mals, whose numbers are such, and depredations so great, as to render them a nuisance to mankind? Among some of the colonies of England, rabbits interfere very largely with the efforts of the settlers to raise crops, por tions of the various growths being destroyed by these animals.

Hence the proposition to do away with them by introducing into their midst some infectious disease, which would thin out their ranks, and keep their numbers within proper bounds. The proposal has met with decided opposi tion in some quarters, the idea being advanced that it is too much like poisoning the water of wells in a hostile country during the progress of a war, a mode of warfare which is discountenanced by all civilized nations, and that this method of exterminating the rabbits would create a sentiment which would recoil from an attempt to put medical know. ledge to such a use.

It is argued that the next proposal might be to apply the method to nations during the existence of hostilities, the removal of one's enemies being brought about in the same

way.

It seems to us that a rather novel interchange o "weapons" between war and mediine is about to take place. Some time ago an article appeared which advocated the use of the cannon-ball in the treatment of constipation, by rolling it about over the abdomen, and now a suggestion offers itself as to how a medical micro organism might replace the weapon thus removed from war, by fastening its hold upon the ranks of an army, and by multiplication and dissemination, lead to the death of a greater number of men than was produced by its cast iron ally, the cannonball. Instead of bringing into play the skill of artillery-men and sharp-shooters, the engines of war will now consist of slides, culture plates and culture media, with a select number of pathogenic organisms, which will be cultivated as necessity demands; skilled scientists will seize a spy, for instance, inoculate him, perchance, with the comma bacillus of cholera, and turn him loose upon his friends to spread that fatal disease. Indeed,

the organism might be selected with especial reference to the predilection of a certain nation to a certain disease; and thus war be conducted upon a decidedly medical basis. If a subject for inoculation be not at hand, a letter might be sent to the commanding general of the opposing army, containing a few bacilli of a particularly deadly variety, or any of the many devices which might be concocted could be made use of for the propagation of disease.

PSORIASIS AND ECZEMA.

A.S.Myrtle of Edin., states "that in psoriasis, dieting is of no importance, and internal remedies are of as little. The same cannot be said of eczema; but in both I trust greatly to external applications. As a preventive against recurrent attacks of eczema dermatotherapeutic quinine lotion is by far the best thing I have yet hit upon. It acts as a powerful tonic as well as a sedative, and can be applied with freedom to all parts, as it never produces the slightest irritation. Such preparations are greatly to be preferred to ointments and pigments, which always rub off and soil whatever they come in contact with. I frequently paint old-standing patches of psoriasis and eczema with naphthaline tincture, after immersion in the sulphur bath, with the most satisfactory results, and confidently recommend a trial of it after other applications."

THE AMATEur Doctor.

There is a growing tendency on the part of the public to cultivate, nourish and develop the custom of amateur doctoring. The young father, who thinks the watchfulness and earnestness born of paternal feeling more than compensates for his lack of special medical knowledge, is found to be the possessor of a case of drugs, containing perhaps a little quinine, rhubarb, senna, spigelia, paregoric, and so on, these medicines being poured down the children's throats according to his estimates of the requirements of the case. This

practice is being enlarged by the issue of family medical works, prepared homeopathic cases, medical pamphlets distributed about the city, the last frequently containing on ad jacent pages the comparative treatment of horses and human beings, all these setting forth the simplicity of the recognition of most of the diseases which afflict mankind,

a house of that character, to a grocery when eatables are required.

If these things call for special knowledge in their manufacture, surely the construction and function of the human body offer sufficient complexities to require skilled knowledge in its handling.

It is the old story of little knowledge giv ing great confidence, their inability to recognize obscure difficulties leading them to think that none exist; if the baby draws up its knees and cries, it must needs have the colic and nothing else, and the colic department of the medicine chest is forthwith brought into requisition.

The schools of our country also strive to impart a little medical learning to the pupils, or at least, a little physiology, which gives them to think that they have acquired a sufficiently firm basis from which to work upon slight ailments, and alleviate the sufferings of their kind.

Probably no greater mistake could be made than is found in this practice of general doctoring by people, which nearly always results in the paying of more money in physician's bills, and more suffering ten times over to the patient, than would have been necessary if the case had had judicious and skilled management from the beginning. It is a well known fact that when a man becomes his own law yer, he finally proves to be a mine of wealth to the members of the legal profession, the complications arising from his own mismanagement calling for extensive litigation on the part of skilled attorneys.

If this is true in law, how much more so ought it to be in medicine, whose details are less evident to ordinary judgment, and the successful practice of which requires an immense fund of knowledge,and powers of ob servation and conclusions which it is impossible for a tyro without thorough medical training, to possess.

When a person wants dry goods, he goes to

REMEDIES.

Extemporaneous Pharmacy in its bearing upon the practice of medicine, has become an important and crying need. It is a question that we cannot lightly push aside, or ignore, for it calls for serious and thoughtful consideration from every physician; and that too, from an unselfish stand-point. It is a practical question and in its solution matters of vital interest to the profession are involved, and hence they should be fairly, honestly and impartially considered. In fact, it should have such a hearing as would free it from party bias, or sect prejudice, but at the same time would serve to awaken in us an increasing interest in medicine as a science to the end that human suffering might be relieved. It is not our purpose to inveigh harshly against any one, or any class-but simply to aver that evils and abuses have arisen under a system that has fastened itself upon the profession, and in our opinion to the detriment of its best interests; evils, that the self-respect and manhood of every true physician cry out against and forbid him to tolerate for a single moment. In former times the apothecary in the practice of his calling represented a distinct principle. He was content to confine himself exclusively to the preparation of pharmaceutical compounds and the dispensing of physicians' prescriptions, but "tempora mutantur," and with these changes the practices and purposes of men. It is only our purpose to call attention to a few of these nefarious devices to show that they sap at the very foundation of the medical art and degrade the pharmaceutist himself to the level of a patent nostrum vendor, or a quack advertising agent. Does not the

sued to prove the incorrectness of the position taken by Dr. Luys, in assuming that it was the direct effect of the drug itself upon the patient, and the conclusion was that such influence could not be said to exist.

MAURIAC ON Gonorrhea.

It is remarkable, to say the least, that so many cases of rapid cure of gonorrhea are reported, from all parts of the country, and the abortive method by means of germicides still held up for adoption by the profession, when those men who are the recognized heads of their department in medicine, universally admit that they cannot cure a specific gonor rhea in less than five or six weeks, and still depend upon the old-time remedies as furnishing the best results. Mauriac, for instance, states that although the results obtained from the injections of corrosive sublimate, permanganate of potassium, chloral hydrate, etc.,are seemingly good, in a short time the discharge nearly always returns, leaving the patient about as he was before. Evidently the specific cure for gonorrhea has not yet been found.

A CEREBRAL CENTRE FOR MOVEMENTS OF THE STOMACH.

Dr. B. A. Hlaska performed experiments upon 76 dogs; they consisted in exciting different parts of the cerebrum with an uninter. rupted current. He found that the center for the contraction of the cardiac end of the stomach lay in the corpora quadrigemina, and that the connecting nerve filaments ran along the cord, but mostly with the vagus. The center for the contractions of the lateral portions of the stomach also lies in the corpora quadrigemina, but the filaments run only along the cord. The center for the expansion or opening of the cardiac end of the stomach lies at the lower anterior end of the nucleus caudatus, close to the anterior commissure. The communication is established by means of the pneumogastric. On account of the above facts Dr. Hlaska doubts the exist

ence of a single center for nausea or vomiting, and considers it a complex action, in which the abdominal and respiratory muscles as well as the stomach itself take part, and that the impulse originates in more than one

center.

OPERATIVE TREATMENT OF PERITONITIS.

Dr. Trzebicky, writing in a Polish journal on the operative treatment of peritonitis, details experimental researches on sixty-seven dogs. From these he concludes that operative treatment is indicated in cases of purulent or septic peritonitis; that the employment of different antiseptic substances leads to results differing from one another. The most suitable liquid for washing out the peritoneal cavity appeared to be a solution of salicylie acid. The greatest care is necessary in cleansing the abdomen externally before the operation is commenced. Dr. Trzebicky does not find it easy to explain the variations in his results, but about the facts he has no doubt.

TRICHINOSIS.

During an epidemic of trichinosis at Carthage 64 persons were attacked, 29 of which were males, 35 females; of these 24 died, among whom were 8 males and 16 females, a mortality of 37.5 per cent. Former statistics seem to coincide in one point and that is the more frequent occurrence and greater mortality of the female sex.

IN REGARD TO RAPES.

Basing his opinion upon a very numerous and correct statistic, Prof. Brouardel believes that the majority of rapes are perpetrated by either very young individuals or old men. The former are generally idiots, epileptics, alcoholicists, who are unable to distinguish The latter very between right and wrong. frequently gardeners are usually upon the verge of dementia.