waters were of unquestioned and great value in strumous troubles, in the syphilides, and in eczema. There is no doubt sometimes exaggeration in reporting the value of springs, but in these cases their value was unquestioned. He testified also to the value of sulphur waters in parasitic diseases.

Dr. W. B. ULRICH, of Pennsylvania, testified to the good results from sulphur waters in parasitic diseases. He commended the paper, because it did not claim sulphur as a specific, but specially defined its usefulness.

Dr. WM. BRODIE, of Michigan, had not seen the great benefit. claimed from the use of sulphur waters. He believed local treatment much more efficacious even in parasitic diseases. He has seen benefit in cases of lead poisoning. He thinks that cleanliness and local treatment are just as good if not better than sulphur baths.

Dr. J. V. SHOEMAKER, of Pennsylvania, said that he differed with the writer in regard to the little value of sulphurous acid internally, and the great value of sulphide of calcium. He had used the acid successfully in pustular affections. He had found the sulphide to produce indigestion.

Dr. L. TURNBULL, of Pennsylvania, said he had recommended the hypo-sulphites for aspergillus twenty years ago. He uses now the bisulphite of soda. He had found the sulphide to greatly interfere with digestion; it produces irritation and dyspepsia.

Dr. E. N. CHAPMAN, of New York, spoke of the value of diet in the treatment of skin diseases. He has used the sulphurous acid and glycerine, one part to three, in cases of eczema, with good results.

Dr. T. J. GALLAHER, of Pennsylvania, spoke favorably of sulphide of calcium; he had not found it to produce indigestion. He thought highly of the sulphur waters in the treatment of the syphilides.

Dr. L. D. BULKLEY, of New York, said it had not been his experience that the sulphides produce indigestion; he gives them in small doses; perhaps large doses might do so. He could not say which he prefers, sulphide of calcium or bisulphite of soda. He fully appreciates the value of nutritious diet in the treatment of skin diseases.

Dr. J. S. LYNCH, of Maryland, said, he had used the sulphides frequently, and had never seen any interference with digestion.

The paper was referred to the Committee of Publication.

A paper on Diet Cure of Rheumatism, by Dr. E. N. CHAPMAN, of New York, was read by title, and, on motion, was referred to the Committee of Publication.

Dr. C. C. WYCKOFF, of New York, moved that the paper on Progressive Muscular Atrophy and Pseudo-hypertrophy of Muscles, by Drs. I. N. KERLIN and C. K. MILLS, be read by title and referred to the Committee of Publication. Carried.

A paper was read by Dr. P. V. GIBNEY, of New York, on The Strong Galvanic Current in the Treatment of Sciatica.

Dr. A. D. ROCKWELL, of New York, said, that electricity in every form would not cure sciatica. He had seen cases cured by the faradic current.

Dr. BULKLEY, of New York, referred to two cases which had been relieved by strong currents.

Dr. GEO. M. BEARD, of New York, spoke of the relative value of strong and weak currents. He said that electricity would sometimes cure neuralgia, applied in various ways. Practically, Dr. B. found it a matter of indifference which current was applied, although the positive pole was sometimes more soothing and the negative more irritating. He would advise caution, as he had seen cases injured by overdoses of electricity, which should be regarded and used as any other powerful remedy. He would always commence his treatment with weak currents.

Dr. J. J. CALDWELL, of Maryland, believed that many forms of neuralgia were due to mechanical interference, to nerve pressure. Here electricity is simply valuable to form a diagnosis. The treatment and cure must be left to surgery-either by stretching or section of nerve.

Dr. C. DENISON, of Colorado, moved to refer the paper to the Committee of Publication. Carried.

Dr. L. TURNBULL, of Pennsylvania, read his paper on Hydrobromic Ether.

Dr. W. T. TAYLOR, of Pennsylvania, spoke in favor of hydrobromic ether, and moved to refer the paper to the Committee of Publication. Carried.

Dr. DENISON, of Colorado, introduced the following resolution:

Whereas, The maps, giving in shades of color the absolute humidity of the air, in grains of vapor per cubic foot, for each season, for the whole United States, also those giving the amount

of sunshine, similarly illustrated, which this Section at its last meeting ordered to be printed with Dr. DENISON's report, were omitted from the Transactions of last year;

Resolved, That, as these maps are now promised by the Signal Service Office at $6 per thousand for each base map, and $5 per thousand for each additional color, making the cost $11 for complete maps, the Secretary be instructed to procure them for insertion in this year's Transactions. Carried.

Dr. J. J. CALDWELL, of Maryland, read by title his paper, The Study of Special Nerve-centres, and it was referred to the Committee of Publication.

Dr. E. CUTTER, of Massachusetts, offered his paper on The Salisbury Method of Treating Consumption, which was referred to the Committee of Publication.

The Section adjourned.

ADDRESS IN PRACTICE OF MEDICINE, MATERIA

MEDICA, AND PHYSIOLOGY.

BY JOHN S. LYNCH. M.D.,

BALTIMORE, MD.

A RETROSPECT of the history of our science, for the past year, will bring to our attention but little to specially interest us in any of the departments of medicine embraced in this section. No startling discoveries have been made; no brilliant inventions heralded to the world; but it must not be assumed that our science has, therefore, been quite stationary. Solid advances have been made in improving our old methods of treatment; and in enlarging the sphere of usefulness, and confirming the value of old remedies. But I can also congratulate the profession and the nation, that its physical health has been exceptionally good; that no extensive epidemics have devastated the country, and carried grief and mourning to the hearts and homes of our countrymen. It is true that yellow fever, which raged with such virulence and fatality in the valley of the Mississippi during the summer and autumn of 1878, appeared again in the city of Memphis in 1879, and destroyed the lives of quite a number of the inhabitants of that ill-fated city. Our profession was again called upon to exhibit its usual heroism and self-sacrificing philanthropy in giving professional succor; and large demands were again made upon public charity and humanity to provide the pecuniary means for relieving the wants and sufferings of the stricken city. Both appeals met with prompt and full responses, and we are again called upon to mourn the loss of noble spirits who laid down their lives in heroic warfare against the pestilence. Your Committee on Necrology will doubtless give you their names, and pay fitting tribute to their memory.

But, thanks to improved sanitation, the energetic efforts of the boards of health, national and municipal, and perhaps also to a better knowledge of the nature and habits of the contagion

or poison of yellow fever, the disease was virtually limited to Memphis and its immediate environment; and we were spared the humiliating experience of seeing the disease once more invade successively both near and distant points in spite of all the efforts which science, aided and supported by abundant pecuniary means, could make to stay its march.

This local and almost trivial epidemic could scarcely be considered of sufficient importance to claim our attention, were it not that two important facts would seem to have been established; and that two long-cherished beliefs or opinions were completely unsettled by the outbreak. These are: 1st. That the germ or contagium of yellow fever can lie dormant for many months of cold and even freezing weather, and still retain its vitality, ready to become energetically active again whenever favoring conditions concur; and like a deadly serpent hybernating through the long winter, rear its horrid crest and dart its envenomed fangs when touched by the genial warmth of summer's sun. 2d. That the lowest temperature experienced in the southern regions of our country, while checking the growth and spread of the germs of this fever, is incapable of destroying them, when other conditions favorable to their preservation are present.

These facts seem to be clearly established by the Memphis outbreak where importation seems to have been impossible, as well as by the appearance of the disease on board the U. S. ship Plymouth on her cruise within the tropics in the spring of last year. In the latter case, there was a vessel on board which yellow fever had existed the previous autumn, taken to Boston, Mass., and thoroughly cleansed and disinfected, as was supposed, and exposed to the rigorous climate of that latitude during an entire winter that has become historic on account of its exceptional severity. A new crew was shipped, and she sailed for a cruise in low latitudes, when yellow fever again broke out on board under circumstances which rendered it absolutely certain that its origin was endogenous if not autochthonous. It is true that it is asserted that some of the crew shipped on the Plymouth. came from Portsmouth or Norfolk, Va., and that the contagion was probably carried on board by them in their luggage. as yellow fever was not known to exist in those places during the summer of 1878, the argument loses much of its force, and the origin of the contagion remains still unexplained. Admit

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