any disease, in the manner laid down for me, by my teachers. But years of labor and study have now given me the right to make original investigations and draw deductions for myself.

I have done this in the treatment of typhoid fever. I may be charged, by some, with being a rude and unfeeling iconoclast, to thus fling defiance to the traditional belief that typhoid fever must pursue a course, lasting from four to twelve weeks.

This fever does not draw its slow length along, during so protracted a period of time, if treated in the manner I will describe.

In this section of our county, every disease bears upon its face, to a greater or less extent the impress of malaria. It is possible and it is frequently the fact, that a person becomes ill, manifests all the symptoms of a remittent fever, due to an infection of malaria, and, unfortunately, the medical attendant treats him all the way through the course of the disease, as if there was nothing but malaria against which he had to contend, when, if the attendant would notice with a discriminating eye, that the fever still continued in spite of his anti-malarial treatment, continued through several days and there was no improvement in the condition of the patient, the presence of a typhoid condition would make itself known.

In a country like the southern half of Alabama, there are but few portions which are free from malarial infection, and when we have a patient placed in our care, afflicted with a fever, which continues unmitigated, in spite of faithful, continued and unremitting administration of anti-malarial remedies, we can feel assured that typhoid exists, and in order to benefit and restore to health, the one entrusted to our care, we must resort to a treatment which has for its object the elim. ination of the typhoid poison from the system.

After we have treated our patient in a manner to justify us in eliminating from further consideration any treatment of malaria, by reason of the previous administration of hepatic stimulants, and immediately succeeding this, the giving of quinine in anti-periodic doses, viz: 5 grains every four hours until four doses are given, the first of these to be given at 10 p. m., the last at 10 a. m. This method of administering quinine is to be followed during two nights successively.

If the fever is not controlled or modified we may be assured that we have a case of typhoid with which to contend. Then I begin the administration of the following mixture :

R. Ammon Carbon

Creolin

Beta-Naphtol

Tr. Opii. Deoder

Spts. Camphor

Mucilag Acac. q. s. ad. ounces

iv

M. Shake well and give teaspoonful in a little water every 2 hours till half-dozen doses are given, then every four hours.

This must be given without intermission, day and night, until the fever subsides.

This control of the fever can be confidently looked for at the end of ten days. When the fever has been subdued, it will be well to continue the mixture, with the same intervals of time, but in smaller doses, for three or four days.

I find that every two days it is necessary to administer the following antiseptic powders.

One every hour until all have been given.

Eight hours after the last powder has been given admin. ister a Seidlitz, or dose of Rochelle or Epsom salts, in order to flush the sewer of the body, (the alimentary canal) to carry off all the incompletely digested, fermented or decomposed food or abnormal secretion.

In the selection of the remedies mentioned in these combinations, I had two objects which I wished to accomplish. One was to render the intestinal canal aseptic and maintain it in that condition throughout the whole course of the disease. The other object desired was to eliminate all toxic substances from the system.

The carbonate of ammonia was chosen for its well known stimulating effect in overcoming the stupid or cloudy condition of the mind, which has always been so prominent a feature in this disease. To bring about an aseptic condition of the alimentary canal, I selected creolin and beta-naphtol which

are both insoluble in water, but by mixing them in mucilage, they are carried through the stomach into the intestines sterilizing that canal and the abraided surfaces of the inflamed glands.

The bacillus typhosus does not live in the presence of these agents, and when the antiseptic powders, to which I have made allusion, are given and followed by a saline the absorption of toxines is prevented. I prefer the salines as they do not act mechanically, but abstract water from the congested membranes of the intestines and bring relief to the patient.

In regard to the diet, I prefer a liquid food until a week has passed after all febrile symptoms have subsided. I never hesitate to allow buttermilk, but caution the nurse to make intervals of time between the administration of the ammonia mixture and the buttermilk, at least one hour, because it is not desirable to bring about any chemical reaction between the lactic acid of the buttermilk and the ammonia.

Sweet milk is to be avoided throughout the whole course of the disease. I have found from experience that it is the most potent factor in prolonging the existence of fever, of any and all articles of nutrition, which has ever been given a typhoid patient.

Rice has been considered by most people a sick person's food, but I know from experience that it ferments more rapidly than anything that goes into the stomach.

The white of an egg mixed, not beaten, with water, in which a grain of salt is dissolved is the ideal food for a typhoid. It does not ferment or decompose when the stomach or intestines have been treated with the antiseptic powders to which reference has been made. The proportion of the egg and water is, the white of one egg and six tablespoonfuls of water. Of this mixture two or three tablespoonfuls to be given every three hours.

In regard to arterial stimulants, should the need for them arise, whisky and water, without sugar, should be given always before the food by fifteen or twenty minutes. The medicines, to make the food and arterial stimulant more effective, are strychnia one sixtieth grain and sparteine, one half-grain, given morning and night.

Address all communications relative to the Editorial Department of the JOURNAL to the Editorial Office, 162 St. Francis Street, Mobi e, Ala.

A HOME FOR INCURABLES.

The Alabama branch of the Sunshine Society under the inspiration of its new President, Mrs. Harry T. Inge, of Mobile, has in contemplation the establishment of a home for incura. bles, a great and beneficent undertaking. The need and value of such an institution is self evident and should meet with the co-operation of every public spirited citizen and induce the philanthropic among our people to contribute liberally toward it.

Among the class of patients who will be especially benefitted by such an institution we may mention the feeble minded for whom the state has made no provision. Alabama has provided for her defective and dependent class with the exception of those mentioned. Two insane hospitals attest the interest taken by the state in her insane population, while the deaf and dumb asylum and the reformatory indicate the solicitude of our legislators for the unfortunates whose infirmities demand the skilled management which such institutions specially provide. For the feeble minded, however, nothing has been done in Alabama, either by the state or by private munifi. cence. According to the census of 1890 there were 2187 feeble minded persons in Alabama. Of these 1323 were white and 864 were colored. As there has never been an institution specially designed for this class of patients in this state, they must now be kept in private homes, county poor houses or in the insane hospitals. Under such circumstances no provision has

been made for their education and training. The experience of those who have had special opportunities for the study of this class of patients has demonstrated that by systematic training and the adaptation of proper educational methods much can be done to develop their enfeebled minds and make the individuals more or less self-supporting.

Believing as we do that such institutions should be entirely divorced from politics, that rock upon which many noble efforts have come to shipwreck, we are glad to see this work taken up by those who, if encouraged, will carry it to deserved We congratulate Mrs. Inge and the Sunshiners on the initiative which they have taken in this work and we bespeak for them the assistance, co-operation and endorsement of the medical profession of Alabama.

success.

GORONWY OWEN, M. D.

It is with sincere regret that we chronicle the death of Dr. Goronwy Owen, of Mobile, which occurred on March 29th. On March 13th he was stricken with paralysis and after lingering until the 29th, he died.

Dr. Owen was born in Mobile on November 11, 1834 and was the son of Franklin L. and Elizabeth Maury Owen. His mother belonged to a well-known French family and traced her descent from James Maury, who was a Hugenot and was forced to leave his native country after the massacre of St. Bartholomew. On his fathers side he traced his descent back to Goronwy Owen, the founder of the family in America.

Dr. Owen was educated in the schools of Mobile and afterwards at the University of Alabama where he was grad. uated with honors in 1854. He studied medicine with Drs. Levert and Nott, two of the most distinguished physicians of their time. In 1855 he entered the University of Pennsylvania where in 1857 he was graduated as Doctor of Medicine. Immediately afterwards he began the practice of his profession in Mobile. At the outbreak of the civil war he enlisted in the Confederate army as surgeon and served in that capacity all during the four years of that war.