hysterical from the epileptiform symptoms. 4. An electric current of moderate intensity is applied along the track of the aura; that is to say, the electrodes are applied to the epigastium and to the front part of the neck, when the treatment is applied at the beginning of the attack. When it is resorted to only during the clonic or tonic period, one electrode is applied to the neck and the other is placed in one hand, or the electrodes are placed each in one hand. 5. Besides checking the hysterical attacks, electric stimulation has a curative effect on the neurosis.-Brit. Med. Jour. IS THE TASTE IN THE MOUTH -Is it not a little singular that physicians will persist in speaking of the taste in the mouth? A patient was asked the other day if she had a bitter taste in her mouth in the morning. She naively replied that when she had a bitter taste it was always in her mouth. That is the only end of the alimentary tract that we know of in which the sense of taste resides.Medical Age. If our contemporary will be so particular, we may perhaps venture to remind him that, if one comes down to a minute analysis, the taste is not in the mouth in reality at all, but is in the gray matter of the uncinate gyrus. The idea that the taste is in the mouth is simply due to the eccentric projection of the secretion according to the known. laws of physio-psychology. We trust that he will make proper explanations to the lady.-Med. Rec. RESORCIN IN THE TREATMEмt of KELOID. Dr. Justus Andeer, writing in Der Fortschritt of Oct. 10, 1888, reports the case of a woman who was incapacitated for work on account of a large keloid on the right foot. A one-per cent. ointment of resorcin was applied, and in a short time all the painful symptoms disappeared, and the patient expressed herself as cured. Von Nussbaum has also recommended resorcin as a very efficient remedy for keloid. As the disease is usually regarded as practically incurable, a trial of resorcin would seem to recommend itself as worthy of being made. It is advisable to begin with a weak ointment and gradually to increase the strength according to the indications. Med. Rec. THE annual statement of the Mutual Life In surance Company of New York shows the remarkable progress made by this institution during twelve months. The record made by the Mutual eclipses its own best efforts, and naturally exceeds that of any other financial institution in the world. The new business written amounted to $103,214,261.31, an increase of $33,756,792.95 over the new risks assumed in 1887, and a gain of $46,381,542 over the business of 1886-showing a continuous and phenomenal advance. The assets of the Mutual Life now aggregete $128,082,153.56, indicating a gain for the year of $7,275,301. The Company has now an outstanding insurance account amounting to $485,125,184. Its total income from all sources is reported at $26,215,932. It paid to its members during the year for death claims and endowments and other obligations $14,727,550.22. Up to date the Mutual had 158,369 policies in force, showing a gain in membership for the year of 17,426, thus forming the biggest army of policy-holders in any regular Life Insurance Company in the world. The surplus fund was increased $1,645,622.11 in 1888, and the Mutual now has $7,940,063.33 over and above every liability. THE CANADA LANCET. demands of the profession and the Medical Colleges, and left nothing undone which they could do, to make the amendments obtained as meagre A Monthly Journal of Medical and Surgical Science and unsatisfactory as was in their power. For Criticism and News. Communications solicited on all Medical and Scientific AGENTS. DAWSON BROS., Montreal; J. & A. MCMILLAN, St. John, TORONTO, APRIL, 1889. The LANCET has the largest circulation of any THE ANATOMY ACT. example, under the absurd idea that the minds of persons, who have been in many cases hopelessly insane and as mindless as oysters for a long term of years, might be affected unfavorably by the idea of their bodies being used for the advancement of science before being buried,-was made a reason for excluding asylums for the insane from the institutions included in the amendments sought for. How such persons can ever be supposed to bother their heads about what is to befall their bodies after death, whether they are to rot in the grave as usual, or be first made tributary to science, has never been satisfactorily explained, and cannot be. It is true that some of the medical superintendents of asylums themselves have a fad of this kind, and bring it forward periodically, as often as the Medical Colleges ask for what they are justly entitled to in this direction; a fad, however, to which no attention should be paid. It was also desired to have the bodies of those who had died in public institutions claimable only by relations; for heretofore, the permission given to "bona fide friends" to claim them, has been sadly abused-50 or 60 per cent. of these bodies being sometimes claimed by friends of a bogus kind, e. g., by fellow-members of societies to which the deceased might have belonged, and often only by fellow-countrymen; or by any one indeed, even a hospital nurse, who could collect in small sums the necessary $5 from any source. All the Medical Colleges in Ontario, aided by the sympathy of the whole medical profession of the Province, were much interested in the passing of the recent amendments to the Anatomy Act. The Medical Council and our Medical Colleges, are very properly, most anxious, while extending from time to time the curriculum of medical studies, to give students every reasonable facility to bring themselves up to the high standard now required. Hence the necessity which exists for increasing the supply of anatomical material obtainable by law, without forcing students to get, as best they can, what they absolutely require, in order to pursue their studies to any advantage. The amendments sought for, embraced the unclaimed bodies On this account the words "bona fide friends " of persons having no relatives, who have died in were left out by the framers of the amendments. our insane asylums, hospitals, houses of industry This provoked vigorous opposition. All sorts of and other refuges aided by public, grants. To imaginary cases were spoken of by garrulous have granted this fully, and with readiness, would legislators as likely to occur, and finally they were have been the very least our Ontario Legislature re-inserted, and a provision added by way of should have done in aid of a profession like ours, guarding against "bogus" claimants, viz., that the the members of which, have necessarily committed order of a police magistrate, who is to be satisto them, the care at one time or another, of every fied that the party claiming the body is a "bona man, woman and child of the population. But fide friend," will have to be procured, in addition the experience of past efforts in the same direction to paying the $5. This, of course, will, to some exwas repeated this year. Some of the members of tent, decrease the evil which formerly existed and the Legislative Assembly, without distinction of enlarge the supply available for Medical Colleges ; party, did as they always have done, set them but to have given the promoters of the amendments selves steadfastly against meeting the reasonable what they asked for, would have done no harm, as no "bona fide friend" has ever been or would ever have been refused, by any College, the body he might claim, and on this very account the Colleges have to keep them a long time intact in order to give every opportunity for just claims to be made. It is to be hoped the police magistrates, in doing the duty the Bill assigns them, will show more intelligence than many members of the Legislature did. If so, the interests of Medical Science may, even with the scant concession given, gain considerably. The members of the profession can hardly imagine the gross ignorance, and intense prejudices of some of the parties who have the honor of writing M.P.P. after their names. Imagine one of these gentlemen gravely suggesting that he did not see why medical students might not study anatomy from "manikins ". -ex pede Herculem. Another anomaly in connection with this Bill was the authorities of a hospital, in a town some distance from Toronto, petitioning and protesting loudly against its passing. What sort of medical attendants would that, or any other hospital, be able to secure, if the study of anatomy were hampered and largely prevented by such petitioners? The opposition to such Bills is based on two grounds: most unjustifiable ignorance, and strong prejudice. We hope that the Bill may give such help as the Colleges and the profession require in the study of anatomy; but if its provisions be found so inadequate that other plans, which no one approves of, have to be resorted to, to eke out the supply of what must be had if we are to have properly educated physicians and surgeons, and which the Legislature cheerfully and fully has provided for, in Great Britain and even in Quebec, it is neither the Colleges nor the profession, but our insufficiently enlightened Legislature which will have to bear the blame. OVER-WORKING OF SCHOOL CHILDREN. In the course of a chat a few evenings ago with a gentleman engaged in the educational work of this Province, he remarked: "I worked seven hours yesterday preparing a lecture, but I find it was too much; a man should not work more than three or four hours at anything which taxes the brain to its utmost." I wondered at the time how many children of tender years pass under his observation during a twelvemonth of his professional duties, who can get off with, say, three or four hours a day of mental work, under our present system of educational forcing. We know from a somewhat extended experience as to the methods of teaching in vogue in some of our most successful schools, that the pupils attending them are sadly over-worked. Five hours a day are spent in the school rooms proper and then comes the ever-dreaded "home-work." A lady consulted us the other day regarding the health of her daughter, a girl of about fourteen years of age. The symptoms need not be here set down, as they are of a kind with which every medical man is more or less familiar, but, instead, let me set down simply the work of that girl for twenty-four hours. She rises at 6:30, practises at the piano for an hour, has breakfast and gets to school at nine. Here for five hours she is actively engaged in class-work, and I know from the esprit de corps of that school, that there is little opportunity for the unbending of the bow during these five hours. In the evening it is usually ten o'clock before her "home work" is done. Is it at all to be wondered at that she is languid and restless, always tired, has no appetite, etc.? This is not an unusual case. Of course many children are so constituted that they let home work go and take their chances next day, and do not wear themselves out even during school hours by a too close attention to the work of the classes; but the more conscientious and fine-grained a boy or girl is the more will their burdens be increased And it is generally true that the extremely sensitive child, who dreads a bad mark for an imperfect recitation, or a frown from the teacher for inattention, is usually the one whose physical strength will least enable him to bear up under this constant mental strain. Now, the teacher cannot be blamed for endea voring to force his pupils, when that incubus, the examination is constantly kept before him. Let his class fail to come up to the standard of deadly uniformity required by our examining boards, and he is graded as inefficient. These examining boards, acting of course under the regulations of the Education Department, are the bane of the intelligent teacher's life. They have been well described by a caustic writer as: "Knots of clever, eager, trained experts in the examining art, who are marking, questioning, classing and certifying right and left on a technical, narrow, mechanical method. They would be far better employed in learning something useful themselves." Under the present system of examinations everything is reduced to a routine, no individuality in teaching can obtain, nor can the fitness of a pupil for one thing more than another be recognized, to an extent at all commensurate with the difference in the nature of children, let alone having regard to their probable walk in life. A gentleman cannot be made by Act of Parliament, nor can a scholar, in the true sense of the term, be developed by any such routine course of teaching as is now required to make pupils "pass" the examinations which are eternally looming up before them, and the results of which, as before stated, are looked upon as determining the teacher's status in his profession, all the facts and all the Gradgrinds in creation notwithstanding. ONTARIO MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. As will be seen by the advertisement in another column, Wednesday and Thursday, the 5th and 6th of June, have been fixed upon as the dates of the ninth annual meeting of this Society. This meeting promises to be one of more than ordinary interest. Already many valuable papers have been promised, and the special committees have been hard at work for several months. Dr. Roswell Parke, of Buffalo, will read a paper upon "The radical cure of hernia." Interesting papers are expected from Dr. Skene, of Brooklyn, and Dr. Andrew Roberston, of New York. Among others who have signified their intention of being present and reading papers, are Dr. Howitt, of Guelph, Drs. Buller and Ross, of Montreal; Drs. McFarlane, Graham and Ryerson, of Toronto, and Dr. James Grant, of Ottawa. The special committees are composed as follows: Medicine. Dr. Sheard, Toronto, Chairman. Dr. McPhedran, Toronto; Dr. Moorhouse, London; Dr. Tye, Chatham, and Dr. Bruce Smith, Seaforth. The subject selected for discussion is "The prognostic significance of moderate cardiac hypertrophy.' Surgery. Dr. W. T. Aikins, Toronto, Chairman. Dr. J. H. Cameron, Toronto; Dr. Malloch, Hamilton; Dr. Ruttan, Napanee, and Dr. Dupuis, Kingston. Subject: "The general management of the patient and sick room in surgical cases. Obstetrics and Gynaecology.-Dr. Griffin, Hamilton, Chairman. Dr. Barrick, Toronto; Dr. Fenwick, Kingston; Dr. Adam Wright, Toronto, and Dr. Howitt, Guelph. Subject: "Some observations on lacerations of the perinæum." Ophthalmology.-Dr. Moore, Brockville, Chairman. Drs. Reeve, Burnham. Palmer and Ryerson, Toronto, and Dr. Connell, Kingston. Subject: "Glaucoma." Therapeutics.-Dr. Thorburn, Toronto, Chairman. Dr. Oliver, Kingston; Dr. J. L. Davison, Toronto; Dr. Meek, London, and Dr. Wishart, Toronto. The officers of the Association for 1889 are as follows: President.-Dr. W. H. Henderson. Kingston. Vice-Presidents. -Dr. Geikie, Toronto; Dr. Howitt, Guelph; Dr. Day, Trenton, and Dr. Aikman, Collingwood. Corresponding Secretaries.--Dr. Lovitt, Ayr; Dr. Gillies, Teeswater; Dr. Trimble, Queenston, and Dr. Leonard, Napanee. General Secretary.-Dr. D. J. Gibb Wishart, Toronto. Treasurer.-Dr. N. A. Powell, Toronto. The committees other than the above will be composed as follows:- Committee on Papers and Business.-Dr. Graham, Toronto, Chairman. Dr. Mullin, Hamilton; Dr. Powell, Toronto; Dr. Groves, Fergus, and Dr. A. A. Macdonald, Toronto. Committee on Credentials.-Dr. A. Davidson, Toronto, Chairman. Drs. R. A. Pyne, W. H. B. Aikins, Armstrong, Britton, Duncan, Barrick, Elliott and Carveth, Toronto, and Dr. Arnot, London. Committee on Nominations.-Dr. McKay, Woodstock, Chairman. Dr. Brown, Galt; Dr. Holmes, Chatham; Dr. Mullin, Hamilton; Dr. A. H. Wright, Toronto; Dr. R. W. B. Smith, Seaforth; Dr. Aylesworth, Collingwood; Dr. Yeomans, Mount Forest; Dr. Powell, Toronto; Dr. Harrison, Selkirk; Dr. McPhedran, Toronto; Dr. Eccles, London; Dr. MitMoore, Brockville, and Dr. Taylor, Goderich. chell, Enniskillen; Dr. Fenwick, Kingston; Dr. Committee on Public Health.-Dr. Shaw, Orillia, Chairman. Dr. Mearns, Petrolia; Dr. Meek, London; Carmichael, Mount Forest; Dr. Bryce, Toronto; Dr. Dr. Wilson, Richmond Hill; Dr. Howitt, Guelph; Dr. Shaw, Hamilton; Dr. T. S. Covernton, Toronto, and Dr. Worthington, Clinton. Committee on Legislation.-Dr. Strange, Toronto, Chairman. Drs. C. W. Covernton, J. H. Cameron, Miller and Cleland, Toronto; Hon. M. Sullivan, Kingston; Dr. Kitchen, St. George; Dr. Lundy, Galt; Dr. Herod, Guelph; Dr. Millar, Hamilton; Dr. Colver, Waterford; Dr. Cochran, Omemee; Dr. Forest, Mount Albert; Dr. Whiteman, Shakespeare ; Dr. Griffin, Brantford, and Dr. Irving, Kirkton. Committee on Publication.-Dr. Anderson, Milgrove, Chairman. Dr. Caldwell, Lakefield; Dr. McAlpine, Lindsay; Dr. McLay, Algoma; Dr. Philp, Hamilton; Dr. Winskill, Brantford; Drs. Peters, J. L. Davison and Ferguson, Toronto; Dr. Stalker, Ridgetown, and Dr. Powell, Toronto. Committee on By-Laws.-Dr. Rosebrugh, Toronto, Chairman. Drs. Cotton, Coatsworth, Doolittle, E. C. King, Ghent, Gullen, W. B. Geikie and Bingham, Toronto; Dr. Cruickshank, Ellesmere; Dr. Freel, Stouffville; Dr. Burgess, Leslieville; Dr. Maguire, Guelph; Dr. Macdonell, Orillia, and Dr. Ames, Brigden. Drs. Barrick, Baines, McCullough, O'Reilly, Strathy, Sweetnam, Smith and Spencer, Toronto; Dr. Sturgeon, Hagersville; Dr. Maguire, Brantford; Dr. Gavillar, Grand Valley; Dr. Mitchell, Enniskil len; Dr. Sheard, Toronto, and Dr. Digby, Brantford. Committee to form a Code of Ethics.-This committee is the same as above, with the addition of Drs. Burnham and Wishart, Toronto. little has been said or done to remedy the evils of which we speak. In this connection, the following by Dr. Ady, in the Pacific Med. and Surg. Jour. will be of interest :-He says "he believes the belly-band,' however made, is a relic of barbarism-uncomfortable and mischievous, often causing and never preventing hernia. The inguinal region is the weakest part of the abdomen. Instead of protecting this, the band, on the contrary, forces the intestines down into it. Even if the umbilical opening has not properly closed, the Committee on Coroners' Inquests.-Dr. J. H. Rich-pressure of the band about the circumference of ardson, Toronto, Chairman. Dr. Irwin, Kingston; Dr. Johnson, Toronto; Dr. Philp, Hamilton; Drs. C. W. Covernton, J. E. White, Duncan, J. H. Cameron and Powell, Toronto. Committee on Audit. - Dr. Kitchen, St. George, Chairman. Dr. Gullen, Toronto; Dr. Hillary, Aurora; Dr. Lundy, Preston; Dr. Millar, Toronto; Dr. McKinnon, Guelph; Dr. A. J. Johnson, Toronto; Dr. Sinclair, St. Marys; Dr. Yeomans, Mount Forest; Dr. Machell, Owen Sound; Dr. Phillip, Brantford; Dr. McDonagh, Toronto; Dr. Macallum, London, and Dr. Millman, Kingston. Committee on Necrology. Dr. W. H. B. Aikins, Chairman. Dr. J. A. Watson, Toronto; Dr. Whiteman, Shakespeare; Dr. Logie, London; Dr. Taylor, Goderich; Dr. Smith, Toronto; Dr. Walker, Dundas; Dr. Grant, Beaverton; Dr. Roe, Georgetown; Dr. J. Caven, Toronto; Dr. Lindsay, Strathroy; Dr. Hunt, Clarksburg, and Dr. Eakins, Belleville. Committee on Arrangements.-Dr. P. H. Bryce, Toronto, Chairman. Drs. Grasett, Temple, Spencer, Simpson, R. A. Pyne, O'Reilly, Acheson, Macfarlane, Machell, Ferguson, Davidson, Burritt, Grafton, Thistle and Cunningham, Toronto. THE BELLY BAND FOR THE NEW BORN. The abdominal pad, as used in obstetrics, having received the condemnation of the great majority of the profession, as being not only useless to prevent post partum hemorrhage, but absolutely harmful; and the obstetric binder being looked upon as valueless except as a comfortable support to the mother's relaxed abdominal walls; we are quite prepared for innovations in the management of the new born child. Hitherto the old women's notions regarding this latter have been allowed to go almost unchallenged, but the iconoclastic spirit of modern scientific obstetrics is becoming evident even here, and this last entrenchment of medieval obstetrical science is being forced. No doubt the poor helpless babe is tortured beyond what we can conceive, by a system of treatment which in a great many cases is as irrational as it is harmful, yet the body will only crowd a knuckle of intestines into the aperture and effectually keep it open, instead of allowing it to close, which it will generally do if left to itself. He would, therefore, advise that all bands, skirts, etc., that punish the baby, be left off." NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS FROM NEW YORK HOSPITALS AND SOCIETIES. Prof. Loomis, in a recent clinic on cardiac diseases, offered the following suggestions as a result of his long and extensive experience :-In the prognosis of cardiac diseases, too much stress has been laid on the existence or non-existence of a cardiac murmur and the character of it. The general tendency is to give an unfavorable prognosis whenever a murmur is found. As a matter of fact the murmur is of little importance, it is the condition of the cardiac walls that influences the prognosis. If, accompanying the murmur, there is compensatory hypertrophy, the prognosis is good; if there is no hypertrophy or dilatation, the prognosis is good; but if there exists dilatation and degeneration of the cardiac wall, and symptoms of impeded circulation, then we have just reason to render an unfavorable prognosis; and the one fact to be considered in all forms of chronic endocarditis is the condition of the cardiac walls. He has seen many a patient over 70 years of age with well-marked cardiac murmurs, but who complained of no symptoms referable to the heart whatever. In presenting a case of ulcerative en docarditis, he concisely stated the present views of the etiology as follows: Until quite recently most observers and experimenters held the view that there was a specific bacteria which, when intro |