might think over the subject for a year, and come up fresh from the constituent bodies with due preparation for so very important a This amendment was lost by a decisive vote.

measure.

Then this writer attempted to get in a substitute for the consultation clause under discussion, but was prevented from finishing the reading of his substitute by a counter-motion made while he had the floor. This substitute was as follows:

Emergencies occur wherein the demands of humanity require that a physician should obey any summons regardless of whom he might meet or consult.

Through considerations of humanity, liberality and generosity, a physician may meet in consultation any practitioner of medicine, whether legally qualified or not, and practicing under any name or dogma however irrational, and may render to such all possible aid during any length of time, provided that he shall neither charge nor receive any fee of any kind for such irregular services.

Some such substitute as this would have satisfied all the arguments based on humanity, liberality, generosity, persecution, antagonism, etc., and would not have been unworthy of physicians and gentlemen; and the writer was prepared to argue that if physicians would confine the business and financial relations of their profession to their professional brethren of the same faith and modes of practice, they might then consult with whom they pleased with perfectly clean hands. But that the moment they accepted a pecuniary consideration for such services they became, in the natural order of things, liable to injurious suspicion of interested motives unworthy of physicians and gentlemen.

But the meeting seemed in no temper to consider any such action as this, even if it had been possible to present it; and when at a late hour, after a long discussion, the vote on the final adoption of the committee's report was taken, it was found to be 52 in the affirmative and only 18 in the negative, or five votes more than the requisite two-thirds.

It remains now to be seen how far this unexpected and revolutionary legislation effected by fifty-two votes will be acceptable to the many hundreds of physicians whom it controls, but who are not represented in it. A large class, namely, those who do as they please regardless of codes, will not be affected by it at all. Another large class, who cannot stultify themselves by the sham of trying to mix up theories and practices of medicine which are utterly incom patable and opposite in principle, under the name of consultations,

will not be disturbed or affected by it. But another very much larger class, who by their excessive numbers throughout the country are struggling for a living against frightful odds,--if influenced by their pecuniary instincts, will gladly accept the legislation, and will follow their prominent professional leaders gladly, and thank them for their precept and example.

This writer read the report of the committee without getting any strong bias against it, and went into the discussion with a strong desire to hear and weigh well all that could be said in favor of it, hoping to be able to support and vote for it. After listening attentively to all that was said, however, and now, after having reviewed the whole subject with earnest care, he cannot help regarding the movement as being very dangerous and unwise, and as being an important step in the direction of professional disintegration and decay. In a profession very much overloaded in the proportions between its numbers and its work, and very much undereducated, there is an inherent tendency to disintegration. The more educable few become well educated and successful, mostly as specialists, while the many less educable and poorly educated have to skirmish for a doubtful and precarious living, and thus the rich become richer because the poor get poorer. Under such conditions, any step in the direction of disintegration is very much to be deplored.

How this step appears from the side of the irregulars who are now to be consulted with, may be seen from a statement said to have been publicly made at the late meeting of the State Homœopathic Medical Society by its president. In alluding to this movement he is reported to have said, in substance, that now that the population of the State is becoming so largely homoeopathic the older profession must fraternize with homœopathy in order to prolong its existence.

It is to be hoped,—and probably it may be expected that the county societies throughout the State, by whose delegations the State society is really constituted,—will take this subject up during the year and send up their delegations to the next annual meeting charged by deliberate consideration to either revoke or confirm this legislative action.

WINTER ECZEMA.

There appears to be something in the winter climate, at least of the sea-board States, to cause in many persons a troublesome itching of the surface, generally of the extremities. This itching abates or disappears during mild and moist weather, but recurs with every cold, dry clearing up of the weather. From being slight at first it is apt to increase and become very troublesome, especially upon undressing, and through the night. At this stage vigorous scratching becomes irresistible, and then the surfaces soon become abraided, red and papular with an exudation which sooner or later becomes copious, drying in crusts on some parts, but presenting open ulcerative patches on others. In this stage the itching is replaced by soreness and irritation, and the tendency seems to be to become worse instead of better. By a consideration of the climatic conditions which seem to start and keep up this affection in persons who are otherwise in good health, there seemed to be an indication for some agency to keep the surface from becoming too dry,-to keep it in dry cold weather in a similar condition to that of mild moist weather. This would be accomplished by a proper use of glycerin, Then there is a very evident indication for an effective astringent to prevent or correct the tendency to the exudation, and such would. be found in tannic acid. Add to this a moderate stimulation of the surface to take the place of the scratching in the relief which this gives, and then the indications for the following solution are fulfilled :

Take of Tannic acid 2.6 grammes, or 40 grains.

Glycerin and alcohol, of each, 15 cubic centimetres, or half a fluid

ounce.

Water sufficient to make 120 cubic centimetres, or 4 fluidounces. This solution applied to the itching surfaces by means of a small sponge or rag, morning and evening, will in a large proportion of cases avert the affection. The itching will be reduced, or will cease altogether, so that scratching can be avoided, and as the other stages arise from the scratching they will fail to occur. If the affection shall have gone on to the stage of irritation and exudation before the solution is resorted to, the solution may then be found to be too strong. Then if diluted with an equal volume of water for a time, until the surface is re-established, it will better serve the purpose, but after this it should be resumed in full strength.

When once the affection is found to be curable in this way, it should never be again allowed to go beyond the beginning of the itching stage before the remedy is applied. After being thus cured once or oftener during a winter, it is apt to of the next winter and must be watched for. keep indefinitely and should be freshly made for each attack.

recur at the beginning The solution does not

OPIUM ASSAYS.

Since the publication of the last note on Opium, assays of four cases have been made which presented important peculiarities. These cases were all direct importations into this market and were sent here as being of very fine quality. On careful inspection the representations of quality were well sustained, for the Opium appear-\ ed to be very good. The cases differed very much in some respects, but not in the internal appearance of quality or richness. One case was of uniformly small lumps, so that there were between 300 and 400 lumps in the case, as against the usual number of from 150 to 250. Another case was so soft that the lumps had all coalesced into one mass, while the other two cases presented the more usual appearances of Opium of higher grade. All were of very uniform consistence throughout each case, and all of good consistence, except the one which was so soft as to coalesce. The cases were separately sampled and assayed, giving the following results: Morphia 10.8 per cent. Insoluble Residue 28.4 per cent.

Water 24.6 per cent.

When reduced by calculation to dried and powdered Opium, the powder would assay 14.4, 14.1, 12.9 and 12 per cent. of morphia. Thus this Opium, which was unusually good in appearance, proves to be about of the average market quality for "prime Smyrna Opium," often called Karahissar. The peculiarities developed by the assay process were--First, the very unusually small proportion of insoluble residue. In two of the cases this residue was of the usual character, only very small in amount. In the last two cases it was very different in character as well as small in amount,—

smaller even than the first two cases, and the smallest insoluble residue ever met with by this writer. Then the proportion of water is unusually great, except in the last case, and there it is unusually small. This was the case which contained so many small distinct uniform lumps. Judging by the appearance of this Opium, in comparison with the higher grades of this market, such as the Boghaditch, Yerli, Salonica, etc., it would be said to contain not less than 12 to 14 per cent. of morphia. That is to say, the appearance would be likely to mislead an ordinary observer by about 3 per cent. of morphia, which is equivalent to more than a dollar a pound in actual value.

The insoluble residue in the higher grades of Opium, which this resembles, rarely falls below 36 per cent., and ranges from that to 40 per cent., perhaps, for Opium in the moist condition (42 to 48 per cent. when dried and powdered), and from this it must be reasonably inferred that some soluble matter had been added to this Opium probably to improve its appearance.

From time to time, within the past year or two, private reports have been made to the effect that a new diluent for Opium was being used in Asia Minor, by which the appearance was improved, and once or twice this new diluent was reported to be strained fig paste. Some such diluent as this, holding a large proportion of water, and being soluble in water, would easily and rationally account for the peculiarities of this Opium, and it is, therefore, probable that this has been made up in some such way to imitate the higher grades, and sent into the market for deception.

THE USE OF SALICYLATES IN ACUTE RHEUMATISM.

The discussion of this important subject by the Medical Society of London has been so prolonged and complete as to warrant a more extended review of it than that contemplated in the brief notice of the last EPHEMERIS. Hence the following summary, imperfect as it is, may still be useful to those who may not be induced to read the very important articles here quoted.

In The Lancet of December 24, 1881, p. 1080, is an "Analysis of Statistics illustrating the action of Salicin Compounds in the