a great many pills, which had the effect of salivating him so profusely that he lost several teeth. While still salivated, he says that eruptions came out about his arms and legs, and his throat began to get sore, and has been ulcerated at intervals ever since. Eight months ago certain of his bones began to enlarge, and now he presents, among other signs, great swelling of both insteps, and especially of that of the right foot, where also there is a large ulcer. His aspect is very cachectic. He says that his father and mother suffered very much from rheumatism.-The Lancet.

Lancing the Gums in Childhood.-By F. H. THOMSON, M.D.

FROM time immemorial it has been the habit among practitioners of every class to assist the irruption, as is supposed, of teeth in children, by cutting down upon these organs. Of late years, however, a much more reasonable and rational practice has been followed. By cutting down upon the tooth you simply relieve, to a small extent, the tightened integuments, from which all circulation has been expelled. The cut of course heals up immediately, leaving a hard eschar, which complicates the symptoms and makes it more difficult for the tooth to make its way through.

The irritation arising in children during teething does not so much take place from the above pressure as from the engorgement of the vessels supplying their circulation, and which are in a great state of activity at these times. A sure mode of relief is to open these vessels, which will be found in all such cases much engorged. They should be cut low down at the reflected junction, between the lip and the gum; instantaneous relief follows, even in the case of convulsion fits.-Glasgow Medical Journal.

On the Diagnosis of Tumors of the Breast.-BY THOMAS BRYANT, Esq., F. R. C. S., Assistant Surgeon, Guy's Hospital.

THE principal points by which the diagnosis of a case of tumor of the breast is to be determined were carefully gone over by Mr. Bryant in two clinical lectures at Guy's Hospital. The majority of the difficulties generally experienced in the diagnosis of such cases, Mr. Bryant said, will be found to vanish by making a systematic use of our eyes, our ears, and

hands, in the investigation of the subject. In certain cases, it is true, difficulties may be experienced, but, in the majority, a fair degree of certainty is to be attained by the adoption of such a systematic mode of investigation as he explained and illustrated.

By way of a general summary of the whole subject, the following conclusions may be drawn up, contrasting the cancerous with the innocent affection.

1. Cancer generally attacks patients during the functional decline of the mammary gland-that is, after forty years of age; but innocent. affections, as a rule, occur during the functional activity of the gland's life.

2. A cancer in the breast of a single woman is generally observed at an earlier age than in that of a married woman, the functional activity of the gland lasting longer in the lat

ter case.

3. Cancer always infiltrates the gland, wholly or in part; but simple tumors, as a rule, seldom involve it to any great extent, with the exception of the true cystic disease.

4. Cancer generally affects the breast in a single centre, and from that rapidly develops. Innocent growths, cystic or otherwise, often appear as multiple tumors in connection. with one or both breasts.

5. Cancer generally runs its course within a period of three years; but innacent tumors may be developing for many years without causing much distress, affecting the patient only from local causes.

6. Cancer does not exist for any lengthened period without involving the skin by infiltration or ulceration; but in simple tumors of the breast the skin remains uninvolved to a late period of the disease—until, indeed, it is ruptured by over-distension.

7. Cancerous tumors soon become more or less fixed to the parts beneath, and immovable; but simple tumors are, with rare exceptions, movable throughout the whole period

of their existence.

8. In cancers, the axillary absorbent glands become indurated at an early period of the disease; in innocent tumors they are rarely affected.

9. Neuralgic pains down the side and arm are common in cancer; in innocent affections they are rarely present. 10. Retraction of the nipple is found in both simple and malignant diseases of the breast, and consequently is of slight diagnostic value.

11. A discharge from the nipple exists in all affections of VOL. IV. NO. 1.

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the true breast-gland. In cancer, it is sanguineous and scanty; in true cystic disease it is viscid and abundant, and can be readily increased by pressure on the cysts; in inflammatory it is watery or purulent.

12. In cases of tumor of the breast, when the skin has ruptured or become ulcerated, the margin of the opening or sore reveals the character of the disease; in simple cases, presenting the appearance of being ruptured, cut out, or punched; whilst in cancerous diseases there is no such distinct margin, the edges of the wound appearing thickened, indurated and everted.-British Medical Journal.

The Wrongs of Female Doctors.

The line which we have taken with regard to the study of medicine by women has been uniform, and, as we think, consistent with common sense. In the first place, we have always said that until women are well provided for by men, and so long as they are compelled to earn their own living, men have no right to debar them from any employment which they may think fit to pursue. With regard to medicine, we do not advise them to attempt it, and we think them unfitted for it as a body. A very few may have the requisite capacity and endurance; but these must sacrifice more than they can ever gain by their devotion to studies the most repulsive and unwomanly, and by a practice which is inconsistent with marriage and ordinary family duties. Still, if women choose to follow medicine, let them; it is their business, and not ours. But, for the sake of common decency, let them have schools and examinations of their own. We can assure the outer public that medical students, though compelled to study and discuss every natural structure and function without reserve in their schools, yet would hesitate to do so before their sisters; and it is as unfair and indecent toward young men, to allow young women to intrude into their dissecting-rooms, as it would be for young men to haunt a milliner's workroom. If strong-minded women desire to study physic, a very little exertion on the part of their philosophical friends would procure for them a hospital and school and examination board of their own. But the present buildings, institutions, and studies are adapted to one sex only.

Women, we always confess, get the worst of everything in this world. Their bodily frames are prone to sufferings

from which men are exempt, and in the joint duty of propagating the race, that painful and dangerous share which falls to woman's lot, is only rendered endurable by instincts which place her whole happiness in the welfare of husband and children. Girls are worse fed, worse groomed, aired, and exercised than boys, and worse taught. While the boys romp in the open air and eat juicy mutton, girls too often are shut up in frowsy schoolrooms, forced to dawdle instead of taking wholesome exercise, and often, even in pretentious families, have greasy and indigestible scraps for dinner which ought to be thrown out of the window, minced mutton to wit, or cold drumsticks of chicken, or any odds or ends. saved from their parents' dinner of yesterday, with absolutely no fresh vegetables.

We think it of the highest possible importance that female education should be put upon as sound a basis as that of boys, and that instead of the scraps of ornamental knowledge at present served out to them, girls should have a solid training in Latin, arithmetic, and French. Then we should have women able to fulfil that most natural and pleasing task, the education of their own and of other persons' children. It is perfectly absurd to say that there is a lack of occupation for women. Let any man of sense advertise for a governess and offer the most liberal salary, and what kind of persons are found to answer the call? Daughters of gen'tlemen or of professional or tradesmen, possessing (as they say) "French, music, drawing, and all the elements of a sound English education." Then ask one of these poor creatures to read a page of Montaigne, to tell the construction of half a dozen chords, to sketch a teapot accurately, to add together any two fractions, decimal or vulgar, and how do they stand the test? We do not blame them, poor creatures; they have never been educated enough to feel their own ignorance; but there they stand, unable to do more than put on others the thin varnish of "accomplishments" which themselves possess. Common sense endorses the words of St. Paul, "Let the younger women marry, bear children, manage the house;" and for this a more substantial education would fit them; and, with full occupation of a kind fitted to their sex and strength, we should have fewer aspirants to the pleasure of opening dead bodies and imbruing their fingers in the stinking gore of the dissecting-room.

We have seen, in the Daily News of March 6, a charge against some medical journal of endeavoring to induce the medical profession not to meet in consultation some one of

the lecturers of the Female Medical College. It is unnecessary to remind our readers that no such bit of trades-unionism ever appeared in our columns.-Med. Times and Gazette.

The Stomach and the Mind.

Much of our conduct depends, no doubt, upon the character of the food we eat. Perhaps, indeed, the nature of our meals governs the nature of our impulses more than we are inclined to admit, because none of us relish well the abandonment of our idea of free agency. Bonaparte used to attribute the loss of one of his battles to a poor dinner, which, at the time, disturbed his digestion; how many of our misjudg ments-how many of our deliberate errors-how many of our unkindnesses, our cruelties, our acts of thoughtlessness and recklessness-may be actually owing to a cause of the same character? We eat something that deranges the condition of the system. Through the stomachic nerve that derangement immediately affects the brain. Moroseness succeeds amiability; and under its influence we do that which would shock our sensibility at any other moment. Or perhaps, a gastric irregularity is the common result of an overindulgence in wholesome food, or a moderate indulgence in unsuitable food. The liver is afflicted. In this affliction the brain profoundly sympathizes. The temper is soured; the understanding is narrowed; prejudices are strengthened; generous impulses are subdued; selfishness, originated by physical disturbances which perpetually distract the mind's attention, becomes a chronic mental disorder; the feeling of charity dies out; we live for ourselves alone; we have no care for others. And all this change of nature is the consequence of an injudicious diet.-Boston Journal of Chemistry.

Gelseminum.

Dr. J. C. SMITH calls attention to the use of gelseminum in epilepsy, and mentions the case of a patient afflicted with violent convulsions, chiefly at night, in which this agent was employed with benefit. The patient had mild spasms in the course of the day, which were completely controlled by this article, and also, while under its influence, he was troubled with no nocturnal convulsions.

Dr. W. M. Smith alludes to the case of a lady troubled