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turition; second, all other women. Under the rule the sex was, or could have been foretold three times out of four in the first class, and three times out of five in the second class.

Since the normal ratio of boys to girls is nearly equal, it follows that any one will be likely to guess rightly half the time. I cannot accept the theory, that boys are more likely to be conceived just before the flow begins, and girls just after it ends. If the woman conceives within two or three days of the date when the flow is due, there is always what we may call an abortiv menstruation, tho the ovum is not always aborted.

Observation has convinced me that in the product of these conceptions the normal sex ratio is maintained. It is said that a king of France seemed likely to be disappointed in his hope for a son to succeed him, and that one of the Paris faculty advised him to cohabit with his queen while her menstrual flow was on, and that he did so, and was rewarded with a son.

My neighbor, a buxom young widow, whose flow regularly lasted four days, was told that it was impossible for a woman to conceive while her flow was on, and for several months admitted the approach of a man for three days of each period, relig. iously refusing him the fourth. After she had borne a son out of wedlock, she knew that her doctor had not told her the whole truth.

The theory that all ova start on one track, and by nutritional influences are later switcht to the male or female line, is a generalization from what we know of the natural history of the honey bee. We may admit that by feeding, the sex development of the young bee may be modified. But it is well also to remember that there is a wider difference between the honey bee and the lowest mammal than there is between the honey bee and the bumble bee. Like the honey bee, the female is impregnated while she is on the wing; but unlike the honey bee, the young are all fed alike, yet they come out male and female. F. R. MILLARD, M.D.

San Diego, Cal.

Pulsatilla.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-Dr. Waugh asks, in the July WORLD, for information as to the claims put forth by eclectics and homeopaths of therapeutic powers for pulsatilla. Being originally a son of the

dominant school by inheritance and education, and now a hybrid from conviction, possibly my evidence in favor of pulsatilla will gain force from my lack of bias in its favor.

After using it about fourteen years, I would say that the eclectic specific medicin, and the homeopathic tincture will do what those schools generally claim for it provided it is used as they direct.

Other preparations used have given negativ results, probably for the reason given by Dr. Waugh. The two preparations named, when used as most practisers of the dominant school use them, will aggravate the conditions for which they are prescribed. They usually give five drop doses instead of of a drop or less. If they would only think straight enuf to measure the disgust an eclectic or homeopath feels for their use of pulsatilla, by the disgust they feel for the homeopath who will use only of a grain of quinin to cure mosquito bites (malaria) when they think five to ten grain doses none too much, there would be more hope for therapeutics. GEO. M. AYLSWORTH. Collingwood, Canada.

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Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-I read with much interest the personal narrativ of "A reason for the faith within me" by Dr. S. E. Chapman, page 243, June WORLD. As a model of artless reliance, a platitude of faith, it is certainly admirable. I hope it is not a venture to assume that he is a successful practitioner. There is inestimable power in the matter of suggestion, and he can give suggestion with honest, emphatic asseverance. The faith is within him for sure: that he holds the infallible, the only true method of therapy-just what the laity are prayerfully seeking and value higher than all else for the ills of body and of soul redemption. For proof I may instance Christian Science, and there are other worse vagaries afloat. Let me assure you, now, I intend no slur on homeopathy. I know several good, intelligent and conscientious persons who are Christian Scientists. I read recently Mrs. Mary Baker G. Eddy's "Science and Health with a Key to the Scriptures," to please a friend. The work is readable, metaphysical and trascendental, but it tired me. I may say the same of Hahnemann's "Organon," which I waded thru

years ago. No doubt the fault is with me. I did not read with a "believing spirit," as I have been told on other occasions.

Now after this digression, I may repeat, I was much pleased with the Doctor's story of his experience, especially with that sick babe. It brought to mind my first case of serious child sickness, I was called to attend in 1855. I need not relate my state of my mind. The Doctor has done that better than I can do it. That I was sorely perplext is to put it mildly. I sat by the child's cradle, felt of his pulse, and his abdomen, which was full, tense and tender to the touch and constipated, altho the sickness was ushered in with diarrhea and vomiting; skin hot and dry. I knew I had a dangerously sick child on my hands. I sat so long beside the cradle that the mother grew quite impatient, so she afterward told me, but was of opinion I was carefully studying the child's conditiona matter of consolation to a devoted mother. The fact is, I was not; my mind was otherwise engaged. I was studying my own condition and "where I was at." This I did know: it was expected of me to do something. I called for some water, a glass goblet and spoon. A search thru my saddlebags revealed-that's the word -a bottle of powdered asclepias. I put a teaspoonful of it into the goblet, mixt it with a little water and added enuf more water to make about six fluid ounces. As soon as the powder had somewhat subsided I gave the little patient a teaspoonful with directions to repeat every quarter hour for two hours, and thereafter every half hour until I returned, and no nursing. I left some sweet oil and turpentine to rub on the abdomen. When I gave my directions I noticed a flush of satisfaction on the mother's face, as much as to say, now something is going to be done. Singularly enuf, I was not askt for diagnosis nor prognosis.

In five or six hours I returned. There was no appreciable change, only less craving for nurse and no vomiting. Even this was better than I expected. Ordered medicin continued same way thru the night, except not to disturb patient when asleep, and if quite restless every quarter hour for a few doses.

Next day, an interval of ten to twelve hours, the child was still living, which gave me a slight gleam of hope, but the condition of abdomen was unchanged and no movement of bowels. The momentous

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question with me now was, how shall I proceed? Will I use senna or castor oil? Either might have answered well, but I was fearful of unsettling the stomach. I still bore in mind the admonition of my preceptor. He more than once remarkt, my boy, whenever you have a desperate case to treat, and you will have them, go slow; do not at once resort to desperate remedies, except you know what is what, and then don't be too sure." I had seen him use a few times suppositories, with apparent advantage. I decided to hazard a trial. Soon there was pain and straining, followed by a full, free passage of feces and flatus. The further treatment was rubbing the abdomen with oil and turpentine and tonic doses of quinin

we had plenty of ague in those days. This is a long story, and I may add, using a well worn phrase, the recovery was uneventful and complete.

What lesson, if any, did this wonderful cure convey to me? Was it a "miraculous demonstration of the medicinal power" of plurisy root and a cone of soap? I don't know. I was undisturbed with my therapeutic philosophy of similars or contraries, had no specious "curantur” to toy with. I thought the free use of water to moisten the parcht throat and cool the fever contributed to the favorable result. But I reverently believed, and now believe, "it was all in accordance with one of the most beneficent of God's laws; " the vis vitae ; the vis preservatrix; the vis medicatrix naturae: a triad, three in one, "the same in substance, equal in power and glory." This law is probably the only "beautiful law of cure" nature vouchsafes to man.

That the drug disease is substituted for the natural disease, if not chimerical, is at least a debatable proposition. Admitted: why is not drug disease by contraries as reasonable a substitute for the natural disease as similars? Contraries evidently mean differences, not opposits, as sometimes stated, because disease can have no other opposit than health. It is a pure logical proposition, that those things which are similar are not the same. Our fingers, our eyes, generally speaking, are similar-" as like as two peas;" but they are not the same, therefore they are dif

And now in this twentieth century we have two medical schools divided by a distinction not less fatuous than the distinction between tweedle dum and

tweedle dee. These things were well enuf when metaphysics ruled the literary world and intricate theories counted for more than facts.

Dr. George W. Harman is a veritable "devotee of homeopathy," as he contends contentiously. He quotes liberally from "prominent allopaths "-allopaths [sic]. These numerous excerpts would give a surface impression of much reading; but the fact is they are bandied and shuttled from one homeopathic medical journal and book to another. This, however, does not make them any less formidable; but the Doctor in his attempt to sit down on allopathy proves too much. What is true of medical science is true of astronomy, chemistry and all other material sciences. Homeopathy may have achieved the acme of perfection, as the Doctor claims. How satisfying to the soul such unshaken trust must be. J. F. MCCARTHY, M.D.

Valparaiso, Ind.

"Old School" and Homeopathic Practise Mingled.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-I am a graduate of a homeopathic college and have had a fair regular education from books. I call myself regular because not good enuf to be called a homeopath. I use the knowledge gained from both schools, and their treatments blend together nicely, so that I could not get along without both of them.

Vaccination, Pasteurism and antitoxins are all in direct line with similia similibus curantur. I am a very poor homeopath, but I can show cures by thirtieth potencies that would astonish my fellow WORLD readers, Editor included. I have four severe cases of asthma cured by a few doses of the thirtieth potency of indicated remedy, and invite investigation. The shortest case was of fourteen years; the longest forty years duration. The last, a German soldier, was very bad nearly all the time; had spent much for regular and patent medicins. I gave him ten powders of the proper remedy and he has had no asthma for twelve months, and no other medication used. At the time he took the remedy he was completely prostrated for want of rest and sleep.

Another typical case was a German saloon keeper who had chronic discharge from ear for twenty-five years.

A cele

brated aurist of Milwaukee told him he could not be cured. In nine months I

cured him mostly with thirtieth potencies. This man is well known and we invite investigation. Now gentlemen, any teaching that will be followed by such brilliant results deserves a name, and that name is homeopathy and always will be. The Editor says, "This heritage contains truth and error." He is right. Under the name of "homeopathy" is carefully nurst a great deal of nonsense. Every medical college in the land should be compelled by law to teach any and all methods that have been proven by 50 or 100 years of actual benefit. If a man really wants to learn homeopathy he cannot do it satisfactorily except in a college.

Now to illustrate how I practise, I will state my treatment of acute tonsillitis, which has proved very satisfactory, and I never lance a tonsil nor use a spray or gargle, and the abscess seldom breaks:

First thoroly move the bowels. I prefer calomel one x ; i.e., calomel is, coarse sugar fo well ground for four or five hours. Give ten to thirty grains of this in divided doses every two hours with a saline, till they move. For a saline I use sodium phosphate and sulfate mixt. After free catharsis and diuresis, give one tablet of hepar sulfur one x similar to calcium sulfido grain every two hours, and also a three grain powder of mercuric biniodid 2x, same as a one per cent. trituration in sugar, to be given soon after the first. Also this

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Ess. gaultheria M.Sig. One teaspoonful every hour until better, then four times a day.

When acute symptoms cease, give the indicated systemic remedy as a general alterativ and prophylactic to cure the faulty conditions leading up to such a manifestation, as silicia 30x, barium chlorid 3x to 10x, or whatever the system needs, as shown by the history of the case. I have a good tonsillotome but have never used it, as amputation of the tonsils is bad practise unless there is much cicatricial tissue. Sometimes I add tinc. guaiac ammoniated dr. ij to above B. It is a good remedy. In my hands the above treatment will cure any ordinary case without abscess in from twelve to forty-eight hours,

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and without any other nonsense. have plenty of cases and I can also prove that the above prescriptions will in a great measure prevent a second attack within a reasonable time and conditions. Until the compound syrup of hypophosphites came into use the homeopaths had the art of tissue building pretty much to them selves. With their calcarea carb. and phos., the sulfates, silicia, baryta carb., and chlor., with the phosphorus group prop erly handled and carefully prescribed by their great law, they have repeatedly changed rachitic and scrofulous children into foot-ballists-vigorous specimens of humanity while it has taken the regulars one hundred years to get started into this pediatric field; and they don't know much about it yet. My brethren, you have had the wool pulled over your eyes in colleges; now is the time to pull it off. About the dual properties of drugs, all that I have studied have a dual action, or action and reaction, and I use either primary or secondary according to the drugs used, and what I wish to do with them. This very thing has prevented the use of many valuable homeopathic remedies by the old school. They used too large doses; drop doses of homeo, tincture belladonna every hour is all that can be used without causing the secondary or poisonous action of the drug, which is not wanted. The small doses produce activity and elimination by the circulation, while the larger doses stop secretion and cause congestion and blood stasis that are to be avoided. The same principle applies to almost all other drugs.

Dr. Piper thinks he has killed off several homeos by asking about the 30th potency -the quantity is too small to talk about, being about 1-1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 of one drop. I would also ask the doctor what potency of a nigger's anatomy is to be found in the nostrils of a hound who chases and catches the nigger four days after his start? Such questions are pueril.

Dr. C C. Patchen is going to stop bromidrosis by external remedies. To a homeopath that is like stopping the Miss issippi river by a dam. You may stop the river at one point but inconceivable damage is going to be done elsewhere. This is probably the most important lesson that the regulars have to learn. Nature has placed several organs in the body to arry off sewage. The principal sewers

are the lungs, kidneys, liver and skin. Now Dr. Patchen wants to stop the body from throwing off its sewage. The way to do this is to correct the action of the other sewers first. Sul. 30x, sil. 30x and a few other homeo. remedies will do this nicely in nine-tenths of the cases. We might be compelled to give an infusion of triticum repens for kidneys, or even aloes or cascira for the liver, in conjunction with these remedies occasionally.

Oxford, Wis. CARL L. FAIRBANKS.

The Thirtieth Potency and Mathematics. Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-As no one has answered my question in the June WORLD, I will try and answer it myself, as I think it will be of interest to many of the readers of THE WORLD.

Prof. Waugh says he never knew of any one being convinced by argument, still I believe it is right for us to inquire into any or every system of medicin that claims to cure the sick.

In duty to ourselves as well as the duty we owe our patients, I think it is of as much importance to know the dose and the effect we expect to get from it as it is to know what remedy to give.

According to one of the writers in a late number of THE WORLD, one drop of the first potency contains one-tenth of a drop of the mother tincture; the second potency

of a drop. By the same rule, one drop of the thirtieth potency would contain one nonillionth part of a drop of the mother tincture. It would therefore be necessary to give one nonillion drops of the thirtieth potency to be equivalent to one drop of the mother tincture. As we are not used to such large numbers, I will endeavor to put it in such a way that the mind can try to grasp the idea of its magnitude. Counting sixty drops to the dram, and eight drams to the ounce, it would equal over 560 septillion gallons. As one gallon contains 231 cubic inches, 560 septillion (560,000,000,000,000,000,000 000,000) gallons, if it were all congealed into a solid mass not allowing anything for expansion, would make a cubic body over 70,000 miles thru, or a mass over two and a half times greater than the earth. [Such a mass would be many more than two and a half times greater than the earth.-Ed] giving such doses, it looks to me like giving a little less than nothing. If the thirtieth potency is so small, pray let me ask what dose a drop of the two hundreth

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potency contains of the mother tincture? I would like to ask any one what he would think of a doctor if he should tell him to take a drop of a tincture and put it into the Niagara river above the falls and then go down to the whirlpool and take a few drops of the water, and put it into a glass of water and give a teaspoonful of it to one of his patients that had some dangerous illness. The water so obtained, by an actual mathematical demonstration would contain more of the tincture than many of the lower potencies that the homeopath prescribes in his every day practise.

One homeopath advanced as one reason why to practise that system was because the potencies were ten times cheaper than the regular medicin. Why should it not be cheap? as one drop of the mother tincture would make enuf of the higher potencies to supply the universe with medicin for untold ages to come. Until it can be proven that a part of any thing is greater or stronger than the whole, I never can believe in the high potencies of the homeopath.

I take exception with any one that calls me an allopath. I do not believe that any one during the past fifty years ever gave a dose of medicin allopathically. Neither do I believe that there is an infallible law of cure. C. W. PIPER.

Wurtsboro, N. Y.

Homeopathy as a Therapeutic Specialty. Editor MEDICAL WORLD: The June number of THE MEDICAL WORLD sent to me as a trial copy has pleased me much. I am pleased to find a so-called old school journal conducted on so broad a platform as to admit to its columns articles setting forth the principles of homeopathy.

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editorial footnote you say: "The names, homeopathy and eclecticism, are more objectionable than the practise of their adherents." I am at a loss to understand why you should say so. Without entering upon its merit, it cannot be denied that homeopathy is a system of therapeutics, and if it is an entity it must have a name. You say: "These titles are objectionable because they imply limitation." The same objection obtains against the use of such names as "surgeon," "oculist," "aurist," "electro-therapeutist." My point is that a physician does not cease to be a physician because he lets the public know that he is versed in a certain

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system of therapeutics. In other words, homeopathy is a specialty in therapeutics.

What is a homeopath? He is one who adds to a general knowledge of the science and art of medicin in its many departments a special knowledge of homeopathic materia medica and therapeutics. All that belongs to the great profession of medicin by tradition or as the result of modern research is his by inheritance and right. The up-to date homeopathic physician has a theoretical knowledge of the latest advances in the therapeutics of the so-called regular school. He may not make a practical application of that knowledge, so far as drugs are concerned-at least he is more likely to be satisfied to leave well enuf alone. But should he fail thru his own limitations to find the remedy to fit the case according to the homeopathic system, there is no one who has the right to say him 66 nay "should he choose to try the effect of the latest product of some German laboratory. Indeed, his first duty is to his patient; and if he cannot cure him" homeopathically," it is his business to cure him; and he ought to make use of any means to that end, no matter from what source it may emanate, the regulars, hydropaths, osteopaths, Christian scientists, etc. And too, any and all palliativs and anodynes can be lawfully used by the homeopath. Homeopathy is a law of "cure." Unfortunately there come into the practise of every physician cases that are incurable, and cases in which, during the process of cure or attempt to cure, some temporary expedient must be resorted to to tide over an emergency. The homeopath has this right and this duty, but the deeper his knowledge of his specialty (homeopathic therapeutics) the less will he find himself called upon to exercise the one or undertake the other.

"As to practise, each individual practitioner is guided by his own light and judgment any way; in the regular profession there is no attempt at curtailing personal freedom in practise." So says the Editor. Would that it were so! History teaches, however, that such is not the case. It was ostracism that brought about the cleavage in the medical profession. And history is being made today. Prof. Apostoli was a regular, but because he preferred and advocated the use of electricity in the treatment of fibroids he was shunned by the great majority of his professional brethren, and, after he

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