nine as the principal remedy; but at the same time distinctly states, that quinine, no matter in what quantities given, nor in what stage of the disease, is in no case able to arrest the febrile movement.

"The doctrine of the hybridity of diseases, which is involved in Dr. Woodward's theory, is a novel subject of medical inquiry, which no well-established facts can be brought to sustain. All the facts of medical science, indeed, are on the other side; and all the theoretical principles of medicine are in contravention, not only of the probability, but of the possibility, even, of this hypothetical conjugation of diverse etiological poisons for the generation of a hybrid malady. It is not even certain that two idiopathic fevers, or two constitutional diseases of any kind, can simultaneously infest the same animal organism. It is true that there is no a priori impossibility that two, or even more than two, constitutional diseases, which affect exclusively different parts, or different tissues, or different functions, may coexist in the same body. It is conceivable, for example, that we might find a man sick of remittent fever, with a chancre on the genitals, a vaccine vesicle on the arm, and tubercles in the lungs, and thus afflicted with four constitutional diseases at once. From this living fountain of diseases, chancre might be communicated to one man, vaccinia to a second, and if the theory of the inoculability of tubercle is true, tuberculosis to a third. And there would be no fear that the tubercular matter would communicate either syphilis or vaccinia; or that the syphilitic matter, or the vaccine matter would communicate either of the other two diseases. Like begets like. A chancre elaborates the virus of syphilis, and no other; and the vaccine vesicle, even on a syphilitic subject, transforms everything that it appropriates into it own nature, and suffers no syphilitic taint. Plants furnishing the most useful aliments, the most virulent poisons, and the most potent medicines, grow out of the same soil, and feed on the same food. The bee sucks honey, and the spider distils venom, not because one

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"The abstract, possibility, then, of the coexistence of two or more systemic diseases in the same system, when these diseases affect exclusively different tissues or different functions, may be conceded. But it still admits of question, even in the face of the long catalogue of adverse cases which Dr. Murchison has culled out of English, French, and German reports, which is published in the British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review for July, 1859, whether any such malevolent association of idiopathic fevers deserves to be admitted among the established facts of practical medicine. However this may be, there can be no doubt whatever of the truth of John Hunter's general doctrine, that 'no two of them can exist in the same part of the body at the same time.'"

APPENDIX.

I add here, with the hope that it may be of some assistance to those engaged in the preparation of health-laws for our cities, the draft of a Health-Ordinance which was prepared by the Board of Health for the Municipal Authorities of Mobile. It was under discussion for several weeks, and was then passed into a law in such a mutilated state that the Board of Health refused to accept its provisions. This led to a reconsideration on the part of the Municipal Authorities, in the course of which the more objectionable of the amendments that had been made were rescinded, and the ordinance assumed such a shape that the Board of Health was able to accept it without any sacrifice of self-respect.

The history of this contest between the Board of Health and the Municipal Authorities of Mobile is sufficiently curious and instructive, but, for various reasons, I shall not undertake its rehearsal here. It is enough to say that it would reflect honor upon the Board of Health, who finally obtained substantially everything which they had contended for. In these various mutilations and restorations, the symmetry and excellence of the ordinance suffered some impairment, and I therefore prefer to present it in its original form.

AN ORDINANCE

TO BE ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE TO SECURE THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

ARTICLE I.-THE BOARD OF HEALTH.

SEC. 1. Be it ordained, by the Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council of the City of Mobile, That it shall be the duty of the Board of Health of the City of Mobile, organized under the provisions of an act of the General Assembly of the State of Alabama, incorporating the Mobile Medical Society, passed in the year 1843, and renewed in 1966; and also in accordance with the act of the General Assembly passed at the extra session in February, 1875, establishing Boards of Health in the State of Alabama: To supervise the administration of all the health laws of the city; to examine into all cases of malignant, pestilential, infectious and epidemic diseases which may occur in the city, and the causes thereof; to examine into all such nuisances as may tend to endanger the health of the city, and take such steps as may be necessary for their removal; to exercise a general supervision over the sanitary regulations of all municipal institutions, including hospitals, markets, asylums, prisons, and public schools; to superintend all matters pertaining to quarantine and the Quarantine Physician, and direct all measures of detention, disinfection and purification of vessels, cargoes and passengers coming from ports against which quarantine may have been proclaimed.

SEC. 2. Be it further ordained, That whenever it shall appear to the Board of Health that any pestilential or infectious disease has made its appearance in the city, said board shall take such measures as to them may seem expedient and nec

essary to prevent the spread of such disease; and any person failing to comply with the requirements of the Board of Health in such cases shall forfeit and pay such fine as the Mayor may impose, not exceeding fifty dollars; that no person laboring under any contagious, infectious or other disease dangerous to the public health, shall be removed from one place to another within the city limits without the permit of the Board of Health, under such penalty as the Mayor may impose, not exceeding fifty dollars.

SEC. 3. Be it further ordained, That it shall be the duty of every physician, or other person practicing medicine in the city of Mobile, to report to the Board of Health every case of small-pox, yellow fever, or other infectious, contagious or pestilential disease which he may be called upon to treat within the city limits, said report to be made within twentyfour hours after he shall have ascertained the character of the case, and to specify the name of the patient and the locality of the house in which he is to be found; and for every violation of this provision the guilty party shall forfeit and pay such sums as the Mayor may impose, not exceeding fifty dollars.

That every citizen upon whose premises there may occur any case of small-pox, yellow fever, or other infectious or pestilential disease, not under the charge of any physician, shall in like manner report the facts to the Board of Health, under such penalty for failure so to do as the Mayor may impose, not exceeding fifty dollars.

But, whenever any disease has become epidemic, the Board of Health may, at their discretion, declare it unnecessary to report further cases.

SEC. 4. Be it further ordained, That whenever, in the opinion of the Board of Health, the services of the City Engineer, of the City Attorney, or of the Street Commissioner, shall become necessary for the furtherance of the sanitary interests of the city, such services shall be rendered on the requisition of the Board with the approval of the Mayor.

That whenever, in the opinion of the Board of Health, it

becomes advisable for the furtherance of the sanitary interests of the city to have the assistance of the police, they shall make application to the Mayor, stating the number of police-men required, the purposes for which they are required, and the probable length of time for which they may be needed, and if the Mayor approves the application, he shall order the necessary detail to be made and placed for the time being under the orders of the Board of Health.

SEO. 5. Be it further ordained, That the Board of Health, at their first regular meeting after the first Monday in March of the present year, or as soon afterwards as practicable, and also at the first regular meeting after the first Monday in March of every second year thereafter, shall proceed to elect a Health-Officer, said election to be subject to the approval of the Mayor; that the Health-Officer, so elected shall hold his office for the term of two years from the time of entering upon his duties, or until his successor is duly elected and installed; that the Health-Officer shall receive such salary as the city authorities may from time to time determine, to be paid as are the salaries of other city officers; that the HealthOfficer may be removed at any time by the Board of Health, for inefficiency or neglect of duty; that whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of Health-Officer, the Board of Health shall proceed to elect a new Health-Officer to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term, subject to all the conditions provided in the preceding part of this section.

SEC. 6. Be it further ordained, That the Board of Health shall employ some competent person whose duty it shall be to act as Druggist to the City Dispensary, and to do the clerical work of the Board of Health; that said Druggist and Clerk shall be removable at the discretion of the Board of Health, and shall receive such monthly salary as the Mayor and the City Boards may from time to time determine, to be paid as are the salaries of other employees of the city.

ARTICLE II.-THE HEALTH-OFFICER.

SEC. 7. Be it further ordained, That the Health-Officer shall