handled, having even a stimulant action in such circum stances. They do not excite the brain above the normal standard; they merely bring it up to the normal working, counteracting the state of depression in which they found it sunk, and thus approaching the character of a true tonic. In order to do this accurately and thoroughly, however, it is very plain that both a careful and skilful management of the remedy is required. Like other poisons, it is not to be rashly and empirically prescribed, or the dosing fixed by routine. The case must be suitable, the disease and the necessity for the remedy must be there; the dosing must be well adjusted at starting, and its effects must be carefully watched, in order that it may be duly regulated accordingly.

III. There are some affections of the heart in which the organ acts with great feebleness; the functions of life flag in consequence, the general circulation is insufficient, and danger to life is apt to ensue. Now, alcohol is a stimulant to the heart and blood-vessels, as well as to the nervous system; and from small occasional doses, as with the ordinary meals, medical experience has shown that in such cases decided benefit may be obtained.

IV. Again, in these as well as in other cases, dropsies are apt to occur; and it becomes of importance to stimulate the kidneys, with a view of increasing the amount of their secretion; just as in a water-logged ship, the pumps have to be plied with increased energy. The crew as they labor thus are worked in gangs or relays, else exhaustion would paralyse their efforts.

Diuretics are the pumping crew in dropsies, and they, too, have to be worked in relays. After a time, a remedy, which at first was very powerful and satisfactory, loses its effect, and has to be changed; this in its turn has to give way to a second, and so on. Now, alcohol is a diuretic-take gin as its most ordinary variety in such repute-and oftentimes it is found useful; not in doing the whole work continuously — not ordered to-day and gone on with day after day careless of effects, but taking its place in alternation with other remedies of the class.

V. In the advanced stages of inflammation, more especially when affecting internal organs, and in some unhealthy or weak inflammations from the very beginning of their course, what is called the stimulant system of treatment is necessary. A condition of nervous depression sets in, resembling what obtains in fever, as already noticed; and alcohol, in various doses and forms, not only does good, but is essential-carefully and skilfully regulated, however, as before. In this respect a great change has taken place of late years in medical practice. Doctors have ceased to be the Sangrados they once were, partly from alteration of views as to therapeutics generally, and partly from change in the nature of disease itself. There has been a remarkable change from the old system of bleeding, purging, and starving in inflammatory affections; and, as ordinarily happens in such reactions, examples have not been wanting of an excess of reforming zeal, carrying its possessors into a dangerous extreme. The time is reached, no doubt, when there is less risk of such extremes than

formerly; the pendulum has lost its wide swing, and is oscillating, we are fain to believe, pretty steadily in the "juste milieu." But there are writers even now who advocate the remedial use of alcoholic stimulants, to such an extent as cannot fail to prove highly prejudicial to the minds and morals, as well as to the bodies, of their unhappy patients. Against such flagrant error we will not scruple to uplift our testimony; claiming for alcoholics a prominent and powerful place in the treatment of inflammatory disease, in certain stages, and of certain forms, but denouncing anything like a promiscuous use of them, and declaring any other than their most guarded and anxious employment to be both unscientific and unsafe.

A diseased joint, or some ghastly sore, is pouring out its cupfuls of daily discharge, and hectic is steadily consuming the patient. In such a case, we cannot exclude wine and malt liquors from, our means of cure.

A fierce unhealthy inflammation is spreading along a vein, or burrowing beneath the skin in erysipelas, and the man is laboring for his life in irritative fever. In such a case, the medical attendant well knows that the time for alcoholic stimulus, on account of nervous depression, is either already come or not far off; and that were his hands tied up from this remedy, there would be but little hope for his patient.*

* There is a striking illustration of the law of tolerance here. I will be afterwards stated that alcohol, taken unnecessarily, has a tendency to produce unhealthy inflammations. that is, inflammations of a weak and bad type, running on rapidly into destructive suppuratiors, and even gangrene. But when this kind of inflammation has

Or an operation has been performed, and in the sup purative stage of the wound, whether from previous exhaustion, excessive discharge, or accidental loss of blood, what is called "sinking" threatens. This constitutes a crisis in which all means of stimulating the powers of life, and more especially the nervous function, must be employed with promptitude and boldness. And, in consequence, alcoholics, once more, may be brought into appropriate play.

All this - and more than this-is true.

but samples of the circumstances connected with inflammations in which alcohol is both a safe and powerful remedial agent. But against a general use of this in almost all inflammations, and in almost every stage of them, we protest with all the vehemence in our power.

Another evil we would denounce. A patient is dying. An incurable disease is making its closing grasp on the vitals, or old age is slowly passing on into extinctionthe flickering flame all but out. The case is manifestly hopeless; health cannot be restored, and life cannot be prolonged beyond a few hours at most. Is this a case for alcholic stimulants? Most certainly not. And yet the practitioner is apt to fall into the routine of practice; and simply because it is a state of "sinking," to administer wine and brandy in the ordinary way. There is no need for either now: there will be no tolerance in the system; they will not stimulate and support; they will inebriate, and, besides clouding that part of life which ought most of all to be serene, will probably frustrate

occurred, the medicinal use of alcohol then becomes both valuable and essential.

the professional intent, and, by producing reactive exhaustion, accelerate the end. "Let me go home sober," was the touching expostulation of one so tried; and she was right.

VI. But to proceed. Suppose that colic has attacked a patient, or cramp in the stomach, or flatulent abdominal distention, common experience suggests 66 a dram' as the cure. No doubt it may afford relief; and when nothing better can be obtained, by all means let it be had recourse to. But remember that there are other remedies at least equally good, and many far more appropriate. And, furthermore, when a man prescribes this for himself, let him be sure of his diagnosis. If the pain be that of cramp, or a colic, or a flatulency, good and well, the "dram" may do no great harm; if it be not, however, but, on the contrary, the sign of an acute inflammation already set in (as it may be), the "dram" will not only fail to relieve, but must inevitably do harm, acting as fuel to fire. And, moreover, let him beware of magnifying some trumpery uneasiness into such a state of things as to warrant alcoholics. A man fond of the latter, on any plea, may, almost unknown to himself, be too easily persuaded that a physical necessity has arisen for their use- -a failing this from which even the lower animals would not seem to be altogether exempt. In a home-park a pensioned pony was leisurely spending the evening of his days, under the kind care of his master's widow. One day she was alarmed by seeing the poor beast rolling on the ground, evidently in pain. The groom was summoned; his diagnosis was prorapt-clic; and his prescription consisted of a