ilar character. Statistics of causes of death are vitiated to a considerable extent, and sometimes to a very large extent, by the fact that many deaths are reported under what the Committee on Nomenclature of the American Medical Association very graphically calls certain blind returns. How applicable this phrase is can be appreciated most fully by those who have puzzled over returns as received in registration offices, and an inspection of the many unsatisfactory and indefinite causes included in the manual will make it clear that reform is necessary in order to place our statistics of causes of death. upon a satisfactory basis.

IMPORTANCE OF EXACT STATEMENTS.

Satisfactory statements of causes of death can be cbtained only by means of a high degree of co-operation between members of the medical profession and the registration authorities. It is desirable that physicians appreciate the importance of exact statements of causes of death and realize, by means of study of the statistical results, how certain forms of reports may lead to misunderstanding and inaccuracy. An essential requirement is that the blanks employed for the statement of causes of death be uniform, as otherwise specific instructions can not readily be given. A very satisfactory result of the general adoption of the United States standard certificate of death, as recommended by the American Public Health Association and approved by the Bureau of the Census, is that uniform instructions can be employed for a very large proportion of the registration area.

In order to familiarize physicians with the general statement of the International List of Causes of Death, a vestpocket booklet was prepared and distributed directly by the Census Bureau each year to all physicians of the United States, as well as to many thousands of local registrars through their state registration offices.

HISTORY OF NOSOLOGY.

Nosology, or the scientific classification of diseases, was cultivated with fervor a hundred years ago, and was believed to be a necessary part of the knowledge required for the practical treatment of disease. The system devised by Cullen in his "First Lines of the Practice of Physic" came to be the predominant one, although many other systems were presented, among them those of Sauvages, Linnaeus, Vogel, Sagar, Macbride, Young and Mason Good. All these systems have vanished; the subject is almost entirely neglected

at the present day, but its influence may be traced in the forms of statistical lists in present use. Dr. William Farr found the Cullenian system in general use in the public services at the time of the establishment of the modern system of registration of deaths in England. It had not, however, been revised to meet the demand of the advances of medical science and was not suited to statistical purposes. One of Dr. Farr's first duties, therefore, was to prepare a "Statistical Nosology," which had a marked effect upon subsequent classifications, including that of the second revision of the International list.

As a result of his practical experience with this system, Dr. Farr was selected, together with Dr. Marc d'Espine of Geneva, by the First Statistical Congress, Brussels, 1853, to prepare a report upon a classification that might be used in all countries for the statistics of causes of death. The resolution to this effect was introduced by Dr. Achille Gullard, a distinguished botanist and statistician, creator of the word "demography,” and maternal grandfather of Dr. Jacques Bertillon, to whose efforts the present success of the International list is chiefly due.

This was the beginning of the present International list. The classification was adopted in Paris in 1855, in Vienna in 1857, and was translated into six languages. Again revised at Paris in 1864, 1874, 1880 and 1886, the final form was substantially that which was recommended by the International Statistical Institute, the successor of the old Statistical Congress, at Chicago in 1893, and which, after the first decennial revision of 1900 and the second decennial revision of 1909, is now the International list in force in a large number of countries for the decade beginning January 1, 1910, and ending December 31, 1919.

SECTION

THE CRITIQUE is entered at Denver Postoffice as Second Class Matter.

JAMES WILLIAM MASTIN, M. D., EDITOR-MANAGER, 719 MACK BLOCK J. C. HOLLOWAY, M. D., ASSOCIATE EDITOR, 151 EAST MAIN ST., GALESBURG, ILL. THE DENVER JOURNAL PUBLISHING CO., Publishers.

Address all communications, books for review, remittances, etc., to the Editor Manager, 719 Mack Block, Denver, Colorado.

No attention whatever will be paid to contributions which do not bear the name and address of author.

Write

Do not send us material for publication written on both sides of the paper. plainly, spell correctly, be particular about capitalization and punctuation. The Editor will be in no way responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.

S

OMETHING DIFFERENT. THE CRITIQUE acknowledges obligation to H. PETRIE HOYLE, M.D., for "Transactions of the Eighth Quinquennial Homœopathic Congress," held at London, England, July 17th to 22d, 1911. There are two volumes of this interesting bit of homœopathic literature, each one so different from the usual run of "transactions" that we would recommend the muchboasted A. I. H. to follow the pattern set by our English editor. For instance, it tells, on page 227, how

"Two Homoeopathic Hospitals were the direct outcome of a professional Allopathic boycott, the laity forming an Indignation Committee; how they actually organized and successfully maintained these two Hospitals 'from the simple love of fair play,' many becoming solid assistants and patrons of Homoeopathy."

W

ONDERFUL WORKINGS OF THE LAW. A recent example of the wonderful manner in which the "law" may be worked to suit special purposes can be no more clearly demonstrated than by citing the case of Cook, the alleged murderer of a Denver police officer, and a private citizen of Arvada. The law could not compel Cook to be operated upon to determine, if possible, his guilt in the matter of the murder aforesaid. The "law," however, can compel parents to have their children operated upon, whether or no, provided some inspector in the school declares them deficient in breathing, hearing, sight, etc. The people of Denver are about due to give this system a severe shock and the sooner they get busy the better. About the most expedi

tious manner in which to accomplish this is by selecting a school board which will not overstep the bounds of common

decency by employing any one and every one at the behest of the American Medical Association.

坐坐 **

AN INQUIRY.

EAR DOCTOR HOLLOWAY: Would you advise a young physician to use a repertory at the bedside and in the presence of patients in the office? I want to pursue the best course if I can find out what that is. Still, I know the people are so educated to allopathic methods and customs, I feel timid in adopting a radical course. reply will be appreciated.

Fraternally,

J. G. S.

A

Answer: Yes, if the young physician knows how to use a repertory successfully. The average patient who seeks relief admires your intelligent and diligent efforts to cure, more than a pose of "looking wise" and guessing at his remedy.

I must tell you of one family I visited with my large leather bag, containing repertory, etc. The mother eyed the bag suspiciously, looked at me and then at the bag. The children tried to get on the inside of it, and the father said nothing. The father was the patient, and a very sick man. It was a well-to-do family. Finally, when I took my big book out and began to search for his remedy, which I do not always have to do, the mother said, "Oh, that is what you keep in there. Allopathic doctors carry their medical knowledged in their heads." "Yes," I replied, "and without damaging their heads very much either; but they could not carry this book in their heads. There are many single truths in here that would split an allopathic head wide open." I found the right remedy, and that is what counts, no difference how you find it. My dear young doctor, if you would succeed as an homoeopathician, do not adopt allopathic meth. ods. HOLLOWAY.

T

坐坐 坐

IRTING WITH OSTEOPATHY. The first appointment of a woman to a medical board in Colorado will be contested. Mrs. Jenette Hubbard Bolles, doctor of osteopathy, was named by Governor Shafroth yesterday to succeed Dr. Van Meter on the state board of medical examiners, but she will not be permitted to fill the position, say members of that board. Mrs. Polles is the first osteopathist to be recognized officially.

The appointment will be contested on the ground that Mrs. Bolles is not a licensed physician and therefore cannot serve on the board of examiners. Dr. David A. Strickler, president of the medical board, declared last night that he was of the opinion that she was not eligible on account of not being licensed. Harry E. Kelly, attorney for the board, expressed the same opinion.

The appointment of a woman and an osteopath to the state board surprised the other members. No intimation had come to them of the governor's choice for Dr. Van Meter's successor. The board has been in conflict with osteopaths for years and recently prosecuted a suit in the state courts to deprive these practitioners of the use of "doctor" in Colorado. The lower court found against osteopaths but the supreme court modified the order by permitting the use of the phrase "doctor of osteopathy."

"The appointment of an osteopath to the state board strikes me as a wise move," said President Strickler, last night. "Of course I am aware that the presence of one on the state board which examines and licenses physicians, would be very distasteful to many allopaths and practitioners of other schools.

"Individually I feel that there should be a single standard for the healing art in this state and the appointment of an osteopath is a step in that direction."

The governor says he named an osteopath in answer to the demand of that branch of the profession for representation on the board that had control over them.

"The osteopaths attempted to secure a separate board in the last legislature, but their measure failed of passage," said the governor. "I suggested then that they be given representation on the present board of medical examiners and have taken advantage of the resignation of Dr. Van Meter to carry out that design."

Mrs. Bolles is a well known club woman. She served as chairman of the home and education department of the Woman's club for two years. Last year she was president of the Clio club. She is also active in the Congress of Mothers and the Daughters of the Revolution.

The foregoing from The News of Sunday, April 21st, simply substantiates our story in the March issue regarding the little flirtation between the state board of medical examiners and the osteopathic profession of Colorado.

We have been informed upon reliable authority that Dr. STRICKLER has been unusually busy in bringing about a "concession" to the osteopaths, and that an entirely different individual than the one appointed by Governor Shafroth had been chosen by the aforesaid board to take the place of Dr. VAN METER. Now that the Governor has appointed a really capable person, a dyed-in-the-wool osteopath, a woman of education and social standing, the "board" proposes protesting against the appointment.

There is going to be some fun before the fur quits flying over this matter, because the osteopathic profession of Colorado are, to a man (or woman), satisfied with the selection of Dr. BOLLES, and if the state board of medical examiners succeed in defeating the appointment and still persist in appointing an osteopath, the State Osteopathic So