C. A. GALE, M.D.: One case in point. I believe thoroughly in the theory advocated in the paper. Of course some of it may not be altogether practicable, but it is a good way to teach. I have in mind a case of a family who, before they came under my treatment, had a child die with tabes menti at 5 or 6 years of I age. attended the woman later on at the birth of a child which at the end of two years died. She then, after a proper length of time gave birth to another child, a little boy, who seemed perfectly healthy, and before that child was a year old it died of pulmonary tuberculosis. They had one little girl, who was then six or seven years old. I said to them we will see if we cannot have a healthy child which will live, and I told them as soon as the wife should become pregnant to let me know. I commenced treating the woman with Homoeopathic remedies, and as I remember, except that the woman had enlarged tonsils which indicated some of the Iodines, there was nothing the matter with her. I should say, however, that there was no history of tuberculosis in this case on either side, but the union seemed to produce it. I gave her Arsen. carle. (?) 6x. I gave her a bottle of it and told her to take some two or three times a week. The result was that she had a perfectly healthy baby, a little girl, and to-day if you could see that little girl; she has never been sick; she is the perfect picture of health, with rosy cheeks and very plump. She does not look like her sister, who is still living and who only last Fall I was obliged to have taken out of school and take great care of her, or else she would have gone into consumption, but the other little one is the perfect picture of health.

MILLIE J. CHAPMAN, M.D.: I feel as if I had been misunderstood. I have had a large experience in this line. I would be glad if there was no family where there was incompatibility of temper, but I cannot control this. The people will do these things without asking my permission. All I am called for is to medicate and I try to do my duty and if people will sin it is not my fault. But I know that medicine will correct the consequences often.

1

SEXUAL ERRORS.

BY J. C. NOTTINGHAM, M.D., BAY CITY, MICH.

THE only explanation I offer for presenting this subject in this vague manner is because the literature upon this subject is not of such a character, or in such a truly practical physiological form, as to warrant reference thereto only to criticise it, and I do not believe such a criticism would be of interest or advantage here. Therefore I present this subject in a wholly original manner, soliciting your candid consideration and investigation; and I hope to have your thoughtful criticisms now, and later, when you may be able to give the subject the consideration it merits at your hands.

The influence of the sexual system upon life, health, capabilities, character and dispositions are yet not well known, or, if well known, not allowed to be fully considered as the cause of disease phenomena or disease disintegration of organs.

"The human body, when it has attained a development nearly complete, is the least exposed to sickness from transient influence or from the deprivation from its accustomed food, because the powers of life existing in their integrity overpower any injurious effects from such before they can make any progress."-Bradford's Life of Hahnemann, Chap. xxii.

Mothers, fathers and health educators, physicians, give too little attention to the sexual system and the part these organs play in the rôle of health and disease.

No function of the human body is so much abused-not even the stomach. To no system of the human economy do we owe greater allegiance than to this-the sexual system.

All sensuality, pruriency, irritability of mind and conduct, as well as immodesty, come of unnatural or morbid conditions affecting the sexual system or are affected by the sexual system.

The brain centres, which receive and conceive all sexual impulses, likewise distribute all other impulses and emotions, which are re

flected to the surface and stand out as nature's guide-boards to the key of personality, health and disease.

All nervous diseases, irritable dispositions, emotional natures and incentives to immodesty, vice and crime may not always originate from the sexual system, but their causes are closely allied to this system.

Varied conditions of the sexual system will produce these troublesome characters and diseases, and even death more lingering and more dreadful, and in the advanced stages as incurable as pulmonary consumption or general tuberculosis.

To discern the tendencies to sexual pruriencies in the infant and child, and advise a regimen and therapeutics specifically adapted to each individual, with wholesome instructions to parents or guardians to continue proper watchfulness and medication, is the province of the physician, and his or her duty just as much as in worms or a predisposition to tuberculosis, diphtheria or croup.

June 10, 1876, was called to see a Miss W, aged 17, of good family, who, I was informed, had been suspicioned of having too much intimacy with a young man far below her position in society, and her brother levelled a gun upon the intruder, demanding that he retract his saying that he had held such unlawful intimacy at her own solicitation. The young man insisted that it was true, and that if he did not believe him, examine the labia, where could be found a mole.

This apparent impudence and boldness caused the brother to reflect and attempt to investigate whether he was right in his assertions or not. The mole was found, and the young lady gave a history of constant sexual excitement producing a condition of irresponsibility.

The parents were regular attendants upon the services of the M. E. Church, and the young lady was always with them, an active and willing worker in the Sabbath School-a modest and retired though delicate-looking lady.

The mole was removed, and the indicated remedies given with gratifying results-a return of youthful appearances and freedom from sexual pruriency and its deprecatory results, mental and physical.

July 12, 1887.-Mrs. R., aged 27, a slender brunette, was found helpless in her bed, with recurring spasms of dyspnoea, an anxious

expression and general cold, copious perspiration; was relieved soon. by Arsenicum, when she gave me the following history:

Early in life was a victim of uncontrollable sexual impulse; married at seventeen; had three children, who perished early, and husband died soon after last child. In about one year married again. No children since. Husband strong and robust. She felt as if she could hang with her arms about his neck continually, with strong sexual impulse. Had been treated by three different physicians, who did her no good, apparently. "I did not know any harm came from these impulses," she said.

During my visits, thirty-four in all, I failed to find any organic lesions or serious functional disturbance other than hyperemia of the sexual system and the ill effects of this condition upon the vitality of the patient.

Patient informed me that no other physician had given her any information about the cause of her paroxysms.

September 10th of the same year she died.

Every physician of experience and observation can relate truths of sexual pruriency in children-children who incline to play with their sexual organs, the male often irritating the glans penis or prepuce, so much so as to cause phimosis or paraphimosis, not infrequently priapism.

Girls are found to insert foreign substances into the urethra and vagina, or titillate the parts gently, causing, by reflexes, ovaritis, early in life developing various morbid conditions of mind and body.

Mrs. a daughter of wealthy parents, who was educated and given lessons in healthful and often arduous labor, which may have been the cause of her being well developed and rugged. She informed me that she had suffered all kinds of local uterine punishment from toxic uterine and nerve medicine, without any beneficial results, rather the opposite.

After marriage all such treatment ceased, and the apparent necessity ceased also. The husband was as strong and robust and probably as prurient sexually.

The children were six in all; one died at the age of six. The three girls, the eldest very prurient; the second had heart disease, and died at nineteen; the youngest an epileptic-the affection scarcely recognizable as such in infancy, but became more marked as she grew older.

From early in life to the present was constantly inclined to titillate or rub the labia, and sometimes produced considerable soreness about the meatus of the urethra. Was apparently idiotic-at times growing wild and vehement, at other times calm, reasonable and loving.

At the age of ten years was difficult to restrain, and her conduct caused her mother to fear that some male, without the instincts of right or the fear of criminality, might bring sorrow to their hearts and leave memories which would remain upon the whole family as an apparition of ghastly horror never to be effaced.

At the age of eleven the child was examined closely, hoping to find some intra-cranial cause for the phenomena, applying the diagnostic electric key-board, and close study of all objective and subjective symptoms.

A hooded clitoris and evidences of long-continued irritation of the vulva and vagina were found. The orifice remaining distended, open sufficiently to admit the tip of the index finger without difficulty when the thighs were abducted. The mucous surface thickened and covered by hardened epithelium around the margin of the vaginal orifice, and the os uteri almost visible without the slightest distension.

The hooded clitoris was relieved and the patient placed under especial care of a competent nurse with full instructions to observe and prevent any attempt on the part of the patient to excite or gratify any sexual desires, and to rigidly maintain a watchfulness and report all observations.

She was maintained in this way about a month, when, by my urgent request and with every reason which I could summon, a surgeon was induced to remove the ovaries and tubes, and to his surprise found both ovaries in a condition of hyperæmia, and one (the right) completely enveloped by a cyst. I endeavored to induce the surgeon to remove the uterus, but failed in this latter.

On the 17th of October an operation was done for microcephalus as follows: "A groove on the left of the median line, extending from just back of the hair line, six inches long and three-quarters of an inch wide, was made in the skull."

From this operation the patient recovered without the least untoward symptoms, and the surgeon made the following comments upon the conditions observed: "The bone was intensely hard, and the Rongeur forceps could not cut it in places. The division between