time at any one point it cannot become fixed. This method has given most excellent results in a large number of cases. At first the electrode may not be introuced to the bladder. Go as deeply as possible and increase the distance at each sitting until the desired depth is reached.

Static electricity is most excellent in cases of impotence, but just as good results may be obtained from the use of the faradic or the combined currents, as outlined above.

The brain and spinal cord should receive attention in these cases. Give treatment to the brain by placing the anode on the forehead and the cathode at the base of the brain. Use a current of two to three ma. and move the electrodes over each surface without breaking contact. Such treatment may close each sitting and be given for five minutes. If the current produces vertigo reduce it. It is important to remember that only sufficient voltage should be used to give the necessary amperage, and no more, especially when used on the head. If no milameter is used, from two to three cells will be sufficient provided they are in good condition. If, however, the force be weak, or there is too much resistance, one may get too much voltage and not enough amperage. We reduce amperage and increase voltage by resistance. This subject, however, is too deep for discussion in this paper.

Apathy in the Gentler Sex.

Very seldom do I have a patient who expresses a wish to have the sexual appetite or desire increased. The majority of the sex are, or profess to be, entirely indifferent to the subject. In some cases, however, I have given vaginal and lumbo-abdominal treatment with good success. Generally, it will be sufficient to use electro-massage, and use the pads as above stated. Place large pads on the abdomen and the back and apply the galvanic current, using twenty to fifty ma., with frequent reversals of the current. Also use the swelling current. Sittings may be had every other day, avoiding nearness to the periods.

With the electrical treatment, in nearly all cases is combined judicious medica

tion, but it is not within the scope of this paper to discuss that subject.

WM. H. WALLING, M. D. 1606 Green street, Philadelphia, Pa.

Cure for Cold in the Head."

To "break up a cold in the head," I have had good success with steaming. I will give an instance where I broke it up on myself. I had been out driving and took a very severe cold in the head, and on the second day I decided to get rid of it if possible. To do this I put in a good fire and got a common tea kettle boiling. I then took a large shawl and covered over my head and over the kettle spout, and stood beside the stove and steamed in this way about half an hour; by this time my head was discharging freely and the head sweating freely, and it also had a clear feeling. This was done at bed time, and I then went to bed with a good supply of covering, and I wore my fur cap all night. In the morning my cold was all gone. Notice I say all gone. I have used this same treatment in my practice several times with a similar result.

It is well to give a mild cough medicine as syr. white pine co., or something to increase the faith, and also to give some medicine to put in the water, as tar, eucalyptus or carbolic acid, but simply steaming with water will do it. You need to warn your patients to keep the head and body both well warmed for a while after the steaming. The hope, dear Editor, that this article may be of benefit to some of the WORLD readers is my only excuse for writing it.

J. A. HERSHEY M. D.
Massey Station, Ont. Canada.

Treatment for Dandruff.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD:-Dr. J. R. Swain's inquiry for a successful treatment of "dandruff" induces me to offer some suggestions, which I hope will assist him. Dandruff is caused by seborrhea, and nothing will cure it until the cause has been removed. The dry form of seborrhea of the scalp, involving the sebaceous glands only, may be attended with but few ill effects beyond the production of dandruff; but its course is always chronic, and will, sooner or later, invade the hair follicles and result in the

loss of the hair. In the treatment but little good will result from the use of oily substances only. The treatment must be radical. Thoroly shampoo the scalp with the tincture of green soap once daily; first wet the hair with warm water, then pour on about one dram of the tincture, and after the scalp has been well cleansed and dried, rub in a little

ointment made of one dram of the oil of cade to one ounce of vaseline.

At night will be the most convenient time for this treatment. Next morning use pure bay rum freely-I mean the imported distilled bay rum.

S. E. HALE, M. D. 1226 Napoleon avenue, New Orleans, La.

For Dandruff.

always anxious to make them for fear of exposing their mistakes in diagnosis. Such is my experience.

When I attended lectures, one lecture was given at the close of each term by the demonstrator of surgical anatomy, on how to make post mortems. We frequently saw specimens at the Pennsylvania and Blockley hospitals, but never saw the posts conducted. We knew very little of morbid anatomy, pathology, histology or microscopy.

Again, it requires time and equipments to make a satisfactory post. How many country doctors have these at command?

The first post I made was during my second year's practice. The child was 10 years old, a living skeleton, very large abdomen, weak and rapid pulse, fretful, poor appetite and had a great desire to sit close to the wall, pick off the whitewash lime and eat it. I had diagnosed the case as marasmus. I asked to be allowed to post; it was granted; I did and I was as wise after as before. I had never seen a similar case, but I was awake enough to tell them that my diagnosis was correct, and I knew that the family was not smarter than myself. Since then I have made a number of posts which verified my diagnosis; others revealed uncertainties.

men.

A practitioner should be cautious in giving a diagnosis. Some years ago a middle aged lady, married, ten children, had grown stout with an enlarged abdoShe consulted me concerning the probability of being dropsical. After an examination I said she might have some fluid in her abdominal cavity, but that in all probability her mesentary and peritoneum were enlarged, and very little that she could live a long time in spite could be done to diminish her size; and of her then trouble, which was more inconvenience and concern than suffer

ing.

Some years later she walked out to gather blackberries. She fell while walking and landed on her right side and abdomen. She was in bed a week, was swollen over region of the liver and had considerable pain. At the end of the second week pain had left her, she was down stairs and did a little work. At the end of the third week she had a relapse, chills, fever pulse, pain and

swelling. I told her she took cold. She said she had a chill during the night, having slept before an open window. I told her she was more seriously sick than before. At the end of a week she was able to be down stairs. Her brother had called to see her. I congratulated her on her good recovery, saying that I had feared she would have trouble, but the worst was now over. Next morning she suddenly became unconscious and died at 3 p. m. Family wanted to know the cause of her death. Expressed an opinion that she had an abscess from the fall and the relapse, and that its contents opened into the cavity of the abdomen. I was anxious to know more definitely, but would not ask for a post, for fear that I might be caught "napping." The day before the funeral her daughter, an intelligent young lady and school teacher, called at my office and wished to know whether I was not desirous of making a post. I felt very uncomfortable but said I would very gladly if they desired it. I asked a neighboring physician to assist me. The result was half a bucket of water in the abdominal cavity, the mesentery enlarged, peritoneum as thick as calf skin leather, with plenty of pus floating in the fluid. The abscess was under the liver. I did not care to see further because my diagnosis was proven and I did not care to try to find what I had not predicted.

Some time ago I attended a woman in confinement. Labor slow and pain-. ful. Delivered with forceps; child living. Lady showed nothing special for four days, when she had a severe chill and some pain in her abdomen. Womb and lochia normal. Gave her quinine. in large doses. Chills ceased for two days and returned. Again gave quinine. Felt uneasy, yet could see no sign of immediate danger. When I arrived next morning she had died. Husband said: "Why did you not tell me of her danger?" I said that I had not thought of any. Mother said: "You said the other day she would get well." I said I did and thought so and hoped so. She asked: "Well, what was the cause of her death?" I said, undoubtedly an abscess. Let me make a post to clear up the mystery. You are anxious to know and so am I. After some hesitaAfter some hesita

tion I was permitted and found womb normal, no peritonitis, left broad ligament inflamed, ovary enlarged and an abscess cavity on its posterior wall; the pus had escaped. Stomach and liver seemed normal. Kidneys not examined. Legs were swollen two days before her death. Urine sufficient in quantity and color during her sickness, as near as could be seen on account of lochia.

No matter how cautious a practitioner may be, he is always pressed for opinions. It seems the family, at least, has a right to know and will insist on knowing, even if the doctor does not know; but it is my habit more and more to say I do not know. Physicians should study the art of posting, and in every doubtful case try to clear away the mystery by asking, or even begging, for the privilege of a post. I have made quite a number, not as intelligently as I desired, but, nevertheless, I was always benefitted by the operation.

Some time ago I was asked to see a man in consultation. Was told he commenced with cramp. Had been sick a week when I saw him. Was unconscious and near the brink. Next day he passed over. Told the attending physician the man had bilious colic with gall stones and asked for a post. The request was granted and nearly a tablespoonful of various sizes of calculi were in his gall bladder.

These cases were all very interesting to me, and if you consider this hurriedly written report of sufficient importance to your numerous readers you are welcome to lay it before them; if not, turn it into your big waste basket.

FRANK R. BRUNNER, M. D.
Eshbach, Pa.

[Experience that has been of value to you will be of value to others. In the case of the lady that died after confinement, did you find pus in the peritoneal cavity? The swollen legs suggest kidney trouble. Gall stones are frequently found after death, which gave no trouble during life. The symptoms during life should be a guide, and when a reasonable cause for them has been found, and diagnosis fully verified, usually it is not necessary to look further. But do not stop until an adequate cause for death has been found.-ED.]

A Post Mortem.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD: Seven years ago we had an unusually severe epidemic of what we called dysentery. For a week or two very few patients recovered. Our local medical society met weekly for consultation. We could not understand the disease, which did not seem to be amenable to any treatment we could devise. I had a patient, a mother of six children, living three miles from my office, who, for a wonder to me, had just recovered from a very severe attack. At my last visit to her I left minute directions in regard to diet and hygiene for the whole family, all the members of which appeared to be in their usual health. Two days afterward I was called in haste to see one of the children, a boy, six years old. The mother said that he was taken sick the night before and now she remembered that he had been feeling bad for several days. The child grew rapidly worse, and in spite of, or perhaps aided by my treatment, died in a few hours. I did not know why that child died, and I frankly told the mother so, and asked her permission to find out by an examination, so that I might be able to treat the other children more intelligently should they be attacked. She consented. There, on the kitchen table, covered with a coarse blanket, by the dim light of a coal oil lamp, with no instruments but a sharp pocket knife and no assistance except an old granny who had come to "help do something," I "conducted a post mortem"; not after the manner laid down in the books, but the best I could under the circumstances. I closed the wound with a darning needle and common white sewing thread. I found out just what the matter was, and I made a full report to our medical society at its next meeting. After that, instead of losing 75 per cent. of our cases, we saved more than that proportion. But I did not report the post to THE MEDICAL WORLD, tho I was reading it at that

time.

The office of the country doctor is well supplied with everything he needs; when the roads are in condition to use his buggy he carries what he thinks he may want; but he is often compelled to ride horse back, when his case of remedies,

pocket-case of instruments, thermometer, hypodermic syringe, visiting list, and perhaps a few other things are all he usually carries. He is accustomed to emergencies and learns to be self-reliant. He and his city brother received their diplomas at the same time and at the same college. Since then the difference, if there be any, between them is mainly in their surroundings. Let them be brothers, working for a common end. Billings, Mo. F. A. REW, M.D.

A Post Mortem.

Editor MEDICAL WORLD :-In compliance with your request in November WORLD for post mortem reports, I will give a concise report of one, together with its ante mortem symptoms. J. H. T., aged 57, weight 180, American, laborer. Duration of illness, eighteen months. Previous history unknown. The symptoms the last four months of illness, except slight variations were: dyspnea, anxious expression of countenance, face pale, except the four hours preceding death, when it was exceedingly red; slight asthmatic attacks during the last week of illness; edema of feet and legs, hydroperitoneum, irregular pulse, increased heart action, increased area of cardiac dullness, a diastolic regurgitant murmur, loudest at lower end of sternum; diminished respiratory and vocal fremitus on right side, increased on left side; marked dullness on right side of chest and pulsation of arteries of neck.

Patient was able to walk around about half the time. A decided no! emphasized by a stamp of the foot when I asked consent to tap him shortened his exist

ence.

Post mortem seventeen hours after death revealed the following: hydrothorax, hydroperitoneum, hydropericardium, localized gelatinous substance in right pleural cavity, attached to base of lung; complete adhesion of left lung to chest wall; spleen friable, containing gritty feeling particles as large as coarse sand; a small cyst in left kidney; hypertrophy of left ventricle; length of heart 534 inches, width 334 inches, thickness 31⁄2 inches, and calcareous deposits on aortic valves, producing aortic insufficiency. I was unable to tell before post

mortem examination, why respiratory and vocal fremitus were increased on left side of chest and dullness on right side only, when the thorax was full of water. The reason the sounds were not indentical on both sides of the chest was this: the water in right pleural cavity pushed the lung upward; the left lung being adhered to chest wall and the water on left side occupying that portion of the pleural cavity next to the heart that had not been obliterated by adhesions.

C. C. PATCHEN, M. D.

Beardstown, Ill. [What was the lesson learned by this examination? That the effusions were due to the condition of the heart? How about the kidneys? Had the urine been examined, and was it albuminous, or did it contain casts? As you say nothing about the liver, we presume it to have been normal. Make every post mortem bring out a lesson clearly and distinctly if possible.-Ed.]

The New Electro-Mercuric Treatment of Cancer.

Those readers of THE MEDICAL WORLD

who heard my paper on this subject before the Section on Practice at the American Medical Association at its recent meeting in Philadelphia are doubtless interested in the further development of a method which bids fair to be a radical cure of primary malignant disease. At the suggestion of the Editor I therefore gladly contribute the latest news concerning it.

The further history of the cases reported, as well as even more remarkable results obtained in cases since June last, prove that this method renders it possible to radically cure a partial malignant degeneration of an organ without destruction of the organ itself. This has been proven in cases where the uterus, breast, superior maxilla, hard palate and rectum were affected. It is true that sufficient time has not yet elapsed to determine the certainty of non-recurrence, yet if any of these cases do recur, the method can be applied again so readily as to insure final results of a permanent character.

The principle involved in the method is the possibility that a local carcinoma or sarcoma may be interstitially infiltra

ted by mercury in the shape of a nascent oxychloride by means of cataphoresis, the infiltration being done massively and thoroly at one application while the patient is under anesthesia. One application alone is sufficient in some cases, the nascent mercuric salt apparently acting as a lethal agent on the malignant cells, which are subsequently absorbed and removed as effete material. It is found that normal tissue is far more resistant to this agent than the heterologous element of cancer, and that cancer cells will die in an organic structure that remains merely irritated. This is particularly true in those cases that have been treated since I discovered that pure mercury is best diffused from a gold electrode, the earlier work having been with mercury adhering to a zinc electrode. In the latter case there is considerable destruction of all the tissues in the immediate neighborhood of the electrode, as a portion of the zinc is also corroded off and diffused as an oxychloride. have found that this property of zinc is useful in large sarcomas where we wish an immediate destruction of large masses, but that the gold mercury application is preferable where the organ is to be preserved, as in the breast, where it is possible to destroy large carcinomas with more or less complete preservation of the organ.

I

Much of the importance of this method depends upon the facility with which the process may be made to follow the prolongations of the cancer into the tissues, failure to do which is the principal reason for non-success in cutting operations. This is secured by placing the opposite pole on a distant portion of the body, the mercury laden current being compelled to traverse the cancer prolongations in passing thru the body. As these so-called "roots" are generally better conductors of the current than the surrounding tissues, and possess less vital resistance, there is a double reason for their succumbing to the method in situations that would escape the most thoro application of the knife.

The instruments required must be of solid gold, so constructed that the initial supply of mercury applied by amalgamation may be maintained during the application. For this purpose they are