7th. Within what distance of a well is a privy-vault, cesspool, or other subterranean storage of decomposing animal and vegetable matter, dangerous, and why?

8th. What are disinfectants; how are they used, and for what purposes?

9th. Indicate, briefly. the evils which should be guarded against in behalf of the health of school children?

10th. What are the chief causes of the excessive mortality of infants and children under five years of age, and how may they be largely remedied?

11th. To what is trichiniasis due, and how may it be prevented?

12th. What diseases are caused by a wet, undrained soil?

13th. What effect would general sub-soil drainage produce upon temperature, atmospheric humidity and wind movement?

14th. What is the agency of vegetation upon health?

15th. Describe, briefly, the sanitary conditions which should obtain in and about a dwelling house.

EXAMINATION IN MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE-BY JOHN H. RAUCH, M. D.

1st.

2d.

3d.

What is understood by medical jurisprudence or forensic medicine?

A body is found upon a railroad track, mangled by the wheels of a train. How could it be determined whether the injuries were produced before or after death?

In a case of suspected infanticide, what proof would be afforded by an examination of the lungs of the infant?

4th. What is the difference between abortion and miscarriage?

5th. Where a person knowingly communicates a contagious disease to another, and death results therefrom, can the law take cognizance of the facts; and if so, how?

As the published condition of these examinations requires 80 per cent. of correct answers in each of the first ten branches, and this had not been reached in any case, none of the candidates were adjudged entitled to a certificate, and the fees for examination were ordered to be returned.

On motion of the Secretary, the BOARD finally adjourned at 1 o'clock p. m.

QUARTERLY MEETING, SPRINGFIELD, JUNE 29, 1883.

THE regular quarterly meeting of the ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH was held in the rooms of the BOARD, in the Capitol building at Springfield, on Friday, June 29, 1883.

Present Newton Bateman, W. A. Haskell, W. R. McKenzie, John H. Rauch.

On calling the meeting to order, the President formally introduced Dr. McKenzie, of Chester, Randolph county, appointed to fill the unexpired term of Dr. Gregory, resigned to accept the office of Civil Service Commissioner.

Under the regular order of business, upon the call for reports from officers, the Secretary presented the following:

QUARTERLY REPORT OF THE SECRETARY.

Thus far during the quarter beginning April 1, 1883, there have been received in the Secretary's office 872 communications, letters, reports, etc., and 949 letters, postals, circulars and other written communications were sent out. Of printed matter, there were distributed about 800 copies of the Annual Reports, and 9,720 copies of Preventable-Disease Circulars, Quarterly Reports, College Directories and miscellaneous publications. One hundred and eighty-nine packages were sent by express; 82 telegrams were received and 64 sent.

Certificates and Licenses.

Certificates entitling to practice medicine and surgery were issued to 186 graduates upon presentation of diplomas from colleges in good standing; and 6 to practitioners upon length of practice in the State. To midwives, 3 certificates were issued upon the credentials of recognized schools of midwifery; 3 upon length of practice in the State; and 7 upon examination. Among the certificates issued were 3 to dentists, graduates also of medical schools.

Twenty-eight applications for certificates were refused during the quarter. Six of these were from " cancer doctors"; one from a nonresident, not proposing to practice in the State, but desirous of the prestige of the BOARD'S certificate; and one from a "Naturartzt," or natural physician, of whose application, made in German, the following is a literal translation:

HONORED SIR, DR. JOHN H. RAUCH,

MOUNT OLIVE, ILL., May 15, 1883.

President of the Board of Health of the State of Illinois:

Hereby I will ask for an application and, at the same time, ask for information whether I need license as a Naturartzt. Having practiced fifteen years in Germany, which I can prove by testimonials, and also by testimonials in this State, that I have cured in a short time patients that had been under medical treatment, but without success. As I wish now to travel through several States in order to cure their diseases, such as tape-worms, diseases of the stomach, skin, etc., should it be necessary to have a diploma or license, I ask for speedy information as soon as possible. I remain, your servant,

The New Standard of Minimum Requirements.

At the last meeting of the BOARD it was

ERNST J. NOBIS.

Resolved. That the Indiana Eclectic Medical College, of Indianapolis, Ind., and the Joplin Medical College, of Joplin, Mo., having given assurances of their intention and determination to fully carry out and abide by all the requirements considered by the ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH as essential to the good standing of a medical college, the diplomas of said colleges will be recognized in the future by this BOARD whenever, and so long as, it shall appear that their methods and practices entitle them to be classed among "medical institutions in good standing." Since the adoption of that resolution facts have come to my knowledge which do not encourage the belief that it will be possible to recognize the diplomas of Joplin, at least, upon any assurances yet received. The announcements of this college contain, it is true, all that is asked for in the matter of requirements for graduation, etc.; but the accompanying letters and documents, herewith submitted, demonstrate that a compliance with our standard of minimum requirements in this case will, to a great extent, be merely on paper. In the case of other colleges additional instances of evasions of their own published requirements have also come to my notice since our last meeting, and it devolves upon the BOARD to duly consider what weight shall attach to the paper promises and proclamations of remote schools.

To recognize or reject the diplomas of colleges upon the mere fact of their literal acceptance or non-acceptance of our published standard, could not fail to work injustice in some instances. On the one hand, diplomas would be recognized which might be worthless as evidence of the real qualifications of their possessors; while, on the other, graduates of colleges whose general standing and character are vastly better, might be rejected.

To rigidly adhere to such a rule would, in effect, be to discriminate against the schools of our own State; and yet Illinois colleges, as a whole, do better work, furnish better facilities, and are more thorough in their instruction, than those of many other States. In point of fact, many of these latter should be accorded recognition only as preparatory medical schools; since neither in the qualifications or number of their teachers, in their hospital and clinical advantages, nor in their anatomical, physiological or chemical laboratories, do they possess such an equipment, or furnish such

*Although the language of this resolution explicitly says that these college will only be recognized as in good standing "whenever, and so long as " their methods and practices entitle them to such recognition, the action of the BOARD has been misinterpreted to be a direct and unconditional recognition of the Joplin and Indiana Eclectic. The resolution is not legitimately susceptible of any such construction, nor was it so intended by the BOARD.

I have also answered letters, inquiring whether the diplomas of certain colleges would be recognized in the future, in accordance with the spirit of this resolution-to-wit, that recognition would depend upon a substantial and bona-fide compliance with the BOARD'S requirements, both as to preliminary education and course of study.

facilities for instruction as to warrant them in conferring the degree of M. D. upon their students, with the popular estimation of the virtues which such a title now possesses.

Further, such a course would virtually frustrate the object of the Medical-Practice Act, by throwing open the State to any incompetent possessor of the diploma of an institution which had nominally complied with the minimum requirements for graduation of the STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. The obvious intent of the law is to guard the people from ignorant and incompetent medical practitioners, and it indicates the standard by which to judge of the fitness of claimants to the rights and privileges conferred by it.

In any effort to define this standard, by formulating the conditions which constitute the "good standing" of a medical college, it must be the actual and bona fide, and not a superficial and perfunctory, compliance with the essentials of a sound medical education which shall be the test. Such, of course, is the meaning and intent of the BOARD in its adoption of the report of its Committee on Medical Education.

The Legislatures of Minnesota and Missouri have recently enacted laws similar to, and based upon, our Medical-Practice Act; and in Missouri a State Board of Health has also been created under an act similar to our State Board of Health Act. The schedule of the minimum requirements necessary to insure recognition as in good standing, will be adopted by both these Boards, and assurances have been received of their future co-operation in this effort to improve the system of American medical education.

Preliminary Examinations.

In accordance with the suggestion made at the last meeting, concerning the desirability of securing one common Examining Board on Preliminary Education for all the medical schools in Chicago, a communication was addressed to the faculty of each college, and thus far letters of concurrence and approval have been received from four out of the seven. I have given some thought to the details of such examinations, and now think a feasible course to pursue would be to have the examining board composed of the county superintendent and two of the principals of the Chicago high schools-these to act under the supervision of the STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. Candidates for examination to apply to this BOARD for the permit to appear before the examiners and no inquiry to be made as to the college which the candidate proposes to attend. The examinations to be made without expense, either to the colleges or to the candidates.

The question has arisen as to the preliminary education of those who have already matriculated-whether the requirement of evidence on this point applies to such. My opinion is that the effect of the new schedule of minimum requirements should not be made retroactive in its application. Reply has, therefore, been made to a number of letters from students, to the effect that where a student has already attended one course of lectures prior to the session of 1833 84, evidence as to his preliminary education-by examination or otherwise-would not be exacted.

Specimen Cases of Fraudulent Advertising Quacks:

Pickett, of Indiana.-The following correspondence sufficiently outlines this individual and his pursuits:

FARINA, ILL., JUNE 4, 1883.

DR. RAUCH,

Secretary State Board of Health, Chicago, Illinois:

Sir: Our village was visited a few days ago by a "specialist" from Indiana calling himself DR Pickett. He came here to sell "Marriage Guides," etc., and to give private lectures. He was also a pretended phrenologist and gave charts. His private lectures were given to men and women separately, and in his last lecture he offered for sale a recipe or appliance of some kind, which he warranted to "prevent conception."

་

Please inform me in a letter that I can have published, what is the law in regard to such creatures and how the scoundrels may be brought to justice. The fellow promised to return soon, and you may guess his real business, and a number of citizens here would like to know what they can do to suppress the fellow. Very truly,

ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, STATE OF ILLINOIS,
SPRINGFIELD, June 21st, 1883.

JOHN H. RAUCH, M. D.,

Secretary State Board of Health:

DEAR SIR:-In relation to the matter in letter of inquiry to you from and which you have submitted to me, regarding the prosecution of one "Prof. Pickett," a lecturer on phrenology and physiology, for selling Marriage Guides and appliances or recipes which he insures to prevent conception, I would say that such a party can be prosecuted for dealing in obscene literature under sections 223 and 21 of the Criminal Code, if his socalled Marriage Guides will come under that head; or under section 6 of the Criminal Code, if said Marriage Guides advertise, or he advertise in any other manner, “ecbolic or abortifacient drugs;" or under sections 3 and 4, if he produces, or attempts to produce or cause, or sells medicines or instruments to produce or cause, abortions in pregnant females.

Our statute is not sufficient to reach one for giving information, selling recipes, etc.. to prevent conception. Very respectfully,

JAMES MCCARTNEY, Attorney General.

Flowers.-During the past week complaints have been again received from DuPage and Ford counties concerning the quack H. D. Flowers, of Fulton, Whiteside county. Sometime in April, last, the evidence on file in the office concerning this man was placed at the disposal of one of the Chicago correspondents, who wrote him up in the following manner:

This man. his brother Henry and son Rudolph, together with their agents, Hamilton and Henry, have swindled hundreds of people throughout Fulton. Lee, Whiteside, Henry, Kane, Knox. Peoria, McLean, Grundy, Ford, Champaign. Macon, Moultrie, and other counties. The mode of operation is thus described by a victim: One of the agents, traveling in advance, distributes copies of "The Medical Examiner, published by H. D. Flower, M. D., of Fulton City-terms twenty cents a year"-an advertising sheet of the u-ual quack character. This agent posts himself as to all the sick and ailing people in the theatre selected for working, and especially informs himself of their financial condition. This information is conveyed to Flowers, who then appears on the scene and astonishes the credulous rustics with his intuitive" knowledge of their cases, symptoms. duration of illness, etc. Promises of a cure fall on ready ears; the utmost cent in spot cash is exacted, and notes for as much more as can be extorted. A bottle of worthless stuff is furnished, the notes are discounted at the nearest bank and "Dr." Flowers disappears, to re-enact the performance hundreds of miles away, leaving his duped victims to helplessly discover the swindle. The man has three living wives, two of them heartlessly deserted. He began his infamous career, nearly a quarter of a century since, by performing an abortion on a young girl, daughter of a prominent citizen of Lee county. She died a few days after in a small town in Iowa, whither he had taken her. At the coroner's inquest it was found that he had torn the walls of the womb entirely through in several places. He was arrested, indi ted for manslaughter, but broke jail through the connivance of a deputy whom he bribed, and who aided him as a brother Mason-both subsequently expelled from the fraternity-escaped to Canada, where he lived till he thought it safe to return to Illinois. Since then his career has been one unbroken chain of swindling. infamy and beastly libertini-m. One of his deserted wives, married four years ago, is now living in Bloomington. Two weeks after their marriage he was arrested for swindling, and only released on payment of $4,900, the bulk of the sum being the wedding portion of the bride, whom he at once deserted on his release, accompanied in his flight by one of the most notorious strumpets of Central Illinois. He exhibits a diploma, ostensibly issued by the Medical College of Toronto, but in reality purchased for the sum of $100 from the equally notorious "Dr.". Whittier, of Chicago, better known as "Dr. James."