"remedies" before the the profession. Much of such advertising is intended to slip quickly beyond the profession to the laity, by whom the real purchasing is done. We have been made the cat's paw so frequently in past years, it is hoped that some clinical work, enough for at least a rational basis, will be undertaken, before the snake venom cure is launched.

J. M. B.

FAKE CURES THAT KILL. Pearson's magazine for May contains an excellent article, under this caption, by Dr. J. J. McCarthy, depicting in plain language the manner in which the people are imposed upon by the advertising medical quacks who ply their nefarious business through the columns of the daily newspapers. Dr. McCarthy condemns the last congress for not passing a law to control these fakirs, after the Supreme Court's favorable decision in the case of Johnson's cancer cure (of Kansas City) holding "that the law applied only to the composition of medicines and not to their remedial value." Be it said to the credit of Justice Hughes, that he dissented from the opinion of his associates Day and Harlan. The writer of this article calls attention to the fact that the yearly revenue from this class of medical sure-cure fakirs amounts to more than a hundred million of dollars a year!

Dr. McCarthy sees no relief for the public under present conditions, and emphasizes the importance of a National Health Department, as follows:

"The crooks who operate these getrich-quick medical concerns think so much faster than the law-makers who are lagging upon their trail, that these quacks will probably never be effectively dealt with until Congress is finally compelled to pass the law creating the National Department of Health. The publicity that will be given by that body and the active measures it will inaugurate, will result in driving these fakirs out of business; and yet there are a great many misguided people who are op

posing the National Department of Health!"

Doctor, every one of your patients should be interested in bringing about this needed reform. Ask them to help the cause by writing to their senators in favor of the Owen bill. C.W.F.

SYPHILIS, DIABETES AND SALVARSAN.

There

Dr. J. Rhodes Longley, Fond du Lac, Wis. (Jour. A.M.A., April 20), reports the case of a man who came to him November 7, 1911, complaining of some peculiar cerebral seizures at. tended by dizziness, transitory aphasia Their exact and general weakness. nature was not clear. In the course of the examination there was revealed a sore on the penis which had ulcerated almost through the frenum. was very little induration, and in ten days with soaking in warm boric-acid solution it readily healed December 5 the patient began complaining of slight sore throat and a papular rash was present over the abdomen.. On the 15th he returned with a general papular rash and other more marked symptoms of syphilis. Longley prescribed a suitable diet for him and told him of the salvarsan treatment for syphilis, which he was anxious to try, for the two diseases were, he believed, too much for him to contend with mentally. Salvarsan was injected intramuscularly, with the usual care as to asepsis. The patient suffered practically no pain and rested well that night. Pulse was slightly increased, and December 23 he went home with the rash almost gone. While the safety of salvarsan in all cases of syphilis occurring in diabetes is not proved by the experience with one patient, it is interesting to note that in this instance, at least, no harm followed its use.

PHYSICIANS' DEFENSE IN MISSOURI

State Superintendent of Insurance. Blake has recently ruled that it is against "public policy" to insure physicians against liability for accidents or malpractice, alleging that "the phy

sician who is insured becomes less careful in his work." In the course of an interview upon the question Mr. Blake remarks The best physicians and surgeons do not as a rule carry such insurance for they have too much confidence in their own skill and a bility." This is not true!

In justice to medical men it must be agreed that the insurance is not procured for the purpose of defending just suits so much as to thwart the attempts of unscrupulous lawyers and unprincipled patrons who by means of unjust attacks have attempted to levy blackmail upon physicians possessed of some property through successful pursuit of their chosen profession.

It is a fact that a large majority of suits for malpractice have been brought against the most prominent men in the profession whose ability is unquestioned; and in his further statement that "when a doctor carries such insurance he become less careful in his work," Mr. Blake casts a slur upon the profession which should not be regarded lightly, and the entire profession of the country should be aroused to the gravity of this unfounded charge which he brings. A public servant with such a low opinion of the chosen of our profession deserves the sternest of rebukes.

According to the ruling, only one company now licensed in Missouri may place its contracts legally. The company in question contracts to render a certain legal service in case of necessity; viz., the defense of suits for malpractice. No liabiilty is assumed for damages, and there is much to be said in favor of this kind of a contract, since if complete justice can be secured in the decisions of such cases no competent physician desires more. But on the other hand, juries of laymen are prone to look upon medical and surgical services in an unreasonable light. They expect exact results from treatment just as they would from the work of the carpenter or plumber. With inadequate conceptions of the principles of pathology and a total failure to grasp the limitations of medical skill, they are disposed to lay unjust blame upon the medical attendant. Infallibility is the standard by

and Medical Department of St. Louis University are earnestly requested to be in attendance. Tickets for the banquet can be obtained from Dr. E. P. Lyon, dean, Medical School, St. Louis University, or Dr. C. M. Nicholson, chairman Banquet Committee. Price per plate, $2.00.

DR. C. R. WOODSON, St. Joseph Orator on Medicine.

The St. Louis Alumni Banquet will be held at Sedalia May 23d, at 6 o'clock, the second day of the meeting of the Missouri State Medical Association. Graduates of the Beaumont Hospital Medical College, MarionMarionSims College of Medicine, MarionSims-Beaumont College of Medicine

DR. O. B. CAMPBELL, St. Joseph Chairman Surgical Section.

Popular Work on Tuberculosis.

The 46th General Assembly of Missouri, appropriated the sum of $1200 for public education on the care and treatment of tuberculosis, and placed the same at the disposal of the Board of Managers of the Missouri State Sanatorium for the Treatment of Incipient Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

The Board has used this fund in the publication and distribution of a small booklet entitled "Hints on Tuberculosis." One copy of this booklet has been placed in the hands of each public school teacher in the State, whose address we were able to secure by writing to the several county superintendents. We thereby secured the address of about 14,000 teachers. One copy of the booklet was placed in the hands of about 6,000 physicians in the State, and one copy was sent to each newspaper in the State and to each member of the last General Assembly as well as to numerous other persons.

The Board also placed in the hands of each public school teacher 25 or more copies of a four-page leaflet made up of extracts from the booklet with the request that the teacher see that at least one copy of the leaflet was placed in each family represented by pupils in their respective schools.

The Board hopes by this method to reach a large number of the people of Missouri, and thereby enlist their aid and co-operation in the crusade against tuberculosis.

That Chicago clergyman who refused to marry a couple until they presented a physician's certificate of health, raises the legal requirements so high, that illegitimacy may run riot, with its attendant evils.

and it matters little who does a good act, only that such act should be done. In the lottery of life we often draw indifferent prizes, but the best a man can do is to act well his part, and regard his losses and failures with tranquil resignation.

Dr. Kessler was a peculiarly gifted physician, personally of an amiable disposition who never willingly harmed a colleague, his highest ideal was to be a true physician. The writer saw him often, and his personality reminded one of the old time, honorable, polished gentlemen, not yet contaminated by the petty jealous spirit of those who follow our profession merely for gain. Dr. Kessler has been known to many of us for more than a quarter of a century and his death was one of our unwilling and sad experiences. He had practiced in

St. Joseph since 1889, and was associated with Dr. J. W. Heddens. He was a pure medical man; his outside interests being centered in Masonic work, in which he rose to the highest position of honor in recognition of his natural ability.

Dr. Kessler occupied the chair of Anatomy in the Ensworth Medical College for many years, and at the time of his death was a member of the St. Joseph Board of Health. Last year he served as president of the county medical society.

Besides his aged father he leaves a wife and two daughters.

In Dr. Kessler the medical profession has lost an ethical, high-minded member, the community a good citizen, and his many friends will consider his death as a personal loss.

Our platitudes about life are of a respectable age. Life is neither more nor less mysterious than all our other surroundings, "all Nature is of the same nature, all her processes are one process, all her facts are one fact, all her acts are one act, and everything material is ultimately identical with everything else." Mors omnibus communis.

Dr. Kessler died on April 15, 1912, after a short illness at the age of 49 P.I.L.

years.

of the American Medical Association and eminent as an internist, died at his home in Philadelphia, April 3, from anigna pectoris, aged 55. He was born in Strasburg, Pa., June 22, 1856, the son of Dr. Benjamin and Naomi Herr Musser. He came of a line of physicians, his grandfather being Dr. Martin Musser and his great grandfather, Dr. Benjamin Musser. In addition to his contributions to current medical literature, Dr. Musser was the author of a work on medical diagnosis, which has gone through six editions; was editor of the

JOHN HERR MUSSER, M. D.

volume on diseases of the lungs in Nothnagel's Encyclopedia and coeditor with the late Dr. Aloysius O. J. Kelly of a system of therapeutics. He also was the author of the article on pneumonia in Osler's System of Medicine and of various articles in Hare's system of therapeutics. In the death of Dr. Musser in the prime of life and at the zenith of his professional career, the medical world has lost an internist and diagnostician of the highest grade; medical education, an enthusiastic, earnest and painstaking instructor; medical literature, a writer of no mean degree; science, a brilliant laborer in its research field, and social