The society listened with respectful attention to ex-PresiIdent Whitehead's "Contribution to the Colorado State Medical Society," which was presented in brief abstract in ten beautifully illustrated exhibits. The first was an operation for cleft palate, of which the author has had more successful cases than any other operator in America. He has invented several instruments in this connection. He stated that failure in these operations is often due to cutting the palate and not the muscles that move the palate. The other exhibits embraced the following subjects: A successful double hare-lip operation; removal of upper half jaw, in 1865; early aseptic trephining; the Dessau figure of eight elastic bandage as a means of preventing loose joint after resection of the shoulder; excision of the elbow joint by lamplight, with the assistance of a cowboy; his only case of ovariotomy, performed thirty years ago by means of a trocar, knife and pair of forceps; hip joint exsections; railway injuries, including a compound comminuted fracture of the thigh. At the conclusion of Dr. Whitehead's remarks, the appreciation of the society was evinced by a rising vote of thanks. As a constructive surgeon, Dr. Whitehead has been rarely original and unusually successful. He is indeed a pioneer in surgery, having assisted Pirogoff at Sebastopol during the Crimean war. He has been for twentynine years an honored member of the Colorado State Medical Society.

The paper by Dr. W. G. Lockhard, of New Castle, gave a clear account of a unique case of relapsing septicemia, due to the material maladministration of a "Christian Science" midwife. The patient was delivered by natural labor of her fifth child in the early part of November. When the physician was called on the third day, her temperature was 1032°, and the uterus full of putrid contents. Under antiseptic cleansing measures the temperature became normal in five days and remained so for nine days, but relapse occurred several times, though the uterus and its surroundings remained normal. After a hearty Thanksgiving dinner the patient suffered the most severe relapse. There was high fever, vomiting and diarrhea, and later enlargement of the liver, spleen and inguinal glands, the uterus remaining normal. There were frequent periodic chills. The temperature at one time reached 107.6°, the pulse 210. A purulent pneumonia developed with tympanites. Streptococci were found in the sputum and in the blood. Consciousness was maintained throughout. The patient succumbed on December 22 to the infection.

The fatal issue was probably delayed by free hypodermic stimulation and the use of antistreptococcic serum-170 c. c. in all.

Dr. F. W. Singer's able and candid report of two cases of severe puerperal sepsis demonstrated the value of faithful, continual attendance upon such patients. The treatment employed included stimulants, cold sponging, light diet and repeated thorough irrigation of the uterus with sterile water, followed by equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and water. His paper evoked considerable discussion pro and con.

The morning session of the second day was opened with the deferred report of Chairman Rogers, of the Committee on Ethics, in re a complaint against a physician connected with a sectarian institution, said member having received quite a puff, together with his portrait, accompanying a description of the institution in the New Year's edition of the Post. While the committee deplored the growing tendency to newspaper advertising, they found that the methods of publicity employed by the institution are the same now as they were before the doctor's admission to the State Medical Society, and hence advised that no positive action be taken on this individual case. Later in the day a resolution, prepared by the committee, on motion of Dr. W. H. Baker, and designed to encourage physicians to keep their names out of the newspapers as much as possible, was adopted unanimously. On motion of Dr. Work, a nominating committee, consisting of Drs. McHugh of Fort Collins, Boyd of Leadville, Chipman of Sterling and Freeman and Hopkins of Denver, was elected by the society.

The first paper of the day was by Dr. Howell T. Pershing of Denver, on "Mental Therapeutics in General Practice." The reader referred to the mutual action of mind and body and the relations of physical processes and mental changes, as explained by the modern conceptions of the anatomy and histology of the nervous system, and exemplified by emotional disturbances of the abdominal viscera. Physicians must always make a strong impression on the patient, but hypnotism is not legitimate therapeutics except in the rarest instances. Dr. Pershing reported the case of a male Hebrew who came west because of repeated hemorrhages, who had a constant, violent cough and whose weight had fallen from 205 to 155 pounds. Abnormal chest signs were absent. When this clinic patient was referred to Dr. Pershing he had hemianesthesia and other signs of a typical hysteria, including respiration over 60 per minute. An im

pressive statement of a favorable outcome was made to the class in the hearing of the patient, and he was told to breathe slowly and that would stop the cough. He was sent to St. Luke's Hospital, on full feeding, and showed immediate great improvement. Some weeks later, while working in a livery, he fell down and when seen by the doctors exhibited hysterical hemiplegia, hemianesthesia and aphonia. The paralysis was at once removed the following day by suggestion, including an electrical display and systematic manipulation of the joints. The essential cause of hysteria lies in mental perversions, which are made worse by wrong diagnosis and prognosis. Many cases of neurasthenia are due to a persistent depressing morbid idea, equivalent to a mental traumatism. This depression should be replaced by a feeling of elation and confidence. The subjective disagreement of certain medicines, of which these patients complain, is mainly fanciful, and they should be reassured of the special utility of the given medication. Mental therapeutics are of service in the treatment of bad habits, as shown by the injection of apomorphine after each drink, as practiced in Keeley institutes. The manner of a physician in the presence of his patients is of great importance. Mental influence is in some cases the only treatment that will succeed, and in all cases must be taken into account. Psychology as a real science must be taught in the medical schools. This paper received an unusual amount of discussion pro and con, Drs. Hopkins, Oettinger and Work corroborating the writer as to the practical utility of suggestion. Dr. Work has cured the morphine habit, in a willing patient, by the use of quinine pills well chewed, and in ignorant persons, who often regard all pills as laxative in nature, he has known marked purgation to follow the use of Bland's pill.

Under the title, "Uncertain Therapeutics," Dr. J. M. Blaine, of Denver, read a characteristically pointed paper deploring the dependence of physicians for their materia medica on pharmaceutic manufacturers, and condemning the custom of furnishing proprietary puffs for a consideration, and ridiculing the poor old gunshot prescription. The therapeutic test, in his opinion, is worth about one cent on the dollar. The injection of irritating gonococcicides is like unto the forcible ejection of a skunk from the parlor.

Dr. Minnie C. T. Love, of Denver, read a timely paper on "The Lying-In Chamber." The essayist criticised the proposition in some quarters to have trained midwives, and recom

mended care in maternity hospitals for all classes when practicable. There should be regularly employed physicians for poor mothers unable to leave home, and these should receive the same attention as the rich. The medical attendant should possess special qualifications for obstetric work. Soap and water cannot be replaced by mercuric chloride. Douches are seldom needed, except in specific cases. The physician's hands should be the only ones to touch the patient's genitals, and the accoucheur, preferably a woman, must take the place of the trained nurse. The death rate from child-birth is now less than 1 per cent. in the best maternity hospitals, but in private practice it is still little better than it was twenty years ago. The present fees are too low, favoring neglect of the patient, on whom attendance is most needed between the third and the eighth day. One cannot be absolutely certain that the uterus is empty, and the careful use of the sharp curet in the first week of the puerperium is often beneficial. Hot water or lysol solution is preferable to bichloride solution. The pregnant woman should follow the instructions of her family physician, and not the diet and directions laid down in certain non-professional books. She has no need to worry about possible maternal impressions.

Dr. W. W. Grant, of Denver, read a comprehensive and judicial criticism of certain alleged fractures of the femoral neck in aged people, supposed to have been cured in about four weeks by lateral extension. These cases were reported before the surgical section at the last two meetings of the American Medical Association. Dr. Grant has secured bony union in one case of fracture of the small portion of the neck of the femur, the patient being a woman of 44. He spoke favorably of nailing or pegging fragments through the trochanter. If impaction is present great care should be exercised not to dislodge the parts. The reason why bony union in these cases is so rare in old people is because of the impaired blood supply to the upper fragment.

Dr. Edward Jackson, of Denver, gave a clear and instructive exposition of the important clinical aspects of hemianopsia and sector defects, the subject being simplified by the aid of record drawings of the visual fields. He showed why the lateral type of the defect is so much more common than the bitemporal and binasal varieties, and why hemianopsia is always atypical. Lateral hemianopsia was formerly confounded with monocular blindness by physicians, and is still so interpreted by patients themselves, the total visual field being actually greater in monocular blindness than in homonymous hemianopsia.

Dr. H. S. Olney, of Pueblo, read a concise, practical paper on "Household Hygiene." Hygiene is more important than medicine, and physicians should instruct their patients on sanitary matters, explaining the reasons for each measure. Carpets and the dry broom and dusting brush are disease mongers. The family physician's words are golden; they cost money.

Dr. I. B. Perkins, of Denver, gave an extemporaneous abstract of his paper on "Cancer of the Uterus-Its Cause and Cure." The apparent increase of cancer makes us look for better methods of treatment. Of 31,000 cases of cancer, 30 per cent. occurred in the uterus, the great majority in the cervix, especially in women who had borne children. It is usually first observed growing out from the mucous membrane everted from the cicatricial tissue of a laceration scar. Hard pessaries may cause cancer. According to surgical statistics, the best results in uterine cancer yield only 5 per cent. of permanent recoveries, owing to recurrence because the operation was done too late. The X-ray therapy is still in the experimental stage, but offers moderate benefit in epithelial cancer. They may be tried in inoperable cases and to prevent recurrence. In the treatment of cancer the main thing is to get the case early. The value of microscopic examinations of sections of suspicious spots and curetted portions has been demonstrated in Dr. Perkins' personal experience, and he has devised an instrument for removing histologic sections from the cervix. If the family physician does his full duty in the early recognition of uterine cancer, the statistics of recovery can probably be brought up to 25 per cent.

After listening to some anonymous verses welcoming the State Medical Society to Pueblo, the president's annual address was presented.

Following some appropriate eulogistic remarks on the late Dr. Thombs, Dr. Corwin emphasized the vital importance of the county organization as a basis in the new regime. The body of his address was a forcible plea for preventive medicine, in answer to the question. How may the physician be a public benefactor outside of his professional duties? The subject was considered under three heads: 1. Protection from germs. 2. How to increase the resisting power of the individual. 3. How to enlighten the public on sanitary questions. President Corwin holds that tubercular patients should be segregated in suitable sanatoria until cured. He referred to the fact that poorly prepared food can drive men to drink, and that infants are frequently