chloroformed and properly placed, Dr. Rudy performed the task with great dexterity. The placenta was a centralis, and the bag passed through it. Great care was taken to deliver all the membranes. Both parties interested lived.

Mrs. C. N., 27. Farmer's wife, lived two miles from the former family. She was in need of a doctor at the first confinement and desired to be prepared this time. Her health had been good. A pain on the previous day, followed by a gush of blood had aroused her suspicions. There had been no pain since but she had felt uncomfortable.

She was a stout little woman, somewhat anemic. External examinations gave: Child living, its head low down in the right iliac fossa. After the necessary scrubbing the vaginal finger found room for a speedy delivery, the os being widely dilatable, only the head could not be touched. With my former experience before me I thought of 1 in 1000 or I in 723. Something existed between finger and head, which could be felt through the uterine wall. A contraction had passed off by this time, and my finger passed quite far up along the right side in the uterus, and the head was reached. At the same time I felt a warm stream of blood and became uneasy. It was clear that a part of the right margin of the placenta had been detached, the bulk being implanted on the left side, Dr. Rudy was called again, and together, we decided to proceed boldly. The woman having been prepared and chloroformed, was placed upon the edge of her bed. I passed along up the right side steadily, detached the plecenta broke the membranes and succeeded in turning quickly. Placenta and child came along at the same time, with the exception of a thin cord of membrane which came away after the contractions, which were now strong, had relaxed. Mother and baby lived and we began to breath with more ease, when suddenly the woman collapsed. She gasped for breath, became pulseless, extremeties grew clammy, and beads of perspiration were seen on her forehead. There was no bleeding, the uterus being hard. After an hour's anxious. working, artificial heat, saline enemata, atrophine, glonoin and digitalis our patient rallied and our long faces shortened.

Dec. 19th, '99, 4 A. M., Mrs. A. F. Primapara, 30 years, farmer's wife. Never had a doctor, but had menstrations for the last month, and in pain. A profuse, red hemorrhage had scared the family. She was a stout woman, who cared for a feeble husband, and worked the farm. Ext. Examination. Pulse 100, child living, head down to the right side. Active hemorrhage ceased. Int. Examination: Plenty of room, os was sufficiently dilatable, so that one might have safely ruptured the membrane. The finger was unable to touch the head. There was a thick spongy mass, besides clots intervening. I now explained the necessity of having another physician to help me. Dr. Pilan of New Paynesville, was called It seemed so strange that I should have another placenta previa to deal with

that I could not rely on my own findings. My fears were not groundless, however, for the doctor confirmed my diagnosis, stating that the larger part of the placenta was implanted on the left side. After the woman had been prepared and anesthetized, Dr. Pilan performed inversion, which was more difficult in this case on account of the insufficient dilatability mentioned. The patient lived, and the child cried after a few minutes of strict attention. No further trouble resulted. Expulsion of the mutilated placenta was synchronous with the birth of the child. It had many atrophic spaces, and the funis was implanted marginally. The patient made an uneventful recovery.

THE TRAINED NURSE.

By Miss Christine Williams.

(Class paper, Asbury Methodist Hospital, 1899.)

As the weary traveller in Erin's Isle draws near some ruined castle, his eye not infrequently traces on some moss-grown threshold, the words "a hundred thousand welcomes." Such is my greeting to you all to-night in the name of the class of 1899. For two years we have looked forward to this night as the crowning reward of our labors. As the butterfly changes from embryo to chrysalis before it feels its wings. so we have passed through the stages of probationers and juniors and have developed into seniors, ready to face the world in a struggle with the enemies of suffering humanity. It has not been altogether a holiday experience in the general acceptance of that word but hard work, that has come under no eight-hour system, but rather that which governs supply and demand. Neither have we been martyrs. Listen to the words of one who has given her life to the work "I give a quarter of a century's European experience when I say: The happiest people, the fondest of their occupation, the most thankful for their lives, are in my opinion, those engaged in nursing the sick. It is mere abuse of words to represent the life (as is done by some) as a sacrifice, a martyrdom, there have been martyrs in it, founders and pioneers of almost everything that is best, must be martyrs, but these are the last even to think themselves so. And for all there must be constant self sacrifice for the good of all. But the distinction is this: The life is not a sacrifice; it is the engaging in an occupation the happiest of any, but the strong, the healthy wills, in any life, must determine to pursue the common good at any personal cost, at daily sacrifice; and we must not think that any fit of enthusiasm will carry us through such life as this. Nothing but the feeling that it is God's work more than ours, that we are seeking only his success and that we have trained and fitted ourselves by every means which he has granted us, to carry out His work, will enable us to go on.' (Paine.)

"The world rightly loves its heroes-no less. does it love its heroines." These are the words of one whom the world owns as one of its neroines, a trained nurse-Florence Nightingale. She taught us the great lesson of preparation for work: nursing the sick and tending the poor must be done systematically, with order, not as desultory work to be taken up and dropped as the whim of the moment may dictate, but that it is a high and noble calling, worthy to be undertaken by the greatest lady in the land, even as by the humblest member of Christ's flock, if her heart be in the work. Not for herself must she labor, but for God; that is the keynote of her teaching and work. Might but the example of this great and pure heroine be made to tell in our lives. The principle of the nobility of women's work was in its infancy at the time Florence Nightingale entered its ranks, and a certain slur rested upon those enrolling themselves among its workers. Florence Nightingale chose to ignore this feeling and went her way quietly and earnestly as one who had an object to attain; an object in her own estimation so high, so noble, that no counter opinion could affect her. About the only nurses available at the time were the "Sairy Gamp" type-uneducated, vulgar, drinking women, not likely to inspire confidence, either in the patient or doctor. With this state of affairs, it was impossible that the generallity of people should understand the motives which made her, a young and highly gifted woman in the full enjoyment of all the goods of this world, deliberately turn away from the pleasures of society, which she was so well fitted to adorn, and voluntarily devote herself to the "weary and heavy laden." And dear friends, was it not a strange taste for a pretty, wealthy, and refined young woman, whose life had been full of sunshine and happiness? Perhaps, but it was a saint-like taste and much needed to render this sad old earth a little more like paradise. The Providential leading in her life was shown by the fact that she had already offered her services to nurse the sick and wounded soldiers in the Crimean war. When the secretary of war wrote her asking her to take up the work their letters passed on the way. The testimonies of the soldiers prove that female nursing in times of war, is not a failure. They said of Florence Nightingale "Before she came there was cursing and swearing; and after, it was as holy as a church."

The testimony of the world thus far has been that men everywhere need the help of women, and women need the help of men. Her work after the war in St. Thomas' Hospital and Home has given many a nation a model, and indirectly all nurses are benefitted thereby. Bellevue Hospital in 1873 was modelled from this.

But Florence Nightingale is not the only heroine developed by the nurse's profession. These remarks would be incomplete without mentioning our New England girl-Clara Bar

ton. When the Civil War began she told her father how her heart ached for the soldiers at the front, who lay suffering on the battlefield, and how she longed to go to them. Her old father said: "Go if you feel it your duty to go, every true soldier will respect you and your errand:" She went, and we all know with what results. Truly a hand leads us though we may not feel it, and the way is opened for us, though we may not see our guide." A well known writer says "I believe I never looked upon a better face than that of Clara Barton; the unselfish heart, the hopeful nature, the helpful spirit, the definite purpose to bless the world, are all revealed in the radiance of that face:" Another says: "Miss Barton seemed always to be reaching out. to do the hard things in life, the things from which others shrank-not but that she shrank too; yet, as she said years afterwards, when she was the only woman among the swamps and sands of Morris Island: 'Why someone had to go and take care of the soldiers, so I went.' Go not to those who need you, but to those who need you most." If there were more abiding in Christ (some one says) there would be less abiding in America.

Does not this make you think of our sisters across the waters, who to-day are sitting in darkness? What grander field of work for the future nurse than organizing training schools, teaching these benighted ones the care of their own bodies and of the sick in their land. Surely the heathen need us!

The advantage of a nurse over a visiting physician in those countries is very great. As a nurse she can enter places where a physician cannot go, and her influence will be greater on that account. Then too a physician on account of the shortness of his calls, or the patient's condition at the time of his visit, cannot talk with him about his soul's salvation, but the nurse is always present. There is a great field for cstablishing schools to train the natives in hospital work. Their ignorance in regard to medicine is incredible. While the nurse can find ample opportunity to do good at home, she can still accomplish a great deal more where she can train and educate the natives of heathen lands and free them from gross superstition.

One

The high caste people of those lands are not ignorant, yet all have superstitious ideas about the sick, in fact, give the sick almost no care at all. By relieving their suffering we can get closer to them than in any other way. says "Our profession is more glorious than the famous crusades of history for their purpose was the redemption of an empty sepulcher while ours is the rescue of the temple of the living God from hostile forces of unsanitary condition, degrading environment and dire disease. Nursing is an art and requires as exclusive devotion, as hard a preparation as any painters or sculptures work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas, or cold marble compared with the living body

the temple of God's spirit? Nursing is one of the arts almost the finest of the arts." Less than fifty years have seen a complete revolution within hospital walls and the evolution of a new profession for women. But, after all, the crying needs of the sick brought the nurse into existence and the first efforts of the pioneers of trained nurses were directed to the alleviation of the suffering, not to build up an employment for women. Lectures and examinations take place and diplomas are granted, all this as a means to improve nursing-(changing from two to three years as many hospitals are now doing is purely for educational reasons,) There are three main causes to which the improvement is due: First, the force of nurses has been increased so as to make it possible to effectually carry out the refinements of treatment that in the old days, with the insufficient force, were impossible. Second, and perhaps the most pctent, the systematic training and constant inspection to which every part of the work is subjected, visitors as well as teachers doing this. Third, the superior quality of persons entering for training, the strongest, brightest and best brain from the best families, even to royalty, are thoroughly, systematically and practically trained for their useful humantarian vocation. And the physician finds a better ally in the cducated nurse than the uneducated.

Education, position and place are of value only for the opportunities they give for the expression of character. The whole world must be interpreted from the basis of individual character. But education is not enough, accepting the proposition that character is the essential thing, it is easily seen that Christianity is the best defination of character, it illustrates the true life best. Patience, self control, kindness, gentleness, truthfulness, honesty, self sacrifice are attributes of the only character worth living. Reliance on God, surrender to Him, trust in Him, worship and praise of Him, prepare the life for the growth of the virtues. It follows then that a successful nurse must be a Christian, the Christian spirit will engender in one, all the small courtesies of life.

For the deaconess hospitals we predict a great future, for, is it not true that the usefulness of a nurse depends upon whether she must gain a livelihood or whether she is supplied with means, either her own or provided by some person or organization, so that her whole time can be given to the sick. Of course her opportunity of doing good is much greater than that of the untrained in any event, but if she is rendered independent and free from any unnecessary effort to gain a livelihood, her power of usefulness would be much greater, and for this opening we thank Ausbury Hospital to-night.

With hearts full of gratitude to all who have aided us during the past two years; to our doctors, who, with much patience and trouble have employed their valuable time in delivering so

many interesting and helpful lectures: to Mrs. Knight, to whose thoughtful generosity, we are indebted for so much of the comfort and enjoyment of the past two years in our beautiful home; to our dear Miss Palmer who has been a constant inspiration to us in her unselfish life, from whom we have learned that a woman's influence must work quietly but effectively, it must work the influence of a life, not mere words; especially to our Supt., Miss Bushnell, to whose fostering care we owe so much, and whom we have found ready to help in every time of need-we bid farewell, trusting we may live up to the precepts instilled into our hearts, fulfilling intelligently our duties, and, may we ever keep at heart our motto, "For God and Humanity."

And now I bid farewell to those nurses with whom we have been associated in the home and

hospital, who will pick up the threads of the work we are leaving. Remember Madame De Stael's words, "Sow good services, sweet remembrances will spring from them." "No life can be pure in its purpose and strong in its strife and all life not be purer and stronger thereby."

Last, but not least, to my class mates, with whom I have toiled the past two years, I bid farewell, whose sympathy and fidelity have Leen unfailing. Our paths will now be widely diverging. If we cannot, like George Eliot, write Adam Bede, we can, like Elizabeth Fry, visit the poor, the prisoner, the sick. If poor, with Mary Lyon's persistency and noble purpose, we can accomplish almost anything. While we are

sweeping on in the express train of modern activity, let us not forget that the character of the worker weighs more heavily in the scales of real success than the whole aggregate of improved plans or novel expedients. What we are, will tell more upon men and women around us than any amount of work we may do." The mission of woman on earth: To give birth to the mercy of Heaven descending on earth. The mission of woman: Permited to bruise the head of the serpent and sweetly infuse through the sorrow of earths registered curse, the blessing which mitigates all.

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A NEW METHOD OF TREATING DUFFUSE SEPTIC PERITONITIS.

Nothing has so advanced the surgery of the abdominal cavity as a proper understanding of the structure and functions of the peritoneum. There was a time when wounds of this membrane were looked upon with horror and the surgeon who fearlessly amputated limbs, removed tumors and ligated arteries stood aghast when he reached the peritoneum, as if he saw the words of Dante written upon that delicate parchment, "Abandon hope all ye who enter here."

A proper appreciation of the absorptive processes of the peritoneum gave confidence to operators, and the demonstration that certain parts of the membrane are capable of absorbing fluids more readily than other parts is of late be

ing put to practical use. In the region about the diaphragm large lymph trunks are present and stomata are numerous and ready to take up and carry into the general circulation large quantities of fluid, regardless of whether the fluid is harmless or loaded with poisonous material. In the intestinal region the absorptive power of the peritoneoum is less marked than in the diaphragmatic region, and yet, they are in sufficient numbers to absorb poisonous material to such an extent as to make this a dangerous area. The pelvic region, on the other hand, has little absorptive power. Large lymph trunks and stomata are almost absent, and, although the membrane is rich in capillary lymphatics these readily become obstructed. As a consequence absorption in the pelvic region takes place slowly and in inflammatory conditions soon ceases altogether.

Arguing from these premises (Dr. Fowler, Medical Record, April 14th, 1900), recommends a simple and common sense treatment of suppurative peritonitis, which he has employed in a number of cases. The treatment consists in raising the head of the patient's bed from the horizontal at least twelve to fifteen inches. This allows the septic products to gravitate to the pelvic region, where they can do less harm and where they can be got rid of by drainage. A glass drainage tube is made to reach down to the deepest part of the pelvis, into this a gauze wick is placed and at frequent intervals the fluids are drawn from the tube by means of a syringe. Dr. Fowler gives a record of nine cases treated in this manner with very encouraging results.

Much discussion has taken place on the question whether absorption of substances introduced into the peritoneal cavity takes place by the blood vessels or by the lymphatics. This subject has been re-opened by the investigations of Mendal (Arch. of Physiol. p. 416, 1899), who takes the view that the blood vessels are the main channel of absorption, and a large amount of evidence supports this theory. Dr. Fowler's method of treating suppurative peritonitis would seem to depend upon the theory that the lym phatics play the most important part in peritoneal absorption. However this may be, the suggestion is so simple and rational that it is well worthy of a thorough trial.

"An empty house is better than a bad tenant," said the victim, as he looked upon the inanimate form of the tape worm just expelled with a large draught of pumpkin-seed tea.

THE EXPERIMENTS ON ANIMALS.

In reviewing Mr. Stephen Paget's Experiments on Animals the British Medical Journal for March 31st, presents the subject in so clear, comprehensive and unbiased a manner that we here reproduce a portion of it.

"Now, as regards the alleged inutility of Bernard's glycogen researches and of the search. for antidotes for typhoid, diphtheria, rabies, plague, and cholera, while we believe, on the contrary, that very important results have been obtained, we are not careful to assert that in some halfscore years successes have been so definitely and widely matured as to withstand hostile advocacy. A larger view than this must be taken of the matter.

"In any science but the present, in physics or in chemistry for instance, the experimental method is now followed, and after some two thousand years of darkness and error, proves to be the true method of attaining to natural knowledge. It is sufficient to say that to one who reads the history of natural knowledge with an open mind, the experimental method appears as not only the best, but almost the only method by which this kind of knowledge is to be achieved. In the sciences which we have taken as illustrative, the experimental method has from the time. of Galileo, let us say, proved itself indeed to be the only clew to truth; the advance of physical

and chemical science has become identified with this method, and the centuries in which natural knowledge stood still-which in physiology we may roughly assume to be from the time of Galen to that of Harvey (some fourteen hundred years)—were marked by disuse and even contempt of this method.

"Mr. Coleridge's gibes that discoveries of the nature of living processes have led to no alleviation of disease are gibes which have been directed not at physiology only, but also at scientific students of medicine generally, for many centuries. Yet any one who is acquainted with the history of physiological discovery in the hands of Harvey himself and his immediate predecessors is well aware that this dawn of knowledge of the nature of life advanced precisely in so far as the experimental method was rigidly pursued, and that deviations from this method were responsible for most of the false opinions which still embarrassed that advance both in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In the fields of other sciences Mr. Coleridge probably would

recognize this, and he can not but recognize that method of its progress. if physiology is to progress, such must be the

"It is not, perhaps, too much to say that in no instance has an anatomist of the dead discovered a function of the living body; if a few such instances are on record they escape our memory, and at most are a negligible quantity. Observation does not suffice; experiment is inexorably necessary, if we are to learn from the large and consistent teachings of history, and it is difficult to see what other teachings we are to look for. Whoso may doubt that this was Harvey's method and the only method by which he advanced our knowledge of life can not have read Harvey's treatise De Motu Cordis or his Epistles to Riolanus.

"Now, Mr. Coleridge can not deny that by the experimental method we are attaining to a knowledge of living function, nor is he surely so skeptical as to assert that a knowledge of life is likely to be unprofitable to the physician; his contention must be that, this method being on ethical grounds illegitimate, we must remain ignorant. This is a perfectly fair issue, and it is comprehensible that serious persons may differ upon it. It is therefore with more interest that we leave Mr. Coleridge's pleadings-forensic efforts of a kind which have won for his gifted family not the least of its honorable distinctions --and turn to his passionate denunciation of the experimental method, in physiology alone, on moral grounds. It is on the same grounds that an appeal is made to the medical profession in the tract issued by the Friends' Antivivisection Association.

"Mr. Joseph Fry and his cosignataries see, what Mr. Coleridge does not see, or as an advocate avoids, that the point between the physiological investigator and themselves is not whether such and such discoveries are scientifically illuminating, and so likely to be beneficia! or not-let it be granted, indeed, that they will alleviate human suffering and prevent human sorrows-but whether it be lawful or unlawful to obtain such knowledge in the only possible way. The Society of Friends is consistent in not shrinking from this issue, as the Friend does not shrink also from saying that, whatsoever the ends to be gained in the sphere of justice or of ideas, under no circumstances is war justifiable. To other mortal men it appears that cur lot is cast in a world of conflict, and that in it life is not a thing absolutely inviolable, but,