1097 Professional Life, The. By George R. Southwick, M.D. Records of the Massachusetts State Hospitals, 1909. By Arthur Relation of Diagnosis to Therapeutics, The. By Plumb Brown, Relationship Between Arterio-Sclerosis and Nervous Diseases, The. By Frank C. Richardson, M.D. Report of Cases. By Nelson M. Wood, M.D. Report of Two Unusual Obstetrical Cases. By Frederick V. Rice, George B., M.D. What Are We Going To Do About It? .. Rockwell, J. Arnold, Jr., M.D. The Diet of Children as Influ- enced by Fecal Examination 610 1117 965 Strong, T. M., M.D. A Few Remarks on Nose and Throat Troubles Salvarsan: Friend and Foe. By Orren B. Sanders, M.D. Sanders, Orren B., M.D. Salvarsan: Friend and Foe .. Sanders, Orren B., M.D. Syphilis: Its Diagnosis and Treatment Smith, Winfield, M.D. Diverticulitis with Report of Cases Some Contagious and Eruptive Diseases. By Maurice Worcester Some Pathogenic Effects of Crotalin. By E. V. Ross, M.D. Some Types of Colds Recently Seen. By Charles H. Colgate, Jr., M.D. Spencer, George Warren, M.D. Moral Prophylaxis from an Edu- Streptococcic Infections Treated with Vaccines. By Josephine M. Sutherland, John P., M.D. Address at the Opening of the Thirty- Symptomatic Vertigo. By E. P. Colby, M.D. 1117 1196 1130 970 Syphilis Its Diagnosis and Treatment. By Orren B. Sanders, M.D. Teeth in Relation to Medicine. By Carrie I. Bence, D.D.S. Tonsil Question, The. By William H. Phillips, M.D. Treatment of Anterior Poliomyelitis, The. By Alonzo G. Howard, 1079 What Are We Going To Do About It? By George B. Rice, M.D. 601 Wilcox, DeWitt, G., M.D. What Is Homoeopathy Today? By G. Forrest Martin, M.D.. Whitmarsh, H. A., M.D. Uterine Flexions as a Cause for Sterility Treatment 1178 1124 697 1138 Windsor, Sarah Sweet, M.D. Annual Oration 605 Wood, Nelson, M., M.D. Report of Cases. Woodbury, Benj. C., Jr., M.D. The Need of a Chair of Practical 965 1148 Wooldridge, Frederick V., M.D. Report of Two Unusual Obstetrical Cases 652 CLINICAL DEPARTMENT. Clinical Department 630, 682, 728, 774, 828, 873, 925, 986, 1033. 1103, 1152, 1204 Mental Complex and Its Practical Significance. By Charles Sherwood Ricker, A.M. . . 829 Ricker, Charles Sherwood, A.M. The Mental Complex and Its 29 Ring, A. H., M.D. What Do We Need to Know Clinically About the Mind? 775, 926, 988, 1935, 1153 · What Do We Need to Know Clinically About the Mind? By A. Massachusetts Homeopathic Medical Society Massachusetts Surgical and Gynecological Society 934 739 1162 841 1164 696, 738 .696, 736 696 1164 738 841 935 840 646, 692, 840 1109 841 1213 Medical Women's Association for Aiding Women in Medical Work National Confederation of State Medical Examining and Licensing 692, 739, 782, 837, 882, 0~8, 1051, 1109, 166, 1218 741, 790, 886, 108, 1214 647, 696 743, 794, 842, 889, 940, 1003, 1054. 1115, 1168, 1220 647, 696, 743, 794, 842, 889, 940, 1003, 1054, 115, 1168 1058, 1110 Notes and Comments Advertising Page) 12 THE NEW ENGLAND VOL. XLVI JANUARY, 1911 ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT ?* BY GEORGE B. RICE, M.D., BOSTON, No. 1 It seems like bringing coals to Newcastle for me to bring observations on the materia medica to you, members of the Hughes Club, which will be either new, interesting, or stimulating. You will remember, however, that somewhere Emerson says:-"No man is so poor in wisdom that he cannot teach me something," and so I am encouraged to present some ideas which have long been waiting for proper expression before an indulgent audience. On January the sixth, 1898, as retiring president of the Boston Homœopathic Medical Society, I was privileged to deliver an address in which was reviewed the work of the Society, and in which also attention was called to the fact that very few of the papers which had been presented during the year had expressed any particular interest in the subject of Homoeopathy, or in the treatment of disease according to homeopathic law. To prove this statement a brief review was given of the work done. In my zeal certain questions were asked, such as: "How can we better understand a few of the already well-proven drugs? By what means can our materia medica be made more concise, and within the comprehension of the average intellect? Do local applications interfere with the action of the indicated internal remedy? To what extent are we justified in using such adjuvants? Are there certain pathological conditions in the purely medical field, which cannot be reached at all by the homœopathically prescribed remedy, as at present understood?" I went on to say, “Are not these questions worth the while answering? If we are worshipping false gods, is it not time that we found it out? But if, as I believe, as we believe, the homœopathic method of curing disease surpasses every other, and can be so demonstrated, then will not our position become an enviable one, and will not the struggle be rewarded by official recognition, by control of governmental, State, and city institutions, with which *Read before the Hughes Medical Club. we now have little or nothing to do? Is this not a work we must do if we wish to retain our self respect, the respect of the public, and of our fellow-workers in the cause of medical science?" Certain well-known faults in the materia medica were touched upon, a plea was made for the specialist, that in the increased knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of special organs there also be shown and demonstrated increased knowledge of homoeopathic drug action upon the special part. The paper ended with an appeal, and then by stating the belief that a new day would soon dawn for Homœopathy, and that our light would shine with such brilliancy that it would envelop the whole medical world, and bring to it a knowledge of the truth. we possess. My paper was received with what seemed to me considerable enthusiasm, and I felt much elated, and for a few moments I really believed that I had said something worth while, but in this case the natural law of reaction took place early. When I went down stairs Dr. Frank C. Richardson said, "I enjoyed your paper exceedingly, but what are you going to do about it? What is your plan of reform?" The writer of this paper was not the only one at about this time to agitate materia medica reform. In March, '99, this same Dr. Richardson read a paper before this club on the "Need of a Therapeutic Laboratory" to study the materia medica and place it on a more scientific basis. In April, '99, Dr. Coffin and Dr. Colby brought forward a plan for reproving drugs according to Dr. Richardson's plan. Three weeks later Dr. Conrad Wesselhoeft, as the guest of the club, read a paper on the different methods of drug proving, and commended the plan of studying the pathology of drugs. November 17, '99, Dr. Coffin read a paper on a general review of drug provings. In March, 1900, Dr. Colby read a paper on "Drug Provings," and papers along this line were continued for many sessions, notable work being done by all the members of the club. In June, 1900, Dr. Bellows delivered an address before the O. O. and L. Society, of which he was that year president, in which he outlined a plan for a great medical reform, viz."The Reproving of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica." This paper and the subsequent action of the society resulted in an active reproving movement all over the United States of one drug, "Belladonna." and Dr. Bellows, as you all know, devoted months of arduous toil in recording the results of the proving in book form. Soon after this the American Institute of Drug Proving was formed to carry out the work on a large scale, as soon as sufficient funds could be obtained. From this review I do not mean to imply that the universal activity in drug proving all over the country was stimulated entirely by the members of the Hughes Club. A reading of the transactions of our various societies and the American Institute would disprove this, but it would seem as though the greatest impetus came from the agita |