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quent assumption of M.D. by the charlatan, he counseled the young men to look upon the diploma as a reality; as something of value, of worth, and meaning; that it had symbolical relations; that it was their insignia, around which many pleasing thoughts would cluster; their flag, never to be dishonored; that it would give position, and inspire the confidence of the most intelligent of the community; that it conferred privileges, and imposed restraints; that it denoted the starting point, or the possession of the minimum amount of knowledge, compared to the vast array of facts to be learned and developed; that he who desecrates the true platform of medical science should be branded as a traitor; that each one should cultivate friendship, and not strive to injure his brother; and that courage should be possessed by all, to enable each one to do his duty and fulfil his obligations, although life itself may be periled. Such are some of the thoughts dwelt upon by the lecturer.

The graduating class numbered thirty-nine.

From the reports of the Massachusetts General Hospital, and of the McLean Asylum for the Insane, at Somerville, for 1859, I have gleaned some facts of interest. The property of the corporation (exclusive of hospital buildings) amounts to $258,558 67-nearly all of which produces an income. The expenses of the Hospital for the year amounted to $39,310 72; of the Asylum, $59,478 92. The income of both was $94,076 47, leaving a balance of expenditures over receipts of $4,713 17. The income from free beds was $1,000 more than the previous year, although less than it was in former years. The cost of 934 free patients was $31,910 67. The income appropriated specially to this purpose, including subscriptions, was $14,816 06. During the year there were admitted to the Hospital 1240 patients--776 males and 464 females. Of this number 653 were discharged well, 128 much relieved, 152 relieved, 54 not relieved, 141 died. 212 were admitted on account of accidents. The weekly expense of each patient, including repairs, was $5 754; excluding repairs, $5 33. There was an excess of 225 patients admitted over the year 1858, and a larger number than any previous year. The total number of outdoor patients under treatment was 3,523, of which 1,104 were surgical and 2,419 medical, being an increase of 1,300 from 1858. Of the whole number admitted, 257 paid board, and 49 board half

of the time, the remainder were free. There were 154 patients remaining in the Hospital January 1, 1860. Of the number of patients remaining on account of accidents, many were fatally injured, and received in a dying condition. 168 applicants were refused admission. Of these, more than one-half were natives of Ireland, onefourth of this State, and one-tenth of this city. Those rejected were chronic cases, incurable, or of a contagious nature. Of the female patients, 233 were domestics, and 65 seamstresses. The Resident Physician's report says:

"A by no means inconsiderable good is afforded by the Hospital, in loaning to people out of the house surgical apparatus, fracture-beds, and other articles, which can not be obtained elsewhere, without great cost and delay, if at all. Many people will attest their indebtedness in this way to the Hospital during the past year."

The Trustees acknowledge several donations for both the Hospital and Asylum.

The report of the Superintendent of the Asylum shows that there were in the establishment, at the commencement of the year, 186 patients; admitted during the year 131, males 73, females 58; discharged, 142 (75 males, 67 females), of whom 61 had recovered, 23 much improved, 13 improved, 17 not improved; 28 died, 14 males and 14 females; 175 (males 85, females 90,) remained at the end of the year under treatment. Average cost of each patient, $6 16 per week.

At the Female Medical College, last week, three "crinoline" M.D.'s were added to the list of curable agents. I understand that a rival school has come into existence.

The Sanitary Convention, to be held here this spring, promises to be an interesting occasion. Much will be done to give the delegates a hospitable reception, and to make the reunion agreeable in all of its features.

A large delegation from the city and country anticipate attending the National Medical Convention at New Haven.

Small-pox is still epidemic, but is on the decline, from the active measures taken to re-vaccinate.

Of the ninety-five deaths in this city, for the week ending March 3d, eighteen were from consumption. This month and next will be largely fatal to phthisical patients, in this climate.

Three deaths were reported to-day in the town of Westford, resulting from vaccination, and many children reported dangerously sick from the same cause. I give the report for what it is worth. I hope to obtain the facts from some physician of the place.

B.

NEEDLESS MYSTERY.-TO DRUGGISTS AND APOTHECARIES.

The Philadelphia Gazette, referring to a case of accidental poisoning which occurred in that city, speaks as follows touching the medical nomenclature of the present day:

"From the circumstances of this case we can come to but one conclusion that the foolish mystery thrown around their art, alike by the apothecary and physician, should be at once abrogated. For the christening of drugs in dog-Latin' there is not a particle of reason, excepting that a practitioner is thus sometimes enabled to administer simpler instead of active medicines, to whimsical people who imagine themselves to be ailing, when they suffer only from imagination or nervousness. If a physician prescribe quinine, let him write quinine instead of sulphas quiniæ, as is the usual custom. Common salt is just as saline under the name of salt as under that of murias sodæ or muriate of soda. Epsom salts will have an effect quite as salutary when sold by that name as when mysteriously labeled sulphas soda or sulphate of soda. A physician calls at your house, feels your pulse, and with an air of profundity writes thus: Mit. chlor. hydrarg., Jalapæ pulv., âā grs. x.

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"Patient sends to the drug-store, when he finds mit. chlor. hydrarg. to be an abbreviation of mite chloridum hydrargyri-in other words, mild chloride of mercury simply calomel; jalapæ pulv. is, of course, powdered jalap, and the entire rigmarole is simply expressed: Ten grains each of calomel and jalap. If physicians were to abandon this mysterious method of dispensing medicines, and if apothecaries called things by their proper names, the community would soon become familiar with the character of medicines, and such occurrences as that of last Wednesday would be averted.

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Paragoric need not be called 'tinct. camp. et opii,' any more than flour need be labeled 'pulvis hordei;' and we doubt not that the public would quite as willingly pay the present prices charged for medicines, when called by their right names, as when covered with cabalistic inscriptions.

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"We believe the dog-Latin' part of the druggist's business to be an intense humbug, and of about the same use as the botanical names conferred upon plants by quack nurserymen. The utility of the latter we have seen tested by a gentleman who fabricated a lot of names for plants, sent an order for them to a Long Island nurseryman, and in due time received the plants and the bill, made out precisely as though the bogus names were to the nurseryman so many household words.

"When we remember that a goodly portion of the apprentice's time is spent simply in acquiring a knowledge of these mongrel Latin names for medicines, aside from the science of chemistry, to which alone most of them belong, we think it will be everywhere conceded that the system of using them should be abolished. Why can not our medical friends resolve to write their prescriptions in plain English? And why, also, can not our druggists call salts' salts, and turpentine' turpentine? Are these terms more dangerous than muriate of sodium, or oleum terebinthina? Let the trial be made by both physician and druggist, and see if its results prove otherwise than satisfactory."

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There it is, such as it is; but the writer thereof is either unacquainted with his subject, or a quack-and in either case ought to have held his peace. But since he is so free with his sugges

tions, I would like to ask him if a case of accidental poisoning (which is too often the result of sheer carelessness) is more to be guarded against than the hundreds of cases annually of suicidal and criminal poisoning, instances of which we see in every paper we chance to pick up. So far as I can see, the plan he proposes would prove a total failure, since all the most fearfully poisonous drugs are unfortunately already too well known by their "plain English names." Otherwise the young lady (Miss Rice) who committed suicide last spring in your city by taking strychnine, while laboring under a temporary aberration of mind, might have been at this time a comfort to her aged mother. Summons and Arrison might not now be suffering the penalty of their crimes,

if strychnine, arsenic, and fulminating-powder were not almost as familiar names as gunpowder.

These are not by any means isolated cases. But to return to the question."A practitioner is thus sometimes enabled to administer simpler instead of active medicines." Well, suppose he can; is it not equally applicable in other matters? Can he not also give active remedies if necessary, and that, too, without the patient's knowledge? We have seen a number of cases, in which this course was pursued with satisfaction to both patient and physician. A friend of mine had suffered from repeated attacks of intermittent fever. which finally yielded to arsenic ; this patient had promised to flog the doctor that should be so regardless of personal safety as to prescribe arsenic for him; yet he did take it, in another form, and he now enjoys good health. As we are not very familiar with "dog-Latin," we can not say whether it or the arsenic effected the cure. Again, he says, “If a physician prescribe quinine, let him write quinine instead of sulphas quinia" (it should be quinæ sulphas). Well, that might be very convenient for both physician and druggist; but suppose the rule is applied to morphine, or morphia: how would the druggist know which of the morphiæ salts was required? The rule would, in fact, give the same facility for imposition to the druggist that enabled the grocer to furnish all the different varieties of green and black teas from the same box; and the druggist's customers are no better calculated to detect the fraud than were the grocer's.

But, as the writer appears to be an able translator of his original "dog-Latin" into plain English, though he is quite unacquainted with the proper Latin names of medicines, we will not attempt to show him all his faults, but pass on to those relating to the chemist. He says, "We believe the dog-Latin' part of the druggist's business to be an intense humbug." We don't, but we do believe that the physician, druggist, and chemist, each and all, have a right to use Latin terms for everything pertaining to their professional business; and the more Latin used the better for then none but educated men could engage in either calling, provided that each party is as well acquainted with the trade marks of the other as good physicians and chemists ought to be in that case there need be no alarm for the safety of human life. Will the writer please tell us why medical men should abandon

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