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run their own risks. But to the owner of one of a few ships or houses, or to the family dependent on one life, the case is very different. It is of all importance to such persons to have the opportunity of paying the average worth of insurance. How a man can insure his house against fire, when it is many hundreds to one it will not be burned, and not to assure his life when it is certain he will die, is a paradox of such a character that can only be accounted for on the ground of ignorance.

Amongst the new companies of this city will be found the "First National Eclectic Life Assurance Society of the United States, for the Mutual Assurance of Lives, Savings, and Homesteads." The high standing of the parties connected with this office at once removes all doubts as to the stability of the institution. Such ample particulars in reference to premiums chargeable, &c., are given that it is unnecessary to do more than inform parties desirous of insuring their lives of the preliminaries necessary to adopt. Forms of application, in the first place, intimating a desire to assure, are procurable without charge from the office; references are required to parties of respectability, with a view of ascertaining the habits of life of the party desirous of assuring his life, and should these prove satisfactory, the party who has proposed to assure is subjected to an examination by the medical referee of the Society, for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not he is laboring under any disease, constitutional or otherwise, calculated to shorten life. Should the report of the medical referee be favorable, the Society at once accept the risk and issue the policy. Thus it will be seen that the process is extremely simple and inexpensive; and, without any desire to disparage a variety of benefit societies, lodges, and clubs, we do not hesitate to affirm that life assurance companies offer far greater and more certain advantages.

Whilst contending that a well-conducted life assurance society is by far the best and safest mode of making provision for those whom they may leave behind, we should be sorry to discourage persons from resorting to other modes of

anticipating the wants of those near and dear to them. It is quite possible, for instance, that delicacy of constitution may cause some to be regarded as ineligible by assurance companies in which they are desirous of assuring, and that very circumstance should induce them to redouble their. efforts to provide against the hour of need. Again, a life assurance policy is a negotiable instrument. It may be disposed of to any private individual, or the assurance company will become its purchaser, so that the assured may derive full benefit of all his payments.

Viewed in any light, we think it must be apparent that the pre-eminence which we claim for life assurance societies is fully warranted. It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of a little private hoard to any man; it not only proves a succor in the evil day, but it tends to improve his whole moral nature. Wealth has been the subject of many bitter remarks to both the poet and the philosopher, but it is, after all, a greater friend to virtue than to vice. Often, a very small amount of it, acquired by honest industry, will supply a modest pride that supports, if it is not in itself, moral efficacy. Doing well in this small way suggests and leads to doing well in other ways. The saver may prove the stay of a declining parent or other friend; he can perform a better duty to his children; he can contribute to philanthropic objects which interest and bring out his better feelings. It may even happen that, from less to more, and with no sacrifice of peace of mind, he is enabled, by saving, to rise into a higher grade of society. One of the best of the immediate effects of saving is that, once fairly begun, it proves a preservative from many extravagancies and vices. Temptations may present themselves, but the mind reverts to the fondly-regarded little family circle, and they are easily resisted. Hence, it is generally observed that once a practice of saving has commenced, a great revolution takes place in the character. Irregularities and self-indulgence disappear, and steadiness, sobriety, and reflection take their place. A prejudice exists in the minds of many people, and is perhaps affected by others against

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any thing in the shape of a savings bank, on the ground that when a man is known to save he is the more liable to have his income reduced by his employer, or to want employment when there is any thing like a general failure of commercial enterprise; but surely there can be little foundation in fact for this notion. It is a general wish amongst employers that their employés should save, and many endeavor to bring this about by instituting savings banks and acting as managers. It is, on the contrary, felt that every employé who has saved a little is likely to be a much more respectable person than he who has not. Indeed, a receipt from a savings bank is one of the best certificates of character which a man can show.

We cannot help thinking, however, that a policy of assurance upon his life would be a still better evidence of character, as it would forcibly exhibit the noble and disinterested nature of his efforts, having for their object not the aggrandizement of himself, but securing from want those near and dear to him after his earthly career had closed. We shall continue the subject in the next number.

Fungous Hematodes-Malignant Epithelial Cancer of the Uterus Cured by the use of Carbolic Acid.

BY J. M. COMINS, M. D.

MRS. W- -, a lady of fine intellect and high culture, fair complexion, of scrofulous diathesis, has enjoyed good health all her life, up to her present affection. She is thirtysix years of age, has borne three healthy children, the youngest of which is five years. She describes her case as follows:

"I recovered from my last parturition as rapidly as from any previous one, save I felt a tenderness of the abdomen, in the region of the uterus. On applying to my physician, I was assured it would soon wear away. The soreness con-tinued about the same, together with leucorrhoea, more or less, for four years, with no appearance of menstruation.

At that time I began to have a discharge of blood from the vagina, which has continued constantly for twelve months. Various physicians prescribed for me, using nitrate of silver, mur. tincture of iron, tannin, acetate of lead, and various other astringents, as vaginal injections, all to no purpose. I have been bled several times, and taken large quantities of iron and sarsaparilla, but I am no better."

On examination, I found an epithelial cancer attached to the lower third of the uterus upon the left side, as was afterwards revealed, the mass filling the vagina, so that its base could not at first be discovered. It had distended the

uterus to about the size of one six months in gestation. The morbid growth was of a dark crimson color, not very sensitive to the touch, completely covered with excrescences or nodules, from which blood oozed freely upon the slightest touch. On passing my finger around the mass, for the purpose of ascertaining its attachment, it produced profuse hemorrhage.

She assured me muriated tincture of iron would not check it, nevertheless, I was induced to try it, full strength, to a portion of the surface. I accordingly introduced one of Furgusson's speculums, through which I applied muriated tincture of iron with pencil brush, to a portion corresponding to the size of the small end of the speculum. While the tincture was in contact with the surface of the tumor, the flow of blood ceased, but soon after the application was removed, and the surface washed to prevent injury to the surrounding tissue, the hemorrhage continued.

I could not ligate the mass, because I could not reach its base. Various remedies had been applied, all to no purpose, and from my manipulations hemorrhage had become excessive. I took a saturated solution of carbolic acid, strength, five per cent. by weight, and with the ordinary hypodermic syringe injected about half a dram into the centre of the fungous growth, causing but little pain. Two hours after the operation, the hemorrhage had entirely ceased from that portion of the tumor below the os uteri, but continued slightly from the cavity of the uterus. This

being a new operation, I waited four days, patiently watching the result. The carbolic acid prevented decomposition and sloughing, and I still had a firm mass, quite tough, and resembling very much a piece of liver, and completely filling the vagina. Upon trying to remove it with the knife and forceps, I detached the dead portion from the living, within the cervix uteri, and hemorrhage immediately recurred. I continued with two injections of carbolic acid at intervals of three days, removing as much of the dead portion as possible each time; then applied the acid to the base of tumor upon the walls of the uterus with a brush daily, for about ten days, keeping the cervix uteri well dilated with sponge tents. I ordered vaginal injections of clear, cold water twice daily, together with compound syrup of stillingia, and iodide of potassium, and a generous, nutritious diet, and in thirty days discharged her cured. She still remains in good health, fifteen months since the occurrence.

No. 100 East Twenty-sixth Street, New York.

MR. EDITOR

Alcoholic Fluid Extracts.

In the May number of that valuable medical periodical, "The Electic Medical Journal" of Cincinnati, there appears an article on Fluid Extracts, over the signature of "Adolphus."

The subject of fluid preparations has engrossed the attention of journalists, physicians, manufacturing chemists, pharmaceutists, speculators (both practical and theoretical), to a very considerable extent. Many theories have been presented, and processes published, some plausible and based on sound principles, others with no such foundation. This form of medication has been more extensively used by the profession than any other, and princely fortunes have accrued to some of the manufacturers.

Each interested party has from time to time presented and defended his peculiar theory and process, practical and

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