coats of the umbilical vessels, and copious hemorrhage ensued. I immediately applied a second ligature, but with the same result. The ligatures which I had used were composed of five or six strands of cotton threads, and a serviceable one as I have found in most cases. Compressing the bleeding vessels with my fingers, I sent for some broad tape, and finally succeeded in ligating the cord by means of it, there only remaining about one inch of the cord attached to the umbilicus. Was this a case of fatty degeneration of the umbilical arteries and veins? It certainly demonstrates the necessity of not cutting the cord too near the navel.

CASE VI.-Twins at seven months, complicated with laceration of the Cord. Mrs. F., aged 28, multipara; called in great haste by the messenger, stating that "the woman was bleeding to death." When I arrived, I found the patient very feeble, and almost as pale as a cadaver. The bed was drenched with blood. Upon inspection I discovered a seven months foetus already born, and immediately tied the cord. Examining per vaginum, I felt the breech of a second fœtus, which was not advancing, as there was no uterine contractions, and the uterus was in a state of atony. There being no time to lose, I extracted the second foetus, and in doing so must have lacerated the cord, for there was very profuse hemorrhage, which I afterwards found came from the laceration of the cord. The placenta almost immediately followed. The hemorrhage ceased upon exerting pressure above and below the laceration, until I had an opportunity to apply the ligatures. The placenta was divided in two parts by a membranous bridge. The patient needing all my attention, I could make no attempt to resuscitate the children. She made a very slow recovery, and is yet suffering from all the effects of anæmia.

Dr. MOSHER said that he had been much interested in the paper; such analyses of cases being always of benefit. In regard to placenta praevia, he thought the main thing is to attend to the case without delay; the great danger to both mother and child being from loss of blood. He had found no difficulty when the os was dilated to the size of a silver half dollar in dilating it rapidly with the fingers and hand; when the child should be delivered as soou as possible. This is the only sure way to stop the hemorrhage.

Dr. BABCOCK said that his experience in regard to rapid dilatation coincided with that of Dr. Mosher. As to cutting the cord with the ligature, he had used bobbin and strands of cotton thread, and found that both of them sometimes did this. A substance softer than these should be used.

He also presented a bit of rough bone about two inches long, apparently from beef, which he had removed from the rectum of a patient. The man had presented himself at the alms-house, having been traveling some distance afoot. The foreign substance had set up a great deal of irritation, all the tissues about being swollen and inflamed. No clear history of the case was obtained.

On motion, the Society adjourned.

:0:

ART. III.-Concentrated and Palatable Powders. A paper read before Toledo Medical Society. By J. W. SOUTHWORTH, M. D. Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Society: It is with pleasure that I bring to your notice some recently prepared and highly palatable powders of aconite, veratrum, jalap and senna; thus enhancing in some degree the practical utility of our common stock of medicinal agents. These are the only ones yet experimented with, but we are confident that it can be advantageously extended to many others which the wants of the profession may indicate among the arterial or nervous sedatives, narcoties, cathartics, &c.

Our object is to present the virtues of each drug in the form of a powder which shall be the most palatable and compact, as well as stable and soluble condition possible, without materially increasing their cost. By this means the practitioner is enabled to carry an ordinary assortment of drugs in a very small space, and also without the annoyance of breaking vials and the spilling of the liquid contents, nor be troubled to find vials corresponding in size to the broken ones in order to replace them. An ordinary (clasp) cigar case, in which are placed ten small and six large envelopes, (open at the end), made of sheepskin parchment, will afford sufficient space and variety for most physicians who carry much medicine

with them to dispense at the bed side of their patients. While to those who carry only a few drugs, the clasp match safe, (a miniature cigar case), will be a most admirable convenience; using, of course, little parchment envelopes-four or five on each sidefilled with whatever the exigences of one's practice would call for.

Several physicians of this city have availed themselves of the above plan, Dr. S. S. Thorn being the "pioneer," I believe, in this most excellent method.

It is a well known and deplorable fact that we have not reached that degree of perfection in the art of rendering medicines palatable so much needed, and which is so naturally, earnestly and properly desired by our patients. So much so, that in many cases they turn to the votaries of charlatanism to get the much coveted articles which shall cure (?) them and yet be so very pleasant to take! However inert such remedies may be, they of course are illy fitted to judge; and, if for no stronger reason, we should be negligent of our duty to ourselves and to our fellows men, did we not strive to attain the object sought. This, you are all aware, is no equivocal part of our duty as practitioners for it often happens. that we are partially, if not wholly, thwarted in our efforts in the treatment of infants and refractory children, or even among fastidious adults by the impalatableness of our usual remedies. I trust none will regard these remarks in the light of an apology for calling your attention to the preparations presented; such an idea would be an injustice to myself as well as to an appreciative, intelligent, and humane profession.

The method of preparation is as follow:-The active principles of the drugs are obtained by either infusion, maceration or percolation with alcohol and water, after which they are concentrated to a proper degree by evaporation and then mixed in definite proportion with sugar of milk and powdered liquorice root, so as to represent when dried and pulverized the entire virtues in as small a bulk and in as palatable a condition as one could wish or e-pect. In the case of concentrated aconite powder, 1 gr. is made to equal two minims of the F. E. of Aconite Root. The concentrated verat. viride powder 1 gr. is also made to equal two minims of the F. E. of that plant. Other vegetable, nervous and arterial seda

tives, such as gelsemium, digitalis, calabar bean, etc., etc., can be easily prepared in the form of a powder of the same strength as the preceding.

The concentrated jalap powder is condensed to nearly the samstrength as the powdered extract, and retaining all of its properties except that of agglutination. Whilst, if one prefers the jalap resin alone, it can be prepared in a pulverent form, and in as compact a state as could reasonably be desired, the only loss in a therapeutic point of view being the absence of the diuretic action of the drug.

The concentrated powder of senna is prepared by leaving out the liquorice and adding heavy carbonate of magnesia, with or without the same quantity of sugar of milk. My plan is to add the concentrated solution of senna leaves to the sugar of milk until the dried compound was too "gummy" to pulverize properly, when by the addition of the magnesia it could readily be brought to a desirable degree of firmness. The amount of magnesia added was equal, in weight to both of the other substances. Lastly, the whole was aromatized with strong tincture of fennel and coriander made from

This makes a most excellent laxative or purgative for children and infants, and is always readily taken in sweetened water. The dose varies from five to ten grains repeated in three or four hours until it operates. By substituting one-half of the magnesia for sulphur we get a much more convenient and compact comp. senna powder than the "Pulvis Glycerrhizæ Comp>situs" of Dr. David Page (Practitiorer), which is composed as follows:- Senna leaves Pulv. et Glycerrhiza Rad. Pulv. aa. vi.

Fennel Sem. Pulv. et Sulph. Flor. aa. iii. + Sacch. Alba pulv. 3xviii. Mx. Ft. A. powder. Dose, a teaspooful or more at bed time. If one should wi h, the combina ion of the senna powder with. jalap resin would afford a very convenient and reliable laxative or cathartic agent, one that would scarcely be offensive to the taste.

MISCELLANEOUS

DR. JAMES P. WHITE made the following response to a toast to the Buffalo Insane Asylum, at a dinner given to the Common Council and City Officials at the Tifft House, recently:

MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN: At this grand re-union of our fellow citizens I am proud to have my name associated with the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane. You will soon perceive that I cannot make a speech and I need not detain you by saying so. The only merit I will promise in my remarks is brevity. It is peculiarly gratifying to one who has lived in Buffalo for half a century and seen it expanding from a little hamlet of two thousand inhabitants to a great city of nearly two hundred thousand, to be present here this evening and by the eloquence of friends familiar with the subjects to be assured of a corresponding growth in commerce, manufactures and all the industrial pursuits important to the welfare and prosperity of a great community gratifying also to be assured that at the same time the religious and educational interests have received no inconsiderable attention that the city is also being supplied with civic public buildings suitable to its requirements and adorned with beautiful parks and public grounds, that hospitals properly administered are provided for the homeless sick. In all these respects have the enterprise and benevolence of our citizens kept pace with growth in population and wealth. Finally, my friends, Buffalo is undertaking through state authority and munificence to provide for our insane. There is no subject which marks more distinctively the degree of progress in Christian civilization in any community; nothing, which proclaims "good will to men" more truly, than efforts to care and make safe provision for these bereft of reason and self-control. It is now conceded by most intelligent allenists that the insane can be best treated and cared for when collected in hospitals properly constructed and equipped. The State of New York, fully recognizing the truth enunciated by Horace Man, that "the pauper insane are the wards of the State," has upon the application of a few of our fellow citizens undertaken the erection of a suitable structure, upon lands generously donated by this city, for the reception of this class of her afflicted and unfortunate children in the Eighth Judicial District. This great work has gone on so quietly as to attract little popular attention. Yet do the Managers of this in-titution indulge the hope that with a suitable appropriation this winter they will be enabled to complete within the next eighteen months more than five hundred feet of frontage, with suitable kitchen and other rear buildings necessary for the reception and care of more than two hundred patients. But fel