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Another table is given of 1350 cases of abdominal sections performed almost entirely by Dr. Savage and myself from 1884 to 1893, with 75 deaths, a mortality of 5.5 per cent.

During these years I did all my work on plain soap and water (thoroughly applied), having abandoned every trace of the varying absurdities of Listerism two years before. Dr. Savage followed Lister in fashions of his own, varying from time to time. The work was fairly well divided between us, as also was the mortality; and with the most careful reckoning of the figures, the verdict against Listerism must be, in Scotch fashion, "not proven", for, with its complete absence, my results were no worse, and with its partial presence, Dr. Savage's were no better.

What can Dr. Thomas have to say to this?

I have only to say that his results show that there is something radically wrong with his hospital, and that the medical profession of America, advancing as it is beyond the progress of our art in all other countries, cannot afford to let matters go on as they are.

If I may answer in one word the question which will of course follow what I have said, "what is the cause of Tait's success?" I say emphatically. the absolute segregation of our patients and close attention to every detail, constitute the whole of the mystery.

That there is an inevitable mortality in abdominal section I think is certain. That two men working in the same place, with the same material, should bring it down during ten years. to 5.5 per cent in a consecutive series of 1350 cases shows that the inevitable low mortality is pretty nearly reached. That a removable mortality of more than three times that amount should be allowed to remain as the minimum to be reached in America, cannot be admitted for a moment.

That even the low mortality we have had in Birmingham is probably not the inevitable mortality, is, I think, almost proved by a little figure twisting; for if we take four bad years1884, 1889, 1890 and 1893-we find 553 cases with a mortality of 8.5 per cent. But in six good years-1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1891 and 1892-we had 797 cases, with a mortality of 3.5 per cent. I think this latter is nearer the inevitable, and that a

higher mortality than that is due to causes entirely removable. All such causes ought to be earnestly sought for and removed at any cost.

A

MONTHLY REVIEW.

North American Journal of Homeopathy.

At the meeting of the Medico-Chirurgical Low Death Society, held in Syracuse in December, the hosRate. pital committee reported that in the treatment of both surgical and medical cases the death rate has been less than three and one-half per cent. This is very low and another fact in evidence of the value of homeopathy in surgical as well as medical treatment.

Homeopathy better than

At the same meeting of this Society Dr. Hoyt read a brief review of the results of antitoxine, Antitoxine in with a mortality of 27 per cent., while under pure Diptheria. homeopathy it was 7.3 per cent.

Dr. Radway had had opportunities of watching cases under antitoxine treatment, and believed that homeopathic treatment will cure more cases than antitoxine.

Dr. Laird had never used antitoxine, but would not give up kali. iod., merc. iod., or lachesis.

Dr. Nickelson believed that the indicated remedy will cure more cases, and that in five years' time antitoxine will not be in

use.

Dr. Kaple claimed that the poison of diphtheria was not introduced, but that antitoxine was used to antidote the poison by its toxine, not by its germ.

Man

for his own Insanity.

Dr. Lewis C. Hyde asks "How far is a man Responsible responsible for his own insanity?" The answer is: man is, as a rule, measurably responsible for his own insanity. Dr. Hyde considers day dreaming a "pernicious form of mental perversion" which tends to take away the taste and even "capacity for deeper thinking," finally destroying the memory itself.

The habit so common with many of indulging in mental speculation, of moralizing without morals, of philosophizing without philosophy" is also a most injurious practice and tends to make that which was at first "mere fancy to become fullfledged delusions."

Doubtless a person's mental condition is largely within his own keeping, and the physician may give advice as to the hygiene of the mind, and in some cases save his erring patients from veritable insanity.

Treatment of Abortion.

Hahnemannian Monthly.

In the treatment of abortion C. R. Norton, M. D., of Philadelphia, in preparing for the tampon in case of excessive hemorrhage says:

"The bladder should be emptied. The doctor should take all the pains to be clean that he would if preparing for a major operation-hands and forearms scrubbed and soaked in an antiseptic solution, and the instruments made sterile. For the tampon I have used absorbent cotton wet with a 1 per cent. creoline solution, squeezed as dry as possible, and torn into flat pledgets perhaps an inch and a half in diameter.

Clinical

Dr. W. S. Searles, M. D., of Brooklyn, N. J., Certainties. writes on Clinical Certainties, making these points: "Veratrum Viride is more valuable in croup than all other remedies combined." This does not include membranous croup, although this remedy aids kali bichromate and other remedies in controling the fever and spasm even in this form of croup.

Swallowing during sleep is a sure sign of stomach worms.

For Tape Worm:-"Light and steady diet of fruit and milk for one day. Next morning take following mixture in one dose: Chlorofofm, one drachm; croton oil, gtt. ij; glycerine or mucilage of acacia, one ounce.

Long lobules of the ears indicate long life. There are few octogenarians without them.

When colocynth fails to cure colic or neuralgia when seemingly indicated, give staphisagria.

Examine the heart when there are frequent belchings without relief. In catarrhal jaundice give large enemas of water at 50° Farenheit twice a day.

Permanganate

The American Homeopathist.

"Surgeon-Major J. D. Reckitt reports a case of Potassium of a man, twenty-five years old, who had drunk two ounces of laudanum. Permanganate of potassium, in five-grain doses repeated several times,

Cures Opium
Poisoning.

was administered, and the man made a good recovery. He was seen too late to permit of removal of the poison from the stom. ach, so that the entire amount taken was absorbed."

A Liberal

Who is a Liberal Homeopath? It is one who Homeopath. employs all of the art known to Homeopathy; one who is not afraid or ashamed to use the highest potency and to avow its successful administration; one who has no fear of ridicule when he dips into the 3x or the O; who sticks closely to the homeopathic law as given by Hahnemann; one who is not ashamed to admit that he uses but a drop of the 30th or the 200th in a glass half-full of water, a teaspoonful every two or three hours, in the cure of dangerous diseases; one who does not alternate his remedies. and does not use combination tablets; one who does not give an hypodermatic of morphine to allay present pain and something else at the same time to cure the patient; in short, one who will adopt every reasonable means to cure his patient, and be able, after it is done, to tell what course he pursued and the reason therefor so that others, seeing his good work, may go and do likewise. That, in our estimation, is a Liberal Homeopath! If the homeopath has imbibed the surgical trend, he may dabble in current chemical discoveries of the other schools, in order not to put himself under the ban, in a mechanical operation, of having neglected to apply the very latest SCIENTIFIC advances to his case; but this does not hold as to disease per se. Let us not forget that the diploma reads "Physician and Surgeon"; and that the first paragraph of the Organon clearly enunciates the physician's highest and only calling."

Placarding

for

Homeopathic Envoy.

"The lengths to which Boards of Health are willing to go in the exercise of their at present Consumption. almost unrestrained power over the afflicted is shown by the proposition of the State Board of Health of Michigan to placard every house containing anyone with consumption. the same as they now do in houses in which there are cases of smallpox or diphtheria. The natural effect of this proceeding would be to put thousands of homes under a fearful ban, to almost create a caste akin to lepers, a thing that should not be

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