the above symptoms some delay in speech. Slowly the symptoms retrograded so that she was comparatively well. For a few months, however, the eyesight in the left eye suddenly began to fail and an optic neuritis was discovered in it. In the right eye a temporal atrophic excavation was found. The weakness of the legs and bladder disturbances reappeared. Again she began to improve and the weakness in the legs was entirely gone. For ten years she worked and to all intents and purposes was normal, until she was seized with another violent attack of rheumatism which disabled her for about a year. At present she is again fully recovered, except that she complains of a certain fatigue in the legs if she uses them for a long time, and that in coughing or when sneezing, some urine escapes. The patient is now 56 years of age, having had multiple sclerosis for about 18 years. Oppenheim speaks only of 3 cases of multiple sclerosis in which nothing pathologic could be found from 5 to 10 years later. Materia Medica and Therapeutics EDITED BY JOHN WILLIAM FYFE, M. D. Short Articles giving definite indications for remedies are solicited, and may be sent to Old Remedies. In these days of innumerable new remedies and new "fads and fancies," there is a possibility of our substituting less efficient drugs for some of our older and well-tried remedies. It would seem well, therefore, for us to occasionally call to mind some of the many virtues of these old remedies-the drugs with which Dr. Wooster Beach, the founder of Eclectic medicine, achieved his phenomenal success in the treatment of the various wrongs of life In the days of Dr. Beach pleasant medicines were not numerous, but it was the doctor's constant endeavor to employ his remedies in such forms as would give as little offense to the sight and taste as was posible under the then existing circumstances. In referring to the treatment of the diseases of children, in his "American Practice of Medicine," Dr. Beach remarked: "Another reprehensible custom is to force down some nauseous drug every time the child begins to cry. Those who wish to bring up children in a healthy condition should be content to follow the simple path of nature and Few things tend more to the destruction of children than drenching them with strong and nauseous drugs. In their treatment simple remedies should be employed." common sense. * Harrison Anti-Narcotic Law. In the March issue of the REVIEW, I called the attention of physicians to certain parts of their duties under this law, and said in part: "These duties are not made as plain in the law as they might have been. It should be remembered that, although he may dispense to patients he visits personally, such amounts of the drugs coming under the provisions of the law as are necessary without making a record of them, all such drugs dispensed, sold, distributed or given away to patients calling at his office, or sent by him to a patient's home from his office, must be plainly recorded, giving the date when such drug is dispensed, the kind and quantity dispensed and the name and address of the patient to whom such drug was dispensed." The above statement was fully justified by the wording of the law, but the Commissioner of Internal Revenue has now made a ruling which materially increase the labor of the physician by requiring a report in ALL cases in which narcotics are employed. The always watchful editor of the Medical World well points out the injustice and uselessness of the Commissioner's ruling and in part says: "The medical profession of the United States has a large task before it. The working of the national narcotic act has proved to be more troublesome than was expected, owing to the United States Commissioner of Internal Revenue ruling that physicians must keep records of all narcotic drugs dispensed in their offices and at the bedside of patients. "The bill passed by the lawmakers does not require any such record. As the Treasury Board is not empowered to make law, we cannot see how they can enforce any such ruling. The bill as finally approved by physicians and druggists was worded to avoid such record keeping. "For a long time we had been directing the attention of the medical profession to the present law while it was in its formative state in Congress; but many physicians did not awake to the necessity of their looking into the subject themselves. Too many of them left it to us. We have done all that we could. But there remains a great deal that the individual members of the medical profession and the medical societies must do if it is to be done. They must join with us in our efforts. One of the things on hand now is to bring great pressure to bear on the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to induce him to rescind his action in ruling that the physician must keep a record of remedies dispensed, inasmuch as the law passed by Congress and approved by the President does not call for such record. The letter as well as the spirit of the law should be obeyed. "We have already heard of many physicians who are very bitter toward the law for compelling them to keep these records. And we have heard of some who have no cares, for they do not dispense any remedies, and they are not exerting any effort in behalf of their confrères who dispense. We consider it the duty of all physicians to act unitedly in this matter for the benefit of the profession, whether dispensers or not. "It appears that Smith, Kline & French Co., of Philadelphia, wholesale druggists and manufacturers, by the aid of their attorney, J. C. Jones, and his "view" of the law, prevailed on the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to see the matter at issue in the light of the druggists, the ulterior purpose of the druggists, of course, being to make dispensing by physicians so troublesome that the latter will write prescriptions, thus bringing more grist to the druggists' mill. "These are the words of the new national narcotic law: "Nothing contained in this section shall apply-(a) To the dispensing or distribution of any of the aforesaid drugs to a patient by a physician, dentist or veterinary surgeon registered under this act in the course of his professional practice only; provided, that such physician, dentist or veterinary surgeon shall keep a record of all such drugs dispensed or distributed, showing the amount dispensed or distributed, the date and the name and address of the patient to whom such drugs are dispensed or distributed, except such as may be dispensed or distributed to a patient upon whom such physician, dentist or veterinary surgeon shall personally attend; and such record shall be kept for a period of two years from the date of dispensing or distributing such drugs, subject to inspection, as provided in this act.'" "See particularly the words in italics. The following is the ruling of the Bureau of Internal Revenue: "Where a physician personally visits a patient and administers any of the drugs coming within the scope of the Harrison Act, he is not required to keep a record of such administration, but where he leaves a supply of any of these drugs or preparations to be taken by the patient in the physician's absence, he will be required to keep a record. of such drug or preparation, the same as he would in his office. A physician must keep a record of all drugs or preparations dispensed or distributed in his office, whether administered personally or given to the patient to be carried away with him.'" "We hold that 'personally attend in the course of professional practice' should include the leaving of necessary medicines for use between visits; and also include the dispensing of needed medicines at the office after consultation; that the words of the law do not mean 'personally administer." * "In our editorial last month on this law we said on page 84 that 'When the physician ** does not personally attend-i. e., personally see-the patient he must keep a record.' That editorial was written before the official interpretation by the Commissioner was made. We are not the only editors who gave out interpretations that proved to be different from the internal revenue bureau's pronouncement when made. The Journal of the American Medical Association several weeks ago stated in an editorial on this law that physicians would be required to keep records of dispensing in their offices, but not of remedies dispensed at the bedside. The Bureau now says that records must be made of dispensing at the bedside. The fact that editors and practicians almost generally believed that dispensing would not require to be recorded is fair proof that the general understanding of the law is substantially as we have heretofore stated." Eryngium Aquaticum. The root of this indigenous plant possesses properties which constitute a medicament of more than ordinary merit. Eryngium lessens irritation of the genito-urinary organs of both sexes, and it is, therefore, a frequently needed remedy. In acute or chronic nephritis it is a very efficient remedial agent, and in cystic irritation it is employed with marked success. In urethritis, whether simple or gonorrheal in origin, it exerts a curative influence, and in urethral and prostatic affections generally it may very well constitute a part of the treatment. In gleet and spermatorrhea eryngium is serviceable, and in leucorrhea and dysmenorrhea it is deemed a remedy of corrective power. Eryngium is used with satisfactory results in passive dropsy, and when there is mucus in the urine it exercises a beneficial influence. In abnormal conditions characterized by a frequent desire to urinate, making it impossible to sleep more than a few hours at a time, on account of the urethral or cystic irritation, eryngium exerts a restraining influence unequaled by any other drug. In all such cases I have for many years relied upon the therapeutic action of eryngium, and have found it all that could be desired. In the case of a clergyman sixty-five years of age, who was unable to retain his urine long enough to conduct the Sunday morning services in his church without great discomfort, the action of eryngium was prompt and decidedly gratifying to the patient. I prescribed thirty drops of specific eryngium in four ounces of water and directed him to take a teaspoonful every two hours. He began to improve at once, and in less than two weeks was able to retain his urine for several hours. The patient was then advised to take five drops of the drug in water three times a day. This he did for several months, when he was able to retain his urine as long as necessary. In the case of a lady who for several years had suffered from an almost constant desire to urinate, and was in consequence unable at night to avoid urinating about every hour, the same treatment resulted in the removal of the abnormal desire and in enabling the woman to retain her urine throughout the night. The foregoing cases will illustrate the results which I have usually obtained from the use of eryngium. The action of eryngium is not confined to its influence upon the genito-urinary organs. In bronchial inflammation, with profuse exudation, it is used with much advantage, and in pharyngitis and laryngitis it has been employed with good results. It is also used with satisfactory results in atonic dyspepsia, with gastric irritation, especially when indicated by red tip and edges of the tongue, nausea and tenderness on pressure. Among the specific indications for eryngium the following are especially worthy of merit: Burning sensation or burning pain in the urethra or bladder; frequent desire to urinate; catarrh of the bladder; uterine irritation accompanying uneasiness in the bladder; irritable condition of the bladder and urethra in old people; gastric irritation when accompanied by red tip and edges of the tongue, nausea and tenderness in the epigastric region. The dose of specific eryngium is from ten to sixty drops, but it may be successfully employed as follows: R Eryngium, gtt. x to xxx, water, iv. Teaspoonful every two hours.-Dr. J. W. FYFE in Eclectic Medical Journal. Society Meetings Eclectic Medical Society of the State of New York. The forty-fifth annual meeting of the Eclectic Medical Society of the State of New York was held March 24 and 25 in the Common Council Chamber, City Hall, Albany, New York. President Toms called the meeting to order at 10:30, March 24. Dr. T. D. Adlerman, Secretary, recording. The following was the order of business: Roll call of permanent members. Reading of minutes of the last meeting. Presentation of credentials. Reports of Officers and the presentation of bills and claims against the Society. Report of Committees. Appointment of Nominating Committee. President's address. Reading of essays. Miscellaneous business. Report of Legislative Committee. Election and installation of officers. Appointment of Standing Committees. The above is the program as sent out by the secretary. |