seven dollars each. Purchasers will please remit the amount to the Treasurer, Dr. T. Franklin Smith, 264 Lenox Avenue, New York City, and the book will be forwarded by mail, postage free. PEMBERTON DUDLEY, General Secretary A. I. H. 15th and Master Streets, Philadelphia, Pa. BOSTON HOMEOPATHIC MEDICAL SOCIETY. The annual meeting of the Boston Homœopathic Medical Society was held at Hotel Thorndike, Jan. 7, 1892, at 6 o'clock, President George R. Southwick presiding. The records of the last meeting were read and approved. Thomas W. Greene, M.D., of Chelsea, was elected to memship. George B. Rice, M.D., of Wollaston; Georgiana W. Harris, M.D., Julia L. Woodward, M.D., Thomas M. Strong, M.D., F. P. Batchelder, M.D., of Boston, were proposed for membership. The Treasurer reported that during the year there had been collected from annual dues $211.30. The expenditures for printing and necessary expenses had been $124.58. The Treasurer was authorized to notify the members of the Society who were delinquent in the matter of Society dues, that if not paid before March their names would be dropped from the list of members. A committee of three was appointed, Drs. I. T. Talbot, Mary Swain and H. C. Clapp, to draw up resolutions upon the death of Dr. Mary F. Safford. It was voted that the place of meeting of the Society should be the same as that of last year, the Women's Industrial Union, Boylston Street. The officers for the ensuing year are, President, Henry E. Spalding, M.D.; Vice-President, Harriet H. Cobb, M.D.; Secretary, Martha E. Mann, M.D.; Treasurer, Maurice W. Turner, M.D.; Censors, W. J. Winn, M.D., A. H. Powers, M.D., W. H. White, M.D. After the election of officers the members of the Society and friends adjourned to the supper room, and enjoyed a bountiful supply of good things, after which they listened to music by a quartette of members of the Society. The music was followed by recitations by Miss Julia King, who gave, with much feeling and intelligence a story by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Edwards' quaint lullaby, "Mammy's Little Boy," and several minor selections. Addresses followed from Dr. George R. Southwick, Dr. I. T. Talbot, who gave many pleasant reminiscences, Dr. J. Heber Smith, who spoke for "Our Hospital," Dr. J. W. Clapp, who gave interesting statistics of the growth of the Dispensary, and Dr. T. M. Strong, the newly appointed superintendent of the Massachusetts Homoeopathic Hospital, who gracefully acknowledged the cordial welcome to Boston extended to him by the Society. Adjourned at 11.30 o'clock. M. E. MANN, M.D., Secretary. GLEANINGS AND TRANSLATIONS. -:0:· HERACLEUM LANATUM (MASTERWORT Cow PARSNIP) IN EPILEPSY. This is not the European specie, imperatoria ostruthium-divinum remedium of European countries, but the pentandria digynia of this country, which it resembles. It is an annual umbelliferous, with a perennial root of a strong pungent smell, throwing up a hollow, thick furrowed, branching stem, three to five feet high, of one to one and a half inches at the base, leaves are downy, supported on downy footstocks, the flowers are white, in large umbels, followed by orbicular seeds, fruit compressed, oval, with a broad, flat margin. This plant grows in moist medows from Labrador to Alabama. The recent leaves and root when placed in contact with the skin irritate and inflame it, and are very poisonous, owing their effects to an active alkaloid. It is an active cerebro-spinal poison, affecting both the brain and spinal-marrow directly and the heart indirectly. The poisonous effects of this plant may be well illustrated by two cases of poisoning, by eating the leaves, given in the language of the parties who saw them, May 25, 1890: About eleven o'clock Sunday evening, John Cass and James Cummings, two well-to-do and highly respected farmers residing just across the Tennessee River from Stevenson, Ala., both men of families, strolled along the river bank, smoking and chatting as they walked. Near the edge of the river they plucked what they thought to be spignet, a kind of herb which the natives have from time immemorial used with success in kidney troubles. They were chewing contentedly on the harmless-looking, fiveleafed herb, when a moment later another farmer, a neighbor, came up. He, too, started to nibble the leaves as the others were doing, but suddenly spat out what he had in his mouth, saying: "Why, that isn't spignet; that is cow parsnip!" Cow parsnip, or masterwort, is a deadly poison. Glancing up, the third farmer saw that his companions were apparently in great agony. Their faces were convulsed, their frames shook with tremulous agitation, their teeth were clinched tight, and the cuticle of their faces was rapidly tinging with a blackness that quickly convinced him his companions were poisoned. Suddenly the two men gave vent to agonizing shrieks and fell prostrate to the earth. They tossed about in convulsive agony, gnashing their teeth and evincing symptoms akin to hydrophobia. The third farmer was powerless to aid them, and started off for assistance. As he did so, Cass crawled to the water's edge, lapped up a few mouthfuls and suddenly fell back on the edge a corpse. Cummings was writhing on the ground in great agony. In his convulsive state he bit half his tongue off and completely crushed out all the front teeth in his head. It was a pitiable sight. I have used during the past year an alcoholic infusion of the leaves in two cases of epilepsy which have improved and I am in hopes of curing. I desire to call the attention of the profession to this remedy, thinking that the proper dilution may prove of value. — Dr. H. N. Avery, in Med. Times. ETHER-DRINKING IN NORWAY. - We learn from Sundhetsbladet, a Norwegian health journal published in Christiania, that with the falling off in the consumption of alcoholic intoxicants, ether-drinking is becoming quite common in certain districts. The farmers buy it in considerable quantities, especially at Christmas time and on other festive occasions, and they treat each other and get drunk in the same way that they formerly did on potato or barley brandy. It is said to be drunk by young and old, men and women, in the palatial homes of the wealthy and the miserable hovels of the poor. We had supposed that ether-drinking was almost wholly confined to Ireland, in certain parts of which it has long been a national vice, and we were hardly prepared to hear that it had enslaved the stern and hardy dweller in the land of the midnight sun. — N. Y. Med. Times. - THE SENSE OF TASTE IN THE LARYNX.- For many years it has been known to histologists that the specific end-organs of taste, namely, the taste-bulbs, occur on the posterior or inner surface of the epiglottis, but up till now the physiological proof of the exhistence of the sense of taste in the epiglottis has not been forthcoming. Michelson, under Langendorff's direction, made a number of experiments which show that the inner surface of the epiglottis is endowed with taste. A Schroetter's laryngeal sound, tipped with a solution of quinine or saccharine, was introduced into the larynx, and the drop of the sapid substance was cautiously brought into contact with the inner surface of the epiglottis. Positive results were obtained, which were controlled by the sensation — electrical taste — known to be produced by electrical stimulation. It seems, therefore, proved that a part of the nerve fibres passing to the larynx are nerves of taste. Am. Practitioner and News. DIETETIC TREATMENT OF EPILEPSY.-Whether the theory of explosion of nitrogen in the brain substance as the cause of the epileptic seizure be true or not, certain it is, according to John Ferguson (Therap. Gaz., Dec. 15, 1890), that the malady is aggravated in patients subjected to a nitrogenous diet. This fact seems to have been confirmed by clinical experience and actual experimentation. Ferguson, therefore, has subjected his epileptics to a strict vegetable diet, and has even dispensed with the use of drugs. This method has given, in his hand, excellent results, especially in well-marked cases of status epilepticus. In these cases a non-nitrogenous diet alone has rendered better service than the bromides without restriction in diet. Med. Times. TREATMENT OF PLEURODYNIA. Bryonia is indicated when pains are aggravated by motion and by expiration; ameliorated by pressure over a large area, and particularly by lying on the affected side. Nux vomica. Contrary to the former is indicated when the patient cannot lie on the affected side. This drug is more often indicated in the intercostal neuralgia than in the true pleurodynia. Actea racemosa is highly recommended by R. Hughes. Most suitable in women and when there is a weak feeling springing from the epigastrium. Ranunculus bulbosus according to R. Hughes is indicated when the pain is very intense and prevents the patient from moving. The pains are aggravated by motion and by pressure. This drug has proven especially successful in the pleurodynia of the right side. Colchicum. This drug, so efficacious in gouty pains, should necessarily be tried in pleurodynia. Its indications are: tearing and lancinating pains, excruciating pains on one side of thorax, aggravated by breathing and by pressure. Arnica. Pains are of contusive character; much aggravated by pressure and by motion. Pulsatilla is indicated when pains are ameliorated by motion, also when lying on the offected side. Patient feels better when she gets up from the bed. Dose: The first dilutions and the are generally preferable. The doses should be repeated three to six times a day, according to the intensity of the pains. Dr. P. Jousset, in L'Art Medical. - Hah. Monthly. - FRESH ALMONDS AS A NUTRIENT. NUTRIENT. Dr. Allen McLean Hamilton writes as follows in the Dietetic Gazette. Acting upon a hint given me by my friend, Dr. Lauder Brunton, I have directed some of my patients to eat freely of fresh almonds, which are rich in oil and exceedingly nutritious, containing as they do, 54 per cent. of fixed oil. According to Pavy, they contain 2.677 of nitrogen and 40 per cent. of carbon. It is a custom of Dr. Brunton and several other London physicians, when hurried and tired after their morning consulting hours, to make a luncheon simply of this kind. In cases of diabetes, when digestion is not too weak it will be found that buscuits of almond flour are exceedingly nutritious and palatable, and may take the place of gluten-bread. Med. Argus. A CALCAREA CASE. - Marasmus cured by calcarea carb. 6x. April 16th, while attending some cases of measles at the Orphan's Home, my attention was directed to a case of marasmus in a little child about one year old. It had been admitted as an incurable case of tubercular meningitis. The child lay, at times whining, in its crib, day after day, gradually wasting away. It looked pale, emaciated and flabby, with dry, harsh skin and bloated abdomen; had diarrhea, and a cold perspiration on the head. Gave calcarea carb. 6. The improvement was prompt and rapid to complete recovery. No other remedy was given and no change of diet was ordered. — E. W. Green, M.D., Little Rock, Ark., in S. J. of Hom. A STUDY OF CONSANGUINEOUS MARRIAGES. There is a little Commune known as Fort Mardick, on the extreme northern coast of France, where nearly all the inhabitants are related to each other, almost all of them having sprung from four families who settled the place originally. As their neighbors were all of a different race (Flanders) it is very probable that most, if not all, of the early marriages in the community, were among blood relations, and even now 24 per cent. of the marriages are between cousins of not more than two removes. Such a community ought to furnish valuable material for a study of the effects upon the offspring of consanguinity among the parents, and indeed the study has been made by Drs. Louis and Gustav Lancry, and reference to it we find in L'Union Médicale, No. 24, 1891. These observers found that there had been 63 unions of this sort from 1882 to 1886, or more than 24 per cent. of the entire number — a very large proportion indeed, considering that the |