specific energy of the drugs used in medicine, as well as of the specific irritability of the healthy and diseased organism, is beginning to be recognized as absolutely essential to the successful practice of the art of healing.

I pass on now to notice what, to me, appears an interesting phase of the subject. We have seen that infinitesimal doses of the granular matter of the pollen cell can give rise to a distinct form of disease; and it should be borne in mind that this is set up by a body that has no zymotic properties, and that rapidly exhausts the energy it possesses when brought into contact with the mucous membranes of a sensitive patient. Now, this granular matter closely resembles the starch upon which diastase acts in so wonderful a manner, and although the pollens of the various orders contain different accidental ingredients in minute proportions, the great bulk of the granular matter in all of them consists of an amyloid body that gives the same reaction as starch does with iodine. The largest granules seem to have an investing membrane similar to that of the smallest starch granules of rice. The smallest seem to be mere specks of protoplasm apparently without investing membrane; and it is, I believe, these that may in some cases penetrate the walls of the capillary vessels, and set up disturbance in the temperature of the body.

out any

It is said that raw starch passes through the digestive organs of the human subject unchanged, and that in order to permit the diastase to act upon it it requires to be boiled. With the starch granules of the pollen it does not appear to be so; at any rate, some change of an important character seems to be effected early on in the process of digestion. I cannot now attempt to give the details of the experiments tried in this direction, and it must suffice to say that I have frequently taken comparatively large doses of pollen withinconvenience; and the natural inference is that the diastase of the digestive fluids acts upon the granular matter in such a manner as to rob it of its irritating properties. Outside the body the diastase of the salivary glands acts very slowly upon the granular matter. From this it would seem that contact with the living organism insured a more vigorous action. Now, if it is a fact that diastase can change the constitution of 40,oco times its weight of starch, the quantity that will be needed to operate upon the dose of granular matter that sets up hay-fever will be exceedingly small. It will be remembered that at the commencement of the troublesome form of the symptoms one 80,000th of a grain of the granular matter taken in each twentyfour hours was sufficient; and that in the later and most acute stage one 6,8coth of a grain sufficed. If we divide these numbers by 40.000 (the proportion of diastase needed to neutralize the starch), we find that for the commencement of the troublesome form of the disease, one 3,200,000,000th of a grain of diastase would be sufficient to neutralize the daily dose of pollen, and that for the most acute stage one 272,000,000th of a grain would be sufficient.

We have thus seen that physiological action in the animal and vegetable organism can be set up by infinitesimal quantities of the appropriate material when endowed with its own specific energy. Infinitesimal quantities when endowed in a similar manner can also set up pathological conditions in the human organism, whilst a still smaller quantity can neutralize the power of that which gives rise to these conditions.

It may naturally be asked if any use can be made of this last-named fact. Into this part of the question I cannot enter now, further than to say that the possibility of the discovery of agents that possess that form of specific energy that would enable them, when given in minute doses, to neutralize the action of some of the most deadly of the exciting causes of disease, opens up a great future for the art of medicine. I have, however, purposely refrained from entering upon the therapeutic phase of the question, and have strictly confined my attention to phenomena that are entirely independent of theory. In

doing so I have endeavored to build upon the solid ground of experimental investigation, and in this way I have endeavored to give a reason for the faith that we have in the power of infinitesimal doses.

AN INTERESTING CASE.

BY H. E. RUSSEGUE, M. D.

I VENTURE to offer for publication in your journal a few facts connected with a very interesting case of gestation and parturition in a primipara occurring in my practice:

Mrs. P― was at about the fifth month of gestation when I was consulted for enlargement of the breasts with an excessive flow of milk, so excessive that it kept her constantly wet and her clothing saturated. This was controlled in due time through medication, but was immediately followed by what appeared to be parotitis, which, however, did not have the usual run of that affection, the glands continuing swollen until after her confinement.

I was informed that this was an idiosyncrasy of the family, which led me to make inquiry into the family history, with the following results: A sister of the patient, who was with her as nurse, had given birth to five children, and with each, lactation took place at about the fourth month and was soon followed by a sympathetic enlargement of the parotids with what she claims was a secretion of milk; for, as she says, she could at any time suck milk into the mouth. This continued until delivery, when she had the usual milk fever, with an increased flow of milk, so that she was able to nurse two children (only one being her own), and was also obliged to use a breast-pump to keep at all comfortable. While nursing a child, the milk would flow from the parotids into the mouth spontaneously; and at any time she could obtain two or three good-sized swallows of pure sweet milk. (No microscopical examination of it was made to substantiate that it was certainly milk.) The patient had another sister, who had had one child, and whose experience had been the same. There were only three sisters in the family.

An aunt on the mother's side had given birth to eight or ten children, with the same phenomenon each time; nothing was known in regard to the history of her children in this respect.

No other member of the family was known to have been affected in this way.

The patient's mother is still living, at the age of sixty-five, but suffers from cancer of the stomach and an affection of the liver. Her father had hypertrophy of the liver and died of intermittent fever. Cancer is hereditary on both sides of the family, and all of the family are of a markedly bilious temperament.

But to return to my patient. She went to term, and had a long hard labor. Ether was administered, and, owing to difficulty in delivery on account of pelvic deformity, a consultation was had, and later a third physician was sent for, but was unable to come, so we conducted the labor to delivery. The child was a very large one, but the lives of both mother and child were saved. The mother, however, was badly ruptured. She was operated upon immediately, but, owing to the contused condition of the soft parts, it was feared that the wound would not heal by first intention; therefore, under the circumstances, it was thought best not to have the baby put to the breast, and so I had no opportunity to see what would result from the parotid enlargement. I carried her through the milk fever without trouble, and was able to dispose of the large supply of milk without mishap, by internal medication. The enlargement of the parotids gradually disappeared as the milk in the breasts disappeared.

The operation for rupture failed, as was feared; but a second operation was performed, and the result was entirely satisfactory. Both mother and child did well, and continue in good health.

HOMEOPATHY IN SPAIN.

[The following, translated from El Magisterio Espagñol, will be interesting to our readers as indicating the methods of instruction in medical matters in Spain.]

HOMEOPATHIC INSTITUTE.

COURSE OF 1882-83.

MATRICULATION for the next course in the Homœopathic Institute takes place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 30. Those who wish to enroll themselves may do so at the office of the secretary, No. 3 Havana Avenue, Madrid, according to the following code of rules:

ART. 180. Those who are Licentiates or Doctors in Medicine and those who are following this course with an official faculty may matriculate in the Homœopathic Institute.

ART. 181. The students will study homoeopathy for two years, attending during one or the other all the theoretical chairs and clinics which may be established.

ART. 199. The title of Homœopathic Physician granted by this Institute will be conferred upon Licentiates or Doctors in Medicine who have devoted themselves to homoeopathy, and give proof that they have practised it for more than six years, in which case they will dispense with the two years of study required of students. Matriculation will be free, and at the end of the course four prizes of $50 will be given to the four students who have most distinguished themselves.

The lectures which compose the two courses in homoeopathic medicine are: First course. Exposition of homoeopathic principles. Therapeutics and homoeopathic materia medica. Men's and boys' clinics; clinics of women's and girls' diseases. - Second course. Homœopathic materia medica; men's and boys' clinics; clinics of women's and children's diseases.

TOMAS PELLICER, Director.
MANUEL FLORES, Secretary.

PARTIAL PLACENTA PREVIA: A CASE.

[Read before Maine Homeopathic Medical Society by C. H. BURR, M. D., of Portland.] IN the early part of January, 1876, Mr. R called to engage me to attend his wife in her approaching confinement, which it was expected would occur about the middle of March. A few days subsequent to this engagement, I called to see Mrs. R. Found her tolerably comfortable, but complaining of some of the usual discomforts of pregnancy, particularly of an unusual weight and pressure in the uterine region; in other words, she said she seemed to be carrying the child very low. There was nothing in the appearance of the case requiring special treatment; so I left, telling her if she needed me before I called again, she must send to me.

About six weeks after this, Mr. R- called at two o'clock in the morning, to say that his wife was flowing, and needed me immediately. As he lived somewhat more than a mile away, and it consequently took some little time to reach the house, the flowing had ceased before we arrived. She was comfortable, and as calm as could be expected under the circumstances. She stated that she went to bed at the usual hour, fell asleep, slept quietly without any sense of pain until she was suddenly aroused with the consciousness that she was flowing profusely. The hemorrhage soon ceased, and was followed by a smaller amount a few moments afterwards without pain. A digital examination confirmed the suspicion that we had a case of partial placenta prævia to contend with. The os uteri was found slightly patulous, the posterior lip could be easily traced, and the finger inserted a short distance within its border; the anterior lip was undefined; a heavy, shapeless mass rested upon it, and seemed incorporated with it. It was inelastic and doughy to the touch; it conveyed very much the same impression that the placenta does when first felt in the vagina, after the delivery of the child. The first impression, when we become aware that we have a case of placenta prævia to manage, is anything but pleasant; and we naturally run over in our minds the means and most

approved method for successfully meeting the emergency that is pretty sure to come. We think of tampons, of female catheters, of prompt delivery by version, and of several other plans that have been devised, and still we are undetermined what to do, but conclude to be guided by circumstances at the time of labor. After sitting with our patient until it seemed reasonably certain there would be no more hemorrhage that night, I gave Caulophyllin, with the hope that it would relieve a pain in the back, of which she complained, and left for home. She was seen the following forenoon; said she was comfortable. During the next ten days nothing of special interest occurred in the history of the case. At the end of that time the circumstances above narrated were repeated, with but very little change or variation. The amount of blood lost was more than on the former occasion; the attack also came on at night and ceased before I saw her.

From the first attack to the time of labor, — a period of about six weeks, she had five separate spells of flooding, losing in all a large quantity of blood, blanching and prostrating her to such a degree that she was unable to leave her bed, except for a few minutes at a time.

The principal complaint she made was of weariness and an acute pain in the lumbar region. The remedies she received during this period were China and Caulophyllin, not in alternation, but China immediately after, and for a day or two following, each attack, and Caulophyllin until the next one came on.

I would here like to say a good word for Caulophyllin. How much power it has in expelling morbid growths from the uterus I know not, but that it has a decidedly soothing and quieting influence over disturbed nervous action of that organ there seems but little doubt. In painful menstruation it is a remedy frequently indicated, and has often been administered with great satisfaction to myself and comfort to my patients. I usually prescribe it in the second trituration, commencing four or five days before the expected menstrual period and continuing it until its close. In a large proportion of cases, where the suffering is not incident to mal-position or structural change, Caulophyllin will be found of essential service. In cases of threatened abortion and miscarriage it has more frequently given satisfaction than any other one remedy, speedily relieving the pain and anxiety, and inducing a state of repose.

Among the discomforts of pregnancy, sleeplessness takes a prominent position. The patients, without much murmuring, submit to pains and cramps of various kinds throughout the day, but the weary tossing of wakefulness at night fatigues them, and they come to us, asking for something that will enable them