will recover. Dr. Hering said all women prone to abortion should take sepia and zinc. He did not say that these remedies would keep them away from the abortion shops. Under veratrum album he gave these symptoms: cough comes on from drinking, especially cold water; escape of urine when coughing. He also said look up cantharis in gastric derangements of pregnant women, a hint which has helped many times in the selection of the remedy. Cantharis, too, he said was more useful to women who are sterile. Besides Dr. Hering in the Philadelphia school, there was Dr. Lippe, whom Dr. Lilienthal called "the old war horse, grand Count Lippe;" Dr. H. N. Gurnsey, who taught characteristics and the use of extreme high potencies. He said, one day when considering lachesis in diphtheria, when the disease begins on the left side and goes to the right, give one dose of lachesis 40m. The next day the patient will be worse and will continue to be worse for four days, when the patient will be better and He laid particular stress on not repeating the remedy while the patient was growing worse. Dr. H. N. Martin taught key notes; Dr. Rowe, pathology and special indications, careful close prescribers all, men whose memory is cherished by all who received instruction from them. When one speaks of materia medica in connection with our own Boston University we involuntary think of the lamented. Dr. J. Heber Smith. It was in the early years of his teaching, and perhaps his best years that I learned so much from him. We all remember his genial ways, his method of impressing the symptoms of drugs on our memories. forget his description of the diarrhoea symptom of antimony crudum? the old man with the alternate diarrhoea and constipation cannot control himself. He said when you go to make the call on that old man, and on getting in sight of the house and see several pairs of trousers hanging on the line and remember that you have no ant. crud. in your case, your visit will be in vain. And when lecturing on muriatic acid he said, in regard to the symptom in typhoid fever, Who will "the patient slides down in bed," that when a patient got in this condition he would usually keep on sliding. He told us, too, that ruta would cure housemaid's knee, and that in the early years of his practice he was fortunate in having several boarding-mistresses that had this affection, and that when he had cured one, he felt it incumbent on him to change his boarding place for new fields of conquest. Cheledonium with him was a great liver remedy, catarrhal jaundice, headache from liver trouble. He mentioned crottig as an antidote to rhus poisoning, and the painless, watery diarrhoea, he said it came like water from a hydrant. He gave these as the skin symptoms of crot. tig., the psoric individual, salt rheum and popular diseases, dandruff, itching of the skin under the beard. I remember especially his speaking, when lecturing on gelsemium, of one pupil dilated the the other contracted. I know today the modern pathologist will say that this is due to a brain laision in nearly every case and not amenable to treatment. Yet the next case of this kind you have try gelsemium and cure it. The sensation of a sliver in the throat, and also of a sliver in the eye in the morning are hepar symptoms of the early provers, verified by Dr. Smith. The snaky tongue, as he expressed it, of lachesis, he puts it out quick with a dart. All symptoms worse after sleeping. When all symptoms are worse at night, merc viv; and if in connection with this there is perspiration, increased amount of saliva in thè mouth. Of gastric symptoms, bitter vomiting before midnight, merc viv; after midnight, arsenicum. When children who perspire easily involuntarily pass urine at night, merc viv. Nux moschata was always to be thought of in stomach disorders with flatulency, pregnancy, hysteria, especially if there was a morbid appetite. The rheumatism of nux moschata is relieved by dry, warm clothes, while the rheumatism of rhus is relieved by cold. Gelsemium is the antidote for poisoning by nutmeg. The name of Dr. J. Heber Smith will always be held in the highest esteem by the students of Boston University. was an associate of Dr. Smith. Dr. Conrad Wesselhoeft cisims from him that made the impressions that we did from Dr. Smith, but we got the best thoughts from his deep study an d research. His power of analysis, his way of separating the wheat from the chaff and then of giving us only the wheat, was what made his teaching valuable. In his lecture on Bell he spoke of the high, piping voice where Lippe gave it as "a rough voice with nasal sound." And as a remedy in coxalgia with the burning pain in the hip joint, worse at night, aggravated by the least contact. And epileptic spasms followed by nausea and vomiting would be helped much by belladonna. I am a little cautious in saying much in regard to Dr. Wesselhoeft's lectures for I know his memory good and he may bring me to task should I misquote him. I well remember some good advice given the class by Dr. E. P. Colby in regard to the gathering of the leaves of the rhus toxicodendron. He had described the plant fully, had told us the part of the plant to use, and the right season in which to gather it to get the best medicinal effect; how to protect our hands and face, and finally said we had better get a boy to gather it for us, especially if the boy might be prospective patient. Dr. Colby always had the wellfare of the students close to his heart. And, too, one cannot recall the early days of Boston University but there comes memory of a Talbot, a Dr. Gersdorff, a Thayer, a Jackson, a Clark. Although they were not connected with the chair of materia medica, they were true homeopaths, and as such could not hold within themselves the truth of the homœopathic materia medica and the law of similars. In those days I think more attention was given by the students to the study of materia medica. Today, with the larger corps of professors and advanced methods of teaching, the opportunities for study are better, but is there a corresponding increase of knowledge of the materia medica? A method of a the generalization has crept into our practice; you, my colleagues, and I indulge in it; and by so doing we are undermining that foundation which was laid deep and well by the fathers and given us as a heritage upon which to build the superstructure, beautiful and perfect in all its lines and proportions, strong in every portion so that it should be as lasting as the eternal hills. Have we kept the trust sacred or must future generations wonder where is the house beautiful? SUPERIORITY OF VAGINAL OR SUPKA-VAGINAL METHODS.It would appear that most of the opposition against the vaginal method is by men who have had but little experience in operating by this route; hence the arguments are largely theoretical. The vaginal method seems to be especially indicated in most cases of carcinoma uteri, in small fibroid tumors, and in many cases of pelvic abscess. The opposition to this method because the operator can not see the structures he is removing will not bear the test of practical experience; for if the operator adopts the correct technique and avoids the use of a multiplicity of retractorsoften using none-he will find that with few exceptions he can see every structure he deals with more clearly than he can in many cases by the suprapubic route. The selection of the method, however, depends upon the nature of the disease to be removed, and upon the experience of the operator. If all surgeons understood the technique of surgery per vaginam as well as they do the technique in operations by the suprapubic method, there would be no further discussion upon the relative merits of the two methods, each having its own legitimate sphere, and in many instances one method may supplement the other.-Editorial, American Practitioner and News. EDITORIAL. Contributions of original articles, correspondence, etc., should be sent to the publishers, Otis Clapp & Son, Boston, Mass. Articles accepted with the understanding that they appear only in the Gazette. They should be typewritten if possible. To obtain insertion the following month, reports of societies and personal items must be received by the 15th of the month preceding. PENDING LEGISLATION. There are at least three matters pending the action of the Legislature which should be of interest to every physician. First, a bill to permit the granting of diplomas, with degree of doctor of physiological optics, by a college where only, so far as we are able to learn, is taught that branch of medicine which pertains to the eye and its diseases. Second, an amendment, known as House Bill No. 863, to the present law governing registration in medicine, whereby those claiming to treat persons by clairvoyance, hypnotism, Christian science and osteopathy, shall not be exempt from the provisions of the law as heretofore. Third, a petition, known as House Bill No. 936, asking for an amendment to present registration laws, whereby graduates from any legally chartered medical school shall be granted a license to practice without examination. It would be difficult to imagine more. pernicious legislation than that aimed at in the first and third. of these bills. That embodied in the second proposition. should have been done long ago, but will probably be put off for a long time to come. Such is the inherent passion of the public to be fooled, even at a good deal of risk to themselves and the community. Verily, "What fools these mortals be." The bill to establish a college of physiological optics, with permit to grant degrees, is essentially class legislation of the worst kind, and is the outgrowth of the pernicious custom which has been in vogue for years, of opticians prescribing as well as fitting and manufacturing glasses. If there is to |