careful to get the major part of his paraffin in the middle line. Broad noses are never sightly-this the operator should never forget. After the injection of approximately the required amount the operator may mould the paraffin injected without withdrawing the needle. Should it appear after moulding that hardly sufficient paraffin has been injected more may be forced into the tissues before the needle is withdrawn. When a fine hypodermic needle is used it is unnecessary to produce local anesthesia. The injection is not painful and the passage of a small hypodermic needle is not complained of by the most sensitive patient. (To be continued). ANESTHESIA BY VEGETABLE PRINCIPLES ment in those nerve structures, causes ptosis of the upper eyelid and dilation of the pupil; morphine, through catalysis of its affinitive cognate substance, in the same nerve structures, contracts the pupil. On the biochemical affinity of a vegetable poisonous principle, for its affinitive congener in the biochemic composition of the sensory nerve structure, depends the phenomenon of regional anesthesia. The catalysis of the sensory nerve biochemic composition by the topically applied solution of the vegetable affinitive cognate, temporarily disarranges the biochemic integrity of the sensory conducting fibers, thus breaking the normal conduction of sensory nerve impulses, causing anesthesia. The fabrication of a biochemically affinitive cognate substance from the incidental proteid waste of the body by the immunizing faculty of the By James Burke, M. D., Manitowoc, body, early neutralizes the anesthetic Wisconsin. At the annual meeting of the Chautauqua Co., N. Y., Medical Society, held July 14, 1896, V. M. Griswold, M. D., of Fredonia, N. Y., read a paper entitled, "Quinine is a safe and efficient anesthetic when used hypodermically, and much safer than cocaine." The doctor's discovery, by experiment, substantiates the fact that there are other proteid vegetable principles than cocaine, biochemically affinitive for another elemental proteid substance in the construction of sensitive nerve tissue. All remedial proteid vegetable principles, in their poisonous manifestations in the environs of the living animal body, exhibit their individual biochemic affinities for some substance in the biochemic construction of nerve tis sue. Atropine, through its disturbing biochemic affinity for its congener in the structure of the third cranial nerve and cilio-spinal centers, dilates the pupil; gelseminine, through a like affinitive disturbance of another allied proteid ele principle and normal function is resumed by the catalyzed nerve tissues. Now let us assume a condition that often is duplicated in toxic conditions of many people. The catalyzing principle, whether of the vegetable or the animal source, remains in surplus, in just a position to the tissue, containing its affinitive congener, for a sufficient length of time to disintegrate the attacked structure to such an extent, as to be successful in isolating the structural, affinitive cognate, the nerve tissue is permanently disabled; in such a case the immunizing faculty of the body has been already crippled, or the persistent presence of the surplus of the catalyzing agent exhausted the immunizing faculty of the body, enabling the final victory of destruction for the toxic catalyzing principle. All destructive lesions of the brain and nerve tissues are accomplished in this simple way. Of course pathogenic bacteria often complicate the destructive processes of these lesions of dismemberment, by isolating from the ail ing tissues, the elements which are required for their successful growth and propagation. Pressure in glands and in the liver and kidneys, through the inelasticity of their confining capsule adds another destructive factor. But the destruction by both the toxin and the pathogenic bacterium is only incidental to the exhaustion of the immunizing faculty of the body. Disease can be tritely defined by saying, it is a suspension of the function of the immunizing faculty of the body, which allows the incidental waste, especially the proteid waste of the body to assume an abnormal evolutionary course, in becoming normal excretory pabulum. Each distinct phase of this evolution causing a symptom is termed a toxin. fying intraocular pressure in glaucoma, we turn the poisonous action of the principle to a therapeutic entity; the poisonous action of the same principle is changed to a therapeutic use by contraction of the muscular coat of the bowels, to expel flatus. Most of the therapeutic uses to which atropine is put, is its catalyzing action on some nerve tissue, as the suppression of the milk secretion, diminution of the saliva, and dilatation of the pupil. The therapeutic use of atropine in neutralizing a biochemically affinitive toxin causing spasticity of the arterioles, with bodily surface anemia, is ideal; its use in conditions of shock is practically the same biochemic process. Strychnine is much used as a general cellular and heart stimulant in shock. Ringer said, that of two equally powerful eventrated hearts, the one resting in a weak watery solution of strychnine ceased beating before its partner, resting in pure water. Strychnine is a neutralizer of a toxin whose solution in the Medical practice has demonstrated that every toxin has its biochemically affinitive congener in the vegetable kingdom; it has the same congener in some nervous structure of the body. The aggressive affinity of the toxin for its biochemically affinitive congener in the blood harasses the breathing rhythm. nerve tissue, produces the disease symptom. This is the identical process exhibited by cocaine and quinine, in producing regional anaesthesia. The economy and conservatism of medical practice, in toxic, systemic conditions, consist in the early neutralization of the dominant disturbing principle (toxin) by giving the biochemically affinitive vegetable principle. From our present knowledge we are unable to foretell the character or number of the phases of the abnormal evolution of the proteid, incidental waste of a patient, nor can we specify the time at which any distinct phase of the evolution will become active in harassing the patient. We can inhibit, in a measure, the formation of autogenetic toxins by dietetic and hygienic means, and neutralize, from time to time, the toxic disturbers and allow the immunizing faculty of the body to recuperate. By the use of physostigmine in modi CAMPHOR MONOBROMIDE By W. C. Abbott, M. D., Chicago, The monobromide of camphor has proved so valuable a remedy that no apology is needed for presenting this paper upon it to the readers of The Recorder. Of many articles that have been published on this drug one of the finest is that by Prof. Laura, the great clinician of the medical school of the University of Turin. Europe has been by no means asleep while the great modern revival of drug therapeusis has been progressing, nor unappreciative of its progress. But America has been also active, and to the best of the Old World's work we may still add some useful hints. Laura credits this combination with remarkable properties. It is eminently |