Page images
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

It is my custom to send statements out of all accounts, whether due or not, for the first day of February, April, June, August, October and December. In this way if there is any mistake in account it can be promptly rectified.

addition "Can you help me out by the fifth of the month?"

Number 3 gets same as number 1 with the following added: "Miss (my bookkeeper) will call about the first or second of the month."

Number 4 gets a statement same as number I except this addition: "After the first of the month this account will have to be paid to Squire; and in such case it will add considerable costs."

In two cases I actually had to carry out my promised action, as statement number 4 reads. Summons was served on second of the month, and inside of 24 hours both bills and costs were paid, and I have continuously been their family physician since, and they never wait for a statement.

This form of doing business is worth one thousand dollars per year to me over the old

four months. I used boracic acid, zinc oxid and two or three other remedies by insufflation into the canals, but not any of these remedies effected a cure. So I began to experiment on myself. I thought I would try calomel and see how that would act. After the first application I enjoyed considerable relief from the intense itching, and every treatment thereafter until my ears were well I got a great deal of comfort. I suffered a great deal of pain, dizziness, and was quite hard of hearing, and was nearly all the time working at ears. It mattered not where I was or in what company, I was gouging at my ears, only to do the same thing again in a few minutes. I have had a great many patients come to me for treatment of the external canals of the ears since I cured myself, and I invariably cure them up in a little while, principally with this line of treatment. I don't know if anybody ever used calomel in these cases before, but I know it is an excellent J. A. COLBOURNE, M.D. Pontiac, Ill.

way do absolutely no charity business except remedy.

I the first call, which I never record; or perhaps a R at office, which never appears on my books. In this city and township there is probably $1,000 per year of charity work to do, which is taken by three doctors at $198 per year, netting them $66 each. It is a line I would not have at any price, and yet there is lots of competition once a year for the job.

I firmly believe that my plan of attending to the business end of my work is second to none. It makes my collection percentage almost perfect. If I were so situated that I would lose every other patient I had on account of such a method after they paid their bills, should prefer to do so rather than keep their business and not get pay for same. You command more respect, you can live better, and you feel more independent and free if you are a prompt collector.

Wilmington, O. JAMES E. GASTON, M.D.

Calomel in Inflammations of the External

Auditory Meatus.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-In all acute, subacute and chronic inflammations of the external auditory canal I have found the following treatment efficacious: Cleanse the canal thoroly with warm bicarbonated water, then be sure that it is clean by the addition of peroxid of hydrogen until there is no more bubbling, dry the canal thoroly, after which insert a piece of dry cotton wrapt on a probe, saturated with calomel; apply to all parts of the external canal. This done every day for a week or ten days will cure most any such trouble. I remember about seven years ago I was troubled with a very bad case of infected canals, where exfoliation continued for three or

Fracture Treated with Pneumatic Ambulatory Splints.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-Am treating a bad case of compound fracture of lower leg in the pneumatic ambulatory splint. As this is a somewhat new method and a decided deviation from the old trodden path, especially in the country, some of the brethren may be interested.

Mr. N. aged 40, weight 210, height 6 feet, jumpt from a buggy in the dark and sustained a compound fracture of lower leg in lower third. Both bones broken, the tibia piercing the skin. Was lifted back into rig and rode home suffering intense pain. I was called at II p. m., May 2nd, to examin limb for supposed sprained ankle. The bones were set and limb placed in a blanket splint for the night. On the 5th the limb was placed in an ambulatory pneumatic splint; on the 6th the patient was walking about the house; the 7th he walkt with the aid of crutches to his place of business, about ten rods from his home. On the 9th patient contracted a severe pleurisy, which was controled in 48 hours by extensiv mustard pastes, hot water bottles, dram doses of fl. ext. of asclepias, and dosimetric trinity, No. 1, two granules every 10 minutes the first hour, every 20 minutes the second hour, and one granule every 20 minutes thereafter till pulse and temperature were normal. Patient has been easy since the 12th, but has kept his bed because of the cold, rainy weather. Today, the 16th (accident occurred two weeks ago tonight), patient is up, walking about the house very comfortably. As yet it is too early to report results. I simply report satisfactory

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

In the Ladies' Home Journal for May, 1904, page 18, is an article by Editor Edward Bok on "The Patent Medicine' Curse," which should be reprinted by every medical journal in the country. It gives the percentages of alcohol in thirty-six different medicins, as given by the Massachusetts State Board Analyst in the publisht document No. 34. He also treats of the subject in relation to the physician, warns the consumers, scores the religious papers for accepting nasty advs., and suggests a new campaign for the W. C. T. U. women against this very prevalent use of alcoholics. Verona, Wis.

J. C. CUTLER, M.D.

Northwestern '99.

The Control of the Secret Nostrum Evil. DR. C. F. TAYLOR:-I inclose a copy of Congressman Webb's bill to control the secret nostrum evil. Please publish it in THE WORLD and give your opinion of it. Mr. Webb will be glad to have the aid and cooperation of the medical profession in pushing this bill. In fact, he realizes that unless our profession rallies to the support of the measure, there will be little hope of passing it. I suggest that every physician thruout the country go to work at once by drawing up a petition to Congress, urging the passage of this bill, or a similar one, and carry it with him while professionally engaged, and get all the signers that he possibly can. These petitions should be presented by the physician himself, and he should be able to show that the secret nostrum evil is one of the greatest curses of our land today. These petitions should be sent to your respectiv congressmen and senators. The American Medical Association should appoint a committee to go to Washington when Congress meets again and present this cause before the proper committee, and secure a favorable report on the bill. Now, if any of the readers of THE WORLD have a better plan to prosecute this work, let us have it. What we should all be interested in is to secure the legislation so greatly needed, let it come how it will.

I hope the Editor of THE WORLD will take hold of this matter with his characteristic zeal and wisdom, and push it to a successful issue. Matthews, N. C. H. Q. ALEXANDER.

[blocks in formation]

interstate shipment to label said medicin and print thereon the ingredients contained in such medicin. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representativs of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any person, firm, or corporation, who shall ship or deliver for shipment from any State or Territory or the District of Columbia any patent or proprietary medicin, or any other secret medicinal compound, shall place on each bottle or package of such medicin a label, on which shall be printed, in the English language, the name of each ingredient contained in such bottle or package of medicin; and if such medicin or medicinal compound shall contain opium or any of the preparations of opium, chloral, cocain, or alcohol, then in such cases the quantity of these drugs contained in each bottle or package of such medicin shall be printed on the label in the English language.

SEC. 2. That every person, firm, or corporation, who manufactures or produces, and delivers for interstate shipment or transportation to any State, Territory, or the District of Columbia, other than the State, Territoritory, or the District of Columbia in which it is manufactured, any patent or proprietary medicin, or any other secret medicinal compound, shall place on each bottle or package of such medicin a label on on which shall be printed, in the English language, the name of each ingredient contained in such bottle or package of medicin as provided in section one of this Act.

SEC. 3. That this Act shall not be construed to interfere with commerce within the State where such medicin or drug is manufactured, nor with the exercise of the police powers of the several States.

SEC. 4. That any person, firm or corporation who shall violate sections one and two of this Act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned not less than one month nor more than six months, or both, in the discretion of the court.

SEC. 5. That nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit druggists from filling the prescriptions of physicians.

SEC. 6. That this Act shall take effect and be in force from and after the first day of July, nineteen hundred and five.

Later Dr. Alexander writes the following:

"I have received several letters from physicians in different sections of the country, all of them endorsing this move. I regret that, for want of time, I have not been able to answer all of these communications, and I wish, thru THE WORLD, to thank the profession for the interest taken in this effort of Congressman Webb to curtail this blighting curse of our country. Write to Mr. Webb and give him all the information at your command. His address is, 'Hon. E. Y. Webb, Shelby, N. C.' Let us all stand together and make a united effort in this issue of right against might."

[I like the bill and I heartily endorse it, and it is needless to say that I admire the laudable and patriotic efforts of Dr. Alexander and Congressman Webb in this important cause. This is a cause too big for one man. It is the cause of the profession and the people; and they, en masse, must come to their own rescue. So don't depend on Dr. Alexander, Mr. Webb, nor the Editor; all must join in, and everyone should do his or her part. The enemy is strong, wily, and resourceful. The secret nostrum people like to mystify the people; this

mystery is their chief stock in trade. Take the mystery away, as this bill would do, and people would see how hollow are their claims; hence, they will fight hard to keep up the mystification. Have this bill publisht to the people in your local papers, if you can (the newspapers might side with the the nostrum vendors, on account of their advertisements).

In this connection it is interesting to note that the bill, formerly known as the Hepburn Bill, for the prevention of adulteration or misbranding of foods or drugs, passed the House on the 19th of last January, and that it is first on the calendar in the Senate, to be called up for action by that body upon the reassembling of Congress in December next. So you see, things are moving; let us keep them on the move by our determined and untiring efforts. -ED.]

In regard to the nostrum evil, the following newspaper clipping will be of interest:

TO STOP ADVERTISING ABUSES.

P. O. DEPARTMENT WILL SUPPRESS OBJECTIONABLE NEWSPAPER
ADVERTISEMENTS AND BAR FRAUDULENT NOSTRUMS
FROM MAILS.

WASHINGTON, June 1.-Postmaster-General Payne today gave out a declaration regarding the attitude of the Post-office Department toward worthless nostrums and the newspaper publication of objectionable advertisements. It was explained that the department had no intention of entering on a crusade against patent medicins or of establishing a censorship upon advertisements printed in newspapers, but simply aimed to correct abuses in cases of impropriety and fraud as required by law. Mr. Payne's declar. ation follows:

"A large number of complaints having been received by the First Assistant Postmaster-General, protesting vigorously against the United States mails being used for the purpose of circulating newspapers and other literature containing advertisements of alleged cures, the Acting Postmaster-General transmitted a number of these advertisements to the Assistant Attorney-General for the Post-office Department, with the request for an opinion as to whether or not their transmittal thru the mails constituted a violation of law. Mr. Robb, the then Assistant Attorney-General for the Post-office Department, rendered an opinion, holding such advertisements a violation of law. The only intention which has ever been entertained by the administrativ officers has been to suppress the advertisements which the law officer of the department has held to be improper.

"Of course, the Post-office Department has never had any intention of starting a crusade upon patent medicins, or of establishing a censorship upon advertisements printed in newspapers.

"There has been no change in the policy or practise of the department; the facts simply are that certain abuses having been called to its attention, it has acted thereon as required by law. In the regular course of business in the office of the Assistant Attorney-General a number of cases were presented, in which socalled cures were complained of as being worthless, as well as the literature of the company selling the article being improper. Analyses of these socalled remedies developt the fact that in most instances the ingredients were simply starch and sugar. In a number of instances the pills and drugs contained ingredients injurious to the system and forbidden by law to be sold.

"It having thus appeared that these companies were defrauding the public by means of false and fraudulent representations made thru the mails, the issuance of fraud orders was recommended to the Postmaster-General, and accordingly issued by him. No action has been contemplated by the department save in these cases of impropriety and fraud.”

The Alcohol in Secret Nostrums. The following percentages of alcohol in the secret nostrums named are given by the Massachusetts State Board Analyst, in the publisht document No. 34:

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

Richardson's Concentrated Sherry Wine Bitters . 47-5
Warner's Safe Tonic Bitters
Warren's Bilious Bitters

Faith Whitcomb's Nerve Bitters

35-7

21.5

20.3

Beer contains only from two to five percent of alcohol. Some of the above contain ten times as much, making them stronger than whiskey, far stronger than sherry or port, with claret and champagne way behind.

Dr. J. W. Bandel, of Hillside, Ind. Ter., writes that he and many other doctors are going to subscribe for "Everybody's Magazine," because it has cut out advertisements of secret nostrums.

Simple Test for Uncinariasis.

Dr. E. E. Guinn, of Jacksonville, Texas, writes of a case of uncinariasis in which some of the suspected feces were left in a bottle for several days, when upon inspecting he found that the eggs had hatcht, and could easily be seen with the naked eye. He now, therefore, offers the following simple test: Put some of the suspected feces in a bottle, and tie gauze over the mouth to keep the worms from crawling out, then keep the bottle in the shade at a temperature of about 98° to 102°, and if any eggs are present, they will hatch out in several days and can easily be seen in the bottle.

Later: The following has just been received from the Doctor :

At 8 a. m., June 14th, I collected a fecal specimen, in a large mouth bottle or jar (the blotting paper test indicating worms). I placed this jar in the west end of the office, the temperature being 90° F.; twenty-four hours later I could detect the parasites, as large as the point of a pin. I placed this bottle in a tempera ture of 100°, and four hours later (at this writing) I have my "maggots," or I presume, full grown worms. On May 31st I gave this boy the following R: Thymol, grs., xxxii. m Ft. charts No. 8. Sig.: Take two powders on June 1st, 5th, 10th and 15th; follow with salts succeeding days. You will observe from this that the thymol (or the amount I gave) does not kill the eggs, but it seems to cause their expulsion. I shall try larger doses in this case. Two hours sun, 12 to 2 p. m., June 15th, killed my maggots!

GUINN

Bowel Troubles in Children.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-I have used the following treatment five years with entire satisfaction to myself and patients. No matter what the age, frequency of stools or color, I give equal parts of bismuth and cream, and elix. lactated pepsin (80 grs. to oz.); teaspoonful to child one year old, one and a half hours to two and a half hours apart. I add paregoric if very much pain, or stools too frequent. As soon as bowels are better I give minute doses of calomel as well. For fever, small doses of aconite, or cold sponging, or both, will suffice. As soon as stomach can bear it, I add full doses of nuclein. The above will surely do the work in time, if persisted in. For food I use white of egg in water, boiled milk, liquid peptonoids or trophonin. D. D. HAMILTON, M.D. Howard, Colo.

Summer Complaint.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-You ask subscribers to pen articles at this period of the year on summer complaints. Without delving into the numerous etiological factors, symptoms, etc., I would briefly state that I will handle the greater number of cases about as follows: Hydrargyrum chlor. mite gr. fo No. x. Sig.: One every half (2) hour; after all are taken, follow with oleum ricini 3ij; after this, to render the alimentary canal more thoroly antiseptic, peroxid of hydrogen (dioxygen-oakland) about 3ij to iij with 3j of water. Sig. 3j every hour; then follow this with bismuth subnitrate about 3j. Div. in pulv. No. vj. One every hour, or tannigen about the same. Having just entered the field last year, I refrain somewhat from intruding upon space, as my experience is thus naturally limited; but as about my first case being cholera infantum (a few days after I swung my shingle), female, age 7 months, and that being the only fatality among my cases for the first year, I am naturally interested in this complaint. Of course irrigation, sponging for hyperpyrexia, and other symptoms to be treated as indicated.

Kindly give us some lines on sunstroke, etc., that also prevail at this time.

I am aware of the antikamnia people sending literature and samples to the laity here, and I coincide with Dr. Hunt not to dispense original packages-or at least remove label and all traces. Altho only out one year, I began with many things now advised in THE WORLD, viz.: No antikamnia at $1. per ounce for me. One cannot but commend THE WORLD for its attitude toward the Brief, etc. THE WORLD is not imbued with any psychological infirmities. May almanacs as its contemporaries be relegated to the dust heap of obsoletism. Viva

[blocks in formation]

S.-One teaspoonful after each passage. This makes a thick mixture which is not unpleasant to take. If syrup be not desired, use tincture of ginger with water or mucilage of acacia. The salicylate or the subgallate of bismuth is a good substitute for the subnitrate.

Dr. Thos. H. Hammond, of Wildwood, Fla., suggests that a small amount of powdered ginger be substituted for the syrup of ginger, so that it can be carried by the physician and given in powder.

Venereal Warts.-Formula for Pain.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-Some one in the May WORLD wishes a good application for venereal warts. The best thing I have ever used is a 20 percent solution of chromic acid in water. This should be used cautiously once per day. In a few days the warts will begin to dry up and finally drop off. Care should be taken not to touch the healthy tissue around the warts.

The following B is way ahead of antikamnia. It has never failed to relieve the pains of la grippe, etc. It is similar to the one given by Dr. Curless, on page 245 of June WORLD:

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »