9129

The

We hope you like it. The face of a maga zine is like the face of an old and familiar friend, and it should not be changed except for distinct improvement. When, a few years ago, we changed from a plain type heading to an ornamental design, many of our readers sighed for the old plain heading. Our present change is in the direction of plainness and distinctness, yet not devoid of ornament. We hope it will be received kindly by our readers. We send this issue to a number of subscribers who have not yet renewed for 1894, that they may not forget an old friend in a new guise. In more than one department we have added to our expenses, even in the face of "hard times." It may seem strange to make improvement during

a period of financial depression, but when you consider that our readers cling to THE WORLD even closer during hard times, you can see that we can afford improvement as well now as any other time. We strive to be the proverbial "friend in need," and these are needy times. It is gratifying to know that we fulfill our chosen mission so acceptably.

Value of Efficient Sanitary Service. We wonder if the general public realizes its great debt to the hard-working, poorly-paid, self-sacrificing medical profession for that most important and nearly always unrecognized phase of its activity, the prevention of diseases and epidemics. All such work is directly against the financial interests of the profession, as reducing the amount of practice to be done, and is also a very unappreciated devotion to our higher duty to our race. This is the only example in our industrial system of a class of workers helping to destroy the market for their own services in the interests of those who would otherwise have to employ them, and shows the medical profession to be the only truly socialistic profession in our industrial field. The whole country has witnessed with interest the battle going on for the past eighteen months in New York harbor and other exposed ports between the dreadful scourge of cholera and our advance sanitary picket line, in which our scientific defenders have thus far maintained a victorious front. But we doubt whether the social and commercial world realizes what the profession has saved them in health, lives and the vast commercial and industrial interests threatened by a great epidemic. Truly, he who prevents or limits the spread of disease is greater than he who wins a hundred battles. In view of this and other examples of the value of preventive measures

174231

against disease we hope soon to see the establishment of a complete national system of sanitary service, extending down to the most remote hamlet and township in the country, scientifically qualified, thoroughly equipped and well paid, with due authority to take any necessary measures to prevent the development or extension of disease, so far as is known to sanitary science. We believe that every true physician, those in the highest sense worthy to practice the healing art, entertains these wishes for the benefit of humanity even if against the advancement of his own temporary interests.

A National Medical College.

We note with pleasure that an Army Medical School has been established in Washington in connection with the medical department of the United States Army, for the higher scientific education of those who have in recent years been admitted into this department. We predict that it will prove as great an educational success in its sphere as are the Military Academy at West Point and the Naval Academy at Annapolis. We should be very much pleased to see established a well organized system of medical schools in the different sections of the country, entirely under the auspices of the National government, for the thorough professional education of those who wish to avail themselves of its advantages, and for the examination, according to its high standard, of all those educated in other institutions, domestic or foreign, who wish

A Caution in Local Applications.

It should be well known to all practicing physicians that no local applications of mercury in any form-calomel, ointments, powders or washes containing any of the salts of mercury-should be made to any diseased surface of skin or mucous membrane of a patient who is taking iodine in any form or any of its salts internally. The iodine appears in the natural secretions found on the membranes-tears, saliva, mucus-and in the pathological secretions of sores, ulcers and inflamed surfaces. Coming thus into contact with the mercury, the very irritant and even caustic iodide of mercury is formed. Many a doctor has been puzzled as to why the eye or the ulcer became suddenly so much worse when he only applied the usually mild calomel. Patients should be questioned before any local mercurial application, or even its administration by the stomach, as to what they may have been taking unknown to the physician.

Radical Treatment of Naso-Pharyngeal Catarrh.

Dr. S. Lewis Zeigler, 1504 Walnut St., Philadelphia, in a private conversation with the editor, gives the following local treatment, with which he has had marked success

The instruments required are slender nasal applicators and a throat applicator, with the necessary mirrors and specula for examination

Pure compound tincture of benzoin is firs painted upon the entire membrane, anterior and posterior nares and pharynx.

This is followed with an application of camphor-menthol (camphor and menthol of each five grains, in one ounce of liquid vaseline or other liquid petroleum). These applications are made every other day.

As a preliminary application, to prepare the membrane for these remedies if the membrane is in a state of acute inflammation, with full tissues and free discharge, the entire surface is thoroughly painted or swabbed with first a so lution of cocaine, (twenty grains to the ounce) to constringe the tissues and soothe the irritated nerves, followed by a solution of antipyrine (thirty grains to the ounce); whicq has a similar effect to cocaine. lásting several hours: in

about three minutes the surface is ready for the principal reatment with benzoin and camphor-menthol as given above. In acute cases treat daily.

These are all applied by the usual means of a mop of absorbent cotton, twisted on the applicator. After this treatment has been followed two or three times a week for several months, until all soft pathological enlargements have been entirely reduced, there may remain some cartilaginous or bony growths which will have to be removed by the chisel, under cocaine local anesthesia.

International Prevention of Diseases. There is a large class of diseases recognized as being more or less communicable or due to uncleanliness or other preventable causes. It is one of the very first duties of a government to protect its citizens as far as possible against ex. posure to all forms of contagious or other preventable diseases. We legislate carefully enough for the protection of our cattle, horses and hogs, and are ready to go to war for the financial value of a few thousand seals on remote islands in the sea. Is not the health of our people of infinitely more importance than such interests as those? What can be more to the credit of a nation than to be able to show a healthy population and a low death rate? This with due attention to enlightened intelligence, a high standard of morals and an equitable diffusion of wealth among the people make a nation strongest in every respect-one that its subjects will love and will protect with their lives if

necessary.

The proposed establishment of a cabinet department of public health would be a practical step in the direction of caring for the health of the people, supplementing the work of our State Boards and bringing the systematic direction of the work over the entire country under one efficient department. This is national protec

tion.

in which they are stationed and should have full authority to guard against the importation of diseases by means of immigration or commerce. A clean bill of health from them should be required of all intended immigrants or of all cargoes bound for this country before they are admissible into our ports. We would suggest that we already have representatives in all civilized countries, whose positions, so far as active duties are concerned, are principally ornamental. To the nominal duties they now have might appropriately be added this real one. A measure like this, taken up by civilized nations generally, would result in much greater attention being paid to restricting epidemics to the actual points where they originate and suppressing them in their incipiency. If the authorities of a country were convinced that they must establish hygienic conditions among their own people in order to maintain their commercial relations with the world they would at once see the practical side of the matter. Then we might hope that in time those diseases that are preventable by general public action would finally die out altogether, and we would have to contend with only those that are due to individual imprudences and exposures.

For Shock and Collapse.

Atropine is the quickest and most valuable remedy known in surgical shock and in those conditions in disease which resemble it, as the stage of collapse in cholera and cholera infantum. It may be given hydodermically, or by mouth in the form of a granule dissolved in hot water every ten minutes until the desired reaction occurs.

Mucus Our Natural Protector.

Recent bacteriological experiments have demonstrated that the normal secretion, mucus, is an effective bactericidal agent. To be effective, however, it must be normal in quality and, further, its germicidal property may be exhausted by an overwhelming supply of rapidly

Hydrastine is said to possess powerful antispasmodic properties and has recently been recommended for the treatment of epilepsy.