Dr. Palmer said the conclusions arrived at in the paper should make us cautious of adopting the views of various reports of practitioners and societies-mentioning a medical society in Illinois, and the State Medical Society of Maine—and distrust the so-called results of the benefits of transfusion in consuniption; and that the remedy must be restricted as hereto-fore to extreme losses of blood.

Dr. Sager moved the thanks of the society to Dr. Georg for his able paper, with the request that he complete it.

Dr. D. Hall gave the address required by his office of vice president, on the subject of "Our Profession-Its Ethics." In which he treated of the necessity for the observance of the general ethics of the profession-of homoeopathy in and out of the University, and other forms of quackery. Also enuncia ting the principal that a fee bill, whether approximate or fixed, imposes obligations to preserve its maximum as well as its minimum limits. The idea that the object and spirit of a feebill might be violated by exceeding its rates, seemed so novel to some members as to give rise to a spirited discussion on general and special fees, participated in by Drs. Frothingham, Palmer, Smith, Dunster, Hall, and others, which was closed for the more agreeable order of business of dinner.

The thanks of the society were voted Dr. Hall for his address.

Dr. Maclean reported a case of Syme's operation for disease of the ankle joint, exhibiting the amputated foot, showing pathological condition of tissues, with caries of os-calcis, etc.

[The case was reported in full in JOURNAL for January.] Dr. Sager presented a photograph sent him by Dr. Samuel G. Ellis, of Lima, N. Y., of a worm with following history:

"This worm, 21⁄2 inches long, was vomited while alive, from the stomach of a child five years old after taking a dose of ol. terebinth. The child had heretofore been subject to feverish attacks which had been attributed to worms, and had been relieved by the use of common vermifuges. At this time the child had been indisposed for several days, had passed several of the common ascaris lumbricoides, but got no relief until this

worm was thrown off. The worm has bony mandibles, but no antennae discoverable.”

Dr. Sager thought it a larva of the common moth, and that it might subsist and grow for a time in the human stomach.

Dr. Palmer asked if it could live in water, and if not, did not believe it could live any longer in the human stomach.

Dr. Sager explained that there was always air enough in the stomach for the respiration of such an animal; and that it could live and breath very similar to the larvæ of the gad fly or bots in the stomach of the horse; that it could breathe through one of its spiral air tubes, there being free anastamosis between its air vessels, while attached to the mucous membrane of the stomach.

Dr. Frothingham presented case of extirpation of left eye, and a pulsating vascular tumor of orbit, which had been thought to be a true aneurism. Previous treatment had been adopted— including ligation of left common carotid artery three years ago-checking the growth over two years. The case made a good recovery and will be more fully reported hereafter.

Dr. Palmer reported some cases of remittent fever with peculiarities new to him, apparently malarial, yet irregularly continued and not amenable to quinine. During the paroxysm of fever, the temperature would reach104° or 105°; some perspiration during and after paroxysm; the patients keeping up and about the house most of the time.

Dr. Stevens reported similar cases occurring in his practice in Detroit, and that he had found chinoidine successful in some cases where quinine had failed; and in some cases anti-periodics so-called, seemed to have but little influence over the course or duration of the fever.

Dr. Georg stated in reply to Dr. Palmer that he was accustomed to see malarial poison assume various forms of manifestation, even to manifest itself simultaneously with other specific fevers, as typhoid, etc., and that quinine was not regarded by the profession as the exclusive specific for malarial fever, he had seen it fail in many cases where it had been given in large doses for days, and even weeks. He had seen favorable results

follow the administration of eucalyptus globulus, 3j doses every two or three hours for adults, where quinine had signally failed to accomplish a cure, three or four doses being in most cases sufficient. He also referred to an article on malarial fever by Dr. Lorenser, of Vienna, published in Mich. Univ. Med. Journal, Vol. III. Dr. L. reported 118 cases in which quinine had been given unsuccessfully, 91 of which recovered under the use of eucalyptus; and in 27 no result followed. Dr. L. likewise reports cases in which eucalyptus was unsuccessful in which quinine accomplished a cure. Some cases were neither benefited by either of the remedies; in such cases he (Dr. G.) administered Fowler's solution often with favorable result.

Dr. Sager exhibited also some curiosities of human and comparative anatomy. First, the dried skeleton of a fœtal calf, three months, showing two centers of ossification in bodies of vertebra, contrary to statement of most authors.

Second, a three months foetal human skeleton, showing striking resemblance in form in the distal phalanx of the fingers to the corresponding phalanx of the foot of the horse, interesting to Darwinists as showing the horse stage of foetal development.

On

Dr. Georg reported the following case of empyema. Last spring he had treated patient G. F. B., for pleurisy; right side. Towards the end of May some effusion was diagnosed, but patient declined all further treatment. Patient was seen again in November; the effusion had now assumed great proportions. Right lung completely compressed; liver lying completely below the ribs; the beat of apex of heart was seen nine inch below and three into the left side of left nipple. Patient was unable to lie in bed; had to support inspiratory muscles. Nov. 28, in presence of Dr. Kapp he introduced trocar, and withdrew 52 quarts of clear pus, and quite a quantity of pus was lost during the operation. Next morning the whole was found to weigh 111⁄2 lbs. Immediately after the operation the respiratory murmur was heard in upper part of right lung. During the first few days the effusion seemed to gather again, but shortly afterwards it was lessened from day to day. The doctor will report the progress of this case at next meeting of the Society. [Prof. P. B. Rose examined the liquid and found it to be pure pus.]

Dr. Oakley also reported a case of empyema of which he read the following interesting account:

Was called Aug. 6, 1875. to see Dorr G, a slender lad of 17. Found him sitting up in bed gasping for breath, emaciated to the last degree, and apparently near his end; pulse, 130. On examination found the left intercostal spaces bulging greatly the left side measuring 234 inches more than the right no respiratory murmur that could be detected, and the heart so pushed over to the right side that the apex beat in very nearly its corresponding position below the right nipple. He had been for some ten weeks previously, under the care of two "botanic" quacks-father and son-who had treated him, first for pneumonia, afterward for "swelled lung." A history of the case from the friends showed conclusively that the original trouble had been a very severe attack of pleuritis, which, without proper treatment had led to the above results.

Diagnosis; empyema, and advised an operation as the only means of saving life, though with many misgivings as to the result. Operated the next day, the patient being moderately under the influence of chloroform; in the usual manner and place, between the 5th and 6th ribs. Used a small trocar and canula, to which I had carefully fitted the exhaust tube of a Davidson's gum elastic syringe, after the plan given in Flint's Practice, by a connection made perfectly air-tight by grinding it well into the end of the canula. On withdrawing the trocar, the syringe previously filled with water, was attached to the canula and then slowly worked in the usual manner. The additional precaution was taken of pinching the elastic tube firmly between the bulb and the canula, before compressing the bulb, lest even the small bubble of air remaining in the connecting tube at the point of attachment, be forced into the pleural cavity through any imperfection of the valves.

With this apparatus, which seemed to answer the purpose of an aspirator perfectly, about 61⁄2 pounds of sero-purulent and

*Dr, Oakley stated to the Society that at the time of using this improvised aspirator he supposed it to be original application of the syringe to such purposes.

slightly fetid matter was readily evacuated. The patient seemed much relieved by the operation, though no respiratory murmur could be heard on the affected side, and the heart still remained in its abnormal position.

Three days afterward there was further effusion in considerable quantity, and at the end of a week it seemed fully as great as before, when, at the urgent request of the patient, the operation was repeated, with 91⁄2 pounds of matter as the result, which was horribly fœtid, though I was not aware that any air had escaped into the pleural cavity at the first operation. At this operation-at which my friend Dr. Webb kindly assisted— the aspiration was continued till the patient complained of faintness and dyspnoea, and only serum slightly tinged with blood came away. Condition of lung and position of heart the same as before. Ten days after the operation was repeated, and again at the end of a week afterward. Total of matter evacuated, 28 lbs., which was extremely fœtid after the first operation. Not far from a week afterward on Sept. 9th the patients condition appeared but slightly improved, and a operation seemed as imperatively demanded as at any previous time.

At this time a careful study of the previous operations convinced me that, as the lung could not inflate, the parietes collapse, nor the heart return to diminish or help fill the pleural cavity, the effect of the aspiration was to create a partial vacuum in the pleural cavity, which was speedly refilled by a rapid outpouring of serum from the affected pleural surface from the atmospheric pressure, as was evidently the case in the second operation where only bloody serum was drawn at the last. And having some years ago seen a rapid recovery follow a spontaneous opening in a case of empyema, I determined to imitate nature in this case by means of an artificial opening, and efficient drainage. A drainage tube was constructed by passing the female tip of a compound catheter through a perforated coin down to a level with the open end, and soldering it firmly in its place. An opening was made; the tube pushed in till the button rested on the integument, a small pad covered by a