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CONTENTS OF No. 4, Vol. XXV, 1906.
Page.
Thb Hahnemann Anniversart ... ... ... 130
The Early Histouy of Homcbopatht in Calcutta and thr
Sanitation of the City. By "Dr. Girish Chiinder Dutt, L.M.S. 131
Common Diseases and their Treatment ... ... ... 137
Editor's Notes : —
Kissing ... ... ... ... ... 142
Aberrant Vaccinia... ... ... ... ... ib
A Case of Marked Intolerance of Belladonua ... ... 143
Laryngeal Tuberculosis ... ... ... ... 1 44
Native Pharmacologies ... ... ... ,.. ib
Fatal Blood Poisoning following a wound by the Primula Obconica 145
The Sale of Narcotics in the United States ... ... 146
Ricinus in Gallstone Colic ... ... ... ... 147
Personal Experience with Small-Pox ... ... ... i6
" Max *' on Destruction of Rats ... ... ... 148
" Medical Practitioner " or *' Doctor " ... ... ... 150
Onosmodium in Muscular Asthenopia ... ... ... 152
Obituary. Dr. Hurro Nath Roy, l.m.s. ... ... ... 154
<'linical Record :— ■
A Case of Suppressed Small-Pox. By Dr. Hem Chandra Ray
Chaudhuri, L. M. S. ... ... ... ... 165
Tuberculinum and Arsenicum lodatum in Albuminuria. By Dr.
A. Lambreghts, of Antwerp ... ... ... 157
Cases Illustrating the action of Sulphur, Ignatia, and Sepia.
By Dr. Stonham ... ... ... ... 160
GLEi^iNOS PROM Contemporary Literature : —
Adulteration of Foods and Drugs, their relation to the Public
Health. By Amanda C. Bray, M.D. ... ... 163
Acknowledombnts ..i ... ... a ... 17^
THE
CALCUTTA JOURNAL
OP
MEDICINE
Vol. XXV. ] April 1906. [No. 4.
THE HAHNEMANN ANNIVERSARY.
The Hahnemann anniversary and the annual meeting of
the Hahnemann Society were celebrated on the 10th April.
We had a sprinkling of the regular and irregular practitioners
and friends. Cards of invitation were issued to all our colleagues.
Their paucity of attendance was a marked feature. Perhaps
an ill-will prevented them from the national ovation to our
Great Master. The bond of adhesion was wantinsr. It is an
ill-wind that does no body good. An ill-feeling creates greater
disaster than the passive negation. We wanted all our friends
to muster strong to do justice to the cause. It was a hopeless
task to tune the discordant notes. We live in wonderful days
of self-assertion. Harmony and peace are generally wanting.
Arrogance has taken the place of humility. For all this degene-
ration, we are not without the hope of regeneration. The rain-
bow of peace is prospective.
The Chair was taken by Dr. H. C. Ray Chandhuri,
Dr. A. K. Datta, the Honorary Secretary announced tiie sad
news of the death of Dr. Hurronath Roy, who as a Vice-
President was a great supporter of the Society. All the members
felt deep sorrow on account of the loss.
Dr. Ray Chaudhuri then asked Dr. Oirish Chunder Dutt to
read his paper on the Sanitation of Calcutta. It is our ooatpm
to hear the subject dealt with without any disQUSsion^ lest any
181 Tie Hahnemann Anniversary. [Vol.xxv,No.4,
acrimonioas debate destroys the kindly feeling pervading among^
the members. Dr. A. K. Datta proposed the following office
bearers for the ensaing year :
President :
Dr. H. C, Ray Chaudhuri.
Vice-Presidents :
Dr. W. Yoanan^
Dr. P. C. Mazumdar^
Dr. C. S. Kali,
Secretary :
Dr. A. K. Datta.
Assistant Secretary :
Dn P. li. Kumar.
The happy oeeasion end.ed with a social gathering.
THE EARLY HISTORY OP HOMCEOPATHY IN
CALCUTTA AND THE SANITATION
OP THE CITY.
By Dr. Girish Chnnder Dutt^ i. if. 5.
(Read at the Hahnemann Anniversary.)
Mr. Pjre^idei^t and Gentiemen,— We have assembl^4 to-day
to oommemoratje the birthday of the great Hahnemann^ the
man of tiidiight and worJk^ who sacrificed himself for the cause pf
humanrty. Such men ar^ born before their time and their lif^-
work IB appreciated by a grifteful pppterity. Christ sacrificed
himself on the eross^ and bis burning words and exemplary life
serve as a bteaconjight^ shedding a hallowed lustre which vivi-
fies prince and peasant alike. The sacrifice of Hahnemann is
■no less noble. He bad uo thought for dear life which he conse-
crated to suffering humanity. Hahnemann is the father
of Homoeopathy which is now effeotin^ so much good all over
the world. We paracfcise hon^eopathy, and it is opportune that
we should bow down our heads in gratefulness and love^ before
that liidng figur^i^ ivirbo towers l^ad and shoulders over his con-
temporaries^ wihilst burning iocense to the great redeeoaer of
\^oaiGW)pa|iiy^ it is xfmi» ^ 9^9^14 9^^ P^ tribute to t|ie
Apn1 1006.] The Eaki^md^ Ai^ki^nifffy. ]f9ft
meta<ky t>f the ftnaiii who wM mainly inBtrnmeataX in iatoodiio*^
ing homoeopathy in Calcutta* He spared no paina to Coster
the Baored cult wfaioh be advocated in aad out of eeason^ yiiik
all the strength of hia character.
Half a century ago> homoeopathy was openly ridftookd in
this metropolis and there was hardly a praetittoaer vAiO eoM
avow his belief in it. There was no hbntoopathic diapensafcy^ no
practitioner, and it was by precq>t and example that the tata
Babu Bajendra Dutt tried to introdaoe the system in Calentte*
He brought out the late Dr. Berigny^ opened the first bo«aceo<«
pathic dispe^sary^ at his own cost and ezpeilse^ and day And.nij^hi.
moved about the town^ treating htmdreds of patients withoilt tha
least remuneration. On the contrary, he always ^)p)Bned hia
purse-strings to his indigent patients. Such men like Pandit
Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar^ itaja Digambair Mitter> Beary CliaiT«tt
Sircar^ Bai Bahadur Juggodssh Nath Boy^ Peary Charia Miti^
ind otbers were brought over to the side ^f liomo^pathy hf
him alone. Is it not therefore our duty to commemorate thio
work of such a man ? My poor self and Dr. H. C. Bay^
Chaudhttti must hold his memory in grateful remembranoe foi:^
the many difficulties fa6 smoothed away fitom omr path. Blfjieodl:*^^
Dutt deserves a public memorial for the saerifiees h^ nkade fyt
bomcBopathy. I leave dt bb y^u to settle the ol^afae of iht
memorial but it ia meet and pi^per that in aft aasaeably ^fi
bomoBopaths <y{ the tow% we shbuU offer tot bnmlde ttfibulte tot
the man who laboured and died in the interest of 'homflodpathyi
Had Dr. Sircar been still livings he wo^Id bi^ve joined us in
paying tribute to the memory of Bajendra Dutt.
I will^ with ytour permission^ isay ra few words about thaflanii*
tation of Caleatta. I r^^t I hive not been <afal^ cm Aooonfiit ol
my poor health and professional iengftgements^ to devote mneb
time and attention cm the subject I will only poiat oat to yon
the landmarks^ and it woidd be for yon to ehalk out the routes.
Calcutta IB not ^pfurtiimlarly healthy (durteg tiiis season of tfe
ye^r. Diseases of sorts ai^e ^v^ging the te^m^ and it would nbt
he uifpr6fitiAble> if we disenss the saiiitatiiDn of omr aurrouadiiq^
18S The Bahnemann Anniversary. [Vol.xxv,No.4,
and some of the caoses affecting health in a friendly way before
an assemblage of qualified medical men. I will first turn my
attention to the food-stuffs which are offered for sale. Are they
kept in such a way as to prevent outside-contamination ? Who
has not seen sweet meats and perishable food-stuffs exposed for
sale with no safeguards worth the name to protect them from
dust^ flies and bacilli^ and disease-germs which float about in the
air ? Adulteration on a large scale^ in ghee^ milk and other
substances and necessaries of life is openly carried on under the
very nose of the gentlemen who are called upon to look after our
health. I will be the last person to say anything behind one's
back but taking into account the extensive adulteration carried
on and the putrid meat and fish offered for sale in the light of
the day in the most open manner happening almost every day ia
most of the markets of the town^ one would be apt to think that
these sanitary officers are not alive to a sense of their duty. The
Health Officer of the Corporation is not seen where he should
be. He confines himself within the four walls of his laboratory
intent upon gaining bacteriological experience which may bene-
fit him in diverse ways. He should freely move about, and
without depending upon the subordinates for his facts and
figures look to the sanitation of the town himself. If one of our
Municipal Commissioners with a bit of waggery in him should
fix upon a most insanitary hole, and ask the Health Officer
about the site and its surroundings then he would, I am afraid,
be on the horns of a dilemma.
The drainage of the towti is defective ; the flushing operations
are not up to the mark. Vitiated gas from the manholes is freely
and constantly issuing and circulating in the town. This de-
eomposed gaseous matter, which is heavier and denser than the
surrounding air, circulating below a height of ten feet, is
poisonous, and causes the deaths of coolies, entering the manholes.
These effluvious, unhealthy emanations create acute and chronic
diseases of various sorts and foster the hordes of bacilli which
like ravenous greedy vultures float about ready to enter the
human system. The cumulative action, of sewer gas on the
April 1906.] The Hahnemam. AnHiiversary. 134
human system gradually debilitates and weakens the conservative
power of the vital force, which when unable to resist the action
of tlie gaseous poison gives way to the generation of acute
diseases, which may with lapse of time become chronic. The
constant breathing of this vitiated atmosphere produces gradually
general malaise, depression of health and more or less ansemia.
To stop the mischief which is brewing and which may assume
serious proportions any day, it is better now to nip the evil in
the bud by not allowing privy connections. Night-soil should
be removed by methars and should not be allowed to pass through
the drains reekiug as they are with contamination of sorts.
Night-soil will make the contamination more powerful and
dangerous to health. Who has not noticed gas emanating from
the manholes, while they are kept open in the morning before
flashing? The manhole trap is not air-tight and there is con-
stant issue of deleterious gas from it. Pedestrians, taking a cousti-'
tutional walk in the mornings should beware instead of inhaling
the salubrious morning air, they are likely to inhale the most
subtle poisonous effluvia^ which may dangerously affect their
health and safety. Cases of typhoid fever were rare before the
drainage system came into vogue, now they are met with
almost in every pai*t of Calcutta. You are all familiar with the
name of Dr. Mouat whose academical distinctions and practical
work raised him to a high position of trust and responsibility
under Government. He emphatically said that Calcutta would
be at sometime or other ruined on account of the underground
drainage system, which will give birth to the worst and most
virulent form of epidemic diseases. His sage and prophetic
utterances are almost going to be verified. There is another
patent fact about the drainage which I would like to point
out to you. The drainage pipes may carry contagion from
one house to another. If that occurrence is possible the look-
.out is dark and dangerous. Who has not noticed the fact
that during the time of flushing, bad deleterious gaa t forces out
of the sewers and contaminates the surrounding atmosphere.
Now, please turn your attention to our drinking water. The
186 Tie Hahnemann Aaiiiv^rgary. [Vol.xxv,No.4,
taste of filtered water bad of late changed ; nt times a peculialr
smell is noticed. WhcDce these changes ? I have no hesitation
to attribute them to the itaapnrities^ aniuaalculsd and deposits
formed ap^ germinated and accumulated in the water-mains and
pipes which have never been cleaned since they have been laid
under tbe soil. Decomposed matter and animalcule have oftea
come out through the hydrants. Leech and snake stories Ate
extant in the town. These water-pipes have been left ttncleaned
for years together. Does not common-sense say that it is A
source of danger to public health ? The Ganges water if kept foir
a long time^ would never generate animal life, but purified pipe^
watehr would do so and contaminate under certain conditions, t
have hurriedly and imperfectly laid befere you the pkiii faetA
which have come under my personal observation in the hop^
that you may look out for yourselves and devise schemes whiok
will improve the sanitation of Calcutta^ and obliterate dangerous
conditions under which we all live. Another fact which I lay
before you is that when thete is a fall of rain, the streets and lane^
especially in the native quarters of the town, are submerged and
the water remains on the surface for a considerable period.
This stagnation of water is one of the principal causes for the
^neration of the malarial poison and diseases of the digestive
system. Is there no remedy for the accumulation f The
drainage is defective or else why will the water remain for stich
a length of time on the surface ? It is the duty of the Health
Officer to take notice of this fact and prevent the atagnatioh
of waterw
Anothe(r matter affecting our health is the promiscuous use of
foreign patent medicines and miany other indig^ous patent
inedicines, the ingredients of which are not always known to m.
A JpUfihing, bustling speculator desirous of reaping a goldeii
liarvest Wihin the shortest possible time, blows his own trunlipet
lustSys Ids words tere believed in like Ot)spel truths, atd #b
have not the least scruple to prescribe those nostrums for tbd
t)enefit ^<)ur patients with results which may be better iiHaigin'^
€id thaii di^itbed. I do not ^6 so far aiii to as^tt that all pat^tit
April 1906.] The Buhnemann Anniversary, 180
medioines are worthless^ and they should not be used by medical
men. What I moat emphatically protest against is the use of
patent medicines when their composition is not known to us^ and
when we most innocently, it may be, repose our confidence in the
word of the advertiser. I am a believer in the influence of stars,
planets, &c., on the world. We live under this influence is percep-
tible on animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms in a greater or less
degree on account of the positions of the planets which according
to their strength and capacity are beneficial or malefic in charac-
ter. Swadeshi medicines obtained under given conditions, bring
about beneficial results not to be obtained from foreign medicines
grown and prepared under circumstances which vary consider-
ably on account of the planetary and climatic causes. I throw out
an idea and it is for you to reject or work upon it, as you may
think best. The use of patent food, imported from Europe^
should he brought into account. We do not know what chemi-
cal change this food undergoes when kept for a long time in a
hot country. Is it not necessary to examine it before prescribing
to patients ?
A great controversy is going on about the cause of malaria.
It is attributed to the bite of that ferocious blood-sucker the
terrible mosquito whose eternal buzz behind our ears on sultry
nights is more dreaded than the presence of the royal animal in
the shape of a tiger. Water stagnating under the soil and de-
fective drainage are favourite theories. But does it not strike
you that ever since the use of quinine as antidote for malariid
fever, the fell disease has increased in undue dimension; ? A
healthy man, partaking of quinine would show the iijidentioal
sjrmptoms developed in malarial fever. What I contend foir is
that quinine may have been an antidote for malarial fever w^lpi
never existed in this country before the introduction of this drag,
^here are and were many excellent febrifuges which m^aj he o^
isaight hav.e been prescribed in fevers other tba^ odalarijal^ bu^
instead of this, we use quinine in such fever, and malarial f^^er
interv^es. I, therefore, assert . that quinine is veipoii9iliiil^ &r
generating malarial symptoms.
137 Common Diseases Si* their Treatment. fVol.xxv,No.4,
COMMON DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT.
f Continued from page 99 .^
Sabina has a few symptoms indicating its use in inflammatory
swellings. They are sprained pain in shoulder joint ; stinging
pain extending inwnrd near elbows ; slicing in outer coud^les
of elbows ; pain in radius worse from motion or touch ; bruised
pain in middle of anterior surfaces of lower extremities on motion y
sticking in heels extending outward ; heaviness and indolence of
body ^forcing him to lie down.
Allen says : "Chronic arthritis and gout better from open air,
worse from warmth, with general depression ; the pains involve
the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees ; often accompanied by-
pulsation in diflfer^nt blood-vessels^^. What remains useful for
rheumatism and gout may also serve to allay inflammatory
tension. It seems that Sabina may help in those cases where
the senation of pulsation is felt in the blood-vessels.
Saccharum laetis is Lactose or Milk-sugar. The use of Milk-
sugar in medicine proves that there is no substance which has
npt some kind of medicinal property or other. Clarke says :
" Hahnemann chosen globules of Saccharum laetis as the chief
vehicle of his remedies, because he considered it the most
Inert substance he could find. But his method of attenuating
remedies had shown that no substance is inert in attenuations,
and experience shows that no substance is absolutely inert in
any form,^^
"Without taking into consideration its diuretic and pur-
gative properties, we would see whether it has any action on
inflammation. It produces hot flashes all over the back of neck
and shoulders ; pain and soreness at the upper vertebral border of
scapula ; pain in back from scapula to sacrum ; pain in lumbar
region ; pain in shoulder, axilla, elbow, wrist and hand ; sore-
Dess in gluteal muscles, knee, and foot \ (great physical ex-
haustion caused by over- work, completely relieved ; repeatedly
verified by Swan and others.); pains are worse in a damp room
or basement, but better if there was a fire.
April. 1906.] Common DiseuMeit ^ their Treatmmt. 188
Snooharum lactis can be useful in slto^ht pains att«ikled irith
inflammation of any joint. It is an undeniable faot that Milk*
augar helps as a sequel in curing inflammations when other
powerful medicines have been administered*
Salicylieum acidum is found rarely in nature. The artificial
preparation is the source of supply. Like all pharmaceutical
preparations^ the product of laboratory«>experimeut9 it has
generally proved a source of mischief with the Old School*
Homoeopathy has taken tlie advantage of its poisonous symptoms
to apply it in infinitesimal doses for a few brilliant cures* li
can be applied in inflammation. The symptoms are : Heat
redness, soreness^ and swelling about joints^ worse in kuees witK
acute piercing pains^ worse on motion^ better from dry heat ;
pain in fingers and little toes; diHiwing in ealf extending into
thigh y then transferred to arm ; soreness ami pain in deltoid and
gastrocnemius, changing to wrist and /brearm, with soreness to
touch and soreness on moving limb ; strained pain in shoulder*
The changing character of the pain of Salicylic acid is most
marked. It is said to be useful in any kind of swelling caused
after suppression of foot*sweat. Its another peculiarity is the
pain in the deltoid and gastroenemios muscles. It has been used
in rhenmatic pains. In other kinds of inflammation the medicine
can be tried where the pains are of sifting nature.
Sangninaria canadensis or the Bloodroot hae : Pain in tie upper
part of left side of head, worse in ege : pain on touch in head ;
pain on breast^ loiu^ nape of neck^ slioulder and arm ; nervons
thrill through system ; pulsation through whole body ; pain im
shoulders; from shoulder down to scapula; pain in hip extending
into leg; pain in limbs^ especially in shoulders, arms, and
thighs, and worse at nig!it; pain in right deltoid; brtiked like
pain in thigh, alternating with burning and pressure in cbeet;
an uncomfortable prickling sensation of warmth spreading over
whole body ; pain rising from back of neck over top of head
running d^^n into forehead; weakness and palpi tatioa of
heart; redness and bacning o( band; bpiiised pain in h^ ; swdUj
i^g of kg and fnot with inwiard btmninf and astettel o»ldMis ;
189 Common. Diseaies 8f tkeit Treatment. [Vol.xxv,N'o.4,
sharp and severe pains in ankles and foot ; pain in superficial
bony parts; most of the symptoms aggravate during even-
ings and mornings. Sangninaria has cured many cases of
rheumatism. No case has been recorded signifying its usefulness
in ordinary inflammation. It may be serviceable in inflacoma-
tion of the shoulder joint or nape of the neck.
Sarsaparilla produces : Lightuinop«like tensive pains liere
and there in body and about head; sensation in all bones as if
breaking; drawing pain in scapulae and legs; infliimmation
of thumbs worse at night with throbbing and burning ; pain
in tips on pressure^ as from ulceration or as from salt in a
wound; shootings tearing^ pressive pains; darting^ pricking
sensation in bones; arthritic pains^ from suppressed gonorrhoea,
with diminished secretion of urine ; rigidity and immobility
of limbs ; hot and tense swellings ; redness and burning of
hand; pain in tips of fingers (bruised and sore); swelling
and stiffness of knees^ with shootings ; breast-bone as if bruised ;
face as if bruised ; jaw as if broken ; as if tips of fingers
ulcerated, or as if salt were put on a wound.
Allen remarks : '' Bone pains following gonorrhoea, or after
the use of mercury, worse in dampness.'' Pareira says : '^ Its
continued use is often attended with improvement of appetite
and digestion, augmentation of strength, increase of flesh, the
production of a more healthy tone of mind, and the palliation,
or, in some cases, the complete disappearance of various morbid
symptoms — as eruptions, ulcerations, pains of a rheumatic
character, etc. It is not adapted for the cure of intermittents
or of simple debility. But its effects are seen in those depraved
conditions of the system, which the public, and even some
medical men, ascribe to the presence of a morbid poison, or to
a deranged condition of the fluids. Hence, it is frequently
denominated a purifier of blood. Those who do not adopt the
pathological notion here referred to, call it an alterative. ''
By the Old School the following use of Sarsaparilla, which is
to our present purpose, has been recommended :
^* In chronic Abscesses, attended with profuse discharge,
lO.i
April 1906.] Common Diseaui Sf tAeir TreaimetU. 140
diseases of the bones^ obstinate ulcers^ chronic pulmonary affec-
tions acoompauied with great wasting of the body^ enlarged
glands, and various other maladies connected with a depraved
state of the system^ Sarsaparilla is often a very useful medicine/'
Great difference exists as to the quality of Sroilax. The
officinal Sarsae radix comes from Jamaica. It is a non-mealy
Sarsaparilla. The mealy Sarsaparillas are not preferred for
medicinal action. The non-mealy varieties are Jamaica and
Lean Vera Cruz. The mealy are Brazilian^ Honduras^ Gouty
Vera Cruz^ and Caracas. The non^mealy contain more smilacin,
are more acrid^ and they yield the largest quantity of extract.
Among them^ that coming from Jamaica is the best.
ScropAularia has proved curative in threatened abscesses that
show no sign of disappearing ; in recurrent periostitis of lower
jaw in a syphilitic ; and as a local remedy in appendicitis.
These facts are collected by Clarke. He remarks: '^Cooper
gave it to a patient who had been poisoned by an Indian arrow-
poison which produced inflammation and suppuration of the
glands..... 'Nodosities in the breast' iis another indica-
tion of Cooper's Cooper has seen Seroph. in the form
of a poultice relieve peritonitis affecting the lower abdomen.^
Secale eornutum produced Gangrene of stomachy lungs and
liver, preceded by inflammation; limbs painful^ eold^ rigid, ah'
most insensible toitk internal pain, worse from heat, somewhat
better from cool air, the pain gradually extended from toes to legs
and thighs and from fingers to arms and shoulders, till sphacelus
supervened, the affected parts dead, black and dropped off; ew^
iremities pale, cold (0td wrinkled, as if they had been long in
water; insensibility o( fingers and toes ; fuzzy feeling CPhoa) ;
sensation of sleep with formication ; contractions of hand, feet,
fingers and ' toes ; sudden periodic contraction with tensive pain ;
swelling and pain without inflammation^ then coldness, blue color,
cold gangrcfie and death of the limb ; swelling of hands and feet
with gangrene, black and suppurating eruption; discolored skin
on fingers and toes, then gangrene, then dropping off of limbs ;
gangrene of fingers and toes ; of limbs, then suddenly become eotd.
141 Common HUeOM ^ their TreaimenU [Vol.xxv,No.4,
lead colored and imeneiile; of limbs without pain when pricked
or eutf though often motion is not entirely lost ; with separation qf
the part from the body j the dead part separated at the joint ;
cold ffnm^ene of limbs; cold and painless ^ so that fingers and
toes drop off ; formication ; burning assocuited with cold u ess ;
black gangr^^nous pustules; subcutaneous tingling; ulcer turn
black; gaoguineous vesicles which turn to gangrene in the
limbs ; dry gangrt$ne^ particularly on right side^ beginning in
toes and running up the linibs.
We are not at present interested in the phenomenon of grau-
grene. Clarke remarks : '^The boils in which Sec. is indicated
are small and painful, with green contents, mature very slowly,
teal slowly, and are very weakening/^ No experience has been
recorded with regard to the stage of inflammation which pre*
cedes gangrene. It seems that Secale may be of service in
inflammation with coldness, numbness and swelling. Absence
of heat is the predominating character. The swelling is worse
by ejcternal heat. There is internal burning iu the affected
j^rt which disallows covering.
The other prominent symptoms are thus described by Clarke :
**Por See. lessens the coagulating power of tlie blood, and pro-
duces a hsemorrhagic diathesis ; persistent offensive bleeding.
Small wounds bleed persistently In spite of burning
in all parts of the body as if sparks were falling on the patient.
Another characteristic sensation is numbness; tingling as if
ants crawling all over, better from rubbing. This may accom-
pany haemorrhages, loss of other fluids, debility, or skin affec-
tions. In the later stages of ergotism there is anaesthesia.^'
These symptoms indicate its use in many diseases including
inflammation.
To be continued »
April 1906.] SIdiUr't Notm. Ut
EJITOR'S NOTES.
Kissing.
We take the following from MatthewsorCa Exchange and Bureau
Advertiser f Nov. 14, 1905.
^^ We should have more faith in the anti-kissing crusade if it were
conducted by men of a kissable type.
«
It is all very well for a man to suddenly discover at the age of
Beventy that kissing involves danger from germs. Why did he not
discover it when he was twenty five ?
It is not fair. These dry-as-dust professors have no romance.
Once upon a time a fox lost his tail. '^ I will make it the fekshion
for foxes to have no tails/' said he> and he called a general meeting
and used all his eloquence to induce the other foxes to part vith
thier tails. But in vain.
Once upon a time there was a solemn old bore of a professor whom
no one would kiss. ''I will abolish kissing'' said he, and he called a
tuberculosis congress, consisting, like himself, chiefly of old fogies.
They were delighted at the suggestion that kissing should be stopped,
for no one ever kissed them, and it made them angry to see kissing
going on elsewhere. So they passed the resolution.
And it was obeyed, but only as far as the old fogies were con-
cerned. People who had heretofore refrained from kissing the old
fogies read the resolution and continued to refrain/'
Aberrant Vacoinia.
The following letter from the Lcmcei, February 3, show* how
vacoinia can be transferred from the child to the mother :
** A VACCINATION vesiole in an anomalous situation is perhaps no
very great rarity ; they are always worthy of report as awkward
questions of diagnosis may be raised by them. I was fortunate
enough to secure an excellent photograph of a case of this kind that
came under my observation last summer. The woowm applied for
treatment at the Bourne Valley Dispensary. The appearance of ike
^^Bore" of which she oomplained was that of a large mature vaccine
Teaiole and on inqoiry I learned that her baby had been vaccinated
a fortnight before and that the arm had ''taken" welL The exiuct
manner in which the virus had been transferred could not be as-
14^ Editor's Notes. [VoI.xxv,No.4,
certained. The baby's finger-nail seems tl^e most probable instrument
of inoculation. The lip, as the illustration shows, was much s'wollen
and it was yery painful ; there was considerable constitutional dis-
turbance — pyrexia, headache, ^ These symptoms subsided in a
few days and the vesicle ran the usual course."
The case shows that yaccination-pustules are capable of producing
infectious sores to others. The transference depends on the health
of the person. In this case, it may be presumed that the mother
who was infected by the vaccination pustule of her child, "was
susceptible to its influence. It is an indirect form of vaccination.
A Oase of Marked Intolerance of Belladonna.
We take from the Lancet^ March 3, the following :
'' The following case is remarkable as showing a very marked idio-
syncrasy with respect to belladonna. The patient, who was a nurse
suffering from cellulitis of the leg unattended with any abrasion of
the skin, Was ordered an application of "glycerine and belladonna."
40 minims of this mixture, that is approximately 20 grains of extract
of belladonna, were applied to the inner side of the foot Within
half an hour the patient complained of great swelling of the leg and
a sensation as if the skin would burst. Dryness of the throat and
lips, a feeling as if the nipples were being forcibly retracted, and
difficulty of speech quickly followed. The patient now became
delirious, the pupils were widely dilated and insensible to lights
the hands were kept in perpetual motion groping for imaginary
objects, and efforts were made to tear the bedclothes. This delirium
lasted for some hours, after which she gradually became more compos-
ed but felt as if she had passed through a severe illness. In 48 hours
the dryness of the throat and the pain in the breasts had disappeared,
though the pupils remained dilated and only resumed their normal
condition on the fourth day. The treatment consisted in the adminis-
tration of hot coffee and a quarter of a grain of morphine, together
with the use of continuous hotjapplication&"
This case of Belladonna poisoning illustrates the danger even in
local application. The Old School should take a note of this case
before ordering such usa
April 1906.] Editor's Notes. 144
Laryngeal Tabercnlosis.
In the N<yrth Ameriean Journal of HonMopathy for March, we
liave the following note :
<< Differentiation must be made between malignant, sjphilitio and
tabercular laryngitis. Severe pain is absent (practically) only in
syphilis. Ulceration is shallow in malignant and tubercular cases ;
deep and jagged in syphilis. In tubercular infection the tubercles
may be seen below the epithelial covering even before they break
down, and the ulcers may be seen merging into each other. A club-
shaped enlargement of the arytenoids is almost diagnostic ; also a
tumefaction in the posterior commissure of ^the vocal chords, while a
general anemia of laryngeal mucosa is always suspicious.
In diet, fresh, raw eggs, fertilized, i. e., from flocks of fowls in
which there are a sufficient number of efficient male birds, and milk
warm from the cow, L e., with the animal heat and vitality unim-
paired, are particularly commended. Operative measures are
inadvisable, useless, cruel."
Laryngeal tuberculosis is of unfrequent occm*rence. The cases
under our treatment were observed to get hypertrophy of the
arytenoid cartileges, mixed with the emission of large quantity of
sticky sputa. In syphylitic laryngitis the expectoration is not so
profuse and the hypertrophy of the cartileges is absent
Native Pharmacologies.
In the March number of the North American Journal oj
Medicine we read :
" Tlic Calcutta Journal of Medicine suggests the advisability of
India having a pharmacology of its own, as it has so many native
drug substances. As an instance it notes that the native quinine
has proven itself as efficacious as the imported Peruvian bark.
!nnctures are much more reliable as well as moi*e potent when made
from fresh vegetables. Therefore, it is an advantage to have them
"home-made" rather than from foreign dried plants. Tbey are also
cheaper. It is a wise provision of Nature that each country seems
to contain the drugs which are best fitted for the ailments of that
country. It is therefore the part of wisdom to develop the native
resources. By all means let our Indian brethren, as well as our
brothers in other ooontries^ construct native pharmacologies. Not
14^ Editor's Notes. [VoI.xxt,No.4,
only they, but the whole brotherhood of practitioners will gain
^lei-eby."
We thank our colleague for the appreciation of our service in
tire cause of an Indian Homoeopathic Pharmacology. It was always
the earnest endeavour of Dr. Mahendra Lai Sircar to prepare
tinctures from fresh plants. We followed him in his foot-steps in
that cause. Our first desire is to avail of those medicinal plants
which have already been so well proved and then to add others
which are only found in India.
Fatal Blood Poia#ning fbllowing a wound by the
Primula Obconica.
The Lancety of the 24th March, has the following :
"The patient, a woman aged 29 yeai*s, was recovering from
an attack of influenza when she accidentally scratched her nose whilst
smelling at a plant of the variety referred to. The nose rapidly
swelled up, became a deep plum colour, with many points of suppura-
tion similar in appearance to a carbuncle. Under an aosesthetic the
diseased portions of the nose were scraped away. CEdema of both
eyelids followed, the same destructive process taking place in the
feoft tissues, ti diffuse cellulitis of the forehead and scalp then super-
vened, and despite incisions continued to spread. No discharge
came from the wounds. The patient died at the end of the week
with symptoms of pneumonia. At the post-mortem examination
acute c^mgestion of both lungs with many foci of suppuration were
found. Cultivations discovered the streptococci and staphylococci
pi-esent. This is the third case of acute inflammation of the skin
and subcutaneous tissues I have met with after infection by the
primula obconica. Two died and one recovered after a very prolong-
ed illness. Th^e infections were all on the face. I lea^n that a
species of eczema of the hands often affects gardeners when tending
this plant. These facts hardly encourage one to add the primula
pbconica to one's floral possessions.''
. The poisoning symptom of Primula olMHHuca is intetesting^ at,
nuchas it {itrodttces diffuse oellalities of the face. The dai^ar of.
erysipelas in tb« faoe can not be under estimated. For this reascNBL.
it is an additional ^help tp our list of toedieu»« ia that hind ef.
dUatase. ....
April 1906.] JEdiior'i Notes. l46
The Sale of Narcotics in the United States.
2^6 Lancet, April 14, -writes ;
'*XJpoN the invitation of the legislative committee of the American
Pharmaceutical Association a conference of delegates from the various
pharmaceutical associations in the United States has met to consider
what steps might be taken to check the sale of narcotics in the
TJnited States. As a result of this conference a draft Bill has been
formulated to provide against the evils resulting from the traffic in
certain narcotic drugs, including cocaine, alpha and beta eucaine,
opium, morphine, heroin, chloral hydrate, or any salt or compound
of these substances. Section 1 makes it unlawful for any person, to
sell, to furnish, or to give away any of these substances or their
preparations, except upon the original written prescription of a
niedical, dental, or veterinary practitioner. The prescription must
contain the name of the patient or in the case of a veterinary pres-
cription the kind of animal that it is intended for and must be signed
by the prescriber. It must be permanently filed by the pharjnacist
who dispenses it and mtist only be repeated upon the written order
of the prescriber. No duplicate copy may be made or delivered to
any person but the original must at all times be opeo to inspectioi^
\^y the prescriber and by authorised officers of the law. Provision ia
made for the sale without these restrictions of minimum stated
quantities of preparations of these drugs — e.g., preparations contain-
ing two grains of opium or one-eighth of a grain of cocaine in, one
fluid ounce. Exceptions are made also in the case of preparations
containing opium when recommended and sold in good faith for
diarrhoea and cholera and when the label bears specific directions and
a caution against habitual use ; other exceptions include Dover's
powder and ointments and liniments plainly labelled "for externa),
use." Section 2 makes it unlawful for a qualified practitioner to
supply or to prescribe any of these substances for the use of any
habitual user of the same. But the provisions of this section woi^ld
not prevent any medical practitioner from supplying or prescribing
these drugs for a habitual user of narcotic drugs under his profes-
sional care, provided that the administration of the same was con-
sidered by him to be a necessary part of the treatment. Section 3
provides that any person who shall violate any of the provisions of
the Act shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanour and shall be fined
upon conviction for the first offence not less than 25 dollai-s or more
than 50 dollars ; for a second offence not less than 50 or more?
than 100 dollars ; and for a subsequent offence not less than 100
or more than 200 dollars, and shall be imprisoned in the country
gaol for not more than six months, and if the misdemeanant be a
qualified physician, dentist, veterinary surgeon, or pharmacist hitf
licence shall be revoked. The remainder of the bill deals with the
machinery whereby prosecutions sliall be set in motion."
The necessity of a similar bill has become imperative in .India.
As far as we know the Government of India being an excise
trader cannot venture to make the law. •• ^^
147 impi^i NoUt. rVol.xxv,No.4s
Kidiiiift m Qaltatoae Oolic.
The North American Journal of HomoBopathy of February, tekes
from Dr. Bernaj's note, in Hfinuvopathische Monatablatter, the fol-
lowing remarks :
''The pathogenic and toxic symptom of ricinus show striking
similarity to an attack (with the sequelse) of gall-stone colic.
Experience has taught ricinus in alternation with belladonna exer-
cises even in the 3 dil. a most favorable influence, rapid and almost
as analgesic as a hypodermic of morphine and much more enduring
and without the ill-effects of the latter. This amelioration is es-
pecially striking if there be great nausea, greenish diarrhoea. Yertig^o
and anxiety with a sensation of epigastric pressure The alternation
with belladonna is particularly indicated if the attack be accompanied
By much flatulence, an alternation of pallor and flushing in the face
and violent pains compelling the patient to bend double. The
ricinus acts upon intestine andPliver, aided by the vaso-motor speci-
^city of belladonna. Ricinus 3, belladonna 3, gtt x of each in two
glasses of distilled water (200 grams), a spoonful in alternation every
10 minutes. If the vomiting persist the remedies may be given in
dold water or the menstruum frozen and given as cracked ice.
Bicinus is not only efficacious in the acute attack but pre-eminently
80 in the sequels, e. g. :
1. It cures the sequent jaundice.
2. It hinders and delays a^recurrent attack or materially lessens
its violence.
3. It acts potently upon th(B digestive disturbances which accom-
pany the colic disease and which are exhibited as heaviness and
fiatulence several hours after a meal, especially after fatty or
starchy food. Here experience has taught the value of ricinus,
in. 6 to 10, gtt. iii-iv or a few pellets a half-hour before meals.,
Marked improvement soon follows,"
The experience of Kicinus in curing gallstone colic is a new feature.
Kicinus creates violent colic and yellowish vomiting. The remedy.
is worth a trial in other cases.
Personal Experience with Small-Poz-
The; HonuBopathic Envoy of March writes :
<* My husband and I left Siua Francisco November!, 1901, on
boa|4 a government transport, for Manilla. After leaving Guam,
about November 18, all pass^ag«n» were vaccinated., I was quite ill
for two or three days, ixom. the effects of the contagion, having
ooQsiderable fever. The surge(m pronounced t^e scab a healthy one.
"y^j husband'a vaccination was, not successful on t^is or two later
. We lived in a provincial city that was suffering from a scourge of
small-pox. The death rate per day would have scared people at
hpme. We were exposed continually in and out of our schools.
, On November 16, 1902, I took the . small-pox ; fortunately aa
American physician was there tp,a^vic€j,a^4,Mp. H^JwA Wlftftitt/
April 1906.] ^i^>r^ NoiA. V^
bigh a6 one hundred and fifty peo|>)e in a p^t-h6tilii^ at one iStih
and said that my case was far worse than aliy of them.
There were ho not'seB to be had, and my husband took cisu*^ of tne
through the illness, and did not contract the disease. He w^ Vab-
otnated successfully when a child, but none has been suocesiifal
i^ince.
1 was sick in bed with the small-pox just four weeks, and t^idi
about two months longer in recovering fully. I was broken out
from head t6 foot,, alike, and the eruptions were so dose together
that they would break open and the virus would run down the
doctor's hand when he took hold of my wrist to take rHj pulse. My
fever wais very high, remaining between one hundred and three tod
<^e hundred and four and a half for t^n days, and I was conscious
all of the tilme. My pulse was very rapid most of the time, reach-
ing one hundred and forty-eight."
The danger of vaccination generally remains unreported to show
the success of vaccination. Recently, we had the chance to see a
few such cases. Three children were re vaccinated from the same
Mnis contained in one tube at almost the same time, by a municipal
vaccinator. Two of them had moderate attacks of the disease. One,
a girl of twelve had a half suppressed type of smallpox with high
fever and delirium. The girl could be saved by the administration of
homoeopathic medicineis. Many cases have occurred like the men-
tioned incident encling fatally in a few. By observing the present
epidemic, we have entirely lost faith on the fad of vaccination.
"Max'' on Destruotion of Rats.
"Ma5c" writes in Coital : —
"Eatsi Sats! The pkglie ik again, upon us trying to bum into our
tttindft the lesson thiat unleto we extemninate the evil, of whibh this
pestilence is the visible and outward sign at its v^ry root the city
will simply shelter in plkgue and small-pox and all other diseases
brought on by filthy men and filthy houses and filthy districts until
all the nonimmune amongst the inhabitants Hre killed off. We have
Resolved over and over again to improve and cleanse Calcutta ibr
years past and again the execution of the ackeme has been relegated
to the lotus land of **put-it-off" for one yea* more. The Municipal
Plague Department seeing that the root of the evil remains untouch-
ed have. been doing all they can at the olher end, viz., recording and
tabulatiBg the number of the seizures aiid deaths and jE^ding to thB
149-
Editor^ t NoUt.
[Vol:xxv,No.4,
District No. 1
Do. „ 2
Do. „ 3
Do. „ 4
proper disposal of the dead and to the diiunfecting of the houses.
This jear they have been doing more.
, Believing that rats are in some way connected with the spread of
plague the Department have been conducting a crusade against these
animals, and have Jbeen paying two annas per head for every live rat
brought to the several District Stations. The results for the past 90
days ending 31st March last are as follows: —
Total number Caught.
per day Average,
20,218 ... 225
1,628 ... 18
3,784 ... 41
1,067 ... 12
Even at the Head Office an average of a little 4 rats per day were
tendered during the period referred to. The total number of live
rats secured at a cost to the rate-payers of lU. 8,379 was 27,038.
The reward is now reduced to one anna per live rat. It will be in-
teresting to watch the result of the reduction of the rate on the
number that will now be tendered.
Besides these 27,038 live rats there were 11,700 dead rata
picked up during the 90 days, or an average of 130 per day. There
must be at all times a considerable normal death rate amongst the
huge community of rats living in Calcutta and these 130 are of
course part of the daily mortality. According to an eminent autho-
rity, the ratio of rats to human beings in a community is as 1 to 2.
I'his would give the rat population of Calcutta at about 500,000.
Now the natural fecundity of rats is something appalling, and the
catching of 300 live ones every day does not in the slightest degree
reduce the population. But the Plague Department mean well,
and if the daily sacrifice of 300 live rats can even by the gift of faith,
be connected with a corresponding decline in plague, it is surely
fplly on the part of the municipal believers to lower the rate of
remuneration to the rat<catchers. Surely not a smaller but a greater
inducement ought to . be held out to them. If according to the
Health Officer's opinion the catching of 300 per day causes a sensible
diminution of the plague what would the catching of 600 or even of
6,000 not do. But whatever happens, be ye sure of this the natural
and virulent fecundity of the species will baffle all your efforts to
reduce the rat population, of Calcutta. We will have to begin at the
root if the plague tree is to be destroyed."
Kill the rats is the cry in India of the modern sanitarians. They
seem to have lost their senses in this matter.
April 1906.] Editor' t Naiet. 150
•'Medical Practitioner'* or "Doctor."
- The British Medical Journil of March 31, says :
** Byron sang, "I want a hero — an uncommon want.** We want
something much less uncommon — that is, a single word that shall
denote a person who practises medicine, without reference to 'any
special department or province of the art of healing. All other
nations have such a word. The latin races have their "medicin" or
their "medico" ; the Germans their "Arzt" — a relic, we believe, of
the title borne by high functionaries of imperial Rome ; the Russians
their "vratch" ; the Swedes their "lakare" ; the Danes and Norwe-
gians their "l«ge." The last term reminds us of the old English *
word "leech," as to which Dr. Payne, in his FitzPatrick lectures,
says : "It seems a pity that we have lost this useful word *leech/
which survived through the Middle Ages (and, according to Arch-
hishop Trench, much later in Ireland). At the present day we much
need a collective expression for physician, surgeon, apothecary, doctor,
medical man, all of them either partial or ambiguous in meaning ;
and in place of the seven syllables 'medical practitioner* it would be
a great convenience to use the one syllable 4eech'. " It would cer-
tainly be a convenience, but we are inclined to think that the
convenience would be too dearly purchased. To modem ears the
term "leech** connotes only a blood-sucking creature which has
medidnal uses, and its application to medical practitioners would
simply invite every witling to devise fresh matter for laughter
against our noble profession. This would soon come to be a serious
addition to the dullness of a country on which the New Humour al-
ready weighs heavily. By what name, then, are we to be called %
The Americans, with their practical sense, use "physician** as a
generic term ; this, however, is open to the objection that it must
often be ambiguous. ''Medical man,** or the snobbish variant,
"medical gentleman/* is not comprehensive enough for the present
4ay, unless we apply the grammatical rule that the masculine em-
braces the female. , It is probable, however, that this would be
objected to by lady doctors. The same objection lies to "medico,**
which, beside8,has a smack of vulgarity. "Surgeon** and "apothecary,**
both of which, were used by people in comparatively recent years to
designate the general practitioner, are now obsolete in that sense.
If a lady in society were to speak of "using the potticary,** no one
would understand her; yet Mr. George Russell, who is still -in
vigorous middle life, says he is just old enough to remember a great
grandmother who used that expresfioon when she meant sending for
151 EdUor^i Nofek. [Vol.xxv,No.4s
the doctor. Mv. Richftrd Ckunt White, in his book WortU and their
UseBf sniffs di8))aragingly at "practitioner" as ''an unlovely intruder
vhice has slipped into the English language through the physicia^&'s
gate." The fact appeara to be that it is the lawyer's gate through
which it has gained admission. It is formed from the old Fi*ench
"practicien," which is defined by Cot^rave in his Dictionary of
French and English Tongues (1632) as "a practiser, or praotition
in law, a pleader, etc." Another seventeenth-century writer wlio
says the word was originally "pragmatitioner," applies it exclusively
to lawyers. If a phrase of old Bishop Latimer in his sermon on the
Lord's prayer, "Consider how long he (to wit, Satan) hath beea &
practiti<mer," be quoted in disproof there are many who would not
accept this as a rebuttal. A word of more correct formation would
be "pi*actiser," and for this we might quote the authority of Chaucer^
who says of his "doctour of physik" that he was **a verray parfit
practisour." But why should we not gracefully bow to the force <^.
usage, and adopt the designation already given us by the voice of the
people, which has been called the voice of god f We venture to
think it is mere |>edantry that finds fault with "doctor" as the
English equivalent of "m^decin." Tliere is the highest authority for
this use of the word. Falstaff asks his page, "What said the doctor
to my water?" In the Mefrry Wivei of Windsor, mine host of the
Garter Inn says : "Shall I lose my doctor 1 No; he gives me the
potions and the motions." Drydeb — whom we quote with regret on.
account of the rudeness of his speech — says, "So liv'd our sires ere
doctors learned to kilL" Befoe, in his Voyage Rownd the worlds
saysi "Our doctors themselves (so we call the sm-geons at sea)." A
word which was good enough for Shakespeare and Dryden is ifturely
good enough for us> more particularly as it conveys an implied com-
pliment, that we are par exd^llence, the depositaries of learning and
the distributors of its fruits."
In India the term doctor is applied to all medical ptaotitioners,
«thet lay, half-fledg^d, or fullrfledged. The use of the word Is so
tery loose heire tiiat it often causes irritation for making no distinct-'
Ixon. The stribt application requires it to be placed before th^
Qi^nes of medical practitioners who are only M. D. To avoid aE
difficulty, it is now the custcun to call Doctors all those persons wha*
are properly qualified medical men. The modem use b to writ^
Dr. Mati Lai Ghose M.D., Dr. Prem Chand Das, M.B., Dr. Kishati
Mohan Baneijee L.M.S.» It i^oids also the confusion wdtii Dsa,.
L.L.£>., D.L., etc., which are non-medical epithets. «
April 1906.] SdUor'i XoUil Jh&
The next question of importance is whether the lay fMmctitinners
and apothecaries will he allowed the use of the term Doetor..
They are called by their patients as such and they use the word
aa Dr. Anup Chand Datta, without any subsequent designation.
In law courts they are not recognised as Doctors. The list o^
naedioal practitioners published by the Government of Bensfal
do not contain their names. We think it would be safe to e^plud^
them from the category of Doctors.
Onosmodium in Muscular Asthenopia.
In the BrUish Homceopathic Society, Mr. C. Knox Shaw reacl
the following paper :
** Some years ago, when the late Dr. Hughes waa at work upon the;
'*Cyclop«dia of Drug Fathogenesy," he drew my a,ttention to th^
probable value of onosmodium in muscular asthenopia. Since tt^en^
I have prescribed the drug frequently, and with marked benefit.
Bat I have been much surprised to find to what a number the name
and action of the drug is quite unknown. ^ I have therefore, ventured.
to bring a short notice of it before the members of the Society.
Onosmodium is a plant of the natural order Boragiirunceae, gnawing
wild in America. According to Clarke's '^Dictionary of Materia^
Medieay." it is commonly known as ''false gromwell/' a tincture of,
which is made from the entire fresh plant, injpluding the rootr
It was first proved by Dr. W. £. Green, who publiidied.lii»
results in the ScAnemanman Monthly in June, 1S85;
He appears to have proved the drug three times upoi^ himself and '
tsvice on Mrs. C.
The head and eye symptoms are marked and characteristic^ I
give them in the order of frequency of occurrence.
Dull occipito-f^ontal headache. Dull heavy pain in frontal regions
and in both temples, also in mastoid region, the temporal headaches
being most markedly left-sided. Headache over both eyes. Dull
pain on the top of the eye-balls. Feeling of tension in the eyes.
Wants to look at things very far away. Hie eyes feel tired, as if*
they were stretched wide open. The eyes feel tired. The lid* ffeel
heavy. ^
The vision is blurred. During the proving visual acuity was
reduced f^m \^- to ^^, and remained so for several days, returning
to ^, when the drug was left off: ^ '
153 Edihr'9 Notes. [VoI.xxv^No.i,
Ophthalmosoopically it was noted that the optic discs were hy-
persBmic snd the retinal vessels engorged.
Associated with the head and eye symptoms there were certain
other frequently recurring ones : numbness and weakness in the legs,
tired, weary feeling in the limbs, weariness, very tired.
Another marked symptom is rawness and dryness of the throat.
The drug is a sexual depressant in both the male and female, and in
women excites uterine and ovarian pain, as well as aching and pain
in the breasts.
When studying the drug one is struck with the marked association
of the head and eye symptoms with those of great muscular tiredness
and weariness, especially of the lower limbs.
The cases in which t have found the curative sphere to be most
marked are those with dull, aching occipito-frontal headache, or left-
sided headache, with heavy lids and tired, weary eyes, with inability
to use them for any length of time, general lassitude and weariness,
especially of the limbs, a feeling of tiredness all over.
We meet with this condition very frequently in cases of astheno-
pia, when the symptoms are out of all proportion to the amount of
the error of refraction discovered..
I am convinced that it is not wise to ignore these small errors of
refraction, and that it is necessary to correct them optically, especial-
ly in astigmatifim, when the asthenopic symptoms are marked, so
that I almost invariably give the patient a prescription for glasses,
even when ordering the indicated remedy. As the prescribing of
glasses in a great many cases is all that is needed, and all symptoms
will disappear under their use, it not infrequently happens that no
prescription for medicine is given unless the patient continues to '
complain at a subsequent visit. In many cases of errors of refraction
we have not only to correct the optical error, but to treat the
temperament of the patient in whom we find the error, and it is in
such cases that we find d^ugs like onosmodium so useful. Similar .
acting drugs are actea, ruta, kalmia, gelsemium.
Onosmodium has been used in all dilutions from tl^e mother
tincture to the cm. I have prescribed it most frequ^itly in the 2x
or 3x.
Mr. Knox Shaw, in reply, said he wrote the paper with a very
definite object. It had been so often said that from the surgical
section no therapeutical work was ever presented. It had been his ,
desire to write a short paper which would convey a certain amount^
April 1906.] Obituary. 154.
of information, wLich he trusted would be valuable, and to set an
example which might be followed by others. It was a complete
omission on his part not to have added natrum muriaticum as one of
the remedies for asthenopia, because he had found it of extreme
value, and had found it helpful even in such a material dose as 6x.
He had used it occasionally in the thirtieth dilution. He had used
lilliumr, but it had never been a drug that had ''caught on" with Mm.
Se had used it in cases where he thought the astigmatism was due
to ciliary muscle spasm, and now and then he had obtained benefit
from its use. He would give actea where asthenopia was associated
with some pelvic disturbance. It was extraordinary what a number
of people with a pelvic disturbance had muscular asthenopia, and in
such cases he prescribed actea or macrotin."
The remedies for Muscular asthenopia are few in number.
Natrum Muriaticum is a valuable medicine, and the addition of
Onosmodium imparts valuable help.
OBITUARY.
Dr Hurro Nath Boy, l.m.s.
Dr. Hurro Nath Roy was an inhabitant of Mahiarhi about twelve
miles south of Calcutta. Being bom in a Pirali Brahman family
he had many friends among them in Calcutta. He graduated from
the Calcutta Medical College in 1867 and shortly after, selected
Allahabad for his field of activity. After showing his skill in the
orthodox system, he gradually leaned towards homoeopathy, ob&erv:
ing the immense superiority of the new system. Subsequently
Calcutta drew his attraction as the premier town of India where
homoBopathy was preferred. He wrote a few books on the practice
of medicine and other subjects and was among us about two
decades manifesting the success of his achievements, till he was
ruthlessly taken away by the great annihilating force, leaving
an old mother, a devoted wife and children to mourn his loss.
About seventy he was when the sad occurrence took place. He had
diarrhoea for some time but being always busy with practice he
could not think of rest, till eternal rest and peace was forced on
him after an active work of thirty-nine years. As a Vice-President
of the Hahnemann Society, he always evinced an ardent zeal for
professional status. We mourn the loss of a friend and colleague.
Our sincere condolence to the bereaved family.
168 Clinical Record. [Vol.xxv,No.4,
CLINICAL RECORD.
Indian.
A CASE OF SUPPRESSED SMALL POX.
B^ Dr, Hem Chandra Ray Chaudhuri, L, M. S.
S a boy aged 16, residing in Jadu Nath Srimany's Lane
was first seen on the 3rd Febroary, 1906. He was suffering from
fever and eruptions which seemed to be small pox, from the morning
of the 30th January. I saw two matured pocks, one on the left cheek
and another on the right chest near the right axilla. The face and
body were covered with raised papules. They were more than
erythemata and less than pocks, having blackish tops. The nature
of the eruptions gave fright to the fetmily. A few medical prcti-
tioners pronounced an unfavourable prognosis and they retired
without administering any medicine. The Medical Inspector em-
ployed to look after Smallpox cases and Vaccination was of the same
view with others. The father of the boy though not being in favour
of homoeopathy was yet obliged to call me as a last resort, for he had
horror of quacks who pretend to cure small pox cases, I mean the
80-called Sitala-Pandita.
I saw the boy at 9 a. m. He had then the temperature 101*4 F.,
with thirst and restlessness. He had no delirium. BdU 30 waa
prescribed. Li the evening the temperature rose to 102*6.
4th February. Temp, at 7 a. m. 101.
The same medicine was continued. Evening temp. 103.
5tL The eruptions have risen up and assumed suppuration.
In other respects he was almost the same. Morning Temp. 101*6.
YxxrioUnum 12 dec. Evening temp. 103.
6tL Morning temp. 101*6 YaridlvMJim 12 dec. Evening temp.
103*2.
7th. The pocks have taken the confluent type. Morning temp. 102.
The face was considerably swollen as well as the body. Ant. t 6 dec.
Evening temp. 103*4.
8tL Morning temp. 102*4. Was delirious and restless at night.
No change for the better. ArU. t 6 dec. Evening temp. 103*4.
April 1906.] Clinical Secord. 168
9tli. Was delirious and restless at night. Burning sensation
was accompanied with thirst. Plaoebo.
10th. The condition was almost the same. Morning temp. 103.
Was very restless and delirious at night; had great thirst.
Melandrin 30. Evening temp. 104.
11th. The morning temperature came down to 102. The other
complaints were rather less than yesterday. Melandrin 30. Evening
temp. 101.
12th. The temperature has come down 100 in the morning. The
accompanying complaints were far less. Evening temp. 99*4. The
same medicine.
13th. He was doing much better. The confluent pocks were
drying up and forming masses of scabs. The swelling of the face
atid limbs has considerably lessened. Morning temp. 98. Melandrin
30. Evening temp. 98.
The patient gradually recovered and only Placebo was given after
this. He could come out of the room about three weeks after the
13th February. The last difficulty was with his eyelids which
could be opened gradually and with great difficulty. The conjunc-
tivae were affected. The comae were without any touch of
ulceration. The boy being my neighbour I could see him now and
then. Bice and fish soup were given about three weeks after the
first appearance of the pocks which were first observed on the
30lh January.
Bemofl'ha.
In this case the unfavourable sympt(»ns were so many that they
yielded under the influence of our medicines. BM, helped theissu-
ibg out of the suppressed eruptions. * The administrations of Hep.
ettlph, was not necessary to work against suppression. The severe
confluent type yielded to Melandrin, after the failure of Jnt. ^.
The high character of the suppurative fever was an index to its
severity. The use of thermometer could demonstrate the morbid
nature of the changes undertaken by the pocks. The gradual
subsidence of the temperature showed the success of Melandrin^
as the fever never yielded to AnU t: The case proves the usefulness,
of thermometer in such cases, without which any rational treatment
would have been impossible. The use of Melandrin becomes manifest
in this case of c<mfluent smskll pox on the failure of Ant* t.
167 Clinical Record. [VolpLxv,Nx).4,
TUBERCULINUM AND ARSENICUM lODATUM IN
ALBUMINURIA.
By Dr. A. Lambbeohts, of Antwerp.
Tuherculinum, — I was led to experiment with this medicine in
nephritis because I had been struck with the constancy and intensity
of the kidney symptoms in tuberculous patients undergoing treat-
mei^t with Koch's tuberculin. I found, in feecti that if a relatively
feeble dose of tuberculin be injected under the skin of a phthisical
patient whose kidneys are sound, sharp pains are soon experienced in
the region of the kidneys ; the urine becomes albuminous and at
times contains a notable quantity of blood. Tuberculin is therefore
capable of producing well-marked acute nephritis, and the three
symptoms, renal pain, albuminuria, and hematuria, are included in
the pathogenesis of tuberculinum published by Dr. Mersch in the
first volume of the Jowmal Beige cTffomcBopathie,
Since that time I have had the opportunity of trying the effect of
the drug in different varieties, of nephritis, and I have observed
that it is especially efficacious in infe^ious nephritis, such as the
nephritis supervening upon scarlatina, upon influenza, or upon
erysipelas. Tuberculin would be specially indicated if the patient
showed any disposition to tuberculosis or to catarrhal pneumonia.
Dr. Jousset fully confirms the beneficent action of tuberculin in
post-scarlatinal nephritis.
The remedy appears less efficacious in chronic nephritis ; neverthe-
lei^ I believe it may render important service in the treatment of
Bright's disease associated with tuberculosis or pulmonary hepatisa-
tion.
Clinical observation : —
Case I. — Marie H., aged 9 years, of lymphatic temperament, and
without tuberculous antecedents. Was attacked with scarlatina on
March 10th, 1904. The malady pursued a normal course under the
influence of the usual homooopathic remedies, when about the eigh-
etenth day symptoms of acute, nephritis showed themselves. The
eyelids were puffy, there was slight oedema of the ankles, and the .
urine contained 3 per 1000 of albumin (Esbach). R. Tulieroulinum
6 and milk 4jiet. . After ten days of this treatment the luine con]bain-.
Ai^ril 1906.] ainical Record. 158
ed only half the quantity of albumin, and the cedemi^ of the ankles
bad totally disappeared. At the end of the fourth week there was
no trace of albumin remaining.
Case II. — Auguste V., aged 58, brewer, seen Nov. 14, 1903.
The patient had had some weeks previously a violent attack of in-
fluenza, the respiratory and digestive symptoms predominating. This
^WBA followed by acute nephritis with well-marked urssmic complica-
tions. When I first saw the patient he was delirious ; there were
vomiting and convulsions ; the pupils were dilated ; the urine was
sanguinolent and contained about 8 per 1000 of albumin. At the
right base there were dullness and some fine dry rales. The tongue
•was coate^, bowels constipated, temperature 38 C. ; there was no
oedema of the lower extremities. I prescribed cupr. acet, and can-
tharis to combat the uraemic complications. Under the influence of
these two drugs the head-symptoms improved considerably, and the
patient recovered consciousness the very first day. Neverthdess the
urine remained red and strongly charged with albumin, I th^a
tried tuberculinum 6, which appeared indicated by both kidney and
lung symptoms. The patient used the remedy for a month, and by
Dec. 14th he had completely recovered, not a trace of albumin re^
maining in the urine.
Case III. — A woman of 40, of lymphatic temperament, showing
old cicatrices on the neck, and two of whose children had died
tuberculous, was seized with erysipelas, which commenced with thei
id<B nasi and invaded face and scalp ; then these symptoms disap-
peared suddenly, and she complained of vague pains in the loins.
The unne contained blood and about 1 part per 1000 of albumin.
There was but slight oedema. The tuberculous constitution of the
patient led me to prescribe tuberculinum 6, which/ answered perfectly.
At the end of ten days the patient was completely cured.
Arsenicum lodatum, — This is one of the most important drugs in
chronic albuminuria. Its homoeopathicity is undoubted ; in fact in
toxic doses it completely disorganizes the kidneys, and we find in the
urine albumiu and the formed elements from the renal gland. In
exceedingly minute doses it acts as a re-constituent of the kidney,
and under its influence the albumin diminishes in a miu:ked and
constant manner even in the gravest cases, as I have often had
Qccasioi^ to testify. Iodide of arsenic ui specially efficacious in the
169 Clinical Record. [Vol.xxVjNo.4,
lower triturations (third or second decimal). The high dilutions
seem to have a less certain and prompt action. It is especially indi-
cated in the chronic nephritis of ansemic patients, in parenchymatous
nephritis, and in the interstitial nephritis of arteriosclerosis.
- Case 1 . — ^The patient was a farmer, aged 47, suffering for several
years from parenchymatous nephritis. In consequence of a chill the
malady became aggravated ; oedema showed itself in the lower Ex-
tremities and made rapid progress. Sudorifics, purgatives, and
diuretics were exhibited, but without success. Paracentesis abdo-
minis was performed on three different occasions, but each time the
ascitic fiuid collected again within three or four days, and the
medical attendants gave a hopeless prognosis. It was then that the
patient's wife came to me begging me to examine the urine and to
tell her if there were still some chance of a cure. A rapid examina-
tion of the urine showed that it contained a large proportion of
albumin. On a more careful analysis it was found to amount to 15
grams per litre ; it contained numerous hyaline and fatty casts and
was de£k;ient in urea. I commenced treatment with cantharis, but
without result. I then administered first arsen. iod. 3x, and soon
afterwards arsen. iod. 2x, under the influence of which drug consider-
able amelioration took place ; the urine became more abundant and'
the anasarca disa{^>eared insensibly.
After six months' treatment the urine still contained about 2*5
gr«^ms of $Jbujnin, but the patient believed himself cured and left ofiT
medicines. I had occasion to see him lately, after an interval of five
years, and though the urine still contains about 2 grams of albumin,
the patient has been able to follow hia outdoor occupation without
experiencing very much fatigue.
Case II.— On Jan. 28^ 1903, 1 saw a young girl of 14 who had
never menstruated, and who had suffered from chronic nephritis for
ipore th«n a year. She presented idl the syuiptoms of ansemia, pale
tint, blanched lips, palpitation, oppression on the least exertion,,
neuralgia^ l^oco^Iuoea, ^. The urine contained 2 grams of albumin*
The treatmeixt hitherto had be^i entirely unsuccessful. Arsen. iod*.
3x had com^tely refiaoved the albuminuria at the end of three weeks^
%ii4 the^^ieral condition had very markedly improved.
Case III.-^I am a^ present treating a young man of 23 suffering
feomcfaronio nephritic inr t&e last twa years. When I first saw Mm
April 1906.] Clinical Record. 160
his urine oontained 5*5 grains of albumin and ntimerouOBi hyaline
cylinders. The different allopatliic drugs to which he had been sub-
jected had had no influence upon the quantity of albumin. I pres-
cribed arsen. iod. at first in the 3x and then in the 2x trit., with
a diet consisting of milk, vegetables, and fruit. When next examin-
ed the urine contained only 1 *5 grams, and the hyaline cylinders
had completely disappeared. — Monthly ffonuBopcUhic Review^ February
1, 1906.
CASES ILLUSTRATING THE ACTION OF SULPHUR
IGNATIA, AND. SEPIA,
Bt Dr. Stokqam.
Case 1. — H. K., aged 33, a fur-skin dresser. Admitted to the
London Homeopathic Hospital on July 22, 1903, as an out-patient.
Five years ago the patient had pleurisy. Previously he had very
perspiring feet, but after the pleurisy the feet became dry ; and
there was also left behind from the pleurisy a burning pain at the
base of the right lung — ^the seat of the pleurisy — not constant,
but fi?equent.
He expectorates much bluish phlegm in the mornings only. He
smokes a good deal in the evenings, and takes six to eight glasses
of ale daily.
Nine months ago an eruption started, at the bases of the toes ct
both feet, consisting of watery vesicles which are very irritating,
and ifhem. they burst the fluid from them is very acrid, and the sur-
rounding epidermic areas are inflamed by it and destroyed, the dead
^idermis then peeling off, leaving a raw, red surface. This heals
up in - from dght to ten days, but a day or two later the whole
process recommences, so that his fbet are never really free from
eruption.
He feels in good general health when the eruption is fully out,
but just before it oomes out ke feels "out of sorts." There has been
no burning pain at the site of the old pleurisy since the eruption
commenced nine mouths agow There are no j^ysicai signs of ab-
normal character to be detected in the chest He has attended the
London Hospital, tJie Westminister Hospital, and nine diflbrent
doctors, but gets no better.
July 22, UOZ.-Sulph. ZOmr. nocte mtm^u>$.
V
161 Clinical Record, [Vol.xxv,No.4,
August 5<A.— The feet have gone through their cycle of eruptive
changes one since he was here. The eruption is now in the healing
stage. The burning pain has returned in the back. Sp» Yin, Rect,
node nianeque,
August I9th. — Has gone through another but shorter and fless
severe cycle. Is now practically well again, and has been so for
nearly a week. The feet are in better condition now than they have
been in for months. Hardly any burning pain in the lung. Hep.
S, V, R,
Svptemher 16/A. — ^The eruption has not broken out again, and the
foot is well. There is only a dusky discolouration of the skin over
the formerly affected area. A slight, dull pain under the right sca-
pula, which comes soon after rising and lasts till 7 p.m. Sulph 30
m.v. alternate mornings for 14 days.
October \Uh, — No return of symptoms. Kep. Sulph,
November Wth, — Feet still quite well. Burning in spot over base
of right lung comes on at 2 p.m. and lasts till 8 or 9 p.m. He is
sitting at work all that time j When he gets up and walks about
the pain goes. It does not come on Sunday when he is not at work.
His employment is to dress all kinds of skins, and this involves much
use of the right arm. Ara 30 m.v. om, mane,
December 5th, — Feet remain well. Burning pain under rights
scapula gone.
Case 2. — Miss B., aged 20, in September, 1903, had a bicycle
accident, running unexpectedly when on her bicycle against the
shaft of a cart, which struck her over the left eye. She met the cart
and ran straight between the horse's legs ; she was not run over.
She was taken into a shop and given restoratives, as she nearly
fainted, but did not actually lose consciousness. There was not much
loss of blood, and no great injury to bone or tissues. At first little
effect seemed to result from the accident, but a fortnight later it was
noticed that she was more childish and had foolish notions and ac-
tions, and these increased. She feels she can take no interest in her
work, and does not care whether it is done or not, but goes on doing *
her household duties mechanically and without thinking about them,
and consequently very slowly and inefficiently. She has a constant
desire to watch other people and windows of the opposite house, and *
is under the dominant idea that they ara all watching her. She
A^ril 1906.] Cliikieat Record. iQi
lnughs at tribes, atd in a silly manner, and also eftailj fikeds tears.
Wishes she had not long to lire. Feels she is '^giring iiray to ike
devil" and does not care. Cannot think steadily on any subject.
Appetite and deep are good ; physical health good ; pulsd 80. No
menstraal irregularity* She is not at all timid^ and rides her UoyoU
M before the aootdent, perfectly fearlessly.
ifovmnber Zrd,^—I^. 30 piL iL td.s.
Niyo&mber Itk. — ^Less melancholy tiie litst few days ; less inclined
to ery. Is now quite conscious that her ideas cUkI notions were silly,
bnt said she could not b^p them. Th^re is a general want of mental
tone, and a childishness which is unnatural to her. Cent. Ign» dO.
November 2\8t. — Very much better. Still a little childish, but
all melancholy has gone, and she takes an interest in work and
amusements.
December l^th, — Is now quite well, and has lost her childishness.
She has since nursed her mother Uirough a long and fktal illness
w^ithout the least sign of return of mental indisposition.
Case 3. — Miss E. Y., aged 13, had for over twelve months suf-
fered from strumous ophthalmia wi<^ ulceration of both oomote,
conjunt^tival injection, and extareme photophobia^ She h«d beeti
tinder skilled homeopathic treatment all this time, Irith ocdttsldnal
ameliorations and repeated relapses. After coming tinder my troMit-
ment she fared no better, though she was given all thei usual ey^
medicines — Merc, cor,, Bell,, Euphraaia, Aconite, Conium, ice., and
had variotis local treatment as well.
At last it was dedded to prescribe entirely on the general condi-
tion of the patieott^ and to use a repertory. There were no very
marked sytnptoms beyond l^e state of tho bowek, which wchr* oubt
stipated. The fi$c6s were small And hard, and passed ^HHi diffieoHy ;
there tras frequent urging with the passage of nothing but dotm oit
stool being attempted. This characteristic symptom of Sepia, is&-
gether with the eye symptoms of Sepia — ^great sensitiveh6ss df th6
eyes to the light of day, inflammation in the' eyes, burning in thd
^yeiii laebrymation — caused the selection of Sepia, which was given
in the I2th oentesitnal dilation night and morning.
^nden* tfan treatment rapid imp^dvement bot^ to the eyes and
generttl h^l^ took ptftce. The bowds b^an t^ act regulariy and
«ttffid€)n^y ; (^ beidaiii^ le^ tkfiiid; gi^ ta tUmp better (shaf.liad kdft
I6S AduUei*ation of foods and Drugs. [Vol,xxv,No.4>
long awake before). The corneal ulcers healed and the eyes lost all
inflammation/ but the healed ulcers left behind them corneal opa-
cities.
A certain degree of astigmatism resulted, which ttras partially
corrected by glasses ; but it took two to three years for the opacities
to clear off, during which time there was occasional slight relapse
of the ophthalmia, always immediately checked and improved by &
few doses of Sepia, For the last two years she has had no trouble
with the eyes at all, and the corneal opacities have quite cleared
away ; and she sees to do a large amount of clerking work without
43pectacles and without eye strain.-Z^om^pa^A^c World, April 2, 1906.
,®leaninij0 fram ConttmpratB %ittt^ntt.
ADULTEEATION OF FOODS AND DEUGS,
THEIE EELATION TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
By Amanda C. Brat, M.D.
Worcester, Mass.
The conservation of the public health is a duty not wholly belonging to
the medical profession, although the world looks to those who have receiv-
ed medical training and have earned medical degrees for instruction in
hygiene and the rules which should govern and regulate life. It has been
the custom to turn to the physician when health has broken and disease
seized upon the vital organs, but now, more and more the world is turn-
ing to the physician for information upon all subjects pertaining to long-
evity and robust health. The effort to live to a "green old age" free from
disease and suffering is the goal toward which all are turning — ^for the
ideal life is the one which results in work accomplished, in progress
achieved, and all things equal, that life must be a healthy one. The
physician need not be deterred from teaching the laws of health for
fear that he may diminish his professional income because it takes a
certain amount of sickness to exhaust an invalid, and if this is extended
over a period of eighty years he will make as much out of it as he could
have done in forty years, so that from a business point of view there is
no reason why a physician should not be a teacher of hygiene.
One of the many and largest factors which influence the health of the
people is food — because eating is the chief industry of the race. There are
thirty million wage earners in this couutry drawing twenty-five million
dollars a day — and of this amount, three-fourths are applied to the pur-
chase of food and its preparation. A subject that monopolizes 3-4 of the
^pril; 1906.] Adulteration of foods and Drug^. 164
energies of the people is surely one well worti^y c^ discosnon and one
worthy the attention of a body of physicians whose daty is not wholly
the curing of disease but whose vocation has extended to the larger pur-
pose of conserving the public health.
No reading man or woman is now ignorant of the appalling extent of
adulteration of food and drugs, and of the disgraceful laxness of the
Senate which allowed the pure food bill to die in its last session. The
fact that nearly every State in the Union has enacted laws more or less
stringent against the sale of adulterated foods containing harmful adul-
terants, and against false articles of food and medicine, shows conclusively
that the conditions of the market are such that these measures are a
necessity. There is not a single enlightened nation of the eavth that
does not attempt to protect its people from the injury of poisons and des-
tractive agents in foods and diinks and also against misbranded articles.
"We are living in an artificial age, consequently we must employ artificial
means to sustain life. The average business man cannot devote ten hours
a day to confined labor and at the same time retain his health, yet that
is what is expected of the average clerk and several hours additional to
the successful man because business demands it and they are compelled to
meet those conditions. A hurried life — without leisure, without sunshine
without exercise in the open air, with indiscriminate and hastily eaten
diet, must necessarily carry with it a long train of nervous conditions
making the victim of these irregularities an easy prey to disease and
broken health.
By artificial means and scientific methods the average life of man has
been prolonged in the last fifty years, and it has become a known fact that
proper diet varied to meet the wants of each individual is not only the
greatest preventive of disease but the most potent panacea of the ills ol
the day.
The nation is unable to prescribe a dietary course for each individual —
it cannot say what each one shall or shall not consume, bat it can and
should be morally responsible in its protection of the people from fraud
and imposition, so that acting intelligently a man may procure such foods
and drugs necessary for his physical condition and be assured that he is
buying the article that he desires. It is a dttty that the govemmwit owes
each citizen^ to shield him from the greed, rapacity and the dishonesty of
those on whom he is obliged to depend and to protect his rights.
The Secretary of Agriculture a few years ago estimated the sale of
adulterated foods in the U. S. in a single year at 81,175,000,000,00, or
about 15% of our entire commerce in foods. This estimate was made
from the reports of the food commissioners of several states and such other
sources as he could command and ta be conservative he adopted but 50%
of the total result shown. When one thinks that the great bulk of our
food products consists of flour, potatoes, vegetables which are seldom
adulterated, we can see that the percentage of adulterated articles must
be enormously increased. I quote from the commissioners' report ;
166 AduHeralioft of foodi and Drug9, IT<4.xxv,No.4,
^One m%]lt suppose thi^ the meats offered fbr sale would be generally pure
and' true to name, but of potted chicken and potted tnrkey, which are common
pro4uct9» there is really not a ean found which contains in determinable
quantity either chicken or turkey." "More than 90 per cent, of the meat markets
i|se phemical preservatives, and In nearly every butcher's shop could be found a
bottle of Freezem, Preservaline or Iceiue as well as Bull Meat Flour. ThQ
^mpunt of boracic acid employed in these meats varied to a considerable extent
and expressed in terms of boracic acid in sausages and Hambiirg steak would
probably range from 20 grains to 45 grains per pound. Scarcely a ham can be
found that does not contain borax, and in dried beef, smoked meats, canned
bacon, in canned chip beef, boracic acid or borates is a common ingredient/*
'Ninety percent of the so*called French peas are found to contain copper salts
m varying quantities^ and in a few, samples of aluminum salts were found in
addition."
''Eighty-five per cent of the canned mushrooms were found to be bleached
by the use of sulphites, and apparently no definite rule was followed by the
manners, and in many instances the contents of the can proved to be nothing
l^e^ter than discarded stems of mushrooms — but there was nothing to show this
pn the label/'
When the food law went into effect in North Dakota there was but one
braud of catsup which was pure^-that is — free from chemical preservatives and
coal tar coloring matters. Many of the catsups offered for sale were made
from the waste products of canners' pulp, skins, ripe and green tomatoes,
starch paste in large quantities, eoal tar colors, chemical preservatives, usually
benzoate of sOda or salicylic acid, the whole highly spiced and not always ftree
from saccharin. In many instances the base was largely pumpkin."
"Seventy per cent of cocoa and chocolate were found to be adulterated, the
cheaper grades having some flavoring matter such as synthetic vanilla added te
improve the quality, some so badly adulterated that the beverage made from
them would never be suspected of having been produced from the coeoa bean."
I quote from an article by Senator M'Cumber :
^ucose, the king of personators, does duty in a thousand ways^ Colored
and flavored with a little Timothy seed, it forms the great bulk of our straw-
berry jelliee. A da^ of different flavoring and it is by magic transformed into "
raspberry, apple, or any other kind of jelly; it constitutes the greater part of
cur strained honey;, even the bees themselves are readily deceived and empty
readily- bari^ela full of it when near their hives. It has driven much of the pure
eane molasses and syrups out of the market. There is more Vermont maple
sugar sold every year than that State can produce in ten years. Glucose, burnt
SUgsjr, and a very little poor molasses, with flavoring, feeling the demand. Hake
or any other kind of fish cured and put up in packages, comes to our table
as codfish."
A great proportion of our ground spices are mere imitations. VkniUa beans
and nutmegs have their oils extracted and are then put upon the market
Apple parings, apple cores and rotten apples go into a vat, and from that ex-
traction every known kind of jelly is made."
<<A11 kinds of wine are made from a cheap basis, flavored and colored to
Imitate the genuine article. Dozens of brands are drawn from the same cask,
priced in the market according to the value of the brajad imitated. Cotton seed
April 1906.] Adulteration of foods and DrugM. 166
oil mid oUkf oils, with tlie importer's brand showing a French or Italian source,
are palmed off for olive oil. The filling has been driven out of cheese, but it
lias lodged iu other articles of food. This cheese was manufactured by first
venioving the butter fat from the milk by an ordinary separator. This was
saade into butter and sold, and an amount equal to the weight of the butter in
deodorized lard was substituted for the butter fat. Now the same thing is done
with condensed milk — the butter fat is extracted from the milk and an equal
amount of hog fat substituted for it.
'Ice cream is made without any cream at all. condensed skim milk, condensed
until it is as thick as cream and mixed with neutral lard. Even cream pur>
ehaMd for our table is manufactured from skimmed milk with condensed milk
added to thicken it to the proper consistency. Chocolate cream candies are
filled with this same emulsion.
"'Cider vinegars are for the most part manu^EU^ured articles without a drop
of apple juice. Drugs prescribed for the sick are adulterated and mislMranded.''
Last year the New Orleans paper printed the following :
^ The surgeons of the New Orleans Eye, Ear, Nose and throat Hospital have
noted the great number of patients entering that institution from the country
around New Orleans suffering from partial or total blinduees. An investigation
disclosed the fact that a cheap antiseptic containing a large amount of wood
alcohol has been used throughout Louisiana. The city chemists found 90 per
cent, at least, of methyl alcohol in one of these speoimens, rendering them
totally unfit for internal administration, as methyl alcohol when taken internally
acts directly upon the optic nerve. The nuyority of persons affected will not
fully recover their eye sight."
An article from the New York Evening Post of January last is along
the same lines : %
''Of 375 samples of phenacetin bought from as many retail druggists in the
City of New York, 816 were found to b e adulterated with acetanilid a drug
having a depressing action on the heart. Of these adulterated samples 267 were
mixtures of phenacetine and acetanilid, while others were pure acetanilid."
The paper states :
"The seriousness of the adulteration will be comprehended when it is recoUect-
ed that phenacetin Is an antipyretic so commonly used that it may be practi-
cally considered a household remedy. Furthermore it is almost universally
dispensed by druggists all over the country without a physician's prescription,
the usual dose being from five to ten grains. The wholesale price of phenacetin
is approximately S. 1 per ounce, while that of the adulterant — the substituted
acetanilid — is 25 centa per pound. Hence the financial inducement to make the
substitution is consequently great"
There is absolutely no reason why those who buy food or any othcor
commodity should be cheated into purchasing something d^ereftt from
what is purported to be sold to them.
There are a large number of materials which have come into existence
in recent years^ t^t serve in their way an admirable purpose, yet are not
desirable from the standpoint of food supplies. Formaldehyde is an ex-
ceUeiit preservative as. any undertake will be willing to afiSrm, but wken
fish^meat;! mUk, or cream or any other substance is prevested froai
167 Adulteration of foods and Brugn, [VoI.xxv,No.4,
undergoing deterioration by an infusion of formaldehyde, it is very likely
that the food thus treated cannot pass through the process of human di-
gestion without harm to the person who eats it. Beer may be kept from;
decomposing by using salicylic acid, but those who drink it thus treated
subject their physical system to a strain better avoided. No one would
knowingly purchase for his own use a beverage or a food which he kne^v"
contained some harmful ingredient and the brewer would be the last
person in the world to comply with the law by advertising the fact ia
plain English on the label of each bottle that he sold.
There are many adulterants that are harmless but used to give an.
attractive appearance to the article in which they are blended. There is
hardly any butter sold that is not colored and it is exceedingly inconsistent
on the part of those engaged in the dairy business to insist that the makers
of oleomargarine shall be prohibited from using coloring in the making of
their goods, while coloring matter is freely used in the dairies to imitate
June made butter, in that made any month of the year and often dyed a
deep sf»,ifron totally unlike the delicate yellow it should be. The coal tar
products are freely used in coloring sausages and preserving meats, the
addition of nitrate of soda, nitrate of potash besides preserving the meats
also intensifies the color. Potassium nitrate is so uniformly employed by
all packers of meat as to be considered a normal constituent of the meat.
These conditions open up a vast field for discussion. Sophistication is^
an art and while it may only cheapen and may not Ije injurious to the-
health, it is a fraud. Milk diluted is not dangerous, but it lacks nourish-
ment, hence it is a fraud, but when it is preserved by acid, it then becomes
a menace to health.' Jellies and jams manufactured by gelatin, vegetable
dyes, and natural acids are simply frauds, but when made of acids are a
menace to health. When any article is mixed or blended with another so-
that it reduces the nutritive strength of that article the consumer does
not get what he pays for. The same is true of spices, the adultei-ation of
which has become most scientific, wheat corn, ground bark, ground cocoa
shells, mixed with ginger, clove, allspice, in fact, in all spices to ^ large
per cent.
On examination canned goods are found to contain salts of tin and lead^
the inside of the can often corroded. Dried and old peas are canned and
labelled early June peas. The law provides that these goods shall be
labelled "Soaked Goods" but many are found not so marked and if marked
so illegible as not to be apparent. Tripe, oysters, salt fish are preserved
with boracic acid. Bologna colored with aniline dyes (Bismark browa
the most common). Even nuts do not escape the beautifying process,,
last year's pecans are colored a rich reddish brown to look like the fresh
nut. A preparation called preservaline sold in boxes is advertised as an
excellent preservative for cider, vegetables, fruits, jellies, jams, mince
meat and on examination is found to be salicylic acid. According to di-
rections three measures of the preservative added to one quart of water
is all that, is needed to preserve the article with no necessity to cook the
April 1906.] Adulteration of foods and Drugs. 168
fruit at all. An example of commercial fraud pore and simple is egg
substitute called N'egg. The package contaios two little boxes, one of
white the other of yellow powder, advertised to contain nutritive value
equivalent to the white and yolks of one dozen fresh Qgg^y alleged to differ
in composition as whites and yolks of eggs, but consisting solely of tapioca
starch in the white box and the same ingredient in the yellow box with
the addition of Victoria yellow coloring matter.
There are so many drugs below the standard that the physician does
aiot know, when his remedy fails, whether it is the person who does not
respond to the action of the drug or if the drug is not what he supposes it
is : aqua ammonia, powdered opium, opium tincture, iodine tincture, the
precipitate of sulphur, with innumerable others.
The law is that all poisons used for external use, especially the mercu-
ries, shall bear the red label marked poison with the antidote on the label
The law is evaded by placing the red lable^n the bottom of the bottle.
Purely vegetable tonics recommended for inebriates are found to contain
41.500 of alcohol. Sulphur bitters advertised as having no alcohol contains
twenty five per cent and no sulphur. Opium cures contain morphine, fig
syrup is innocent of figs, prune extract has no prunes but aloes and so on
down the list.
Brands of clam bouillon are invariably nothing but preparations of
salicylic acid. Santiago West India Lime juice is a mixture of hydro-
chloric and salicylic acid with no lime juice at all.
When the German Government four years ago applied a new set of
restrictions to the American meat products, one of these was based on
the theory that borax was unhealthf ul. A great protest went up from
packers and their sympathizers, saying, the excuse was a mere pretence,
the real object was to hurt our foreign trade. Now, after careful investi-
gation our Government vindicates the German contention. The law went
into effect last June and great good has been accomplished based in part
on the retaliatory theory that, ''no country shall export to us any article
of food or drink under ban of their law. What they let their people eat
they may send to us.'' The Department of Agriculture was authorized by
an act of Congress for the year ending June, 1903, to make an investi-
gation to determine the effect of certain preservatives upon digestion and
health.
The necessity for the investigation was found in the very general use
of certain chemical compounds for preserving foods and of coloring
matters for imparting to foods a tint resembling nature, or for pro-
ducing colors pleasing the eye of the consumer. The use of preservatives
is as old as civilization, the more important being sugar, salt, vinegar,
wood smoke and alcohol. One of the chief characteristics of modern
chemical preservatives is that it is often almost without taste or odor and
for this reason its presence would not be noticed by the consumer in the
quantity used, while nearly all in a concentrated from would reveal them-
selves by dither odor or taste, as sulphurous acid, or salicylic. acid. ;
169 Adulteration of foods and Drugs, [Vol.xxv,No.4,
The Secretary of Agriculture was deemed the proper official to m^ke
the iovestigation as the iuterests oter his department are associated alike
with the producer, manufacturer and consumer and any favoritism to-
ward either quarter would be eliminated. The investigations were carried
out upon volunteers since no one could be forced to undergo experiments^,
treatment, the great disadvantage being the absolute control of "the ex-
periraentee/' The young men were placed upon their honor, neither watch-
ed nor confined, were men of approved character, of college training and
many of them engaged in scientific pursuits, and it was provided that
during periods of observation they should continue in their usual voca-
tions. Each applicant was required to fill out a blank describing the
usual conduct of his daily life, name, address, age, any sickness within a
year, condition of digestion, use of tea and coffee, use of tobacco, use of
wines, beer, or alcoholic beverages, condition of bowels, the hours for de-
fecation and urination, the hours of retiring and average hours of sleeping,
the kind and amount of physical exercise. The applicant was selected
from this data and the ability to do long and continued work was deter-
mined by this and his physical condition. All had passed the civil service
examinations so that their moral character, sobriety, reliability, truthful-
ness and honesty, were vouched for. The kitchen, laboratory and dining
room facilities made it necessary that twelve persons should be the maxi-
mum number under observation at a time. The hours for meals were
breakfast 8 a. m., lunch 12 a. m., dinner 5.30 p. m., these hours conforming
more nearly to their usual m^al times. As the men were kept under
observation from thirty to seventy days it was best to make the bill of
fare a9 varied as possible, meats, beefsteak, beef, lamb, veal chops, pork,
chicken, turkey, eggs twice a week, butter, milk, cream, all of the best
quality, coffee and tea in moderate quantities. Desserts of custards, ricd
puddings, ice cream, with liberal supply of fruits. The bill of fare wa»
changed every day but recurred regularly in seven day periods, making
work uniform for the cook and steward both in the preparation of food
and quantity used and supplied. The experiments with borax and bori<$
acid were divided into five series of observations, three divisions of each
the fore period^ the after period. The fore period determined the quantity
of food required to maintain the normal weight at constant figured, and
normal metabolism as a basis of comparison, the quantity being so varied
thai by ten days there was no marked change in weight. Borax was
selected as the fii-st preservative to be experimented with as being most
eommooly used.
In the first part of the experiment it was mixed with the butter, but
later it was given in eapsnles for when it was learned that a certain arficfe
cf food cimtaiiied it a natural dislike was developed for that thing, due to
the mental attitude, and as it was known it was to be administered therd
was BO nasoQ why it should not be given in capmiles and thus not inter-
Jsrs with any article of food. Small quantities Wbre gl^en; in th^ begiit-
ningandiacreased tathe limit of toleratioif and t6t eadx irariattoi af
April 1906.] Adulteration off odd and Drugs. 170
<](liantity a cteparate thidy of tfa^ dig^estivd prooesses wa« nfadeu Dctring
the entire time the food was weighed, measured and analyzed, the ex-
creta weighed and analyzed. The Sargeon General of the FabHc Health
and Marine Hospital detailed a physician to make physical and medical
examinations once a week with symptoms noted, and if they fell ill inci-
dentally or independently of their work, he prescribed for them. The
examination of the blood was made regularly, temperature taken before
and after dinner each day, poise rate noted,, the weight of the body made
oh platform scales wiUi agate bearings, so that any slight difference, ef
even 10 grams, could be noted. All food analyzed, potatoes cooked,
irithout seasoning, bread purchased of one baker and made of one variety
during the entire period. The determinations were made of water, nitro-
gen, phosphoric acid, fat, heat of combustion and analyses made of the
urine and excreta ; also the effect of regular habits and the mental attitude
noted. The preservative was given in quantity of one-half a gram at the
beginning and increased to five grams a day, the quantity given during
tiie whole period being 607'4 grams and of this quantity 468*6 grams
were recovered in the urine. The after period was devoted to getting or
patting the person back to his normal condition.
The general conclusions based upon the data show that borax and boric
acid taken in the quantity stated tend to produce slight loss of body
weight, and in the after period the majority continued the loss of weight,
only a few showing a slight tendency toward recovery of normal weight
The tables showing the effect upon hemoglobin, number of red corpuscles,
the calories, quantity of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, specific gravity, total
solids, fats and volume of urine eliminated ivere very interesting. The
medical symptoms of the cases show in most of them a tendency to a di-
minished appetite, feeling of fullness and uneasiness in stomach, often
resulting in nausea, a dull persistent headache, some sharp, well defined
pains not persistent. If administered continuously some time 4 or 6 grams
a day there is total loss of appetite, with inability for work of any kind.
Four grams a day was found to be the limit beyond which the normal
man may not go^ 3 grams a day can be tolerated by many and while in-
jurious effects were felt they were able to continue work. While on the
whole 1-2 gram a day is too much to receive regularly for it does create
disturbance of appetite, of digestion and of health.
The sole objects of adulteration are to sell an inferior article at the
price of a superior one'; to preserve an article so that it mdy be sold after
preservation as a fresh article and at as high a price, if not higher. The
federal nation must Recognize the existence of the evil of food adultera-
tion throughout the land. It cannot shut its eyes and conscience to the
&ct, and strenuous exertions must be made to stamp out tUe food frauds.
If the nation will strike at the source of the evil by prohibiting com-
merce in adulterated and falsely branded foods in ei^ery state of the
United States, there would be little difficulty in freeing our commeroial
field of coHntbrfeit foods and driigs. The Gt>vemmeht oi the tl S: iias
r
171 Adutteration of foods and Drugs. [Vol.xxVjNo.4,
passed several laws to protect the integrity of its currency and coin. If
the Government compels me to pay every purchase and obligation with
coin of f cdl weight and valae, is it not the concurrent duty of that Go-
vernment to protect me against fraud and imposition and see that I have
in return what I am paying for and not a spurious article worth less than
my money value, and what is worse, may also be detrimental to my health
and also of those dependent upon me. The duty of the Government i&
not fulfilled so long as it does not protect me from these frauds. The
naticmal law should reach the manufacturers and the importers. It should
deprive no man of what he desires to purchase, but it should compel all
goods to unmask and simply compel all articles of food to be bought and
sold for what they actually are. Such a law could easily be put into eflfect
the result upon the morals and health of the people would be beyond
computation and all business would be made legitimate.
The Coal Tar Lemon Pie.
(Baltimore American.)
(A pure food commission in Chicago recently dissected a lemon pie
bought out of stock, and found it to contain neither^ lemon, butter nor
sugar. The principle ingredients were various forms oi coal-tar and
glucose.— News Item.)
They're making cotton clothes from wool,
And iron things from wood ;
They're making goodies out of scraps,
And nasty things from good ;
They're making paper things from rags,
And money out of "sky ;"
But this is sure the worst as yet,
A coal-tar lemon pie.
They're making combs from kerosine,
And pearls from olive oil ;
They're making Belgian hares of cats,
And syrup out of soil ;
They're making buckwheat cakes from paste,
And pumice stone — 0, my ;
But this is sure the time to kick —
A coal-tar lemon pie.
They're making clothing out of glass,
And butter out of grease ;
While maple sugar, made from sand ;
Is commoner than geese ;
They make from scraps and chicken-bones
Most terrapin you buy ;
But anything we'll stand except
A coal-tar lemon pie.
Ths North Americaa Journal of Homoeopathy February, 1906.
April 1906.] Ackncmledgmmt. 17*
^jckn0tDltb0mtntj5.
The Monthly Homoeopathic Review, April 1906, London.
The ffomaopatlde World, April 1906, London,
UArt Medical, March 1906, Paris.
Allgemeine Hom&opathische Zeitung, April 5, 19 1906, Leipzig.
^larpucrj UpooSo^ o^')> March 1, 15, 1906, Sjra (Greece).
La Grhce Medicate, 3iiarch 1, 16, 1906, Syra (Greece).
The New England Medical Gazette, April 1906, Boston.
The Homceopathic Recorder, March 1906, Lancaster, Pa.
Homoeopathic Envoy, March 1906, Lancaster, Pa.
Medical Tim^s, March ; April 1906 l^ew York.
Brooklyri Medical Journal, March 1906, Brooklyn, New York.
Journal of the British Homoeopathic Society, January 1906, London*
Revista Omiopatica, January, and February 1906, Rome.
Revietw Homeopdtica Catalana, February 1906, Barcelona.
The Indian Homoeopathic Review, April 1906, Calcutta.
Ann>ae8 de Mediciena Homceopathica, September 1905, Rio de Janeiro.
The North American Jowrnal of Homasopathy, April 1906, New York.
Medical Advwnce, April 1906, Chicago.
Revista de Farmacia March 1906, Bercelona, Spain.
Diseases of children by C. S. Raub, M.D., Published by Boericke and
Tafel, Philadelphia, 1906.
Hcemorrhoids and Habitual Constipation by J. H. Clarke, M.D., publish-
ed by James Epps & Co. Ltd. London. 1906
The Science and Art of Prescribing by E. H. Colebkok, B. A., M.D. and
A. Chapliit, B.A., M.D., published by Henry Kim^ton, London 1906.
HonuBopathic Directory, 1906, published by Homoeopathic pubUshing Com-
pany, 12 Warwick Lane, London. 1906.
TERMS FOR ADVERTISEMENTS
IN THE
CALCUTTA JOURNAL OF MEDICINE.
For One Tear,
Whole Page ... Es. 20 I One-third'Page ... Es. 8
jglf ,^ ... „ 12 ' ftuaxter ditto ... ,, 6
Abhil CALCUTTA JOURNAL OF MEDICINE. I9«.
SCOTT'S F.MIJT..STON ~
.OF
PURE NORWAY COD LIVER OIL
WITH
HYPOPHOSPHITES OF LIME & SODA
HAS THE HIGHEST ENDORSEMENT OP THE
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AND
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It does Not Separate and can always be Relied
TJppn.
It is the Most Pcdatable Preparation of
Ood Liver Oil Known.
Physicians will find ScOtt*S Emulsiozt liasiN^
Tolerated by Any Stomach.
We respectfnlly request that
Scott's EnuUftton bp trief,
by Physicians in all cases where
Cod Liver Oil is indicated.
Free Samples, will be sent
post paid, to Physicians by
addressing the Manufacturers^
SCOTT & BOWNE, Ltd..
Manufacturing Chemists,
lo and ll'Stpnecuiter Si.,
LudgcUe Circm,
I London, England.
ark ar ilM " iMll " prM«Ml
CALCUTTA JOURNAL OP SIBDICINB.
MILO MALTED FOOD
(Untouched by Hand,)
roB
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SECEIVED AT TEE
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THB,
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AND ALSO TBI
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LOCAL EEPEESElfTAIIYES :
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or BUTTO KRISTO PAUL & CO., CALOUTTA.