Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

female students. What have been the results obtained? In consulting the reports of the Association we find that at the start, in 1886, there were 110 women studying medicine in the various colleges and schools of medicine. In 1889 there were 192, and in 1895 there were 255 ready to graduate. Almost all have salaries from the Government or Association. Forty-three of these women are surgeons. In the ranks of female Indian doctresses may be found those of European parentage, two Jewesses, nine Mahometans, fifty-seven Christian natives, sixty-two Eurasians (issue of mixed marriages). The rest are Bengalis, Hindoos, Koreans, Burmese and Parsis. In the provinces, as well as at Calcutta, and especially at Agra and Lahore, the women students live in handsome hotels.

Among the celebrated doctresses of India may be mentioned Rukmabai, who was born at Bombay in 1865. Her father, who was of the Mahsatta race, died when she was a child in the cradle, and her mother married a talented physician, second marriages being permitted in this caste. Rukmabai was married when she was only eleven years of age, but when she was nineteen refused to cohabit longer with her husband. Then a divorce trial occurred, lasting until 1887. She was sentenced to go back to her husband or serve six months in jail. She preferred a prison, but finished by coaxing her husband to withdraw his complaint and give his consent to a peculiar agreement. Ruk mabai contracted to remain single, and left for London in 1889 to study medicine. She received the degree of Doctor of Medicine at Brussels in 1896, and returned to Bombay, where she was attached to the Cama Hospital. She is now in charge of the great new hospital at Surata.

[blocks in formation]

It has become the fashion of the day to print documents of all sorts, memoirs and souvenirs. There is plentiful historical prolixity. We have innumerable stories regarding personalities of note, and there is much general dd lying of the gossiping order. With a single anecdote some people affirm their ability to reconstitute the psychology of a man, as, for instance, like Cuvier, who, working on the tooth of an antediluvian animal, could build the entirely formed beast. This was tougher on the antediluvian than on the great naturalist. Wonderful how such little lies take, especially at ten-cent New England lectures with tallow-dip audiences! Let us all remember that an anecdote proves nothing. It is only the spontaneous blossoming of a moment in the whole life of an individual, only this. Yet it may have the perfume of the rose, the grace of a happy simile.

Dr. Max Simon's new book, "Temps passe," is a most charming mot, and deserves a very full English translation. It is full of good stories, and is modest withal, without the least pretension. The author has known a multitude of celebrated men, writers, artists, savants, and tells all with a most amiable bonhomie. He picks like a butterfly on a flower some pretty honey dropped by the lips of genius. What seems most reducing about this little work is that it was never intended for general publicity. When, as the son of a Rouennais physician, Max Simon declared to Then there is the illustrious and his compatriot, Flaubert, that, accordaristocratic Doctress Cama, who has ing to the desires of his father, he led a most happy medical life. She is wished to study medicine, the celean entrancing Oriental beauty, bewitch-brated author of "Salambo" exclaimed: ing enough to set any man mad. She "What! you a doctor, Max! Would belongs to one of the wealthiest Parsi you consent to inspect spittoons and families of Bombay, and passed brilliant pots de chambre? I am dumbfounded! examinations in medicine at Bombay, Ah! these fool bourgeois! No! no!" Edinburg, Glasgow and Dublin, receiv

Flaubert, also son of a surgeon,

grew calm when Max told him he in- | guests left when the anatomist was once tended to enter a lunatic asylum to care known.

for the insane, for Flaubert was a So Simon goes on with his stories. great friend and admirer of the alienist For those who love anecdotes such Morel. books are entrancing.

[ocr errors]

Max Simon tells us about the strange character of "Recamier," who was a very strange character, always obeying the impression and impulsions of the moment. Religious and honestly sincere, he always told the truth to his wealthy clients. He was the man to send for in desperate cases. His medical treatment was extremely odd. At the hospital, among his students, like a general surrounded by his staff, he would exclaim, pointing at the long rows of beds occupied by patients: "We will fire down this row with ipecac and fire down the other with tartar emetic and senna.' Recamier was a man of action. Physician to Father Ravignon, who was suffering from nervous prostration, he visited him at a convent on the edge of a small lake. Recamier took the reverend patient out walking and the latter expressed his suffering. The priest longed for death, and dreaded cold water applications. They strolled on a high parapet overlooking the lake, when Recamier gave his reverence a violent dig in the ribs and the clergyman fell in the water. He had to either drown or swim ashore. He now longed for life so well that he swam ashore and this hydropathic treatment cured the nervous prostration. It was this Dr. Recamier whom Balzac sketches as one of his characters in "La peau de Chagrin."

Effect of Influenza on the Female
Sexual Organs.

Muller (Münch. med. Woch.) noted the condition of the pelvic organs in 157 cases of influenza, 21 women being pregnant. Of the latter 17 aborted. Of the non-gravid women all but three showed symptoms of uterine disturbance, either hemorrhage or aggravation of previous troubles. Hemorrhagic endometritis commonly developed, as in cholera, typhus, and other infectious diseases. After the decline of the disease the uterus was frequently found to be enlarged, and evidences of chronic endometritis were present, which seemed to be directly due to influenza.-American Journal Med. Sciences.

Pterygium.

Coe (An. of Oph. and Otol., April, 1896) touches the apex of the growth with a platinum probe heated to redness. This causes the vessels of the mass to shrivel up and disappear.

PUBLISHER'S NOTES.

THE LANCASTER, 22 W. Seventh Street. Offices for physicians and dentists. Apply to D. J. FOLEY, Agent.

-

A REMOVABLE CAUSE OF CONSUMPTION. Keating, in his work "Diseases of Children," says that bad air is notoriously influential in causing consumption. Regular disinfection of closets, cellars, cuspidors, sinks and waste-pipes with Platt's Chlorides will insure pure air in the home.

The immortal Bichat was another singular character. He was almost as absent-minded as Ampere. Bichat was a bachelor, and took his meals in a cheap boarding-house near the School of Medicine. He lived with the widow of a famous librarian. When he arrived before dinner time the noted anatomist would rush into the kitchen, and frequently washed his hands in the soup destined for the boarders-those dirty anatomical hands, too, full of anything but fresh greases; then he would wipe his fingers on a raw beefsteak if no towel was at hand. He never lived in any boarding - house very long. All the found anywhere."

IMPERIAL GRANUM.-A prominent Vermont physician writing to thank The Imperial Clinical record, adds the following convincing Granum Company for copies of their famous words as to the merits of their product as a food for children: "I can show a baby that has been reared on IMPERIAL GRANUM after trying numerous other foods until he was reduced to a mere skeleton, that is now as tough and strong a boy of fourteen months as can be

THE

unreasonable charge, and makes of

Cincinnati Lancet-Clinic: every individual a hazardous risk in his

A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY.

ISSUED EVERY SATURDAY.

J. C. CULBERTSON, M.D., Editor and Publisher.

Annual Subscription Rates.—In advance, $2.50; within the year, $3.00.

Advertising Rates.-Fifty cents a line of ten words (brevier type).

All letters and communications are

rate-paying, while in actuality he is not in that class at all.

Insurance companies, through their agents, may say the statement made above is true, but an equalization takes place in the dividends which are paid back to policy-holders. This may seem to be true, but is, in fact, a snare and a delusion, because it is only partly true. The premium returned in the form of

to be addressed to, and all checks, drafts and dividends on endowment policies is only money orders made payable to

[blocks in formation]

In the evolution of medical practice there has been noted a falling off in mortality-rates and proportional amount of sickness, with consequent diminution of physicians' incomes from these sources, there comes up for consideration a matter that is of the utmost importance to the entire Nation, and that is, a necessity for a revision of life insurance rates. At this time there is no other single financial interest of any kind in the country that exceeds in magnitude the business of the life insurance companies. Policy-holders are found in every walk in life, and in every county and hamlet.

For more than fifty years there has been no revision of the mortality-rate tables of the life insurance companies. During that period actual mortalityrates all over the land have been reduced fully 50 per cent. This immense reduction means a corresponding profit to the insurance companies. Fifty per cent, increase over a normal rate is an

nominal, and in all forms is not at all in proportion to the lowering of mortality

rates.

If there was an equitable adjustment of rates to mortality there would not be such enormous accumulations of surplus in the form of reserve funds. These accumulations are now so large as to become a potent factor in the financial world, and are in the control of a very few men. Practically these great sums are directly abstracted from the immediate working capital of industrial interests. In this way they are a detriment to the prosperity of the country. When times are hard the companies press severely upon policy-holders; premiums must be kept up, or in time the policies lapse, or the holder is obliged to lose his previous payments or accept in lieu of his policy taken out in days of prosperity one that is very much smaller, and in favor of the company as against the interest of the individual. In order to prevent this loss the holder either borrows money at a ruinous rate or stints his family or both, and the very first man to feel this is the family physician. His bills for professional services must go unpaid or be postponed in order that the all-important insurance premiums may be paid. As between the two every reader of the Lancet-Clinic knows that the insur

ance account receives first attention and | because of this general lowering of the doctor must wait, no matter how mortality-rates the companies have not badly he needs the money for the life- suffered financially from the numerous saving work he has done. This is a bad slip-shod examinations which are made feature, and one that is deserving of in every part of the country. profound consideration.

From this statement of conditions in the evolution of life and finance it is evident and apparent that there should be a readjustment of life insurance rates. Nothing has been said pertaining to the enormous salaries which are paid to the presidents and other officials connected with life insurance companies. These are simply fabulous, and, of course, are paid by the premiums of policy-holders.

The times seem to be opportune for a readjustment all along the line. How this can be brought about in the interest of policy-holders is a question for solution by the companies. That the highly paid-over-paid—officials will voluntarily reduce their own salaries is hardly likely; they are too human for that. They hold all of the returns in their own hands, fix their own grab, and falsely estimate the value of their services. The men who do the work and make the money appropriated by the officials are the working solicitors.

Life insurance prosperity also depends greatly upon physicians, who make the physical examinations of applicants for insurance. Some months ago there was a reduction made in the examiners' fees, but, so far as heard from, no reduction in premium-rates or official salaries. Against this there was a general remonstrance, after which the rates were restored, but not placed at a price commensurate with the value of the examiners' services to the comcompanies.

Nearly all physicians are called upon to do some of this kind of work. They are always scantily remunerated, but

For service rendered of any sort there is usually a corresponding fee. This should apply to physical examinations by physicians as well as to anything else. The conscientious and qualified medical examiner is not very apt to give the care and attention for two or three dollars that he would give for five or ten. It does not stand to reason that he will, and yet a policy for one thousand dollars deserves five dollars' worth of physical examination, and every additional thousand is worth to the company so much more. Agents' commissions are a per cent.; examiners should be placed upon the same basis. Legal fees are regulated to some extent by the importance of the case, and there is no just reason why a physician's fee should not be placed in the same category.

The company officials might object, and no doubt would protest against such an arrangement. Let them. Would they heed the protests of their examiners on the question of their own compensation? There is professional competition that would stand in the way? Yes; but physicians in the several States are getting themselves together, and by organization in numbers are able to regulate many things which they could not do when acting as individuals, and now that all are registered they can know just where they are at in all such movements.

If all Ohio physicians were members of one of the State societies these three organizations could absolutely control the rates paid for insurance examinations.

This is a matter of so much importance that its consideration might be

brought before every county medical | be permitted to shine through the society in the States, and by discussion methods of management in every public arrive at conclusions that would be in the direct interest of the entire medical profession of the Nation. Agitate it.

AN ELECTION RESULT.

Since the municipal elections, held a month ago, there has been a volcanic upheaval in some of the local offices in Cincinnati, which discloses a degree of corruption which was hardly believed to be possible. Trusted and highly honored officials have gone wrong, and the end is not in sight.

Very much of the evil is directly traceable to the autocratic power that has held sway in this city, county and State during the past eight or ten years, every year the conditions becoming worse and more monarchical, until, unbearable by the people, a revolt came, and with the overthrow a ruction of corruption, the stench of which rises to Heaven, and men with bated breath say, who next?

One result is positively assured, and that is that the powers which were supposed to be invincible have weakened, the sand is slipping from under their feet, their calculations have gone wrong, and for the future they will be legated to back seats, and be fed upon humble pie.

The powers that were, and are not, were only Republicans in name, and knew practically nothing of the principles of that grand political party, and cared less. For power purposes a socalled bi-partisan scheme was concocted and legislated into life. It was a stupendous fraud for a blinding of the eyes of the people, as it was bi-partisan for revenue only, and that concentrated in the hands of the autocrat.

office. At the late election the people were heard to speak in tones of certainty, and yet there are those who neither heeded the sound nor gave it attention, as illustrated in a reappointment by the Mayor of Mr. Hermann as a member of the Board of Administration. Did His Honor not know that the local body politic is sick and faint, and that the nausea may be located to some extent right in the board of which Mr. Hermann is and has been the President? The appointment was made in violation of the well-known Clark law, and should be sufficient to forever shelve the political ambitions of Mayor Caldwell.

Members of the medical profession have done nobly at the polls. They have few political favors to ask, and are an intelligent body of thinking men, who will not be hoodwinked or bamboozled into a political support of men who carry with them the odor of corruption and chicanery upon their every-day wearing apparel. It is their practical work to look after septic conditions, and wherever found to practice disinfection and apply aseptic processes.

The good work so well begun this spring is not completed. The Augean stables yet contain stalls that must be vacated in order that cleansing processes may be made effective and satisfactory to the people, who hold an undisputed title to the premises.

The Water-Works Commission, of which mention was made a couple of weeks ago, must be reorganized. The element of contamination is in its ranks, and sloughing must take place. This will carry with it other tissues that may be of a healthy character. The odor is in it, and is so rank as to reach heavenThe broadest kind of daylight should ward. In the meantime there should

« ForrigeFortsæt »