pains by giving opium to its narcotic and relaxing effects.

Where the womb contractions are vigorous, almost spasmodic, the opposite of inertia, as is often the case when the os is tense and undilated, then the opium in one or two medium doses is a most beneficent agent; here it soothes the pain, relieves the nervous tension; wards off convulsions, relaxes the constricted os and does not impair the uterine force beyond its requirements for completing the delivery.

Some of the BRIEF readers seem to doubt the power of opium to suppress or retard labor. Yet these same writers prescribe it in hundreds of other instances governed by the same laws. They use it in preventing the painful peristalsis of dysentery, in suppressing the AFTER PAINS of labor, in suppressing the uterine contractions of threatened abortion; they use it every where to quiet excess of muscular activity and then contend it will not retard or suppress even the contractions of natural labor.

'Tis true, we must meet with some cases where pains are so strong, and nervous tension is so focused on the uterus that the patient may bear its use EXCESSIVELY, and still delivery be accomplished; but these are extreme cases, and we had better leave it off in cases of "uterine inertia;" at least we had better not give it "every two hours" so as to procure so much "unbroken sleep" some have reported. Better use stimulants in such cases; "undertakers" will not be so busy. P. A. SPAIN, M. D. Nevada, Tex.

Consumption.

It is now a well-established fact that phthisis pulmonalis is caused by minute rod-shaped bacteria, known by the name of tubercular bacilli. These bacteria cause the disease in animals as well as in man.

The transmission of the bacteria, by means of partly cooked meat, is a known cause. The other causes are: Liquids, such as milk; air.

When uncooked or partly cooked meat is eaten, the bacteria are not killed, but are transmitted alive, and readily multiply in the tissues of the animal.

Prof. Cornet gathered the dust from hospitals, and examined it under the

microscope. He found millions of bacteria in the same. He then inoculated rabbits with this dust, and many of them took the disease and died.

Many people, predisposed to phthisis pulmonalis, pass through life and die of other diseases, if not exposed to the bacilli; others, again, not predisposed to the disease, readily contract it by eating of meat containing it.

To stamp out this disease, it is necessary to enforce sanitary rules.

To submit milk and meat to examination, before using. To thoroughly cook both before eating or drinking.

To clean, thoroughly, all hospitals and retreats of the sick.

To burn all cloths and handkerchiefs used by the sick.

To disinfect all vessels containing solid excreta or liquid. New York.

LUIGI G. DOANE, M. D.

Medical Experiences Among the 99 "Kajans.

(Continued from April BRIEF.)

A joke or bon mot is something incomprehensible to a Kajan. In this he is totally unlike his French ancestry. I never knew but one in all my experience with them who could appreciate a joke.

This one was named Joseph, with a strong accent on the seph. I, however, called him, for the sake of brevity, Joe.

Joe was my patient, and had chronic rheumatism, and I undertook to drive it out of him by putting him into a sweat box, a kind of hot air arrangement with a glass window, into which the patient is put, where he can be watched while heat is applied.

I caused Joe to be put into this box and sat at the window to watch him while the heat was being applied secundem artem. Although he could speak, and understood English, he always addressed me in his patois, calling me, however, Doc.

The heat had gone up to 100 degrees when Joe remarked, “Il fait bien chand ici Doc." ("Pretty hot in here, Doc.") "Oh, yes!" said I," but that is nothing. The thermometer went up still higher. I could see Joe was sweating furiously. "Grin and bear it, Joe," said I. "Oui, oui," he replied.

As the thermometer went up to 120° he said to me, "Est ce que ce'st bien, Doc ?" ("Is it all right, Doc.?") I quieted him by telling him he could stand a great deal more. At 140o he spoke again, but I again quieted him.

Reaching 150° he cried out, "Doc, donnez moi une fouchette, si'l vous plais." ("Doc, give me a fork, if you please.") "What do you want with a fork?" I enquired. He answered, "Je vieux me piquer avec, et savior si Je suis cuit,” (“I want to stick it into myself and see if I am done.") J. F. GRIFFIN, M. D. Illawara, La.

Ovarian Dropsy.

I have a case of the above disease under treatment. Patient, a woman about forty years of age, she came into my hands about one month previous to this writing. I learned from patient that some six or eight months had elapsed since she had noticed the disease in its incipiency.

Now, the symptoms, when she came under my care, were as follows: Abdomen very much enlarged, considerable difficulty in breathing, with some pain at the location of the larger cysts. Though the abdomen was very much enlarged it was not uniformly so, by inspection could be seen a slight elevation of the walls of abdomen at the point of tumor. By percussion a dull sound was elicited from anterior surface of abdomen, or at point of cysts, no matter what position the patient might be placed, showing that the fluid was confined and could not be influenced by gravitation as is the case in ascites. As I could get nothing that would alleviate his suffering, I resorted to the operation of paracentesis and by a repetition of the same, I have drawn about two gallons of thick viscid, coffeecolored fluid, consisting, I think, in the main, of broken down blood corpuscles; coloring matter of blood and fat-globules.

Now, the withdrawal of this fluid and the emptying of the cysts was followed by great relief to my patient. I have my patient on a tonic plan of treatment.

Would be glad if some of my brother M. D's would give a good treatment for this case. Would it not be a good plan to give an astringment to check the pouring out of the corpuscles and coloring matter of the blood and at same time

give something to promote absorption of the fast accumulating fluid?

The case, at present, is doing well, but unless something is done to prevent the cysts from again filling up, it will be but a question of a short while before the operation will have to be repeated, and so on from time to time until the more hazardous operation for the removal of the cysts will have to be resorted to, as a last chance of prolonging the patient's life. S. B. HENTON, M. D.

Stamper, Miss.

"Never Failed to Look."

In reply to Dr. G. D. Gray, May BRIEF, I think the 2000-record is pretty high. I have attended about 1100 cases of obstetrics within ten years, and in that number have had but one case of laceration of perineum, and that occurred before my arrival and after the free use of cotton root.

Now, as to looking, I must say I have always been too timid to strip a nice lady and look. But I go by faith instead of sight-think my sense of touch is educated to diagnose a case of laceration if it was present.

I use ergot in cases of inertia, and when pains seem to have too much expulsive force I give morphia and instruct patient to desist from bearing down.

Have had two cases of bloodless labor, in which no ergot was used. One case with knot in cord. Several cases of placenta prævia, and a few cases of postpartum hemorrhage, and lost but one lying-in patient.

Success to the BRIEF.

J. H. MAYFIELD, M. D.

Cartersville, Ga.

Efficient Hypnotic.

From the trial I have given of Bromidia, as prepared by Battle & Co., I feel satisfied in recommending it as a most efficient and useful hypnotic, and fully deserving of the high character it has received from members of the profession.

T. LOWE WHISTLER, M.D., F.R.C.S. 3 Prince of Wales Terrace, Bray, Eng.

DR. W. S. HOLLAND wishes to learn something about the value of Cactus in heart diseases.

The Fate of a Man With an Idea.

Dr. Smith had just graduated and was about to open an office and swing his shingle to the breeze, In our callow days Smith and I had made a short tour of a neighboring State, selling goods by sample, with the special object of seeing the country and putting in vacation time. Smith always had some peculiar ideas, that is he called them ideas, but his friends called them "fool notions." I supposed that when he would receive his diploma he would get over his wild theories and devote himself to business with becoming zeal. In this I was mistaken, for the very first thing Smith did was to study up a plan and act on it. His theory was that a man does business who seems to do business.

People want a doctor who is busy, who is doctoring somebody else. Thus it happened that the first thing Smith did was to buy a spanking fine team and buggy. Every day this outfit was brought out and tied in front of his office. Then Smith would jump into that buggy and away he would go for a ten or twelve mile drive through the country, when he would return with jaded horses and muddy buggy. This mild bit of deception would not have been so novel had not Smith carried the plan too far. His idea was not only to appear to be rushed but also to rush business.

Smith's plan had not been in a week before he was stopped, in his mad race through the country, at a farm house. This was the first stop on the road and Smith determined to carry out his idea. He sprang to the ground, told a freckledfaced boy to hold his team, and in he went. There he found a sick baby. Without taking off his hat he hastily asked the age, length of sickness and a few questions, and then out came his medicine case and in less time than it takes to tell it, a dozen powders were done up, and then, hastily turning to the mother he said: "You take one of these every hour, and if you need me, send for me."

When the woman asked if the baby should have one in water he said, "no, you take them," and then-Smith was gone.

The next day when Smith made his furious march through the country he

noticed several teams hitched in front of the farm house where his first plan had been worked, and while he still had faith in the plan, he had misgivings as to the powders.

In a few days a red faced, big-fisted man strode into his office and asked Smith how much he wanted for that call on the sick child out in the country. Smith fixed his terms at $3. At the announcement the farmer's jaw dropped and when he caught his breath it was to protest and he did it in this way: "Three dollars! Well, when I give you three dollars for leaving a lot of powders for my wife when she didn't want any medicine, while the baby did, but got none, you will know it." Smith was ready for this shot, and he explained how that the old way of treating six-months' old babies was to fill them up with nasty dope, but the new and modern way was to give the medicine through the mother, thereby securing more certain action and not interfering with the child's stomach.

Without a word the farmer laid three silver dollars on the table and walked to the door. Turning around he said: "Doc. you are the biggest ass I ever saw. That baby was bottle-fed from birth." Smith revised his theory in so far as the sickness of nursing children was concerned, there and then.

While he was mentally kicking himself a messenger called to have him come at once to see a married lady who was having cramps in the bowels. Hastening to the house Smith encountered several old ladies, more or less versed in the mysteries of the medical art. Mrs. S., the patient, was suffering from pains more or less periodic and located " across the bowels." Smith sat down by the bedside and counted the pulse. He looked at the tongue. He asked about the bowels. They were very open. He thought so. Had she eaten anything indigestible lately. Nothing out of the way was found on the bill of fare, except boiled cabbage. That was enough. Just then a little pain about the size of a fiddle struck Mrs. S. and she appealed to the doctor for prompt aid. He said he would have to give her an emetic and if that did not secure the return of the cabbage he would give an enema. The emetic was given, and four old ladies

wrangled over a mustard plaster. The plaster took immediate hold and the emetic worked to a charm. In about five minutes the sick woman was praying for death as a relief to her sufferings. No cabbage answering the call, Smith flew to his office for a syringe. When he got back Mrs. S. was pleading in vain for the removal of the mustard, while four old ladies sadly shook their heads and poured out reminiscences of similar cases where death was only delayednot defeated. Before Smith could get the syringe and water ready Mrs. S. announced that she was flowing and dying. Before Smith could get his bearings Mrs. S. called to him that "something had come away." Smith raised the covers and there lay a two month's foetus!

One by one the old ladies went out of the room, while, with a heavy heart, Smith hung a two pound mustard plaster on the back of a chair, and sweat great drops of red hot sweat.

I had lost track of Smith for a long time but a few days ago I received a newspaper with this item marked:

"The second base play of Smith was the feature of the game. The Blues are to be congratulated on securing this fine player, and the five thousand he cost was money well spent."

And he was the doctor with an idea.
J. A. DE ARMOND, M. D.

Le Claire, Ia.

Gunshot Wound.

The following case will perhaps be of interest to the readers of the BRIEF.

April 27th, Mr. P., aged twenty-five, accidentally shot himself with duck shot. The charge entered the thigh, about one inch below, and three and a half inches to the inner side of apex of Scarpa's triangle. The circle of entrance was about one inch in diameter. One opening was made directly to femur, but no shot could be found either in femur or about it, so that opening must have been made by the explosion—the muzzle of gun being against leg.

The probe revealed that the charge ranged upward and a little forward, striking the ramus and body of pubes, and I think a few went through the obturated foramen, tenderness was com

plained of beneath and above Poupart's ligament.

The opening was enlarged until I could reach the pubes with fingers; could, however, find no shot, either with fingers or probe. Removed wadding and clothing from against bone (pubes). The wound was dressed with carbol. sol. and iodoform.

Afterwards dressed with above twice daily for ten days. Since then once daily. Gave, for ten days, forty grains of salicylic acid, and twenty-four grains of sulph. quin., and tinct. iron three times daily. The pulse and fever ranged as follows:

A few shot washed out five or six days afterwards.

It is now three weeks since patient received wound, and has had no fever for a week. Has been sitting up some. Appetite good. About ten days after he was hurt, a large abscess formed in center of Scarpa's triangle which ran freely when opened and afterwards healed quickly.

The wound is healing very rapidly being now only half its first depth. The shot, I suppose, are encysted and no more will come away.

Now, to the readers of the BRIEF: What more ought, or could, I have done. The patient was strong and healthy and filled with abundance of nerve, and has recovered more rapidly than was expected, and is now about of danger.

G. A. MCBRIDE, M. D. Fort Gibson, Ind. Ter.

Embolism.-Is there any danger of producing embolism by using a hypodermic injection of carbolic acid and ergot, or any other remedy in a pile tumor composed of blood? Bristol, Dak.

E. E. WILLIAMS, M.D.

My Opinion.

may

Dr. Garrison, Elizabethtown, O.: Give Liquid Iron-Rio to progress womanhood. Your daughter's cough is nervous, due to the changes prior to the advent of adult life. Her coughing have already produced a slight change of the mucous membrane of bronchi, and I would also use spray from steam atomizer each morning or evening of the following: one-half drachm iodide of potass., and one-half ounce each of glycerine and water. Also give one-half hour before each meal, ten grains of iodide of potass.

A Novice, Toledo, O., wants to know how to treat abortions with retained placenta at two to three months, where os uteri is contracted. Don't dilate as you are liable to cause metritis. Use daily, 1-8000 to 1-4000 solution corrosive sublimate, with a few drops of carbolic acid as intra uterine injection by means of double catheter. Such proceedure will keep the membranes from decomposing, pickle them, and in due time they will separate from the uterine wall and be expelled in a body as the embryo was, and you need not expect septicemia. Use ergot to check hemorrhage.

Dr. Cutshaw, Arcola, Ind.: Give Liquid Iron-Rio and quassia (fl. ext.). Give vaginal injections of one-half ounce alcohol in hot water each evening on retiring and menstruation will be established.

Dr. Lowman, Orangeburg, S. C.: Your case of teeth-grinding is some reflex disturbance. If not spinal, or worms, as you say, I would examine the penis and bladder, you may find elongated or contracted foreskin; in such case, circumcision will cure. "Skin it back," and if frenum is shortened, sever it. If orifice of urethra is too small, dilate it. Sound urethra, you may find a stricture, or stone in bladder, or stricture of rectum.

Dr. Miller, Hanover, Ill.: Your case of Henry Winters can only be relieved by trephining.

Dr. McCrary, Mineral Springs, Ark: I have found more reflex disturbance and fits caused by irritation of penis in boys from eight to twenty years of age, than all other causes, and circumcision is the remedy. Want of cleanliness will cause great disturbance at times, which is wholly obviated by circumcision.

Dr. Gifford, Lawrence, Kan.: Your case has predisposition to nervous trouble, but I am of the opinion that thorough examination would reveal some local cause of nerve irritation, likely tapeworm, as the throat and bowel symptoms indicate. Until cause of trouble is ascertained, use Bromides (Peacock) to control spasm. I would examine thoroughly for every cause of reflex disturbance.

Dr. Blakely, Woodward, S. C.: Your case of painful coition is displaced ovaries, and you will find one or both ovaries back of the womb in the cul-de-sac of Douglas. Make a careful digital examination, pass the finger behind the cervix uteri and you will detect on one or both sides of rectum an oval body, and by a little pressure, the woman will complain of pain (not where your finger is, but in ovarian region), you will then know it is an ovary. The woman feels the pain only in ovarian region when ovary is tender, no difference how far the ovary is displaced from its natural position. The end of penis presses on ovaries in Douglas' cul-de-sac in coition and the greater the pressure the more painful, and in some cases pain may last for days or even weeks. Reduce ovaries by the knee chest position of patient, drawing womb down with tenaculum, and pressing ovaries up with fingers, then withdraw fingers (still holding womb down), and press above pubes. As the womb goes back, the ovaries are carried up to natural position. Keep the womb from dropping forward (in such case the ovaries can not drop into cul-desac again) by means of a super-pubic pad, and give Aletris Cordial* to tone up (strengthen) the ovarian ligaments and other uterine appendages. This will effect a cure if ovaries are not attacked by fibrous adhesions in the culde-sac; if they are, surgical procedure alone will effect a cure.

J. ELLOTT CHAMBERS, M. D. 113 N. 8th St., St. Louis.

*Aletris Cordial (Rio) is the only medicine I have ever found that exerts a tonic effect on the appendages of the uterus.

VOLUME of 1888 BRIEF, bound $2.00, unbound $1.00.