age Suits," ten minutes, by Dr. John B. Hamilton, Chicago, Ill. Discussion to be opened by Drs. W. B. Outten and J. B. Murphy.

14. "Shock in Its Relation to Permanent Injury," by Dr. Thomas O. Summers, St. Louis, Mo. Discussion to be opened by Drs. Rhett Goode and Davis.

15. "The Treatment of Shock," by Dr. Jas. H. Letcher, Henderson, Ky.

16. "The Treatment of Burns," by Dr. E. W. Lee, Omaha, Neb.

17. "Brain Abscess," by Dr. W. A. McCandless, St. Louis, Mo.

18. "A Case in Practice," by Dr. A. L. Clark, Elgin, Ill.

19. "Medicine and Surgery and Their Votaries of To-day," by Dr. M. E. Alderson, Russellville, Ky.

20. "Cardinal Principles in Amputations," by Dr. A. I. Bouffleur, Chicago, Ill. Discussion to be opened by Drs. J. W. Kaster and J. B. Murphy.

21. "Wounds of the Neck," by Dr. F. W. Thomas, Marion, O.

22. "Vinegar in Surgery," by Dr. Evan O'Neill Kane, Kane, Pa. Discussion to be opened by Dr. W. S. Caldwell.

23. "Tetanus," by Dr. J. E. Tefft, Springfield, Mo.

24. "Report of a Case of Fæcal Fistula-Successful Use of the Murphy Button," by Dr. A. C. Wedge, Albert Lea, Minn. Discussion to be opened by Dr. J. B. Murphy.

25. "Problems and Principles," by Dr. Jabez N. Jackson, Kansas City, Mo.

26. "A Case of Osteo-Sarcoma from Railway Injury," by Dr. Rhett Goode, Mobile, Ala. Discussion to be opened by Drs. A. I. Bouffleur and L. Hektoen.

27. "Problems," by Dr. Thos. H. Briggs, Battle Creek, Mich.

A surgical clinic will be given by Dr. J. B. Murphy at Cook County Hospital, Wednesday afternoon.

There will undoubtedly be additions to the above, but as it stands it makes an excellent programme, which will furnish abundance of discussion for the full term of the convention.

ABOUT TRANSPORTATION.

In our last issue we published the circular letter which had been issued by the chairman of the Committee on Transportation, to railway managers, asking them to concede the usual courtesies in connection with transportation to the annual convention. The managers of over 50 companies have replied favorably, and answers are still coming in. The substance of the replies received is given below. Members should apply at once to the proper

officer of their own company for all necessary transportation, and have such officers make the requests on connecting lines. No arrangement is made for any transportation for members of families or for anyone except the surgeons themselves. If any surgeon wishes such extra transportation, it is a matter for his personal arrangement with his company. The association does not recognize such requests, and it was specifically so stated to the managers in the circular quoted in our last issue. The replies received are as follows:

Ann Arbor Railroad.-I will be glad to comply with any request for transportation over this company's line, and will also make request for transportation for such of this company's surgeons as the surgeon-in-chief may desire to have attend this convention.-H. W. Ashley.

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé.-This company will transport over its own lines those of its own surgeons who may desire to attend the convention to be held in May next; we will also honor requests that may be made upon us by lines with which we have business connection, for surgeons of such lines attending the convention, when made by the proper officer. We do not, however, expect to make requests on our connecting lines for those of our local surgeons who may wish to attend.-E. P. Ripley.

Atlanta & West Point Railroad.-I will take pleasure in issuing transportation. Such transportation will be issued on the request of proper officers of foreign lines and will be requested from foreign lines in behalf of our own surgeons who may desire to attend the convention.-George C. Smith.

Atlantic & Danville.-I shall with pleasure comply with the requests of the circular, in case any such applications are presented.Chas. O. Haines.

Baltimore & Ohio.-We will handle the matter in the way we have always done, and issue transportation for such of our own surgeons as we think it advisable to attend the convention, and also honor requests made to us by the proper officers of other railroads for their surgeons.-W. M. Greene.

Boston & Maine.-We will furnish transportation to surgeons attending the annual convention at Chicago on May 4-6 upon application from the proper officers of the roads with which they are connected, and will also request transportation for any of our surgeons who may apply.-T. W. MacKinnon.

Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern.-It is our intention to furnish our own surgeons with transportation over our own road when requests are made through our general agent. We will also be pleased to honor the requests

of the proper officials of other roads for the transportation of their surgeons over this road. -Robt. Williams.

Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley.--It will give me pleasure to furnish transportation for surgeons of other lines who wish to travel over our line going to and from the convention of the National Association of Railway Surgeons, to be held in Chicago in May.-J. W. Fry.

Chesapeake & Ohio.-We will, as usual, issue passes over our line to such of our surgeons as may desire to attend the convention, and will request passes over connecting lines to and from Chicago for them. Will also honor requests for passes from officers of other lines.-Geo. W. Stevens.

Chicago & Eastern Illinois.-As in former years, we will be glad to comply with any requests made on this company by the proper officials of other railroads.-M. J. Carpenter.

Chicago & North-Western.-It is the practice of this company to treat applications for transportation in favor of railway surgeons coming from the management of other companies in precisely the same manner as we treat similar applications for transportation for exclusive railway employes.-J. M. Whitman.

Chicago & West Michigan.-It will be my pleasure to extend the same courtesies as heretofore. Chas. M. Heald.

Chicago Great Western.-This company will be glad to furnish transportation to its own surgeons and surgeons of other lines upon proper request from the general manager or president of those lines.-Samuel C. Stickney.

Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul.-We will be glad to provide transportation for our surgeons who desire to attend the convention, and will also issue passes, upon proper application, to surgeons of other railroad companies, who devote their time entirely to the service of the companies by which they are employed.—A. J. Earling.

Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis.-This company will take pleasure in honoring all requests for transportation by our own surgeons or those of other roads, wishing to attend the national convention at Chicago.-C. H. Bosworth.

Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. We will issue transportation over our own lines to such of our own surgeons as may desire to attend the convention, providing request therefor is made through our surgeon-in-chief, Dr. W. D. Middleton. I do not think it will be necessary for us to request transportation for any of them. over any other lines of road, as they can all reach Chicago over our own line. Will be glad to honor requests of the proper officials of other roads for the transportation over our line of such of their staff of surgeons as they may desire to make such requests for.-W. H. Truesdale.

Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha.This company will furnish free transportation in accordance with your circular letter.-W. A. Scott.

Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf. I am in receipt of your circular of the 13th inst. Will be glad to do anything in my power to assist in making the meeting a success.-Henry Wood.

Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific.We will, of course, issue transportation over our line for such of our surgeons as may desire to attend the convention.-S. M. Felton.

Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis. -We will issue transportation to surgeons of other railway companies upon request of the proper officials of the companies with which they are connected, and will also pass any of our own surgeons who may wish to attend.M. E. Ingalls.

Delaware, Lackawanna & Western.-We will honor requests for transportation from the proper officers of other railroads, as requested therein.-W. F. Hallstead.

The Denver & Rio Grande.-We will carry the delegates to the annual convention of your association in accordance with the terms expressed in your circular, viz., when the transportation is requested by the proper officer of the lines with which the respective delegates may be employed.-E. T. Jeffery.

Erie. We shall be very glad to issue transportation over our lines to such of our surgeons as may wish to attend this convention, requests being made through the proper channel. We cannot, however, grant free transportation to surgeons of other lines, as it is not customary with us to request these favors of foreign lines for our surgeons, and I hardly feel it consistent to extend to other roads courtesies which we deny our own people. We have uniformly declined to do so.-W. F. Merrill.

Evansville & Terre Haute.-This company will be pleased to issue transportation to surgeons employed by railroad companies when proper requests are received from the chief operating officer of the respective roads with which surgeons may be employed.-H. C. Barlow.

Fitchburg. We will comply with your requests with pleasure.-W. D. Ewing.

Florida Central & Peninsular. This company will be pleased to honor requests for transportation made by the proper officers of other lines for surgeons who may be in their employ. Respecting your request No. 2, would state that I am willing to request transportation for the surgeons of this company, provided connecting lines will grant the same. Heretofore some of the roads, principally the L. & N. R. R., have declined to issue transportation to surgeons, and I would be glad to have you advise me as soon as you hear from

that company, as to whether that policy will be adhered to this year.-D. E. Maxwell. Georgia & Alabama.—I will be glad to furnish and request transportation as described in your letter.-Cecil Gabbett.

Grand Trunk.-It will afford us pleasure to extend to the members of the association the same courtesies as have been extended in former years, as referred to in your circular.— Charles M. Hays.

Indiana, Decatur & Western.-We will be pleased to comply with the suggestion contained therein.-R. B. F. Peirce.

Iowa Central. I will be pleased to request transportation for such of our surgeons who wish to attend this convention, and will also honor requests from other lines in behalf of their surgeons when such requests are made by the proper officer of the company.-L. M. Martin.

Keokuk & Western.-I shall be glad to comply with the request as outlined in the circular for transportation for surgeons.-A. C. Goodrich.

Lake Erie & Western.-We will comply with your request as to transportation.-D. S. Hill.

Lehigh Valley. Our company will gladly furnish transportation for regularly appointed surgeon or surgeons, not exceeding two from any line upon proper request being made by some general officer of their company. In the case of surgeons employed solely by the railroad companies, those who have no other practice, we would issue transportation without limit as to number upon request being properly made.-R. H. Wilbur.

Louisville, Evansville & St. Louis.-We will be pleased to grant transportation over this line to such surgeons as are regularly engaged with railways, when requested to do so by the operative officers of such line.-G. T. Jarvis.

Memphis & Charleston. We will be pleased to issue passes over our line to any of our physicians who wish to attend the convention. We will also request passes over connecting lines for our own surgeons if such roads signify their willingness to honor these requests, and we will be pleased to honor requests from other roads for transportation over our line for such surgeons as are accredited delegates to the convention, when such requests are made by the proper officers.-R. B. Pegram.

Mexican Central. We will be glad to issue transportation in accordance with the rules of the St. Louis Association.-H. R. Nickerson.

Missouri, Kansas & Texas. The local surgeons of this company are provided with transportation over our line, and we will request of other roads transportation for them to point of meeting, where their application is approved by our chief surgeon. We will also honor requests made by the proper official of any road

a member of the pass agreement, for transportation of surgeons employed by them.-T. C. Purdy.

New York, Chicago & St. Louis.We will be glad to take care of our own surgeons going as delegates to your convention, and will gladly honor requests from the proper officers of other companies, etc.-S. R. Calla

way.

New York, Ontario & Western-I shall take pleasure in issuing transportation over this company's line for surgeons wishing to attend the convention of the National Association of Railway Surgeons upon application from the proper officer of the railway company where they are employed. Will also request transportation over other lines for the surgeons of this company.-J. E. Childs.

Northern Pacific.-This company will, as in the past, be very glad to issue passes to the accredited members upon request of the operating officers of the railway companies employing them.-J. W. Kendrick.

Pennsylvania Railroad.-Transportation to Chicago will be issued to such of our surgeons desiring to attend the convention as can be spared from their duties. To such surgeons of connecting lines that devote their entire time to the railroad service, and are carried on the pay rolls the same as other employes, we will be glad to furnish passes upon the application of the proper officer of the lines upon which they are employed, providing the lines are such that we have an exchange with, but we cannot issue free transportation to those who devote only a portion of their time to railroad work.-J. B. Hutchinson.

Pennsylvania Lines West.-Transportation to Chicago will be issued to such of the surgeons of these lines as desire to attend the meeting and that can be spared from their duties. It is our custom to issue passes to such surgeons of connecting lines as we exchange with, when requested by proper officer of the line on which they are employed, as devote their entire time to the railroad service, and are carried on the pay rolls same as other employes, but we cannot issue passes to those who devote only a portion of their time to railroad work.-L. F. Loree.

Peoria, Decatur & Evansville.-This road. will take pleasure in meeting your requests.E. O. Hopkins.

Philadelphia & Reading.-Transportation to be issued upon request by the proper officer of the company by which each member is employed. Theodore Voorhees.

Rio Grande Western.-We will grant transportation to surgeons on request of proper officials of railroad companies.-D. C. Dodge.

Saint Paul & Duluth.-We will issue transportation to our surgeons as may wish to attend the convention, and will also request

transportation for them over connecting lines, and will also honor any requests made on this company by proper officers of other lines in behalf of surgeons employed by them.-A. B. Plough.

Seaboard Air Line.-It will afford us a very great deal of pleasure to recognize the request of any general manager or general superintendent of a railroad covering any considerable mileage, for the transportation of their representatives to the convention referred to in your communication of the 13th.-E. St. John.

Southern Pacific. We will issue transportation over our own lines to such surgeons in our employ as may wish to attend the convention, with the distinct understanding that no transportation will be issued to doctors or surgeons whose entire time is not taken up in the service of the company. In other words, we do not consider that when we have a contract, paying a doctor or surgeon a stipulated sum for attending to our injured, in addition to his regular practice, that he therefore becomes a railway surgeon. We have a few regularly employed who devote all their time to the company's service. To these we will issue transportation over our lines if they desire it. We will request transportation for such surgeons over such lines as have indicated their willingness to give transportation on account of your convention. Our rules forbid asking for transportation for employes when traveling on personal business. We would be indisposed to request transportation unless informed that lines were perfectly willing to grant it on account of the convention of railway surgeons. We will honor requests for transportation of delegates to the convention when such requests are made by proper officers of other lines in behalf of their surgeons, but only on receipt of assurance over the personally written signature of the proper officer that such surgeon devotes his entire time to the service of the company and is not an outside doctor or surgeon and simply employed for a part of his time.-J. Kruttschnitt.

South Carolina & Georgia.-Yes, sir, we will issue passes over our line to such of our surgeons as may wish to attend the convention. We will honor requests made by proper officers for passes over our line.-E. S. Bowen.

Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas City.-It will give me pleasure to comply with your suggestions in regard to transportation for railway surgeons to the convention to be held at Chicago.—R. B. F. Peirce.

West Shore. It has always been our rule, and I see no reason to change it, to issue passes to the surgeons of the various railways when requested by the proper officer of the road in whose service they may be engaged.-J. D. Layng.

Western New York & Pennsylvania.-This company will be pleased to issue transportation

over its line on application from an operating officer of the road on which they are engaged. We will also request transportation for such of our surgeons as may wish to attend convention.-R. Bell.

Wabash.-We will be glad to issue to those for whom regular requests are made by the executive officer of the road by which they are employed.-J. Ramsey, Jr.

Wheeling & Lake Erie.-We shall be very glad to furnish our surgeons with transportation over our own line and over connecting lines to and from Chicago to enable them to attend the convention of the Association of Railway Surgeons, to be held in Chicago on May 4-6; also, we shall be very glad to honor requests from other lines for transportation of their surgeons over our line.-Robert Blickensderfer.

Wisconsin Central. All of our surgeons are supplied with transportation over our lines, and I shall be pleased to issue passes for the use of surgeons of any other railway company who may desire to use our line, upon the request of the proper officer of the railroad company employing the surgeon. Trusting this will be satisfactory.-H. F. Whitcomb.

Under What Circumstances Is the Surgeon to Use Chloroform in Preference to the Less Dangerous Anæsthetic, Ether?

1. In hot climates where ether is inapplicable and where free circulation of air increases the safety of the patient. 2. Chloroform may be used whenever a large number of persons is to be rapidly anæsthetized, as on battlefields. 3. Its employment is indicated in cases of Bright's disease requiring the surgeon's attention, owing to the fact that anæsthesia may be obtained with so little chloroform that the kidneys are not irritated, whereas ether, because of the large quantity necessarily used, would irritate these organs. Quantity for quantity, ether is, of course, the less irritating of the two. 4. In cases of aneurism or great atheroma of the blood-vessels, when the shock of an operation without an anæsthetic would be a greater danger than the use of the anaesthetic, chloroform is to be employed, since the greater struggles caused by ether and the stimulating effect it has on the circulation and blood pressure might cause vascular rupture. 5. In children or adults who already have bronchitis, or who are known to bear ether badly, or in other words, have an idiosyncrasy to that drug, chloroform may be employed. 6. Persons who struggle violently and who are robust and strong are in greater danger from the use of chloroform than the sickly and weak, probably because the struggles strain the heart and tend to dilate its walls. Drs. Hare and Thornton, The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1893.

Notes of Societies.

The seventh annual meeting of the Central of Georgia Railway Surgeons' Association will meet at Macon, Ga., on April 20, and a very excellent programme has been prepared for the occasion. Headquarters will be at the Brown House and there will be a musical entertainment in the evening by the inmates of the Georgia Academy for the blind. Dr. W. H. Elliott, chief surgeon of the company, is permanent president of the association.

The Missouri State Medical Association. The Missouri State Medical Association will meet in St. Louis, May 18, 19 and 20. The Illinois State Medical Society meets in East St. Louis on the same days, and on the evening of the first day the Missouri Association will attend the session of the Illinois Society in a body. On the evening of the second day the Illinois Society will attend the session of the Missouri Association, after which there will be a joint banquet and reception. On the third day both bodies will adjourn and join in a steamboat excursion on the river. A pleasant and profitable time is anticipated and a large attendance is expected.

Meeting of American Medical Publishers' Association.

The fourth annual meeting of the American Medical Publishers' Association will be held

in Philadelphia, on Monday, May 31, 1897 (the day preceding the meeting of the American Medical Association). Editors and publishers, as well as everyone interested in medical journalism, cordially invited to attend and participate in the deliberations. Several very excellent papers are already assured, but more are desired. In order to secure a place on the program, contributors should send titles of their papers at once to the secretary, Chas. Wood Fassett, St. Joseph, Mo.

The Wabash Railway Surgical Association.

We are indebted to the pages of the Fort Wayne Medical Journal-Magazine for the following:

The annual meeting of the surgeons of the Wabash railway was held in the parlors of the Southern Hotel, in St. Louis, Mo., on Thursday, November 5, 1896. The session was opened with the president, Dr. E. R. Lewis, in the chair, who made some remarks in reference to absent members, and who presented a very interesting address on the organization of the Wabash railway surgeons, the pioneer railway surgical association.

Dr. A. W. McCandless of St. Louis read a paper on "Traumatic Abscess of the Brain, with Report of Cases." He presented the patients to illustrate the cases reported.

Dr. Morehouse, chief surgeon, in discussing the paper, stated that he considered the cases presented by Dr. McCandless as being very interesting and instructive. They went to show the good results occurring as a result of surgical treatment of abscess of the brain. He made a motion requesting the publication of the paper.

Dr. E. W. Andrews of Chicago stated that this was the first meeting of the railway surgeons that he had attended, but that he felt sufficiently rewarded for coming all the way from Chicago in hearing the very practical paper of Dr. McCandless. In this connection he reported a very interesting case that he had operated upon for what was supposed to be a brain tumor, but which upon operation was found to be an abscess, a condition which had existed for sixteen years and due to trauma.

Dr. Thornton stated that he had had some experience in the treatment of abscess of the brain, and reported an unusually interesting case in which operation was resorted to without recovery. He attributed the result to postponement of operative procedures, and claimed that in all cases where the slightest symptoms indicated brain abscess the cranial cavity should be opened.

Dr. Lewis made some practical remarks and reported a fracture of the skull at the base, producing pressure and convulsive seizures which were relieved by operation. He thought that the X-rays might be used in this connection, and thought that we would be able in the future to differentiate between a physiological and a pathological tissue in the cranial cavity by means of the Röntgent rays.

Dr. J. W. Younge read a paper on "The Therapeutic Value of Venesection in Disease and Injury," in which he advocated the use of venesection in many plethoric conditions. He thought that while in early days venesection was carried to an extreme, at the present time it is not used often enough.

Dr. Rice, in discussing the paper, said that he believed that blood-letting had been too much abandoned, and cited a case of uremic convulsions in which the patient was greatly relieved by venesection. The patient had uremic convulsions again three weeks later and a second time was immediately relieved by bleeding. He stated further that he thought venesection applicable in many cases of pneumonia and pleurisy.

Dr. Baker said that he would indorse very little of the paper, and that if there was any place where he would advocate venesection it would be in the convulsions occurring during the puerperal state.