Issued Tenth and Twenty-fifth of Every Month by the Fortnightly Press Co.

UNDER THE EDITORIAL DIRECTION OF

FRANK PARSONS NORBURY, M. D. AND THOS. A. HOPKINS, M. D.
Secretary: CHARLES WOOD FASSETT, M. D.

A COSMOPOLITAN BIWEEKLY FOR THE GENERAL PRACTITIONER

Editorial Offices in St. Louis, Jacksonville and, St. Joseph, where specimen copies may be obtained and subscriptions will be taken.

Address all business communications to the Fortnightly Press Company.

Address all contributions and books for review to the Editors, Sulte 312, Century Building, Saint Louis.

Editorial Department.

THE modern hospital as found in almost every city in the United States of 10,000 inhabitants and more, is the great index of advancing civilization.

The Influence of the Modern Hospital.

It has not been many years since the idea of hospital care was not accepted in the smaller cities, and even in the larger ones there was a tendency to abhor private care in the great hospitals. With the growth of scientific medicine and surgery when the needs of proper care demanded skilled nursing and facilities in keeping with the importance of the cases under treatment, then the hospital became a necessity and the opprobrium about hospital care began to depart, until today the private individual looks upon the hospital "as a necessity," and is a willing contributor to its maintenance. Hospital organization has been brought up to a high degree of efficiency by the evolution of systematized management, consequently today mismanagement is the exception, where in former years it was the rule. Faulty organization has been overcome largely by the unity of purpose manifested in the co-operative efforts of National and local associations, to make possible thorough and systematized management.

The modern hospital is not necessarily a charitable organization, although its purposes are beneficent. It is a business proposition founded to meet the needs of those seeking service which it has to sell. It is not eventually a money-making institution, although it asks remuneration from some source for its services. Free service under systemized instpection, exists for those unable to pay, but back of such service stands either public or private benevolence. This idea is in keeping with the modern trend of charities, which aims to overcome pauperism, imposition on good nature, by imparting the fact that reasonable pay is demanded for service rendered. The growth of the hospital has improved conditions of civilization, local and general; it is a christianizing influence, a wholesome imparter of self-government, of law and order, and wherever located when under proper management will bear fruit for the public good.

No Breakfast
Cure.

THE American people seem to be following in the footsteps of the Germans, of whom Mark Twain speaks in his famous satire on the innumerable cures to be found in that enlightened country. We NOW have a modified "appetite cure" known as the "No-breakfast cure, " which seems to be bordering upon the line of a fad. The "No-Breakfast Club" will soon be a feature of every up-to-date club-ridden community. Dewey in his book advocating the "No breakfast cure" has taken himself seriously in his endeavor to spread the gospel of "no breakfast;" his book seems to meet with favor, for it is now read by the smart set (who set the pace), and seem to be encouraging the growth of the idea. Some very serious women of the literary set, some earnest women of the church circle set, and some melancholy dyspeptics of the omnipresent set, have joined the ranks, and are now giving testimonials, showing "that by going without breakfast three times' one was able to lay off a liver pad; another cease to wear electric insoles, and a third able to sleep on her back, all because, without breakfast, dinner "was an ecstacy of delight;" hunger in fact was on time at high-noon, waiting for the gates to open, and in the grand rush, the surging gastric juice played a medley on the heart strings.

This was according to Dewey, for he says, "There is to be that hunger that makes the best, plainest food an ecstacy of relish. Hunger only comes to those who wait for it." Mark Twain can say that is true; he knows from his experience with the appetite cure. Dewey seems to have gone up against the same game, and doubtless he found hunger waiting for the portcullis to fall, when the porter called, "Dinner is now ready in the dining-car." Doubtless it made a five-dollar-bill look like thirty cents, when the order was checked up.

Dewey's gospel will be accepted by the colonels, because he says, "No drink should be taken except in response to actual thirst." Whoever saw a colonel who was not thirsty. But now, for the facts of the new gospel Dewey says "food in excess is the motive power in the culture of disease." Hence, to achieve the highest ideals in the intellectual, the social and the business world "for the display of the highest possibilities of reason and judgment and cheer," no breakfast-an empty stomach is the condition, and a night of sleep the power," that makes the world move like greased lightning.

Somehow Dewey seems to have forgotten the joyous hours of the matinee, which come after luncheon; the high intellectual feasts at the woman's club, which are generally due after luncheon, or have it as a running mate. Dewey never has enjoyed the post prandial eloquence at the banquet and the initiation night, feasts when the goat, the camel and the elk vie with each other for honors. Nor has he hied himself to the picnic and feasted amid nature's halls, where good cheer, mirth, red ants and the neighbor's pigs seem to reign supreme.

Dewey evidently wrote his book after years of struggling with the innate tendency of not being happy until he gets what he wants-he wanted stock in a cereal food company-not securing it, he has tried to make

others unhappy by telling them breakfasts are unnecessary. That the "Feed Right, Feel Right, Think Right" ads.-that the Quaker who feels his oats, that "all the wheat that's "Fit to Eat;" that "all the corn that is as snappy as its name. ;" that "the dainty breakfast dish that makes the child happy, gives bright eyes and rosy cheeks;" that "the flaked rice your grocer sells;" that "the seventy-two dishes which as the perfect food for brain and muscle, are created from Malta-vita," are all hot air, dispensed to sell the goods, and make Battle Creek as famous as Milwaukee. Dewey has given us "food for thought" in his book; it is paradoxical, but nevertheless true, and soon we hope to give a review of his advanced ideals, unless an injunction appears before the copy goes to the printer.

F. P. N.

WITH the beginning of the year nineteen hundred and three the MEDICAL FORTNIGHTLY can say with pardonable pride that it has enjoyed the most

Fortnightly Prospectus for 1903.

prosperous year since its foundation. It has maintained a high standard in its scientific contributions, and tried to be as serviceable as possible, in its capacity as the "Happy Medium" to its patrons. The growth of medical literature in this country is commensurate with the development of American Medicine, and while seemingly the supply of medical journals may be out of proportion to the demand, yet it is the experience of those familiar with the demand, that all journals have a place, if they meet the requirements of efficiency now established by the high standard of the literature of today. It is a question of survival of the fittest in medical literature, just as it is the great material world, and the journal which is to live must show by its works that it has a right for a place in the wonderful galaxy of greater and lesser lights which grace the field of modern medical literature.

The MEDICAL FORTNIGHTLY believes it has won its place, and has a right to live after these years of service; it is ambitious enough to wish to go higher in the scale of meritorious publications devoted to the interest of the practitioner of medicine. It is not rash in its prospectus for 1903, in claiming to supply all of the wants of the busy practitioner, but it is sanguine in its expectations in being of service. These promptings are genuine, and it hopes for their fulfilment. The spirit of service will prevail and the contributions will be in keeping with this line and rule of conduct.

It is to be hoped that the readers will feel free to co-operate with us. in making this year even more of value to them than it has been during the year past. With the season's greetings to its readers "THE MEDICAL FORTNIGHTLY" wishes each and every one a year full of prosperity and happiness.

THE ST. LOUIS CLINIQUE was made the official organ of the Southern Illinois Medical Association at its Centralia meeting.

The Reviewer's Table.

Books, Reprints, and Instruments for this department, should be sent to the Editors, St. Louis.

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL ANNUAL FOR 1902. A Year-Book of Treatment and Practitioner's Index. Twentieth year. Twentieth year. New York: E. B. Treat

& Co. ($3.00.)

This year-book continues one of the most popular of its kind and is looked on by a vast number of physicians as a necessity to successful work. Certainly it covers the ground of recent progress in so far as the English and European profession is concerned and gives a passing glimpse of what is being done right here in America, being an English publication this is possibly an excusable condition, but we as Americans always feel like registering a kick when we think we are in the slightest overlooked. In matter of important subjects presented and of recent advances the present edition is quite as important as any which have gone before, and makes a valuable addition to the working library. The general scope and purpose of the volume are too well-known to the profession to need comment, and we have above made the only criticism for which we can find any occasion in the very excellent volume.

THE MEDICAL NEWS VISITING LIST FOR 1903. Weekly (dated for 30 patients); Monthly (undated, for 120 patients per month); Perpetual (undated, for 30 patients weekly per year); and Perpetual (undated, for 60 patients weekly per year). The first three styles contain 32 pages of data and 160 pages of blanks. The 60-patient Perpetual consists of 256 pages of blanks. Each style in one wallet-shaped book, with pocket, pencil and rubber. Philadelphia and New York: Lea Brothers & Co., Publishers. (Seal Grain Leather, $1.25; Thumb-letter Index, 25 cents extra.)

A Visiting List is an indispensable convenience for the active practi tioner. Its carefully adapted blanks enable him at once to note clinical details of every day work, as well as charges and receipts, and to unburden his memory of that which can better be carried on paper. It also furnishes him with a legal record necessary for the collection of delinquent bills. One of the best and most convenient of the many publications of this nature is the Medical News Visiting List. The work opens with 32 pages of printed data of the most useful sort, including an alphabetical table of diseases with approved remedies, a table of doses, sections on examination of urine, artificial respiration, incompatibles, poisons and antidotes, a diagnostic table of eruptive fevers, and a full-page plate showing at a glance the incisions for ligation of the various arteries, an invaluable guide in such emergencies. The Medical News Visiting List is issued in four styles, adapted to any system of records and any method of keeping professional accounts. It is printed on fine, tough paper, suitable for pen or pencil, and durably and handsomely bound in the size of a wallet for the pocket. When desired a thumb-letter index is furnished, which is an economizer of time.

Fortnightlettes

THE ST. LOUIS MEDICAL SOCIETY ELECTS OFFICERS.-The annual election of the St. Louis Medical Society took place on the evening of December 29th last, and resulted in the election of the following officers for 1903: President, A. R. Kieffer; Vice-President, Louis T. Pim; Treasurer, R. M. King; Recording Secretary, T. A. Hopkins; Corresponding Secretary, Robert Barclay. More than usual interest was manifested in this election, the attendance was greater than has previously been recorded. The majorities of the elected candidates were so decisive that in every instance the society voted the election unanimous.

WORKING COMMITTEES OF THE St. LOUIS MEDICAL SOCIETY FOR 1903. -At the meeting of the St. Louis Medical Society January 3d, President Kieffer announced the following committees: Executive.-Drs. C. M. Nicholson, R. B. H. Gradwohl, V. P. Blair. Elections-Drs. A. W. Flemming, G. W. Carson, H. J. Scherck. Ethics.-Drs. N. B. Carson, J. K. Bauduy, L. Bremer. Publication and Debate.-Drs. A. H. Meisenbach, R. E. Schtueter, (one vacancy). Microscopy and Pathology.Drs. Hugo Summa, M. D. Jennings, J. B. Ross, Howard Carter, H. L. Pollman.

DR. WHELPLEY'S LECTURE.-On December 16th last, Dr. H. M. Whelpley delivered another of his popular illustrated lectures at the College of Pharmacy. The doctor spoke on the Indian Sacred Pipestone Quarries of Minnesota, having recently visited these quarries, and being both a keen observer and expert photographer he made the evening intensely interesting and instructive to an audience which taxed the seating capacity of the lecture hall. Dr. Whelpley has been requested to repeat the lecture for the benefit of those who were unable to be present, we trust that he may favorably consider the request.

LICENSE TO PRACTICE REVOKED IN OHIO.-The Ohio State Board of Medical Registration and Examination recently revoked the licenses to practice of two physicians of Columbus found guilty of attempting to produce a criminal abortion with fatal result. In view of the fact that practitioners convicted of such malpractice too often escape leniently at the hands of the court the action of the board deserves the support of all reputable physicians and is an example worthy of adoption by other State Boards having the power to revoke licenses.

THE PLAGUE IN MEXICO.-The disease which has made its appearance almost simultaneously at Lapaz, Guaymas, Mulje and Mazatlan, all situated on the Pacific coast of Mexico, is pronounced by competent medical authority to be bubonic plague. The special medical commission appointed by the government has gone to make a careful investigation. At Mazatlan the death rate from the disease is from six to ten persons daily. Every possible precaution has been ordered taken to prevent a spread of the disease.