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against its very life; consider the besiegement of every State Legislature in the land, for a decade past, by every old-school State and National society-a besigement planned in the sessions of its societies, advocated in its journals, carried on publicly, blatantly, unweariedly, by hundreds of its representatives -and this paragraph of Dr. Gould presents to you, gentlemen the optimists, a specimen-brick of the reason and honesty which are to "bridge the gulf," before whose handling we prophecy even your optimism must shrink dismayed.

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A BRICK OF ANOTHER SORT than the specimen-brick of allopathic rationality and courtesy, exhibited in a preceding editorial, it is our privilege and pleasure to here exhibit and briefly call attention to. It is found in this quotation from a letter which lately came to the GAZETTE from an old-school physician of experience and standing, whose words we take the utmost pleasure in reproducing, because they so fitly voice the spirit by whose aid, if ever and through any agency, the gulf between the schools is to be done away. Thus writes our friend :

"It is my most earnest hope that the day will come when we may know no sects in medicine; or, if that is impossible, that we may reach the point of denominationalism simply with a mutual respect and good feeling.

"In all seriousness I would suggest that now is the time and opportunity for the homoeopathic missionary.

Why am I such a fool as What is the use of Ringer

"It seems to me that this is a decade of therapeutics gone mad. Every journal is filled with reports of cases treated, cured (?) with medicines composed of — the prescribers at least don't know what, and can't reproduce it! 'Vibumum compound,' 'lithiated hydranized aletris cordial', 'compound syrup iodia,' 'bromidia,' 'antikalmia'! Sometimes I want to kick, kick, kick! to spend hours poring over works on materia medica! and Bartholow, Phillips, Shoemaker and the rest? I need not, to be in fashion, know anything of either materia medica or therapeutics. In fact, men who would condemn me as a quack because I subscribe to a homeopathic journal (and I subscribe to two), write prescriptions all day long, and would be puzzled to give the exact formula or dose of ten per cent. of them.

"Unless there is a change, and that soon, there wont be a regular (?) medical journal that will be intelligible ten years from now; and future generations will wonder in vain what were the ingredients of the famous remedies of the past, and class the art of making antikalmia with that of making mummies. I sm sorry

to say that I so often find on the prescription files of our druggests the handwriting of homœopathic physicians running after these strange gods; until I wonder if medicine is really sowing its wild oats, and if there even is to be a settling down to business and a return to a liberal conservatism!

"In the midst of this confusion the younger members of the profession ought to welcome anything that is tending toward the study of pure materia medica and the practice of pure therapeutics.

"The only bright spot in the old school seems to be the tablet triturate—a downright steal.

"Now you may ask why don't I come out openly, and boldly announce myself a homœopath- and prescribe Hersal's Tonicum? Because the temptation to remain a free lance is too strong. Besides, methinks it a poor way to reform a a neighborhood to move out of it. .

Appended to the letter above quoted, is a brief "verification" of Thuja, which takes on especial interest, as coming from an old-school source. Thus it reads:

in

"Mrs. C., age 43. Has had one child, one miscarriage; menstruation irregular and verry profuse; constant pain bladder, with tenderness over pubes; uterus slightly antiverted, size normal; urine normal, except for presence of bacteria; wants to pass water all the time — excrutiating pain with last few drops.

For four weeks tried everything I could glean from oldschool or homoeopathic sources. On reading an article on thuja in irritable bladder of eczematous subjects, I recalled the fact that several years previously I had treated her for eczema of the scalp. Thuja 1x cured in about one week."

TWO ENCOURAGING REPORTS of useful and well-appreciated work done by homoeopathy, are those lately received from the Newton Cottage Hospital and from the Middletown State Homœopathic Hospital for the Insane. The Newton Cottage Hospital, with half of whose success, homœopathy, so ably represented there, is to be credited, reports itself as out of debt, and with greatly enlarged facilities for work. Its statistics for the year show a total of 280 patients treated, with nineteen deaths. The training school for nurses is in most effective operation. As will always be found to be the case, new fields of helpfulness open themselves temptingly before the institution, uggesting new needs: the most urgent of which, as set forth

in the year's report, is that of a Maternity Cottage. We trust the coming year will see this need supplied, through the generosity of the public, which the modest and admirable little hospital so effectively serves.

Much of the report of the Middletown Hospital is given up to the protest to which we not long ago gave editorial spaceagainst the arbitrary legislation which, altogether against the original plan and intent of the hospital, forces into it, for purely geographical reasons, patients who do not desire that system of treatment, and excludes those who do. For the rest, the report is most encouraging, clinically and financially. As usual, the superintendent has much to say that is uncommonly interesting and suggestive. For instance, he devotes several pages to the base-ball games, played by the Asylum nine, during the year, many of them with professional organizations. The record made for the Asylum was most creditable; and of the therapeutic effect of this novel, very sensible and eminently American treatment for the "mind diseased," Dr. Talcott says: "But of base ball in general, as a means to the great end for which State hospitals are established, it will be difficult for any one to calculate the amount of good done to our patients through this economical and available recreation. It has been one of the most powerful magnets to lure the mind out of itself, and concentrate its restless faculties for a time on something besides its own aliments. Who can estimate how many have, on such occasions, first felt life's energies again flowing in their favor? It is a wonderful study to watch the faces of over 200 of these anxious, restless, sleepless, and tired souls, as they take their places on the comfortable benches, where with the fresh and balmy air, the bright sunshine and the wonderful influence of a heated contest to dispel thoughts of their own little battle within, and see the hard lines of care soften, and the chill of the countenance melt, while the eyes of many brighten more and more as the soul feels the influence of contact with fellow souls. A wave of good nature and peace and rest and refreshment sweeps over the hospital on these fête days. The mind finds a new field of interest for the time being, and the overtaxed faculties a period of recuperation. For this reason, more than for financial and economical reasons, or even victorious achievements, we believe base ball to be the most profitable amusement for the patients of the Homœopathic hospital.”

The superintendent also has a good word for journalism, as an occupation for the patients, commenting on the favorable effects noted from active work on the staff of the hospital newspaper, "The Conglomerate." "Newspaper work," he says "is a popular and healthful occupation; encourages the despondent, breeds kindly and hopeful feeling.'

We must, in conclusion, quote a few paragraphs from Dr. Talcott's remarks on the proper diet for the insane; as they are of much value to all those treating nervous diseases in any form:

"Milk contains fat, sugar, caseous matter, hydrochlorate of potash, acetate of of potash, and phosphate of potash. It also contains lactic acid, a trace of lactate of iron, and earthy phosphates. All these have been disolved in just so much water that, when properly heated, they form the best and most appropriate of all nerve foods. By the addition of salt-nature's best cathartic - the supposed dangers of constipation, or ‘bilousness' so called, by the use of milk, are entirely eliminated.

"Blood contains water, albumen, fibrin, fatty substances, chloride of sodium, sulphate of potash, carbonate of potash, hydrochlorate of potash, carbonate of lime and magnesia, phosphate of soda, of lime, of magnesia, etc.

"Hence you may readily see, by a comparison of the constituents of milk and blood, that in the former may be found the natural means for rejuvinating the lat ter when it is worn by the effects of disease, or wasted by hard toil or over use.

"Hot milk may, with almost absolute safety, form the daily diet and the midnight hypnotic of the mental invalid. Should such a food prove too rich in some individual case, then the milk may be diluted with lime water, clysmic or seltzer waters. Should the proportion of cream in good milk seem too large, then it may be reduced by a process of skimming. Thus the amount of fat to be administered to a given patient may be regulated, by experience, to meet the actual necessities of each individual case. You may also enrich milk by the addition of cream, when necessary, for the better nourishment of emaciated cases.

"After a long continued course of hot-milk treatment, it will be observed that the patient, as a rule, has increased and in some cases quite remarkably, in weight; and also the tone and elasticity of the mind are encouragingly improved. But this increase in avoirdupois consists largely of soft, non-muscular fat. The nervous system floats, in a certain sense, upon a new sea of phosphorized fat; while the mind, freed from the cares of disease, soars aloft to elysian fields of happiness like the lark in the morning. The pains and discouragements of body and mind have passed away; but while in this delectable state, and before resuming the arduous duties of life, the patient must have a new supply, or a rejuvenation of muscle tissues. This final and desirable end may be attained by the substitution of grain foods and substantial vegetables for the liquid diet; or the liquids may be added to them."

THE NEW YORK HOMEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA SOCIETY has started out in life with a distinguished membership, for work toward a most worthy end. But if an outside barbarian may, in all cordial respect and good fellowship, offer a word of suggestion to the Society, it would take, in the present instance, the form of an earnest plea, that these vigorous workers may, in their gleaning the field of homoeopathic literature for clinical veri

fications — and it may be parenthetically hinted that it is in the swampiest corner of the field that the "verifications" grow thickest ! — arduously, keenly, unvaryingly follow their excellent rule, to glean only verifications of "reliably-proved drugs," having demonstrable "pathogenetic symptoms." We are far from wilfully ironical in observing that of the enormous number of symptoms triumphantly reported as "verified," amazingly few will pass this first, vital test of being the demonstrable pathogenetic effects of "reliably-proved drugs." When a symptom has borne this test we agree with the Society, that its verification in clinical experience is of the utmost scientific value. But how few symptoms can abide this test! We commend to the most serious consideration of the Society the fact which cannot fail, in the earliest stages of their investigations, to force itself upon their attention, viz., that an amazing mass of "cures" and "verifications" most loudly exploited as such in homœopathic literature, are credited to drugs of no pathogenetic standing whatever; drugs whose so-called "provings" cannot stand the simplest scientific "verification." To fog and confuse the atmosphere of clear truth and tested fact, in which medicine should move, by authoritatively presenting to it such "symptoms," however noisily "verified," would be to do homoeopathy the worst of all services; but this danger can be triumphantly avoided by close adherence to, and not too lax interpretation of, the excellent rule which has been our text in this respectful little preachment.

COMMUNICATIONS.

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KERION: ILLUSTRATED BY A CASE.

BY JOHN L. COFFIN, M. D., BOSTON.

The condition known as Kerion is so rarely seen that the author deems a short description of it, illustrated by the notes of the following case, may not be without interest to the readers of the GAZETTE. Kerion is a phase of trycophytosis tonsurous, in which a special acute inflammatory involvement of the hair follicles and glands of the skin, in one or more spots, limited in extent, occurs. It presents itself as a semi-soft tumor, varying in size from a pigeon's to a hen's or turkey's egg, tender to touch,

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