Therapeutic
Hints &

Hydrotherapy in Tuberculosis.-Editorially, The Denver Medical Times holds that hydrotherapy offers much to the consumptive both as a tonic and a sedative, patients getting much relief from so simple a procedure as a daily sponge of lukewarm water and alcohol. Cold douching of chest and spine, followed by vigorous friction or rubbing with wet towels, is a valuable tonic measure. A practical method is to stand in a tub with a bucket of cold water near at hand, squeeze out a sponge on the back of the neck a few times, and then be rubbed down for fifteen or twenty minutes. Kellogg recommends dry rubbing with the hand or mitten, followed by friction with water at 60° F., also cold wet friction, commencing at 68° F. and gradually decreasing to 50° F., and finally wrapping a wet sheet around the patient while vigorously rubbed. The entire procedure should occupy only two or three minutes. It is sometimes more efficacious when preceded by a sun bath or vapor bath. Nauheim baths without resistance exercises are also of service.

Sublamine, which is chemically the ethylenediamine-sulphate of mercury, is highly recommended by Imre in suppurative conjunctivitis as being energetic as corrosive sublimate and as harmless as boric acid. It is used in 1-2000 solution and one-half to three ounces being used for a washing. It is especially recommended in ophthalmia neonatorum and trachoma.

Membranous Colitis is usually found in gouty or neurasthenic patients, and hence is difficult of cure. Milk is asually contraindicated, such patients doing better on a tender meat, vegetable, fish, rice and macaroni diet. Acids, fats and coarse foods are to be avoided and all meals should be small in quantity and the food thoroughly masticated. Carlsbad water, castor oil and calomel are the most valuable drugs, but of even greater importance is the irrigation of the lower bowels with warm water two or three times a day, says Bottenturt, in The British Medical Journal.

Women Doctors.-An exchange states that, according to statistics just published, there are 352 women physicians in England. There are 548 in Chicago.

AND PURE WATER JOURNAL.

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To supplement Dr. Thompson's flattering statement regarding the value of Glyco-Thymoline in the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders in children, we will append the following brief clinical reports:

Fred P. Lowenstein, M. D., of Westfield, Mass., reports the case of a male child, three years old, who had been suffering from enterocolitis for five days, the attending physician having used without avail all the usual remedies. I was called to see the child in consultation. It was greatly emaciated, with an enlarged and tender abdomen. The temperature was 103.2 F., but in spite of this the body was covered with cold perspiration. The stools were semi-solid, resembling chopped spinach in appearance. I advised warm applications of spices to the abdomen and ordered the following:

A teaspoonful of this mixture was taken every four hours, and as a result the child had entirely recovered in three days.

case:

A. D. Ellis, M. D., of Powersville, Mo., reports the following The patient, a child of sixteen months, had been suffering from vomiting and diarrhea for six days before I was summoned. The passages were foul and bloody. I immediately put the patient on Glyco-Thymoline and liquor bismuth, equal parts, a teaspoonful to be taken every two hours. Just after the second dose was given, I could see a marked change for the better. The patient improved rapidly, and in about three days had entirely recovered. Another similar case, also treated with Glyco-Thymoline, gave me equally good results.

R. G. Waters, M. D., of Milan, Mo., reports the following case: The patient was a child, twenty months old, suffering from gastroenteritis, the vomiting being almost constant. I gave half a teaspoonful of Glyco-Thymoline in hot water every hour until five doses were taken, and also ordered an enema of Glyco-Thymoline, one tablespoonful to four ounces of water. This treatment gave prompt relief and I believe it saved the child's life,

How He Worked His Graft.

The very famous surgeon tilted back his office chair,

And he eyed the simple laymen who had congregated there,
And he puffed his Wheeling stogie and he smiled and then he laughed,
As he told them of the money he had lately made with graft.

"It's a very simple matter if a subject you can find
Who will sacrifice his feelings for the sake of humankind,
And there's quite a bit of money in this very kind of craft,
And they say I am a major in my newest form of graft."

And a layman meekly ventured a suggestion to the "doc"
That the people of the city were not taking any stock

In the man who made his money by the working of the graft-
But the doctor only snickered, then he very plainly laughed.

"I have made a barrel of money from the graft I have devised,
And it's met with great approval, and I'm very much surprised
That you criticise my methods, when you every one must know
That by my grafting methods every particle will grow.

"For the victim that is needed is the one to give some hide
That the gaps of epidermis in the patient be supplied,
And the secret of my fortune-I will gladly let you in-
Is the very modern method that I have for grafting skin."

G. T. P.

VOL. XVI.

DECEMBER, 1903.

EDITORIAL.

No. 12.

The Leonard Wood Investigation.

The medical profession of the United States has never accepted the title of "General" for Leonard Wood, but has proudly referred to him as "Doctor" Leonard Wood, and has pointed him out as the example of the usefulness of the practical medical man in the government of colonial possessions, where sanitary reforms were as essential as the creation of sound forms of government. Today we find this physician-soldier-statesman confronted with charges of accepting bribes from gamblers, insubordination and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, violation of the laws for handling Cuban accounts, violations of the Constitution of the United States through his military authority, interference with the civil administration of justice and violation of the penal code in accepting gifts from applicants for government concessions. There is undoubtedly some

vindictiveness and malice on the part of those who are making these attacks; but it is hardly to be accepted that intelligent men, however vindictive, would make these charges, which must needs be the grounds for careful investigation, without some ground for their charges. We do not believe that General Wood has been guilty of all of these counts, but we are compelled to believe that he has not lived up to the highest standards of integrity in the matter and that he has, at least, shown lack of tact and lack of judgment, so essential in a man holding so conspicuous a position in the eyes of the people. It is lamentable that the physician who is one of the first to reach such military and civil prominence should not have kept his skirts entirely clean. It is unfortunate for the profession as a whole. G. T. P.

The Illinois Vehmgerichte.

It's a fearsome thing to incur the displeasure of the Illinois State Medical Journal. At least so our friend Baxter-which, of course, is not his name-found out. Now, Dr. Baxter is a man with the courage of his convictions and his convictions are usually right. The Vehmgerichte had prepared a medical act for the last session of the State Legislature. It was like the peace of God in that it was past all understanding and as impossible as a Mexican mother-in-law. But the Wissender Swartz, Dintegallenapfeln and Schneider thought otherwise, and issued a mandate that whosoever of the medical men of the state opposed or criticised their proposed law should be taken out of the camp and stoned with stones until he die (professionally). Baxter was selected for the first victim for reasons best known to the Vehmgerichte, and the Chicago meeting was selected as the place for the execution of Drs. Baxter and Egan. Somehow the killing did not turn out exactly as expected, and so the Illinois State Journal, which at first threw its ink pots at Baxter, adopted new tactics and requested Dr. Baxter to prepare for publication in its pages an article on "Loving Kindness in the Profession," or something like it. Then Dr. Baxter arose in his wrath and wrote such a letter to his erstwhile assailants that it read like excerpts from "Baxter's Call to the Unconverted." And they turned the dynamite over to the Vehmgerichte, which called a meeting at Springfield and requested Dr. Baxter to present himself prepared to commit hari-kari, for he had committed the unpardonable sin of telling the truth about the editors of the Illinois Medical Journal. We bade