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queflora, grindelia, guarana bromide, carbonate and citrate of lithia menesia, nitrobenzal, pilocarpus pennatifolius, polymnia, cascara sagrada, benzoate of sodium, thymol, etc., etc. Part second is devoted to pharmacy, and gives the fluid extracts, their preparation, and formulæ for some of the newer preparations. The defect in the book is one that could easily have been overcome, if personal feelings had been forgotten. The literature of the new remedies is quite exhausted, and much more should have been written regarding certain remedies for therapeutic uses.

THE SKIN IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. By L. Duncan Bulkley, M. D., Attending Physician for Skin and Venereal Diseases, New York Hospital, etc. American Health Primer Series. Philadelphia: Presley Blakiston. 1880. Volume ten of this popular series is a book of great value. The author has treated his subject most skilfully, and, notwithstanding the difficulties of a nomenclature, Dr. Bulkley has not only succeeded in writing a popular treatise, but also a manual sufficiently technical to be of service to medical students. It is beautifully illustrated, and decidedly the best of the series.

GEORGE P. ROWELL & Co.'s AMERICAN NEWSPAPER DIRECTORY, containing accurate, lists of all the newspapers and periodicals published in the United States, Territories, and the Dominion of Canada, together with a description of the towns and cities in which they are published. New York: G. P. Rowell. 1880.

WOOD'S LIBRARY OF STANDARD AUTHORS. The surgery, surgical pathology and surgical anatomy of the female pelvic organs, in a series of plates taken from nature, with commentaries, notes and cases. By Henry Savage, M. D., London. Third edition, thirty-two plates, and twenty-two wood cuts, with special illustrations of the operations on vesico vaginal fistula, ovariotomy and perineal operations. Wm. Wood & Co., New York. 1880.

TREATISE ON THERAPEUTICS. Translated by D. F. Lincoln, M. D. From the French of A. Trousseau and H. Pidoux. Vol. 1, 2.

A TREATISE ON COMMON FORMS OF FUNCTIONAL NERVOUS DISEASES. By L. Pulzel, M. D., Physician to the Clinic for Nervous Diseases, Bellevue Hospital, etc. etc,

Want of space has crowded the reviews of these valuable books out of this number. The September number will contain full notices.

CONSPECTUS OF ORGANIC MATERIA MEDICA AND PHARMACAL BOTANY, comprising the vegetable and animal drugs, their physical character, geographical origin. classification, constituents, discs, adulterations, etc. By L. E. Sayre, Ph. G. Detroit: George S. Davis, Medical Publisher. 1880.

THE MEDICAL ECLECTIC,

DEVOTED TO

Reformed Medicine,

GENERAL SCIENCE AND LITERATURE.

Editors:

ROBERT S. NEWTON, M. D., LL. D.,

Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine in the Eclectic Medical College, of New York. ROBERT S. NEWTON, JR., M. D., L. R. C. S.,

Professor of Surgery and Ophthalmology in the Eclectic Medical College, of New York. Published every month, by THE ECLECTIC MEDICAL COLLEGE, of the City of New York.

VOL. VII.

SEPTEMBER, 1880.

HISTORICAL DEPARTMENT.

W. A. HAMMOND, M. D.,

Late Surgeon General in the United States Army.

HIS FAMOUS CIRCULAR NO. 6, ISSUED AS FOLLOWS:

SURGEON GENERAL'S OFFICE,

No. 9.

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 4, 1963. }

I. From the reports of medical inspectors and the sanitary reports to this office, it appears that the administration of calomel has so frequently been pushed to excess by military surgeons as to call for prompt steps by this office to correct this abuse, an abuse the melancholy effects of which, as officially reported, have exhibited themselves not only in innumerable cases of profuse salivation, but in the not infrequent occurrence of mercurial gangrene.

It seeming impossible, in any other manner, to properly restrict the use of this powerful agent, it is directed that it be struck from the supply table, and that no further requisitions for this medicine be approved by medical directors. This is done with the more confidence, as modern pathology has proved the impropriety of the use of mercury in very many of those diseases in which it was formerly unfailingly administered.

II. The records of this office having conclusively proved that diseases prevalent in the army may be treated as efficiently without tartar emetic as therewith, and the fact of its remaining upon the supply table being a tacit invitation to its use, tartar emetic is also struck from the supply table of the army.

No doubt exists that more harm has resulted from the misuse of both these agents in the treatment of disease, than benefit from their proper administration.

W. A. HAMMOND,

Surgeon General.

What the Allopathic Doctors said of this Circular—The Action of the Cincinnati Medical Society- What the Eclectic Medical Society of the State of New York did-What other Members of the Allopathic Societies did-Surgeon John J. Craven, Doctor to Jeff. Davis-Dr. Hammond's Court Martial-Lincoln's Proclamation-Hammond Discharged from the Army, and his Disfranchisement, etc., etc.

History is not only important for the people of the present, but for the future; and as no one can foretell what events will be of the greatest importance, every one is willing to note passing events. The whole history of the American rebellion will never be fully written; the acts of each one who participated in it become a portion of the same. No one in that history, for the acts performed, will have to stand a more serious criticism, having, as he did, occupied a more important position as regards the health and sanitary condition of the army. For the reasons explained, we hope to add to this history, and it being a medical one, there is no more appropriate place than in a medical journal, and with a reading circulation of ten thousand. We hope this article may be properly read and duly appreciated.

Dr. Hammond has taken special pains to oppose the American Eclectic school of medicine, and exposed his unwillingness to do justice towards this school. Its members should fully understand his weakness to retard or injure the progress of our cause. His attack upon his own school members is so well known, that we leave that point to his antagonists, they appearing equal to the task of their own defence. He was never known to stand fair and square before an antagonist-Miss Fancher's and Dr. Tanner's cases fully illustrates this point-nor will he dare to discuss the claims of the Eclectic medical school as against allopathy. If he will, our

school will accept and discuss the same, we being careful to make him act right in the end.

THE DISAGREEMENT AMONG DOCTORS—THE OLD SCHOOL FACULTY versus SURGEON GENERAL HAMMOND.

An adjourned meeting of the regular medical profession of Cincinnati was held in the lecture room of the Medical College of Ohio, on Saturday evening, May 30, 1862, to consider the late Order No. 6, of the Surgeon General of the United States Army. Dr. L. M. Lawson was called to the chair, and Dr. W. B. Davis acted as secretary.

The following report and resolutions were unanimously adopted:

REPORT.

The medical profession of the City of Cincinnati have seen with amazement the recent Circular No. 6 of W. A. Hammond, Surgeon General of the United States Army, in which it is stated that the reports of medical inspectors of the army and sanitary reports have presented to his notice that, by the use of calomel, innumerable cases of profuse salivation, and frequently cases of mercurial gangrene have occurred; and as it has seemed to him impossible to restrain the use of this powerful agent otherwise, he has directed that it be struck from the "supply table," and ordered a disapproval of all future requisitions by the medical directors of the army corps; and the same general order also says that the experience of the army shows that prevalent diseases are as well treated with other remedies as with tartar emetic; he further directs that, in order that there shall be no further tacit invitation to its use, it shall also be stricken from the "supply table."

This circular of the Surgeon General declares a condition of ignorance and malpractice in the medical profession of our country which has only hitherto been asserted by those charlatans who habitually seek popular favor by denouncing well known remedies employed by the regular profession; and we feel called upon to denounce his statements as utterly false and utterly unsustained by the reports of the army and sanitary inspectors, to which he refers; on the contrary, we have authentic testimony that this condemnation of mercury and antimony is a foregone conclusion openly expressed by the Surgeon General three years since, while on duty at Mackinaw as an assistant surgeon of the army.

The medical profession here have had an opportunity to observe in the military hospitals of this city and vicinity the condition of about twenty-five thousand cases of sick and wounded soldiers, and a careful examination of the records show that not more than nine cases of ordinary salivation have existed; and not one case of mercurial gangrene has been seen, showing conclusively that here, at least, the statements of the Surgeon General are statistically false, and presumably cannot be sustained by inspectors' reports anywhere, as we have had sick and wounded from nearly every department in the West.

It is well known that among the most pernicious and deadly drugs are those obtained from the vegetable kingdom, and, so far as the argument of the Surgeon General is concerned, these, too, should have been condemned, lest "their presence on the supply table' might be regarded as a tacit invitation to their use."

The characteristics of all so-called systems of medicine as Homopathic, Hydropathic, Eclectic, Botanic, etc., is their restrictiveness, while the regular medical profession is characterized by its broad spirit of liberality, permitting its practitioners to select their remedial agents from every department of nature, taking as their guide the light furnished by the wisest and best men of every age and every country.

The Surgeon General is attempting to play the autocrat in medicine. Intoxicated by the bad eminence to which he has attained over the heads of a large class of distinguished regular army surgeons; not by extraordinary scientific attainments; not by years of successful practice in his profession; but mainly by an influential clique, he assumes to himself to control the intelligence, experience and liberties of those over whom he has been placed. But we know that in these assumptions he has mistaken his rights and his powers, and that enlightened medical men will never submit to his dictation.

In conclusion, the civil and military medical men of this city assure the people of the West and the nation, that so far as they can judge from an extended observation on battle fields, in camps and in hospitals, the statements of the Surgeon General are utterly false and unfounded, and we will add, that from facts within our knowledge, in regard to his administration, we believe him to be alike unfaithful to the soldier and to the sacred trusts committed to his hand by the Government, therefore,

Resolved, That the removal of W. A. Hammond from his position as Surgeon General, would meet the approbation of the profession, be of advantage to our soldiers, and creditable to the Government.

Resolved, That these proceedings be published.

Pending the consideration of the report, several medical gentlemen gave their observations in different portions of our army and in general hospitals.

Dr. C. Muscroft said: "I have been in the service eighteen months in Western Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, and have seen no cases of salivation or any abuse of mercury; a part of the time I have acted as medical director of a division of the

army." Dr. G. C. Blackman said: "I have seen as many hospitals and as many battle fields as any man in the army. I was a long time medical director of General Mitchell's division; was two months at General McClellan's headquarters on the Peninsula; inspected General Franklin's division; yet saw nor heard of any mercurial salivation or gangrene."

Dr. Mendenhall stated that he had recently inspected for the United States Sanitary Commission the hospitals at Washington and field hospitals of the Army of the Potomac, and, although his

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