by the strength of the opponents of food legislation. We have already indicated the more glaring weaknesses of the campaign. There are others, ethically less offensive, but still worth mentioning. The cause has been handicapped from the first by the unveracious slogan "Pure Food." The foremost advocate of federal legislation on the subject, the food chemist of the United States Department of Agriculture, has spent much valuable time in trying to justify his cry for "pure food." Only confusion has resulted. The public needs little or no additional defense against poisonous food, but the need of defense against fraudulent foods is real and urgent. It is perfectly idle to set up as the chief argument for an honest food law the hygienic relations of coloring matters and preservatives. The price of food has its hygienic relations, and the price of food is the crucial point in the agitation for food legislation. The campaign can safely proceed upon the facts that fraudulent misrepresentations of many sorts are exceedingly rife in the food markets, and that State legislation affords the consumer no substantial protection against these frauds. Many States have laws against fraudulent labelling and misbranding, but no State has materially lessened the output of fraudulent foods. One might safely engage to take a congressional committee into any first-rate grocery in Washington, and in five minutes, without the aid of chemistry or the microscope, make an exhibit of fraudulent foodstuffs which comply with the letter of the law in the State where they are manufactured. It would also be possible to show that certain good and wholesome foods cannot be bought in the markets and groceries under their true names and at an honest price, but they can be purchased at an excessive price disguised as foods of different origin and greater cost. In the scramble for food legislation selfish interests have often carried off prizes in the shape of exemptions for themselves or of unjust restrictions upon competitors. The unsophisticated farmer, for instance, puts oleomargarine out of the market by means of a law requiring it to be stained blue, but retains for himself the liberty to stain his butter in the precise shade of yellow demanded by his customers. In the field of national legislation one finds an achievement of like moral quality. The whiskey distillers can now buy of the federal government a little green stamp which, being pasted over the mouth of the bottle, enhances the price and selling quality of the contents on the theory that the government guarantees the goods in each and every package. Bottled-in-bond has been a grand coup for the distillers and has split off an angry faction from the powerful liquor interests. Those who cannot buy the little green stamp believe that they have been treated outrageously, and in a voluminous and widely-distributed literature are telling the long-suspected "Truth about Whiskey," meaning, of course, the very insalubrious spirits under the little green stamp. A few more concessions of this sort will set all the foes of food legislation at each other's throats, but between an enemy unified by fear of loss and an enemy disrupted over spoils, an unbroken opposition is the easy first choice. more city. The two largest audiences so far reported were one which Pastor Huber assembled to hear Dr. McCallum, and an audience of school teachers which completely filled the Associate Reformed Church to hear Dr. Wm. H. Welch. THE National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis will hold its first annual meeting in Washington on May 18 and 19. On the morning of the 18th addresses will be made by the vice-presidents, Dr. Wm. Osler and Dr. Herman Biggs. At the general meeting on the evening of the 18th there will be an address by Mr. Talcott Williams of Philadelphia. The section meetings will be held on the afternoon of the 18th and on the morning and evening of the 19th. There are three sectionsthe Sociological, the Clinical and Climatological, and the Bacteriological and Pathological. AFTER an absence of nine months smallpox has appeared in Maryland. One case is reported near Cumberland, a man who came from West Virginia while sick. In Hagerstown a small outbreak was discovered on April 21. Three cases were found, and investigation revealed six or seven convalescents from a very mild type of the disease. The infection was brought to Hagerstown by a young cigarmaker who had been at work in Richmond. He arrived in Baltimore about March 1, and becoming sick, went to his home in Hagerstown on March 4, where he gave rise to the present small outbreak. There is no reason to fear its further spread in Hagerstown. THE Federation of Women's Clubs' meeting in Baltimore in the second week of April passed vigorous resolutions favoring the registration of tuberculosis and the disinfection of houses, commending the campaign of popular education by the Maryland Association for the Prevention and Relief of Tuberculosis, the Tuberculosis Commission in its efforts to provide sanatoria and dispensaries for tuberculosis, and the Instructive Visiting Nurses' Association in their house visiting, and urged the component clubs of the Federation to extend their influence to create a public sentiment in their localities in favor of the crusade against tuberculosis. THE one hundred and seventh annual meeting of the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland was held in Baltimore on April 25, 26, 27, and 28. The first general meeting was held on Tuesday evening at McCoy Hall, Johns Hopkins University, when the president, Dr. Edward N. Brush, inade his address on "The Physician as a Citizen." The Wednesday morning session was held in the Faculty Hall. Papers were read as follows: "Malignant Disease Developing in or Accompanying Uterine Myomata," Dr. T. S. Cullen; "Review of the Deaths Due to Cancer During the Past Fourteen Years," Dr. C. Hampson Jones; "A Severe Case of Tetanus Successfully Treated With Antitoxin," Dr. Charles F. Davidson; "Some Remarks on the Recent Diet Cures in the Treatment of Diabetes," Drs. Julius Friedenwald and John Ruräh; "Empyema of Frontal Sinus-Exhibition of Patient," Dr. R. H. Johnston; "Gastric Conditions in Urticaria," Dr. L. K. Hirshberg. The afternoon session was held at the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, where the members of the Faculty were the guests of their president, Dr. E. N. Brush. Dr. Simon Baruch of New York made an address on "The Physiologic Basis and Clinical Effects of Hydrotherapy in Chronic Disorders," after which the new hydrotherapeutic department of the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital was inspected. The Wednesday evening session was held at McCoy Hall at 8.30 P. M., when there was an address by Dr. Clarence J. Blake, professor of otology, Harvard University, on "Collaboration in Medical Education." After this was a symposium on the "Benefits Conferred Upon Humanity by Medical Science," divided as follows: "Preventive Medicine," Dr. Wm. H. Welch; "Modern Therapeutics," Dr. I. E. Atkinson; "The Debt This Generation Owes to Surgery," Dr. Robert W. Johnson. On Thursday, April 27, at the morning session, there was a symposium on the "Newer Methods of Clinical Investigation," divided as follows: "Improved Chemical Methods in the Clinical Laboratory," Dr. E. L. Whitney; "Blood-Pressure Observations for the . Practicing Physician," Dr. Clinton E. Brush; "Leucocytosis," Dr. Thomas R. Brown; "Cytodiagnosis in Psychiatry," Dr. Clarence B. Farrar. Dr. Samuel Theobald read a paper on "The Success Which at the Present Day Attends the Operation of Cataract Extraction and the Causes Which Contribute to It." The Thursday afternoon session was held at McCoy Hall at 4.30, when Dr. Wm. Osler delivered the annual oration, entitled "Unity, Peace, and Concord." After this came the presentation to the Faculty of the portrait of Dr. Osler. The presentation address was made by Dr. George J. Preston. The annual banquet was held on Thursday evening at the Stafford Hotel. Phillips' Emulsion 50% best NORWAY COD LIVER OIL minutely sub-divided, WITH WHEAT PHOSPHATES (Phillips') Palatable, Permanent, Miscible in Water, Milk, Wine, etc. Phillips' Milk of Magnesia Mg H2 O2 (FLUID.) "THE PERFECT ANTACID." for correcting Hyperacid conditions—local or systemic. Vehicle for Salicylates, Iodides, Balsams, etc. Phillips' Phospho-Muriate TONIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE. of Quinine, COMP. WHEAT PHOSPHATES, WITH MURIATE OF QUININE AND STRYCHNINE. PHILLIPS' WHEAT PHOSPHATES (Acid). PHILLIPS' DIGESTIBLE COCOA. THE CHAS. H. PHILLIPS CHEMICAL CO., NEW YORK. Exodin Duotonol Urotropin Formalin Lamp SCHERING'S Tasteless and odorless cathartic, unique in promptness, reliability, pleasantness and harmlessness. A 100% compound of Lime and Sodium Glycero-phosphates (1:1), convenient for dispensing and administration. Effects a urinary antisepsis that was wholly unattainable before its introduction by Prof. Nicolaier. Renders infections shorter and milder, lessens danger of contagion. Invaluable in all zymotic diseases. Literature on request. SCHERING & GLATZ, New York. Editorial Comment. COUNCIL ON MEDICAL EDUCATION. The Journal. THE Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association will hold its next meeting in. Chicago April 20. This will be an important meeting for the reason that to it have been invited representatives of the licensing and examining boards of the various States and Territories, as well as representatives of the college associations. One of the objects of the meeting is that of securing the views of those connected with the licensing boards. Naturally, such views will be of great importance to the members of the council and will aid them in formulating plans. The attendence at the meeting promises to be a large one. About half the States have already appointed official delegates, and several more have signified their willingness to co-operate. The earnestness with which the spirit of the work has been received by all the boards of examiners promises much for the future. The subjects which will be brought before this conference are of interest to licensing bodies, to medical colleges, to the medical profession, to those interested in reciprocity, and to all interested in and concerned with medical education. Dr. Arthur D. Bevan will present a report considering the present status of the laws of the various States and Territories with reference to licensure; Dr. Victor C. Vaughan and Dr. J. A. Witherspoon will present the subject of preliminary education, and Dr. W. T. Councilman and Dr. Charles H. Frazier will report on the subject of the curriculum of medical colleges. It is hoped that this conference will result in a better understanding of conditions as they exist, and in bringing about more uniformity in all matters pertaining to medical education, reciprocity, and the enforcement of medical laws. LAWSON AND THE SYSTEM. California State Journal of Medicine. WE who follow the peaceful healing art may be rather inclined to read from a distance the story which Lawson is telling of the inner workings of that association of piratical thieves dubbed the "Standard Oil System," and regard it only with passing interest; as of something remote from our life's sphere. Not so. During the Spanish War an army hospital was established at one of the camps in the South, and in it were many victims of official incompetence— soldiers sick unto death from preventable diseases. The hospital was lighted only by means of oil lamps, and the weather was insufferably hot. Added to the distress and pain of unnecessary illness and the excessively warm weather was the discomfort of hot, malodorous lamps at night. And this in spite of the fact that electric wires were run up to the very gates and that the whole place could have been readily and quickly wired, electric lights substituted for the stinking oil lamps and one discomfort removed. Why was it not done? Because the "Standard Oil" influence in Washington was sufficient to prevent it; because the "System" wanted to sell more oil and make a few more dollars, heeding neither the comfort nor the lives of the American soldiers who lay sick unto death. Are the operations of the "System" so remote from our field of activity, after all? Are we always going to "stand for” any sort of imposition, corruption, injustice, exploitation? Will we never have courage to demand and strength to secure simple honesty as a substitute for graft? LAY MANUFACTURERS AND PHYSI CIANS. American Medicine. A PROTEST is needed, and a strong one, against the irrational and unjust prejudice shown by some physicians against manufacturers of pharmaceutic and other products used by the medical profession and against their advertisements in medical journals. Our experience is that many lay manufacturers are, as a rule, quite as honorable and as good citizens, that they exhibit indeed quite as good a professional spirit as do many physicians. There are bad men in both callings. Self-laudation through dogmatic and indiscriminate abuse of the manufacturers is both stupid and silly. In the first place, we should sweep and clean our own house. If manufacturers are wicked, it is even worse for physicians to use the bad articles made by them. They are under no compulsion to do so, and our wrath might very fittingly be expended upon those of our own household. And in reference to advertisements in medical journals, it may also be suggested that when they are of good character and made by reputable firms, criticism by the profession is hardly just except when 10,000 physicians shall first agree to pay $10 a year for a weekly journal without advertisements. |