PRACTICAL EUGENICS.

The State of Wisconsin has recently enacted laws whereby condidates for marriage must provide a medical certificate showing that they are free from contagious or transmissible disease. The law also provides for the sterilization of epileptics, imbeciles and certain types of criminals. North Dakota has also passed a similar law. No fair-minded individual can question the good and altruistic results that will come from the judicious and wise enforcement of such laws calculated to better posterity and weed out suffering, crime and disease. Still there are sensitive and sentimental people who object to almost everything. Most of the objections to movements toward eliminating the unfit are that it interferes with "individual rights." And speaking "rights," we have reached a stage of enlightenment when every person yet unborn should have the right to be born well. ence and sense applied to the breeding of men would in a few generations eliminate three-fourths of the disease and degeneracy now existing.

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State and civic authorities make an attempt to care for the unfortunate. The most unfortunate class of all individuals receives practically no consideration by the State. We provide well for the insane and feeble-minded persons. We refer to the great army of consumptives who are of little benefit to themselves and their families and none to the State. There is little hope for the ultimate recovery of these. Tuberculosis if taken early enough is a curable disease in a goodly per cent. of

cases.

The consumptive should be cared for by the State. Money for eleemosynary purposes could not be better spent. Consumptives are a menace to the well and would be better if isolated. The majority of them are poor, ignorant and incabable of making a living. They endeavor to work. or eke out an existence and keep their families intact until they are bedfast. Above all else, the consumptive should have his case diagnosed early. After that he should have absolute rest and the best of nourishment, and should be freed from worries of the present or future.

Every State should have, and must have

a home for this unfortunate class, where their lives can be made comfortable and where, incidentally, a good many will have the disease arrested. There is less likely to be procreation resulting from consumptives who are cared for in an institution and there is certainly less danger of their infecting others.

Let us wake up and give the consumptive a fighting chance.

THE NATIONAL BEVERAGE.

Under the above heading the noted Dr. Wiley in the August Good Housekeeping tells something about the great American beverage, the so-called "soda." He states that the term is a misnomer, as “soda” is a survivor of the old-time custom of producing carbonic acid gas, carbon dioxide, by the decomposition of sodium bicarbonate with sulphuric acid. The term "soda" or "soda water" has therefore become a synonym for the extensive class of carbonated beverages.

"I have no serious quarrel with the name or with the beverage itself when clean, free of lead and preservatives, void of saccharin and strange to synthetic flavors," states the author. "The gas with which these beverages is charged is now made almost exclusively by large factories and stored under high pressure in strong steel cylinders. If not pure, there is little or no excuse for the negligence of the manufacturer. He has it in his power to purify the product easily and thoroughly before it enters the condensing pump."

The writer speaks of the likelihood of contamination from lead pipes and from the water used, as well as from the added ingredients, such as caffein and coal tar. He calls attention to the deception often employed in the production of beverages in general. Among these is ginger ale containing capsicum and little or no ginger. Attention is called to the fact that soapbark is often used to produce a lusty foam. The latter is not only deceptive but contains a toxic principle, sapotoxin.

Dr. Wiley points out that the beverages which produce "rest" and "drive away fatigue" are often stimulating tired nerves with caffein. "Turn rather," he states,

"to the simple carbonated drinks of the fountain: the grape juices and other pure, natural-fruit juices, such as lemon, lime and orange for refreshment.

"It is of special importance that parents. children and health officers look behind the counter and ascertain how the drinkingglasses are cleaned. They are too often soused in a tank of stagnant water under the counter, out of sight of the patron, and then bob up serenely for another pair of eager lips."

"THE WOMAN IN TROUBLE."

One of the things which the conscientious physician who is mindful of his character and his peace of mind must early in his professional life stone his heart against is "the woman in trouble." The appeal to terminate a conception often comes to him in such a subtle and insinuating manner that he may be led to do so before giving the matter serious thought. There may be ample reasons for the woman not desiring more offspring at this time; she may have two or three little ones already and the family resources may be at low ebb; the woman may be anemic and depleted in health from excessive maternity, she may be over-worked and half-starved, and on top of all this have a drunken, brutal husband, who lends her little sympathy or material aid. Again, it may be a young daughter of a family of "eminent respectability," possibly the minister's daughter. Venus is a little imp that has little regard for rank or station. Very often the woman who comes to the physician seeking relief is a person of reasonably good reputation, who is clandestinely consorting occasionally with other men. Sometimes it is a scheming, designing woman, who makes her ap peal for the purpose of injuring the physician's reputation or seeking financial gain. Very often the women who ask the physician to "give them something" are spectable individuals, although they are ignorant of the dangers attendant upon the termination of an early pregnancy; they do not appreciate the danger that might and often does accrue to both patient and physician.

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When such requests come to the doctor,

Puck's advice is always wise and safe: Don't. No physician wants the name of being an abortionist. If he accepts "selected cases" of this kind the first thing he knows his clientele will be ever growing and before he scarcely realizes it the fact will be heralded abroad that Dr. Blank is the fellow to call on when in trouble. The physician may gain a few families and hold them by this sort of work, and incidentally make a little money. At the same time such patrons have little respect for their physician, and in the long run he will lose both financially and in reputation. It pays to play the game straight, whether it be business, politics, medicine or anything else.

Another thing is this: Feminine character is so often illusive and unstable. We often do not know whether we can trust a man or not; when it comes to trusting a woman the matter is still more of a quandary. We think we know people and later find out that we don't. A few years ago a woman who thought she was in a dying condition as a result of an abortion made a statement incriminating an aged and respectable physician of her city. The doctor was arrested and placed under heavy bond; his business slumped and he was mortified and cast down. The unexpected happened and the "dying" woman recovered. At the trial on cross-examination the woman wilted and confessed that she had performed the operation herself, and that furthermore she was not acquainted with the physician whom she had accused and so shamefully wronged.

This story speaks volumes. Its moral does not need pointing out. In the language of Puck, we would say again,

"Don't."

WOOD ALCOHOL AND BLINDNESS. Reports of cases of blindness and death from the use of wood alcohol continue to come in. Wood alcohol has had considerable use in painting and varnishing, as it is serviceable as a solvent of shellac. It is unsafe to the eyes even when used in the arts, unless the place where it is used be thoroughly ventilated. It is better to use it not at all. The denatured alcohol is inexpensive and is considered safe.

JUST HOW DANGEROUS IS ACETANILID?

The profession, and the lay world as well, have come to associate "coal tar remedies" with danger and death. Perhaps it is a good conclusion to reach; perhaps this class of remedies has done the world more harm than good through their injudicious use.

Acetanilid especially comes in for a good deal of adverse criticism; it is considered the prince of the coal tar evils. Still it is the author's opinion that finely triturated acetanilid is about as safe as many of the products offered the profession with a base that is a coal tar derivative modified or corrected in some peculiar

manner.

Personally, we have never seen any great "evils" from acetanilid in the manner in which we have employed it for nearly a quarter century. The untoward symptoms observed by us from acetanilid were in years past; a few unfavorable reactions and we learned to go slow with this drug as well as many others.

On one occasion, several years ago, a lady called at the office for something for a severe headache, and a coal tar sedative was administered. She collapsed on the way home, but soon rallied and was assisted to her house by a friend. A young child was given a small dose of acetanilid compound to reduce a fever, and became weak and cyanotic. On another occasion a man came into the office crying, saying that he had killed his ten-year-old son by giving him some headache medicine which had been prescribed for the father. A slight collapse and cyanosis.

All these suggested a central idea: “Go slow with coal tar preparations." When acetanilid or any of its derivatives, by whatsoever name, produce blue lips and blue finger nails, this is ample evidence of an unfavorable reaction. The dose has been too large or the individual has an idiosyncrasy for it. Not that such cyanotic symptoms are particularly dangerous, for it is seldom that acetanilid produces immediate harm; but such signs certainly show an unkind reaction.

On another occasion it was the writer's experience to observe a severe case of acetanilid poisoning. In a despondent mood

a young lady took, with suicidal intent, eleven migraine tablets, each containing four grains of acetanilid and the caffein and other things that go with the average formula. She therefore obtained fortyfour grains of acetanilid. Cyanosis and depression followed; next a convulsive action of mild degree and then nausea and vomiting. It is probable that a portion of the drug was ejected, otherwise the symptoms might have been more severe. Recovery was prompt.

Acetanilid is a dangerous drug if not properly and judiciously used. The same may be said of morphine, belladonna, hyosin, digitalis, aconite and a great many others. Acetanilid in proper dosage and selected case is one of our most serviceable pain-relieving agents.

Acetanilid, by whatever name or guise employed, is not a drug for continuous or prolonged use. Its damaging effects seem to be mainly upon the red blood corpuscles, by which the oxygen-bearing function is disturbed.

WANTED-BEST TREATMENT FOR HYDROCELE, HEMORRHOIDS AND RHEUMATISM.

One of our subscribers writes saying that he would like SUMMARY readers give him the best solution to use as an injection for hydrocele of the tunica vaginalis after tapping it. Another subscriber wants the readers' experience in treating hemorrhoids with pure carbolic acid and tincture iodine combined by hypodermic injection; also the best remedy for rheumatism.

DECLARES CANCER "CURES" VALUE

LESS.

The Imperial Cancer Research Fund, one of the greatest scientific bodies in the world, held its annual meeting in London in July, the Duke of Bedford presiding.

The annual report states that examinations of the various so-called cures made during the year proved them all to be valueless and demonstrated again that the vulnerable part of the cancer cell is still undiscovered.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY AS A THERAPEUTIC AGENT. RHEUMATISM.

BY J. R. ETTER, M.D.

EDITORIAL NOTE.-This is the sixteenth of Dr. Etter's series of short, practical articles Each article complete in itself, the entire series when complete, will form a regular vademecum on "The Practical Application of Electricity as a Therapeutic Agent.*

place one pad on each side of the joint, placing them firmly to the joint, then turn on as much current as the patient will bear, and you will find they will bear much more current when going straight through the limb than when going lengthwise of the muscles. While this current is on, you should move the joint to the fullest extent the patient will allow you, flexing and extending it, and moving it in all the directions possible. These movements I have found do great good in those joint affections, and there are few of them, unless there is a real bony deposit, but what can be remedied. The same movement as to muscles will be found effective. If the trouble should be in both arms, I would treat each one separately, and then I would place a pad in each hand. The patient will not bear near as much current through the hands as when applied directly to the arm or to the body, as you must make your current mild to start with in the hands. Then I would have them move the arms, the same as in gymnastic exercises, thus putting the tendons and muscles on a strain. I quite often assist those movements by pulling the arms back and raising them high up, so that I get a wider range of motion than the patients themselves will do. Where there is effusion about the joint, or where there are deposits (except bony), this can be relieved very much by this mode of treatment, but there are cases of this latter class in which we must use cataphoresis. I have generally found that iodine was as good an absorbent in those cases as I could get. Of course, in using cataphoresis, the same rule should apply as has already been laid down-that is, the electrode should be placed on opposite sides of the cavity, so that the main part of the current will go directly through the sac containing the effusion. In treating cases where the main trouble is about

As stated elsewhere, the electric bath is much the best plan in treating rheumatism, but it is not every physician who has an electric bath or has the time to devote to the giving of baths, unless he has an assistant to attend to it; and many physicians even would not have the room in their offices for the electric bath. So those cases come to them, and they must of necessity be treated. I have had remarkably good success in treating those cases with the sinusoidal current, aside from the electric bath. I will explain my mode of treating those cases, and the manner laid down will be a guide to go by in treating many other painful conditions, and, to some extent, paralytic cases. Suppose that the patient has rheumatism in the arm. I would place one of the pads on the back, about the point where the nerves are given off to the arm, and the other pad I would rub up and down the muscles of the arm, both back and forth, using as much current as the patient will bear. The first treatment or two the patient will not bear much current, but in a few times it is astonishing how much more they will bear, and the current at each sitting should be carried to the full extent the patient will allow. Then, if the elbow, wrist or shoulder joint be especially affected, being either painful or stiffened. from the effect of rheumatism, I would