ville; Recording Secretary, Dr. George T. Erwin, Danville; Corresponding Secretary, Dr. A. D. Price, Harrodsburg; Treasurer, Dr. W. B. Harlan, Danville.

The meetings of the Association will be held quarterly.

EDITORIAL.

"Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri."-Hox

BREVITIES.

Dr. L. B. Edwards, of Lynchburg, Va., desires to have it known that it was not himself (the Secretary) who sent the Minutes of the daily sessions of the Virginia State Medical Society to a Philadelphia medical journal for publication.The attention of those interested is called to the advertisement of the "American Chemist," in the April number of this journal. The "Chemist" is a sterling work, and worthy of abundant support. When Dr. E. Foree, of this city, had charges preferred against him in a (now) small local Medical Society for acting as supervisory medical officer of an insurance company which refused to pay its medical examiners in Louisville the five-dollar fee determined upon by the physicians of this city (upon the recommendation of the American Medical Association) the facts were referred, at his own request, to a board of umpires, consisting of distinguished physicians in Delaware, Alabama, and Illinois. Why these gentlemen, uninformed of the details connected with the facts in the case, were supposed to be better able to solve the problem at issue than a board of umpires in Louisville, no one can imagine; but in striving to do this they decided that Dr. Foree was in error. They did not question the unwise, untenable, and unjust legislation of a small Society which sought to enact a law in no respect warranted or supported by the code

of ethics, the code of justice and equity; but they decided that Dr. Foree was at fault. This gentleman, to his honor be it recorded, promptly resigned a valuable and lucrative office. His position is now occupied by Dr. W. B. Caldwell, of this city. It remains to be seen whether he will be as promptly dealt with by the Society mentioned. Such a course is unavoidable, unless there be gross injustice, inconsistency, or timidity manifested; or unless the untenable law be revoked and Dr. Foree fully indemnified.- -At the meeting of the Virginia State Medical Society last Winter a strong effort was made to censure the conferring of Beneficiary Scholarships upon impoverished but deserving young men seeking an education in medical colleges. The effort was not successful, but it is remarkable that the Faculty of the College in whose Hall this summary legislation was attempted have, in their recent advertisement, offered to receive Beneficiaries without number and without restriction as to the appointing power; it being only necessary for students to correspond with the executive officer of the Faculty; tempora -To oblige many who

mutantur et nos mutamur cum illis.

desire such an arrangement to be made, the editor of this journal will receive subscriptions for the "London Medical Times and Gazette," and the "London Practitioner." The subscription price of the first is $12, and of the last $4. Those who subscribe for these journals through this office can obtain them (without the "Richmond and Louisville Medical Journal") for $14; with this journal (or the three journals) for $18.- -The State Medical Societies of Ohio and Kentucky enjoyed their meetings in contiguous cities (Cincinnati and Covington) during the first week of April. The social reunions and the interchange of personal and professional courtesies were universally appreciated. The writer acknowledges with pleasure the kindnesses received from many in the editorial and professional circles of the cities mentioned.- -Almost all of

the departments of this number have been curtailed to afford space for the Transactions of State medical societies.

ART. I.-HYPODERMIC MEDICATION. By W. GREENE, M. D., Americus, Ga.

A few years since I wrote an article on "Hypodermic Admin istration of Medicinal Agents," which was published in the "At lanta Medical Journal" (May 1867), and, so far as I know, was the first article on this subject published in any medical periodi-.. cal of this country, and, strange to say, I have not since seen the subject practically treated by any author.

Many of my professional friends then thought I extolled this method of administering medicines extravagantly. I have continued, however, to use the hypodermic syringe more extensively,, and not only have no reason to change my views therein expressed, but am well satisfied I failed to do the subject justice. It is a matter of surprise that some of the members of the medical profession entertain a prejudice against the use of sub cutaneous medication. To account for it, I have sometimes thought it results from a lack of a little experience in the use of the hypodermic syringe. I am sure that when judiciously used, it is just as safe as medication per anum, per os, or per anyother way, and it is certainly much more rapid, constant, and

3

efficient in its effects. It not only relieves pain certainly, but it sometimes cures, and cures permanently and radically-nay, frequently does so. I am also surprised that even leading medical journals contain so little on this subject. "Ranking's Abstract" and the "American Journal of the Medical Sciences," for the past three or four years, barely allude to it. The same may be said of the "Practitioner," "Richmond and Louisville Journal," "New Orleans Journal," and all others I have had an opportunity of reading. It is gratifying to know that my endeavors in this direction have been kindly received by the profession, and their appreciation manifested by requesting my further views, based upon more extensive experience, and guided by the experience and discoveries of others, whose results I have watched and read with great interest.

It is my present purpose again to call attention to this important and interesting subject. I shall endeavor to be practical in what I write, giving no facts that are not sustained by experience or well authenticated, for I am well satisfied that much, perhaps most, that is published in our medical journals of the present day contains too much speculative theory, and that too many medical men write for mere notoriety. Medical journals should be addressed to the requirments of physicians whose engagements do not permit them to search over the immense fields from which the fruit has been gathered; to practitioners in the country as conveying the results of the active labors of the "toilers" in the profession. Of course, I do not assume to lecture editors of medical journals, but I long to see them contain matter more practical, more instructive to the mass of doctors, and thereby more useful and valuable to the country.

The following points in hypodermy are well established, and I invite particular attention to their consideration:

1st. Clear, neutral solutions alone should be used, as they rarely produce irritation.

2d. Whether administered hypodermically, or by the mouth, or rectum, the chief physiological and therapeutical effects are the same in kind, yet varying in degree.

3d. Some drugs, when administered hypodermically or subcutaneously, produce certain symptoms which are absent when administered by other methods, and certain unpleasant symptoms are thus avoided which would interdict the use of, perhaps, an indispensable treatment.

4th. Rapidity of absorption and intensity of effect, as a general rule, may always be anticipated.

5th. Locality of injection, whether near or remote from the point affected, as to effect or relief, makes no difference.

Then the advantages to be derived from this mode of introducing drugs are (a) rapidity of action; (b) intensity of effect; (c) facility of introduction; (d) with some medicines, avoidance of unpleasant symptoms. Therefore, when rapid and decided. effects of drugs are desired, this mode of administration ought to be adopted.

The medicines that have been principally employed by the hypodermic method are aconitine, the preparations of opium, atropia, quinine, strychnine, conia, podophyline, iodide of potassa, bichlorid of mercury, prussic acid, colocynth, aloes, veratrum viride, calabar bean, tr. cannabis indicæ, tr. hyosciamus, and ergotine. Those in general use and whose effects are best understood, are quinine, morphine, atropine, veratrum, calabar bean, ergotine, aconitine, and the bichlorid of mercury, the last experimentally, and its practical value not yet determined. I propose to speak of these particularly, giving my observation of them in detail, and the diseases and conditions for which they have been prescribed. Quinine, while I would not discard it from hypodermic use, must be prescribed with great caution. It often produces violent ulceration, destroying the tissue beneath the skin, and presenting to view the uncovered muscles, conveying to the mind the idea of the action of some corrosive poison. And it has produced this effect in my hands when simply suspended in water without any of the dissolving acids. I attribute this unpleasant and unfortunate result of the use of quinine to its great insolubility, and hope some means may be discovered by which these unhappy effects may be overcome. Another