we do this certain perverted types will diminish, pelvic diseases will grow less in number in and more easily treated. Insane asylums and hospital wards will be less crowded. Neither will the law-abiding citizen be taxed to his utmost limits to sustain jails, foundlings' homes, orthopedic infirmaries, reform schools for boys and Crittenton homes for girls. There will cease to be so prolific a reproduction of the pauper species, and where now there are thousands of descendants of one criminal, there will be many less in number. There is no class in the world more deserving of sympathy than these unfortunates, and they must be, as a rule, a life-long charge to the country.

The Maryland Asylum for Feeble Minded Children has asked the legislature for $200,000 for the next two years, in addition to the $13,000 it already receives annually for its maintenance. The appropriation is for increased accommodation. Disregarding the moral side of this question entirely, it can readily be seen that it would, to say the least, be far more economical for the state if the legislature would place in the hands of its dependent reproducers a limit to their reproduction, rather than increase the accommodations for its pauper population. C. H. Hughes says that "if the breeding of the unfit could be stopped, the neuropathic cripples, the mentally squint brain, and obliquely visioned, the lame and halt, blind in morals and cataract-covered consciences, the millenium of earthly happiness would begin."

Hardly that, for as long as sex exists it will come together, and ignorance and disease and crime will reproduce itself, but limitation will materially decrease the species.

The New York Medical Journal says, in speaking of restrictive marriage relations as a means of lessening reproduction: "From a social point of view the reproduction of degenerates is a grave question, to say nothing of the social side of procreation of syphilitics, tuberculous subjects, epileptics, neuropathics and those with a mental taint. And to all of these if any means, personal or ethical, avoiding danger can be found, which is a safe and easy method of rendering woman sterile, it is better than a harsh preventative of marriage." And again Professor Spinelli of Turin says: "If we are honestly and firmly opposed to all restrictive marriage legislation, it is not because we are not in hearty accord with the object arrived at, but because we think it would create evils more far-reaching, more deplorable than even the results toward which it is directed. We contend that with the union of man and woman the community has nothing to do. It is only by right of its potential result that a community has any right to interfere, and the prohibition of marriage as the means of protecting a community is a wrong against the rights of the individual.”

Mrs. Alice Lee Moquet says, in the summing up of reproduction of criminals in her paper on "Restrictive Marriage Legislation:" "What can be done to overcome the reproductive question of those who never take the trouble to marry?" She says: "Now, since it is conceded that the unrestrained reproduction of the physically and mentally diseased, or degenerates, is a menace to the welfare of a community, we cannot but feel that a safe and easy method of rendering woman sterile is far better than a prohibition to marry, and may it not be that Dr. Oschner's method of sterilization, in conjunction with Professor Spinelli's simple surgical operation, without danger or pain to the patient, shall be found to answer for those, who, while objecting to restrictive marriage laws, yet acknowledge the menace to the health and well-being of communities which unrestricted criminal procreation now presents?"

Yes, and no. It might do to enforce sterilization of a surgical kind upon a criminal population, but for the diseased class it will not be as far-reaching or as practical as sterilization by medicinal sources. No one will submit willingly to what they might conceive to be mutilation, however painless or harmless it any part of the body; but thousands would grasp eagerly at a safe and harmless medicinal preventive that gave sterilization without producing destruction off junction or anatomical change. Even crime and ignorance are not always desirous of reproduction, and because they seek at all times their selfish personal indulgence, reproduction is often a burden to them. So that a medicinal prevention would find wider favor than surgical sterilization, however harmless or complete. As long as women live, the love of young will exist in their nature, and most women lean naturally to motherhood. The ranks of true humanity will never die out, but by this method we will lose those perverts to whom we owe nothing, and whose reproduction only swells the crowd. of dependent poor.

All that women ask for is a natural motherhood. The world of willing reproducers are tired of chance conception. The cry from all the intelligent women is liberty to choose the time and number, and if disease, inherited tendencies or accident at childbirth render them unfit for reproduction, they beg for freedom from that law. Because of our knowledge of the great advancing evil of criminal, diseased and pauper propagation, for the safety of woman who has just left the operating hospital to return to the duties of wife and omther; for the help of thousands of women who are living with abnormal pelvic organs and dragging out a life of painful, abhorrent reproduction-we should, as women physicians, come to the rescue, and let this century mark another widening avenue in preventive therapeutics.

As you are doubtless all familiar with the antiseptic value of citric acid and bichloride of mercury, a review of their action will not be necessary. These drugs, combined in the Parke, Davis & Co.'s formula, and used after the sexual act, one tablet to one quart of warm water as a douche, forming a 1 to 2,000 solution, will give a harmless, practical and certain sterilization. I have in my possession the history of many cases in which it has been used for a time varying from three months to five years, without a failure. We know that a hundred cases or even a thousand does not really prove a thing as a fact, but we have reason to believe that the properties of a drug remain the same throughout its whole line of use. If the basic principles of a medicinal preventive are found, experiment may be safely continued on this data. With a knowledge of the certainty of inherited tendencies to disease and crime, and the conditions which excessive childbirth entails upon even the moral and healthy producer, we have a right to try by all legitimate measures to limit reproduction to a normal standard, and with the progress of experiment in preventive therapeutics, with surgical sterilization to assist us in one direction, and medicinal sterilization standing guard in another, the question of improper reproduction ought to become a matter intelligently within the control of the present generation.

WESTERN OPTHALMOLOGIC AND OTO-
LARYNGOLOGIC ASSOCIATION.

The Western Opthalmologic and Oto-Laryngologic Association held its fifth annual meeting at St. Louis on the 5th, 6th and 7th of April. The president, Dr. W. Scheppergrell of New Orleans opened the meeting with a paper on the "Rise of Specialism," in which he disproved the oft-repeated charge that specialisms in medicine are modern innovations. He cited historical data, dating several centuries before Christ, in which distinct references were made to specialists of the eyes, stomach and the head. The essayist commnded spcialists in medicine, as they promote more detailed study and thereby lead to higher medical attainments.

J. W. Bullard, M. D., of Pawnee City, Nebraska, read a paper on "Two Classes of Eye Cases that Give Me a Great Deal of Trouble." Chief among them were those in which irritation

and dryness of the conjunctiva persisted in spite of every attempt ta refraction which had been made.

Edwin Pynchon, M. D., of Chicago, "Slight Irregularities of the Nasal Septum." The author advocated the removal or correction of slight irregularities of the septum when there were disturbances of the nasal functions on account of their presence. If later and larger developments justified their removal, the author thought their early removal was justified on the grounds of "a stitch in time saves nine."

C. R. Holmes, M. D., Cincinnati, "Foreign Bodies of the Orbit, With Report of Cases." About seventy cases were compiled from the literature by the author and three additional ones reported by him. The most interesting and unique case was one reported by the author. It consisted of a knife blade about one and one-half inches long, which had been in the orbit for thirtytwo years without causing much inconvenience. It was imbedded in a fibrous capsule and was but slightly rusted.

B. E. Freyer, M. D., Kansas City, "Report of a Case of Railway Trauma of the Eye, With the Report of a Case and Its Legal Aspects."

M. A. Goldstein, M. D., St. Louis, "Presentation of Cases: (a) Primary Tuberculosis of the Ear. (b) Primary Tuberculosis of the Larynx." (a) The case had been operated on some years previously and had a recurrence some month ago, at which time Dr. Goldstein did the Schwartz operation. Bad symptoms developed a few weeks ago and he did the radical operation, since which time the patient is doing well. (b) The second case was one of probable primary tuberculosis of the larynx, which came under the observation of the author about one year ago. At that time he was in a very serious condition; death seemed but a matter of a few weeks or months. The patient was greatly emaciated and in response to the treatment administered had gained a fair degree of health, being able to attend to business. The diagnosis in the case is somewhat doubtful, but the author having excluded lues and malignant growth, has made the diagnosis of primary laryngeal tuberculosis. Tubercle bacilli are absent and the tissue has not been examined microscopically.

Dr. William L. Ballenger of Chicago, "The Physiological Tests of the Organ of Hearing as Aids in the Differential Diagnosis of Lesions of the Ear." The author advocated the physiologic tests of the ear, including the range of hearing, as tested with the tuning fork, Galton whistle, the Webber experiment, the Rinne experiment, the Schwaback and Bing tests, as important aids in the differential diagnosis of the lesions of the ear. They are of special importance in determining the location of the lesion. He

suggested that in a general way the deeper the structure involved the more pronounced the disturbance of hearing and the less probability of a cure. The tests were therefore recommended more for the purpose of aiding the surgeon in giving a correct diagnosis than for the purpose of aiding him in the treatment, which is often unsuccessful. Six cases were cited, illustrating lesions of different kinds in the middle ear and labyrinth in which the tests were used for the purpose of differentiating them. He recommended that the tests be made in all cases of ear disease in which there is a marked deafness and tinnitus, both before and after inflation of the tympanum. If this point be neglected the diagnosis may not be properly made. While the physiologic tests are not absolute guides to a correct diagnosis, they are, together with all other means of diagnosis, the most correct at the command of the aural surgeon and therefore should be invariably used.

O. J. Stein, M. D., Chicago, "Symmetrical Osteoma of the Nose, Report of a Case." The author reported a very rare case of symmetrical or double osteoma of the nose, occluding the nasal chambers and extending to either side for a considerable distance, whereby the patient was given the typical frog-face appearance. Osteoma upon one side is rather common. This case was presented on account of its unique type and was reported with a number of other cases collected from the literature. No attempt was made to correct the deformity, as the patient is well advanced with tuberculosis, several other members of the family having died with the same disease.

John J. Kyle, M. D., Indianapolis, "The Sympathetic Inflammation and Sympathetic Irritation of the Eye." The author made an interesting review of the subject presented, in which he advocated the usual classical treatment.

Adolph Alt, M. D., St. Louis, "Studies Concerning the Anatomy of the Eye Lids, Especially Their Glands (with Lantern Slides.") The purpose of the author was to report the result of an extensive examination made of the tissues of the eye lids, in which he had found mucous glands located in positions where they were not usually found. He also stated that in all his examinations, with one exception, the tarsal cartileges of the eye lids were not true cartilaginous tissue.

H. W. Loeb, M. D., St. Louis, "Presentation of Specimen of 107 Polypi Removed at One Sitting." This case was unique, not so much on account of the great number of polypi removed from the nose, as from the fact that they were removed at a single sitting. They were uniformly pedunculated and varied greatly in size. They were removed with an electro-cautery snare devised by the author.