time of exposure. It could not be denied that the detail of the picture suffered somewhat when the intensifying stone was used. He had never used diaphragms, but there were many expert radiographers who believed them absolutely essential to the obtaining of a sharp negative. The rationale of their use was the same as in ordinary photography, to shut off stray rays. Pus in the urine might have its origin in the blader and pyelitis or ureteritis can be suspected as the cause. There could be no doubt but that a certain amount of risk attended catheterizing ureters through an infecting bladder, even if care were taken to disinfect the ureteral orifices before passing the ureteral sound. In consequence he considered the radiograph the safer procedure. However, some cases might require a combination of both; as for instance by the use of flexible, metallic ureteral sounds, either of lead or of block tin, and the radiograph made while these sounds were in situ. This technic, if adopted, would give a negative which showed the outline of the ureters and pelvis of the kidneys. N.O. Medical and Surgical Journal Editorial Department. CHAS. CHASSAIGNAC, M. D. ISADORE DYER, M. D. The New Year. "Through the mad world's scene, We are drifting on, To this tune, I ween, 'They are dead and gone.'" ANDREW LANG. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a little story of a miller's son who dreamed of the world beyond his horizon and with each sunrise and sunset his spirit ached with desire to get beyond the limitations of his small life. He learned his lesson from an old man, who trudged him up one and another hill, until his little feet grew less anxious, while his brain grew more hopeful. At such elevation, the old man would ask him what he saw and ever the answer had to come, "hills" and "more hills." Will of the Mill' Stevenson called his story and with the ending, gracefully done with a hand which must have presaged the inevitable, there is a lesson on contentment, which is little short of the beautiful. Stevenson was full of hope, though, and of the higher sort. He carries that idea. even with his thoughts for children. "If I could find a higher tree Farther and farther I should see, To where the roads on either hand This is the spirit of unrest, at the very foundation of progress and which dictates the desire to know the unknown, to elucidate the inscrutable. Each year opens a new panorama of possibilities, and in the tracery there may be found one bit for every field of human purpose and endeavor. So rapidly have the achievements in science succeeded one another that the average mind is like the boy's in the story, full of "more hills "; and still the traveler goes on his way, carrying with him a part, and leaving behind a part of the universe of knowledge in which all must somehow share. The Science of Medicine has in this twentieth century well nigh attained its majority; at any rate we have earned the privilege, perhaps the right of a place in common with the more exact fields of knowledge and no day passes without an added claim to rank. The year just passed has ushered out more than one great light, and yet a host of new workers have appeared to fill their places. The marvels of phototherapy, radium, bacteriologic discoveries, surgical advance, serum possibilities, have each arrayed themselves in the plea for the practice of Aesculapian art, and the world of medicine has been quick to respond. The germ of laziness and the prototypes of zymotic conditions have evolved and yet the maze of disease is not in an open way. The millenium is not yet, and another decade may see the wonders of the last buried in glory of greater achievement, advancing to the consummation of unsatisfied ideals, always beckoning as they have since the world began, and every time we rest, in retrospect or anticipation of what is to come "The ghosts of half forgotten things And thrill us with their fairy wings." The American Medical Association Meeting in June. A year ago we were busied with the thought and prospect of the annual gathering of the National Medical body in New Orleans. We feel that this early reminder is by no means untimely for those who have thought of making the trip to Atlantic City. Many of our readers are members of only short standing, many having for the first thing tasted the Attic Salt in the Medical Guild at the New Orleans meeting. We established a record meeting and feel that the coming session should add to the glory and purpose of the A. M. A. The Arrangements Committee have many duties and by no means of the least importance is that of providing suitable accommodations for the visiting members. Notwithstanding the multitude of hotels at Atlantic City, much time and trouble may be saved by every man intending to go to this meeting, if he will send his name early, with a statement of what sort of acommodations he wants, the price, etc., and especially whether he is to have any others with him. This should be done as soon as possible. Aside from the pleasures which Atlantic City will afford, the meeting this year should be especially profitable to the newer members of the Southern States; a wider opportunity of gathering knowledge and especially the occasion of meeting co-workers in the arena of medicine. The meeting is scheduled from June 7 to June 10 and at a season when every inducement should offer itself. Railroad rates will be afforded; excursions may be so aranged as to allow the visit to the larger cities of the East, all within half a day of the meeting place. More than all this, the meetings in the past have had too few men from the South. Now that in New Orleans the record was broken in this regard, we should hereafter go numerously and regularly to the meetings elsewhere. In Regard to the Myxococcidium Stegomyiae. We gladly publish the following letter, as our only purpose in speaking of the matter was to do justice to all parties concerned, without the least bias or animus. We had been on too friendly terms with Professor Beyer to have desired to be unfair to him. We had already congratulated the Working Party upon their good work and only desired to see proper recognition granted to an outsider whose assistance had been solicited. "To the Editors of the NEW ORLEANS MEDICAL AND SURGICAL JOURNAL: "In your issue of October, 1903, in commenting editorially on the report of the Working Party of the yellow fever institute of the U. S. Public Health and Marine Hospital Service, you say: The first person to have interpreted correctly and given value to what was found in the bodies of mosquitoes infected from * * yellow fever subjects, brought from Vera Cruz by the Working Party was Mr. J. C. Smith, of New Orleans. His assistance was solicited by the biologist of the party who had found only 'granular bodies' in the salivary glands of the mosquitoes. These bodies were not granular but linear, several times longer than wide, and turned out to be sporozoites. Mr. Smith reported finding the parasite, sketched all the process of development, and demonstrated it to the party.' You then go on to severely censure, by implication, Dr. Parker and Prof. Beyer for withholding recognition of Mr. Smith. "Professor Beyer is an acting assistant surgeon in the Service, and can make no publication on these matters for that reason. "The statements you make are unjust and unfairly grounded. "Mr. Smith makes no claim to have done or seen anything prior to January, 1903. In the summer of 1902, the Working Party discovered the parasite, not 'granular bodies' as you say, classified it, made drawings of several of its phases and sent these with a preliminary report of their work to the SurgeonGeneral in July, 1902. That report is of record and would doubtless be given you on application if you desire to investigace further. "In addition to that, several qualified persons were acquainted with the discovery and its value in the summer and fall of 1902. Dr. N. Del Rio, of Vera Cruz, in a statement acknowledged before the U. S. Consul, June 8, 1903, says that as delegates of the Superior Board of Health at Vera Cruz, he, Dr. Matienza and Dr. Iglesias were in June and July, 1902, shown by Professor Beyer an animal organism in the stomach and glands of infected mosquitoes, which the members of the American Commission classified as a protozoon of the order of coccidia. "Dr. Henry R. Carter, of the P. H. & M. H. S., in a letter of October 31, 1903, says that while attending the Public Health Convention in New Orleans, in December, 1902, he visited Prof. Beyer's laboratory at Tulane University, with several other physicians, and was shown a number of slides under the microscope. These showed sections of the stomach walls, thorax and glands of mosquitoes, and Professor Beyer claimed in all detail that each of them showed a stage of the parasite. Dr. Carter says that unquestionably at that time, Professor Beyer claimed what he had was the protozoon of yellow fever and that his slides showed the sexual stages of a coccidium. "You will see, therefore, that months before Mr. Smith saw the slides, Professor Beyer had established his discovery, called it a coccidium, and demonstrated its sexual stages. Yet your editorial |