etc.?"

We do not mean to be unfair to Dr. Vail, but Dr. Vail is unfair to the facts in the case, if, as we think, he has endeavored to give to medical readers the impression that he has investigated the many natural waters and their sources, has gone to the springs themselves, and finds that they are, for the most part, not springs at all, but deceptive artificial devices of man, reeking with filth and hence to be condemned.

The writer has made it his business to visit prominent mineral springs and health resorts of this country and has investigated probably as carefully as any other American physician save Walton, Crook and Peale, the very conditions alleged by Dr. Vail, and it is here stated and stated emphatically that the conditions claimed by Vail have never been found in a single instance.

We are not certain what springs Vail has visited and we invite him to send us, as the American medical journal most interested in this subject, a list of the springs which he claims to be in the condition above stated, and we offer him the assurance that we shall have a full and complete investigation made and shall give the greatest publicity to our results. We are anxious to find authentic instances of just such fraud on the American medical profession.

The inference, in fact the assertion, of Dr. Vail that this majority of mineral springs produce impure water, is not borne out in the experience of any medical man. Of the large list visited by the wirter, but one has been found which is really contaminated, none with artificial source of supply and none contaminated with typhoid bacilli.

Dr. Vail can not expect intelligent readers to believe his state