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of typhoid and typho-malarial is a useless one, inasmuch as we so seldom see purely typical cases of them in our daily practice. In the northern counties of Michigan, the two types of fever so blend as to make it impossible, in some instances, to draw a plain line between them. Still, of course, I believe that between a typical case of true typhoid and of true typho-malarial, the differentiation is comparatively easy. When I am summoned to a case of aggravated intermittent, I diagnose as plainly as possible to do, for I treat them both alike, with the "Woodbridge treatment." It takes longer to break up a case of true typhoid than malarial fever. I am practicing in a county where typhoid has always been prevalent, one or more dying of that fever in my township alone, every season, and one of the main reasons why the "Woodbridge" has found so many opponents is because the trials have been made "in prejudice," and the same amount of timely thought has not been brought to bear as would obtain in the exhibition of a common remedy. My exhibition of the "treatment" is as follows: When a true case of typhoid is diagnosed, I proceed as follows: Make the patient cool and as comfortable as possible, with cool or warm baths, according to his liking. Give the patient regularly, every three or four hours, milk, broth, gruel, or most any nourishing, easily digestible food. Keep everybody quiet and cheerful. Then:

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cases have not lost one, nor has a sickness from that, or the malarial continued, persisted longer than well into the second week. No matter what the condition of the bowels may be, I immediately begin as indicated, and I took one patient a large, fleshy lady-when she was voiding a teacupful of fresh blood at each evacuation, and placed her on this treatment. She made a good recovery. In eight days the fever was 'broken. I gave her at the same time, every four hours, a No. 3 capsule of ammonio-ferric-alum, to control the bleeding. The dose, of course, is varied to the sex, age, and temperament of the patient, as it must be for all medicines in intelligent prescribing.

I have an original treatment for that scourge of babies, cholera infantum. If it would be of any use I will communicate it to the "brothers of the BRIEF." It has been nearly as successful in my hands as the treatment for typhoid.

[Doctor, we shall be glad to hear from you at your convenience. Practical communications such as this do a world of good to a profession nauseated with theory. ED.]

Written for the MEDICAL BRIEF.] Specific for Puerperal Septicemia.

BY J. P. COLLINS, M. D., Cedar Mills, Tex.

Chlorate of potash is an absolute specific for puerperal septicemia.

Give a tablespoonful of a saturated solution every four hours till peculiar odor disappears, then every six hours.

This being a malarious region, I give five grains quinine every three hours till I get its effect, then less frequently. Keep the bowels open.

The above treatment is not original with me, but I have tried it for seventeen years without a single failure.

Cardiac Debility.

Dr. John Freeman, Tilden, Mo., says: Recovering from an attack of rheumatism, and my heart being in a very weakened condition, I took Cactina Pillets, and it restored my heart to its normal action.

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As may be noticed, a considerable portion of the urethra lies behind, or posterior, to this muscle, while a still larger portion lies in front of it. This is, then, the dividing point between the two parts of the urethra, and receives, for that reason, the additional name, the cut-off muscle. It is really a watershed, compelling fluids deposited in front of it to go forward, toward the meatus, and fluids deposited behind it to go backward, toward, or into the bladder.

This may be readily demonstrated by the use of an ordinary catheter. If introduced into the urethra until its eye rests just in front of the cut-off muscle, and fluid is injected through it, the fluid runs forward between the walls of the urethra and catheter, and escapes

A

B

A-Prostate.

for instance, in treating a disease of that channel, by just pressing a little harder on the syringe, or "milking" backward with the finger, underneath the penis, or scrotum? If one has such a conception of the construction of the urethra, it is probable that he never cures one in fifty of his gonorrhea patients.

Surrounding the membranous urethra at B (Figure), is the compressor urethral muscle, so called because it compresses, or constricts, the urethra at that point. Because of this faculty, it is also called the external sphincter of the bladder; it is one of the two sphincters that prevent involuntary escape of the urine.

B-Cut-off muscle.

from the meatus in a stream. While, if the catheter is now pushed a little further in, until its eye rests just behind the cut-off muscle, and the fluid is then injected through it, the fluid, instead of running forward as before, runs backIward into the bladder. The cut-off muscle prevents its going backward in the first instance, and forward in the second. It acts as a barrier to the progress of fluid through it, except when its contraction is relieved by voluntary effort (as during urination) of the person to whom it belongs. At such times, by mental effort, he directs its relaxation, it opens up, and the urine

flows out under the expelling influence of the bladder muscles.

As might naturally be expected, the cut-off muscle exercises the same effect on pathological fluids (pus, etc.) that it does on other kinds; so that pus formed in front of it must pass forward, which it does, showing at the meatus as a discharge; while pus formed behind the muscle, in the posterior urethra, can not pass forward, but passes backward into the bladder, mixing with the urine, which it clouds throughout.

It is for this reason that men can (and in untold numbers do) have active gonorrheas without any discharge from the urethra. The inflammation and pus lie in the posterior urethra, and the latter escapes only when the muscle is relaxed in urination.

As may readily be seen from this, the cut-off muscle may become an obstacle to the introduction of medicines into the posterior urethra. If an ordinary clap syringe be filled with fluid, and held against the meatus, and then compressed, the fluid will go into the urethra easily, until it reaches the cutoff muscle; here its further progress is obstructed, and unless a considerable amount of force be used (enough sometimes to cause tearing of the urethral wall, or other injurious effect) the fluid retrogresses, and escapes from the meatus by the side of the syringe. In other words, under ordinary circumstances the clap syringe will not carry fluid back into the posterior urethra, because of the obstruction offered by the cut-off muscle.

Does the cut-off muscle offer an equally effective obstacle to the progress of inflammation (gonorrhea, etc.) backward along the urethral channel? If it did, urethral pathology and therapy would be tremendously simplified. But it does not. Fully ninety per cent of all severe, acute, or chronic cases of clap get past the muscle, and involve the posterior urethra. Practically, then, just about all cases require posterior as well as anterior treatment for their complete cure (not the stoppage of the discharge, since, as mentioned, that does not, by any means, indicate the cure of the disease).

Do they get it? Testimony that they do not is not wanting; in the countless

numbers of uncured gonorrheas we find it; in the divorce courts we find it; in the laparotomy and celiotomy records we see it; in the chronic inflammations of the bladder, of the kidneys, of the epididymis, we find it; in the everrecurring outbreak of a urethritis that has been cured, supposedly, dozens of times-but which really is nothing more than a relapse of the same old faithful case we see it, often to our pecuniary loss, as well as our chagrin and embarrassment.

The trouble is, the posterior urethra, though infected and inflamed, has never had treatment, and the cut-off muscle has done the business. It is like a man with two broken legs having a splint put only on one. Only, in this instance, the leg would unite and get well of itself if kept in any kind of a favorable position, while a gonorrheal infection of the posterior urethra does not have any such natural tendency to recovery. It, as well as the anterior urethra, must be treated with gonococcicides, and with urethral tonics, locally administered. This is deserving of a special chapter.

627 Century Building.

[Written for the MEDICAL BRIEF.] The Organic Brain.

BY W. E. BALL, M. D., Mantua Station, O.

I wish to state that I am writing a small work on the brain of man, and especially noting the organic brain as the first brain of man. Of all physicians, and especially demonstrators of anatomy, would I ask that they write me in full all they have learned of the solar plexus and its relations to human anatomy. I feel sure there must be much known which has never been written.

We will give due credit to all who will write just what positive information they have learned.

Not a Purgative.

Dr. W. S. Jones, Redmon, Ill., uses Chionia and finds it a good liver stimulant, clearing up the skin and producing a normal daily action of the bowels without purgation.

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Write only on one side of the paper.

See how short and plain you can write. Write articles intended for publication, and matter for editor, on separate pieces of paper.

The Editor of the BRIEF is not responsible for the articles of its contributors.

Articles sent for publication in the MEDICAL BRIEF must not contain more than seven hundred words. Short, practical, brief items always wanted.

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The MEDICAL BRIEF has the largest paid circulation of any medical journal published anywhere.

Editorial.

Individual Responsibility.

The founders of this Republic believed that that State was governed best which was governed least. They taught that a government was simply an association of individuals designed to preserve order and administer justice. Aside from this, the individual was to be left to work out his destiny unchecked by the hindrances of governmental regulation, or the weakening influence of paternalism. The men who framed our Constitution were thoroughly acquainted with, and had suffered much from, the evils of despotism and over-government, and fully realized that all things were subsidiary to, and dependent upon,

the blessing of liberty. So long as this spirit dominated our politics, America made great strides in every department of human activity. Inspired by every natural incentive to human energy, men wrung from savage conditions all the necessary elements of a great

civilization.

But a change has come over the spirit of our dream. Our ideas of life and governmental function have become emasculated. Individual responsibility seems odious to the people. People have ceased to rely upon their own efforts, and are now always clamoring for the government to do something for them. Whether this is due to the cosmopolitan nature of our population, to the amalgamation of peoples reared under different institutions, or whether it is the natural result of changing economic conditions which makes it more difficult to earn a living, it is hard to say. But it is plain that national stamina has deteriorated, that there are less energy and thrift, and that, in our weakened condition we are peculiarly exposed to the temptations held out by paternalism and State socialism.

There is but one choice in this life for a man. This choice lies between individual ownership of self with all the powers, privileges, and responsibilities which such ownership implies, or the being owned by a power which may be capricious, oppressive, despotic at will. We can not have both freedom and paternalism. If we fly from the surface hardships of individual responsibility to the deceitful rest of a paternalistic or socialistic government, we barter our glorious birthright of freedom for the rule of ignorant, prejudiced, and shortsighted politicians.

All tyranny is one in its essence, whether it be a tyranny of the minority or of the majority. Any government is destructive and subversive of the best interests of society, which aims to level and protect humanity. Society is not a crystallized institution. It is progressive, constantly impelled on by the vis a tergo of necessity. A paternalistic government, or State socialism, would deprive society of this impelling force, and render aspiring effort flat, stale, and unprofitable. No amount of gov

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ernment regulation can annihilate the thousand and one natural causes which produce differences in the abilities of men, and to promote the growth of civilization these abilities must be given free scope. There must be justice for the strong and the fruitful, as well as for the weak and unproductive.

ALL LEGISLATION INTENDED TO PROHIBIT OR REGULATE ANY CALLING, OR INDUSTRY, IS CLASS LEGISLATION, and is unwise, and repugnant to the spirit of constitutional liberty. Nature has provided an abundance of checks upon the selfishness and greed of mankind, if short-sighted legislators would look deep enough to see them. For instance, trusts and monopolies well know that if they are not satisfied with moderate profits, they pave the way for cutthroat competition, by attracting others into the same business. Their profits are derived from the volume of business done, and economic internal administration, rather than extortionate prices.

We must return to the political views of Hamilton, Washington, and Jefferson. We must understand that it is not the business of a government to meddle with the private rights of individuals under any pretense whatsoever; the prerogative of government is to defend and maintain them only. We must do all we can through our schools, our press, our lecture halls, pulpits, clubs and political organizations to encourage the growth of individualismthat power upon which all civilization and progress hinges. If we do not adopt this course, if we continue to dream of a governmental Utopia, we shall eventually fall a prey to a tyranny beside which the despotisms of the old world pale into insignificance, and our forefathers will have suffered and struggled in vain.

Good Roads.

The United States is a country of great distances, and poor roads. No other civilized country in the world has such bad roads. Good roads are a valuable property for any country, but they are of direct importance to two classes of her citizens-farmers and

doctors. Both the farmer and the doctor spend a considerable part of their time on the roads, especially the doctor, for he is liable to be called upon to travel any time, day or night.

The advantages of good roads-the saving of time, of vehicles, of horses, of friction of mind and body-none will deny. The only dispute is, about ways and means of improving our roads. As a people, we are already loaded down with taxes, owing to the meddlesome activity of State Legislatures in creating unnecessary offices at the public expense, and we naturally object to the thought of adding still further to our burden.

But this is unnecessary. Our economic system is faulty. Our prisons and penitentiaries are filled with men laboring in direct competition with honest men. We should put these convicts to work on public improvements. They should be employed to make and repair our roads, keep our rivers in a navigable condition, build jetties, embankments, etc. This laboring for society which he has injured, in the fresh air, and surrounded by the variety of Nature, is also better for the convict. We should obtain improved roads at a small cost, and utilize the law-breaker to the best advantage, by adopting this plan.

An additional advantage of good roads is, that they would bring the city and country into closer relations, thus favoring unity of ideas.

Ethpharmal Medicines.

Q. What is an ethpharmal medicine? A. An ethpharmal medicine is a preparation with a trade-mark name made by a reputable manufacturing house for physicians' prescriptions only, and advertised solely through medical journals, or to the doctor direct.

Will you name a few strictly ethpharmal preparations?

Antikamnia, Bromidia, Celerina, Lactopeptine, Chionia, Listerine, Sanmetto, Seng, etc.

Ethpharmal medicines have taken certain names as a matter of convenience and protection. For instance, there are all kinds of Dover's powder on the market. Some of it is made from a

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