much money is expended there; that no other body would be more likely to appoint a fit man; and then, if perchance an unfit man obtained the place, it would be far easier to remove him. In fact, no reason existed why the Superintendent of the Insane Asylum should not be elected by them annually as well as the Warden of the Prison. Strange reasoning—and this by men who we were more pained than surprised to learn are of the clerical profession.

Is then the care of the insane to be placed on the same ground as the care of felons? Diseased in body as well as mind, is the care of them a thing as easily learned as to see that able bodied criminals perform their allotted task-are daily fed and clothed, and are not permitted to escape? Can we as easily find men fitted for the one place as for the other? No. Difficult and laborious as it is to learn to restore to health the diseased body, far more difficult, far more laborious is it to "minister to a mind diseased." Few are the men qualified by nature and education for such a charge; and if one is found let us cling to him, for we may not be able to secure another. The care of the insane is a branch of the profession to which of all others a man must give himself entirely, if at all. To understand all the workings of the disordered mind-to be able calmly and fearlessly to meet the raving maniac, require not only courage but practice-while to soothe him in his times of awful terror-to calm his fierce rage, or to inspirit him in the deepest despair, requires a knowledge of the secret springs of the human mind only to be acquired by long and diligent study of its mysteries. We believe, then, that it is necessary that the Superintendents of Insane Asylums should be so established in their places that they shall be able to devote all their powers to the care of those under their charge. Salaries sufficient to command the first talent are of course necessary; but equally necessary-nay, more so, is it that they shall not be always compelled to spend half their energies in securing a place to which they may turn to resume their former labors should popular favor forsake them.

We have been connected for a time with one institution for the insane in which its Superintendent was annually elected, and we have seen the evils of this system. It is true, he continued in office, for his abilities could not but command esteem; but it was with an anxiety yearly recurring, lest be should be thrown back upon general practice, which prevented that entire devotion of his faculties to his patients which is most desirable-a continual incubus pressing him heavily down.

Let not New-Hampshire then do aught to injure this most noble Institution. Do we wish for the best talent to direct it? We cannot induce a man to leave a lucrative practice-and such a practice the best men havewhen by the change of the popular breeze he may again be cast out to seek another circle of practice. Is it a serious matter to change frequently the family physician? and shall we heedlessly expose this family to a change too often for the worse?

But we have said more than we intended. We have spoken earnestly; for though we have no personal interest in the matter, we have felt it to be our duty to oppose this proposition. We rejoiced that the Senate rejected the bill which was sent to them; and while we congratulate the friends of the Institution and the insane that this movement failed, we trust that should a similar appear, they will oppose it fearlessly.

VACCINATION. It is surprising that when a safe and sure protection may be had against that most loathsome of diseases, small pox, so many allow themselves to go without this security. The increased facilities of communication with the cities, expose even the most retired towns to this pest. On its appearance, the whole community is terrified, and justly, for so criminal a neglect of safety deserves punishment. This neglect, too, furnishes to the cities in the young people continually going to them from the country a large proportion of the victims to the disease. Can anything farther be done by the medical profession to enforce a more general protection?

TILDEN & Co.'s EXTRACTS. We would call the attention of physicians to these elegant preparations. Difficult as it has been to procure extracts of hyoscyamus, conium, &c., on which dependence could be placed, we would encourage any manufacturer who furnishes a genuine and well prepared article. It is to be hoped that the zeal and fidelity with which these gentlemen commence, will not expire as soon as their reputation is established, but that they will continue to furnish the practitioner of medicine with those means of combating disease which shall not fail him in his greatest need.

APOTHECARIES AND PRESCRIPTIONS. The Boston papers contain the account of the sad error of an apothecary of that city in putting up a prescription by which ten grains of corrosive sublimate were administered instead of ten grains of calomel-and with a fatal result. Although in the country, physicians do not so often write prescriptions, it is done frequently enough to make it a matter of importance to us that apothecaries should understand their business. If we are not mistaken, there are no regulations concerning apothecaries in our state; so that any one who will, may by purchasing a stock of drugs, good or bad, and filling his window with colored bottles, assume to dispense medicines to the public. This ought not so to be. The apothecary should be educated to his business as well as the physician, and not only be able to distinguish pure drugs, but to tell if in their dose as ordered they are unsafe. Thus in the melancholy case to which we have alluded, no man should have put up ten grains of corrosive sublimate to be taken at a single dose if it were ordered by the whole faculty. It may

have been in this case that the prescription was not legibly written; for we have seen those that would puzzle the most practised eye. And physicians, too, should attend more carefully to the art of prescribing. At any rate, they should write each prescription in some one language, and not make those sad hodge-podges of English and Latin, which are a disgrace to themselves and to the whole profession.

The American Journal of Medical Sciences in its last two numbers contains reports of two remarkable surgical cases, one of rupture of the bladder together with seven fractures of the pelvis, in which the patient lived to the forty-second day. He was turned round three or four times between a railroad car in motion and a platform, in a space seven and a half inches wide, producing the above injury. Prof. Peaslee, in whose practice it occurred, accompanies his report with some valuable comments upon the chief points in the case.

The other occurred in the practice of Dr. Harlow, of Cavendish, Vt., and is one of the most remarkable on record of injury of the brain, followed by recovery. By the unexpected discharge of a blast, a tamping iron, three feet seven inches in length, one inch and a quarter in diameter, tapering at one end, and weighing thirteen and a quarter pounds, passed through the man's head; and he is now alive and well. It is, of course, impossible to transfer these reports to our pages; but we have alluded to them to show that there is ability to treat successfully the most important surgical cases out of the large cities; and where this ability exists, we believe there is abundant ability to support an enterprise like our own-not only by reports of these wonderful cases, but by valuable hints upon the common round of diseases.

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JOURNAL OF MEDICINE,

PUBLISHED BY. G. PARKER LYON,

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OF THE COR. SEC. OF THE N. H. MED. SOC. FOR THE SOUTHERN

DISTRICT.

BY FRANCIS P. FITCH, M. D., AMHERST, N. H.

(Concluded from page 24.)

Another striking contrast between the diseases of different localities was observed in the prevalence and severity of bowel affections. In a part of our district, described rather indefinitely by the two tiers of towns on the south, bordering upon Massachusetts, to which must be added Peterboro' and perhaps some other towns, and one tier on the Merrimack, these affections were much more general and violent than in the interior and northern portions; and in this region, where very extensive disturbance of the alimentary canal was experienced from the middle of August to November, numerous cases resembling what in our cities is termed Asiatic cholera, were met with. Dr. Carr, of Goffstown, witnessed three cases, attended by "rice water discharges;" all children. One, aged nine months, having had a diarrhoea nearly a week, was then siezed with "cramps and other symptoms peculiar to cholera," and died in 48 hours. Dr. Eaton, of Merrimack, had several cases of bad cholera-morbus, of which he says: "I fancied they similated Asiatic cholera more than formerly." Dr. Spalding, of Nashua, states in relation to his observation upon the diseases of his region, that "the only peculiarity which appears to call for special notice, was the occurrence of an unusual number of severe cases of cholera-morbus. In my own practice," he continues, "I am sure I never met with so large an amount of this form of disease in the same space of time. Other physicians here'

have made similar statements in reference to their practice, and some of them are disposed to distinguish these cases as genuine cholera." "I," Dr. S. adds, "am somewhat sceptical on this point;" but to show the character of the disease, he furnishes a very interesting case, which I have somewhat condensed, as follows:

A healthy farmer, aged about 60, was seized in the evening of Sept. 30th, with vomiting and purging, attended by cramp pains in the extremities. The Dr. saw him at 3 o'clock in the morning, and found his features shrunk, voice husky, pulse small and irregular, and prostration very great, with general and excessive coldness. The vomiting had ceased before his arrival, but the dejections continued, which were like rice water, without either color or smell; and were, and had been from the onset, entirely unattended by abdominal pain. The pain and cramps in the extremities were intense, and continued several hours after the discharges were arrested.

The treatment was, internally, calomel, opium and camphor in powder, and hot brandy and water with Tinet. capsicum; mustard extensively applied to the abdomen, bottles of hot water to the extremities, and warm blankets over the whole person. Energetic friction with the hand, afforded temporary relief of the cramps. Under this treatment, warmth returned in two or three hours the violent symptoms gradually abated; in three days the patient was able to sit up, and soon recovered.

For this, as well as other varieties of bowel affections which occurred last season, Dr. Spalding remarks that opium was the remedy mainly relied upon; and that it was administered by himself and the medical brethren around him with a freedom seldom before ventured upon.

In my own practice were several cases very similar to the one just related, marked by profuse, colorless discharges, rapid and great prostration, a peculiar change in the countenance and voice, general and excessive coldness, and intense cramps. My treatment, in each case successful, resembled that above narrated with omission of the calomel.

Dr. Marshall encountered the same form of disease at Mason, and treated it generally with success on similar principles; and he states that in the sudden and often unexpected prostration which occurred with his patients, the brandy bottle became a great favorite, and for the first time in his life had a place among the medicines carried in his daily circuits.

Were the above and similar cases with which most of us no doubt have met, caused or modified by the choleroid miasm or influence that has so extensively pervaded the world during the last few years? And must we expect to encounter hereafter the same destructive influence in our state, perhaps with greatly aggravated intensity? These are questions which, however answered, are, from past experience, sufficiently important to induce us to arm ourselves with all the information upon the subject within our reach. The few communications with which I have been favored by the Fellows, although describing too small a portion of the district to furnish anything