New-York tribune., 1882-04-08
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
SWALLOWING SMALLPOX.

.;.n nf tbe Health Department's vaccinating Corps
So the elderly doctor IN charge of the institution he
They are. responded the elder man of physic.
But where are the marks on their arms y
There arc none
No. they swallowed it," said the elder with
Then the two doctors regarded each other. on one
side with amazement, on the other with dehant
consciousness of virtue and upright mind Ihe
Saccinating, doctor was narrowed up by ,yo aW
and ivory POINTS. But the swallowing doctor doctor
kindly, came to- his and by prccTTehmg Thass
bottle Ms. Of small %S Ss whS ssd conSn sSS
a very high attenuation of the matter lro sliIl
Iox pustule, and, If swallowed. they not only cure
The speaker was DIR. s. Swan, who is in charge of
the House of the Holy Family" in Second-axe.'
near Eighth-st. This is a Roman Catholic charl,a- M
bic institution for children whose parents are ull-
able or unfit to for them. 1t contains at pres
ent about 200 yonng girls, between the ages OF nNe
and seventeen A short time since 1t was reported
to the Health Board that there was case OF small
pox in the Home. A physician was sent up, ana
found that the ickness was not case Oh snanPoA,
He also found that both Mrs Starr.
wealthy lady who is interested III the
institution, and DR.. Swan were strongly opposed 10
the ordinary method of vaccination and were hrIn
believers in the efficacy of smallpox virus taken
internally. Subsequently DR.. Day went there, pus
failed to see Mrs Starr, and ndlng that many S oi
The children were absolutely unvaccmatSd anu
without protection from smallpox, Dr D. D: laSi9l, M
the chief of the Vaceinalng Burean, Yislteu I ilc
Home and vaccinatcd twenty-five chllaIeH,; IL. IL
Swan courteOusy consented but held 10 ms tcV!S.
His theory and his lozcngeS however, Woic uCt.Vi
for ornament than for In every case tne NaCVi
nation took thoroughly showing that these niue
girls would have fallen victims to smallpox had they
been exposed. Dr. swan, although nOlulhally
homeopathic physician, IS not conSlueIeu lctuii i
honnopath. if the expression Is allowable, ana ne
carries the EXTREMIST views of HaIneInahh Ill us
last DAYS to the farthest point lie believes, as 90
eclectic physicians, that the internal aun9 tto
tration of the virus in smallpox and In some otiier
contagious diseases would result IN pTeVchtlou ol
ia the cure OF a patient already SICK Hls process
of preparing the lOZenges showed the atleiudtloi
doctrne carried ont to Its last limit lie OOlalueHI
one drop of matter from pnstte on d poIS99nM IN III
with smallpox THIS was diluted Win loo oo,utian u
was diluted with 100 drops Oh OF VIM, VIM
and the process continued until about
the milliOnth attenuation was reached. IhGn' ~
curing little sugar pellets or lozengcs ne Pla;thH th
drop of this very much weakened wafer WIN Il
glass rod each lozenge; 1t is needless 10 sd3 J6
that neither in taste, SMELL appearance oI W.
these lozenges differ from powdered sugar. III
swan said that anyone taking these lozcngeS wouiI
be i'll soon afterward with a very mid loilii q!
yarioloid \ bottle of them has been procured al
tie Health Department, and they nave Deeh lTteI9 ~
swallowed 10y various persons wltnout eHcCt' iHolc
have been strong expressions OF OPINION, hoWcNeIi
an regard toahc danger of leaving children exposed
to smallpox through tae mistaken IDEAS Oh Vhe"
Dr. J. B. TAYLOR says; There are some
eclectic phvslcians and some claiming 70
be homeOpatbs who sincerely belleNe III tnS
efficacy of this internal administration 9l
yIrus While this seems ridiculous 10 all Weh-
instructed physicians and to most OF the IlIy' we
nevertheless wish TO convince these Peoplc oS
actual facts obtained under circumstances host
favorable to them, and Therefore lnstltutlhs
some experiments that will settle TINS matleI con
clusively and we hope to prevent In future .ne
danger OF having the inmates Of asylums ana lhSu-
tutions left unvaccinated."
HOW INQUESTS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED.
The Medico-Legal Society has given attention TO
the consideration Of needed changes III the statutes
of this state relating the office and functions OF
Coroner. The subject was referred 10 q co9iIitlee
consisting of ID. &. Calvin, Dr. Alexander B Mott,
DIR Charles 4. Doremus, Austin Abbott, Dr george
M Beard and Or. Wooster Beach, and tins committee
has submitted UNANIMOUS report, Wmch haS % pttn Dtn
committee agreed IN the OPINION t.aI
the principal changes needed are the aoontloh ol 'e
rumbcrsonie expensive and comparatively useless
coronel's Jury, and the inefficient examination ana
inouest which generally prevail under the present
system and the substitution therefor Oh an lhtei-
ligent thorough and useful medical examination III
all cases where person shall have been slall or
shall have suddenly died, or been dangerously
wounded, found dead under such circuhlStth
MS 10 REQUIRE examination OF lbqul-
siton, and in proper cases competent
iucicial inauest the result of which would 1aierl-
ally aid the proper officers in the prosecution ana
conviction of criminals As means OF securing
these results 1t Will be very important 10 prONlue
for the appontInent of experienced ana competent
cxaInners aud to that end 10 lodge the appointing
mower where il shall b. as far removed as practlcd-
Die from political influences, and cnJoin absolute
freedom from partisan considerations. IL mas also
been the desire of your committee 10 eHcct lhe Ie-
forms without adding to the public burdens
The Massachusetts law, the report say s, for The
five wears of its existence has " worked acceptably,
mel public expectation and approval ana ulsciOSeI
no defects Except of muOr moment easily reuedled
The committee recommend the preparation anu
massage of an act which shall cmbody the general
features suggested Ill their report with such con-
fornity TO the spirit OF the Massachusetts law as
shall be consistent with the requirements Oh 'ne
New-York State Constitution. " As the ohce OF
constitutional the report SAYS Ia IL can
Inent which would take at least two years 10 euect
and as the duties of cOrOncrS other thah hoidls n
0uesfs are quite important, we are OF Inc Oplnlon
that the necessary changes may be effected Win
the retention of coroners, WHO may serve useiu
purpose under the new system pTopOseu'
liz is recommended that there he one medical eX-
alniner in each Assembly District OF the State, eX-
cent in the counties of New FORK and hlngs, where
there should be four in the former and two In the
latter; these medical examiners 10 be appointed Dy
the several County Judges, except in the County OF
New-York where the appoint tment should be Dy the
CHIEF Justice of the Court OF Common fleas; eX-
aminers to hold Office for a term OF ten years Inc
salary of examiners LII thus city should
he $4,000 or $1,000; examiners In ASsen-
sembly Districts TO be paid 20 for each view,
$50 for view and autopsy with travel ices at inc
rate of five cents mile added. Inc eeneraI 1ulcs
of a medical examiner would be 10 Visit ana care
fully examine the body of any person reported or
supposed TO have been SLAIN. or TO nave dleI SUD,
denly OF been mOrtally wounded, or been 1Ounu
dead under circumstances requiring lhqulsilloh
make an autopsy if ii appears to be necessary; such
examination to be followed by detailed report,
and the granting of a burial cerlhcate III case no
crime has been committed but If death appears TO
have been caused by a crime, then the facts would
be reported to the coroner who would at once pro-
ceed with the legal investigation. PROVISION is
snggested for gradually doing away with the present
functions of the preliminary step TO the
appointment of medical examiners and the question
OF preparing a bill TO be submitted 10 the present
Legislature is left 10 tue decision OF the society.
DOUBTS OF DIR. LAMSON'S SANITY.
Commissioner John W. Barrow yesterday re-
ceived and forwarded an affidavit Ill regard to Dr.
Lamson made by DR.. John Swnburne, OF Albany,
n Y who was the SurgeOn-in- Chief Of the Ameri-
can Ambulance Department at Paris from Sep