brother. She was very much depressed in spirits on account of her brother's rash act, and before she had fairly recovered from that shock, and on the afternoon of September 17th, her mother becoming insane on account of her son's untimely death, committed suicide by hanging herself with a rope. Unfortunately, the daughter who lives but a short distance away, in her excitement ran to the house of her mother and witnessed the dreadful scene of her mother hanging by the neck, dead. On account of these two rash acts coming in such quick succession, it was thought for a time that the daughter would become insane, and really developed suspicious symptoms which caused her husband and friends to keep watch over her night and day for several days after her mother's interment.

Is it possible that the two shocks, coming as they did in such quick succession, was the cause of the non-development at the advanced stage of pregnancy at which they occurred?

G. W. THOMPSON, M. D.

Winamac, Ind.

Post-Partum Hemorrhage. October 30th, 1893, at ten P. M., I was summoned to attend Mrs. N. in her second labor. On examination, I found the os slightly dilated, but the uterine anteversion was so extreme that it was directed toward the spine of the sacrum. I watched the progress for an hour, and when making the second examination, inserted my finger in the os and brought the womb into its proper axis, holding it through several pains, but as soon as released, it returned to the former position. I again inserted my finger, drew it forward and had a bandage applied, but to no avail, so I was finally compelled to hold it in position for two hours until the waters formed and the head began to enter the lower strait, when it retained the normal position and labor went on to its natural conclusion, the child being born without further difficulty.

In about twenty minutes I removed the placenta by Crede's method, and supported the fundus for ten or more minutes until it contracted firmly. I then began to remove placenta and clots from the bed when hemorrhage set in. The

blood gushed forth in jets as though forced by a pump and the spark of life was fast disappearing. I realized that I must act at once if I would save my patient's life, so I inserted my hand into the uterus, grasped the fundus externally and ordered two teaspoonfuls of ergot to be given. The uterus contracted upon my hand so firmly I couldn't move a finger, and in about ten minutes my hand was expelled and the hemorrhage stopped. I am confident that had the hemorrhage continued two minutes, her earthly career would have been ended. She wanted to go to sleep and it took an hour to thoroughly rouse her.

Patient made a good recovery. She is twenty years of age and this is her second child. I waited on her the first time and found the womb similarly anteverted and had to hold it in position. Another doctor had been with her for thirty-six hours and said she would die. When they came for me, he left, but she now has two fine girls.

I have practiced medicine for twenty years, but never saw another case like the above. I have had several cases of post-partum hemorrhage but in a mild form.

Success to the BRIEF, it is my ideal of a journal, being clear and non-partisan. J. W. MCGLAUGHLIN, M. D.

Wilson, O.

A Remarkable Case.

I was called to see Mrs. C., December, 1893. She complained of severe griping in her bowels, from which she had suffered for three months. Was having a mucus discharge from the bowels, with considerable tenesmus; her tongue indicated hepatic torpidity. I put her on mercury and tonics, with warm salt enemata, with instructions to keep up the latter for ten days. At the end of this time I returned with Dr. Knox in consultation. We gave her another course of mercury, and with the first evacuation a tumor was expelled the size of a large hen's egg, of nearly the same shape, with one rough and one smooth surface.

Patient immediately began to improve and has made a good recovery.

A. B. BISHOP, M. D.

Lockesburg, Ark.

Dry Heat in Inflammatory Conditions.

For some months I have been giving special attention to the use of dry heat in reducing all inflammatory conditions. I have even found it to be a partial local anesthetic.

The heating process, I find should be inaugurated by degrees, commencing with slight heat and gradually increasing until the heat becomes excessive. Length of time and frequence of repetition entirely depends upon the severity of the pain and quantity of surface, whether internally or externally involved.

I can safely say to the readers of the BRIEF, that from actual demonstrations upon my own person, I declare it to be most excellent application. I made the discovery by treating my own case.

As to my own self, I have tried it sufficiently to know that it is a good thing. Hoping the treatment is worthy of comment, both from the editor and the readers, I remain a devoted friend of the BRIEF.

I want an expresssion from some one. E. B. CLARK, M. D.

Bloomingdale, Tenn.

[The editor remembers to have heard housewives say that the best way to subdue pain and inflammation in a burnt finger was to hold it near a hot stove, but never tried it. The use of moist heat in decreasing inflammation is, of course, nothing new, being much used both for its direct and revulsive effects. Shall be glad to hear more as to the method, etc.-ED.]

Typho-Malarial or Slow Fever.

I was called to see Mrs. N., living fourteen miles in the country, November 15th, being the third physician to see her. Found patient delirious, bowels tympanitic, temperature 1031⁄21⁄2°, tongue heavily coated with dirty white fur, dry, with edges and tip very red. She had had fever for eighteen days; discharges from bowels very offensive. Put her on Salol five grains, quinine three grains, acetanilid two grains, in No. 0 capsule every four hours. Fl. ext. aconite thirty drops, aquæ four ounces, one teaspoonful every two hours, and directed a bath to be given twice a day and eggnog or toddy

every two or three hours, with plenty of buttermilk.

Returned on the 17th, found mind clear, temperature 102°. Kept up same treatment. On the 19th, temperature 1011⁄2°; no tympanitis to amount to anything; bowels had not been moved for three days; filled No. 1 capsule with quinine three grains, calomel two grains, to be given at six o'clock that evening.

Did not call again until the 22d; medicine had acted; discharge normal, no tympanitis; tongue cleaning off nicely; temperature 100°; skin clear; had taken some other food.

Kept up same treatment, went back 25th, found her still improving. The 30th found her with no fever, and dismissed her with the other members of the family. There were four in the same family suffering from the fever, but hers was the most serious case.

One of the children taken the first day I was there, put on above treatment in smaller doses, had no fever after the twelfth day, although her temperature was 105° when I went back the second time.

Case two. Mr. L., a young man of nervous temperament, about twenty-seven years old, had fever six days before he sent for me. November 23d, temperature 103°, tongue dry, coated with dirty fur, clean at edges and middle red with dry scale in center. Put patient on above treatment, except aconite changed to jaborandi forty drops, aqua four ounces, teaspoonful every two hours. I also gave quinine four grains, calomel three, in capsules, to be taken at six that night. This patient had tympanitis of the bowels, discharge very offensive.

Returned November 25th, found patient sitting up; said he had no fever, but on taking temperature found it 100°, but it never rose very high after that, and on the fifteenth day from the time he first had fever I dismissed him, free from fever and able to go where he wished; his tongue began to clean off the eleventh day and he commenced to take food.

I always give my slow fever patients all the buttermilk they will drink and brandy or whisky if necessary, and I generally find they need stimulants after the first week. I use quinine first, last, and all the time, with acetanilid in one

or two grain doses; sometimes I use salicylate sodium instead of Salol.

I have had fifteen cases of slow fever in the last three weeks, and not one of them lasted over fifteen days if I saw them in two or four days after the fever appeared, and some only twelve days. None have lasted over fifteen days after I saw them. I have only one case on hand now, and I have him on Salol, quinine, and acetanilid and jaborandi, with the quinine and calomel every third night. To-day is his ninth day; his tongue is clean; temperature this evening is 99%. When I first saw him the second day of sickness, temperature was 105°; twenty-four hours after treatment was commenced, temperature went down to 1022 and has been steadily going down ever since.

I have been practicing four years and have not lost a case of slow fever, and never had one to go over twenty-eight days where I got to see them in the first fifteen days. I have always used quinine and acetanilid and some antiseptic treatment. Next to Salol is the iodine and carbolic acid treatment. I give as follows:

R. Tinct. Iodine
Acid. Carbol.

Aquæ Menth. Pip...

1% drachms. drachm.

q. s...4 ounces. M. Sig.: Teaspoonful every four hours. If there is diarrhea I give an opiate. Don't understand me to mean that the salicylate of sodium takes the place of Salol as an antiseptic, but it overcomes the tympanitis. If I don't give the Salol, I give the iodine and carbolic acid as an antiseptic.

I think if the doctors of the South would use more energy in the treatment of slow fever, there would be fewer deaths. Most of them think it can't be broken, and give little or no medicine, and if the patient gets well it is due entirely to the strength of his constitution. The doctor that first treated Case No. 1, told them quinine was sure death in slow fever. He is an older man than I am, and has been practicing as many years as I am old, but I have been seeing slow fever for the past sixteen years and as I studied under a fine physician for three years before I entered college, I have some experience, although I have not practiced long, and if quinine will kill a slow fever patient, I ought to have

something over one hundred deaths from giving it. I will say for the benefit of those prejudiced against the use of quinine, I have never had a death from slow fever, and out of something over two thousand dollar's worth of practice this year, only one death from any disease. I use antiseptic treatment in every case of any note. I believe slow fever, if seen in time and treated right, should not run over twenty-one days at most and nine for the least. As for my part, I had rather insure a man's life with slow fever, than most any other fever I know of. I. M. GEORGE, M. D. Smackover, Ark.

Assistance Needed.

I have been suffering for the past five years from an intractable or incurable disease, of a malignant or cancerous nature; have a family of young children dependent upon me for support, and am unable to follow my much-loved profession or perform any kind of labor to obtain a livelihood. Having no one else to look to, I most earnestly appeal to the medical fraternity, individually and collectively, to consider my case and contribute something, however small the amount, and send to me direct at Denison, Texas, for the support of my family. A small contribution from each member of the profession will not be felt by them and will enable me to start a local sale of something in Denison to maintain my family in independence. I trust that I will meet with a liberal response in this, the hour of my sorest need.

H. L. RICHARDSON, M. D. Denison, Tex.