Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-15

| They commit the care of their souls to the
preachers and their bodies to the doctors with
| as little concern as il it was nothing to then
| what becomes of either The best physician.
agree that at least forty per cent of all death,
by disease are preventable; that is, out of eacf
| hundred people dying in civilized countries to
| day at least forty might be saved by skilled
| medicine and good nursing. A city physician
| OF high standing tells of cases under his knowl
| edge OF the grossest malpractice by men equally
| high IN the professions one where a case Of In
ward ulcer was diagnosed and treated as spinal
disease till it was too late to heal the real NAL
| ady, and he with others was called on to sign
| the certificate absoving the doctor from blame
Il knew 1t was the grossest error" said the en-
| hghtened physician, ''but what could 1 do:
The patient was dead and couldn't be brought
| to life. Ii 1 refused to sign it would make
trouble for me in my business, and the doctors
friends would all be against me. But it was a
| case of manslaughter for all that"
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PHYSICIANS.
1t is something to have doctors awakened to
the crime of losing human life through ignor-
ance and incompetence. In time intelligent
conscience and sense of honor will forbid an
able man to sign such certificate, even at
risk of professional COED will and income.
More than one notorious trial for murder by
poisoning could be instanced where TIE pre-
scriptions administered by the attending physi-
clan were irritant and drastic enough to ac-
Couut IOr al the symptoms aIIeSeQ. But no.
body ever thought OF questioning the doctor s
medicine, unless it a few troublesome
scientific persons whose modest suggestions
were quenched in the hue and cry after a muir
der and a poisoning.
1t suggests itself to the intelligent mind that
perhaps 1t might be safe for the public to know
as much more Of its own physiology as it can
spare time from lawn tennis, base ball and
spring sewing. Amy one who has really been
sick once in lifetime and had some trouble in
getting cured finds very fervid interest in
reading about health and disease, not the sim
the newspapers but such as they write for each
other, of which the intelligent layman can pick
out the sense between the hard words. Take,
for instance,
THE ANNUAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES,
one of the most thorough performances of the
age, in which corps of the keenest physicians
| collect all the observations and discoveries in
medicine yearly all over the globe. You didn't
know there were medical journals printed in
Arabic today, or that the best Arab doctors
hold the respect of the profession as when their
forefathers first brought intelligent medicine
to Europe. 1t enlarges our ideas of progress
| to hear of medical magazines published in ST.
IBERIA and the Cape of Good Hope, to say moth
ing of Japan, which has seven periodicals OF
the kind. 1t was no slight project to enlist the
leading men of the profession in this work
which numbers among its contributors the
physicians to the empress of Russia and the
queen of Italy, besides half a dozen other court
doctors, and such princes Of the science as
| Sir Morel Mackenzie, DIR. B. Ward Richard
| son of London and nearly every name
| of weight in this country and Britain, Prof
| Seguin of New York and Drs Minot of Boston,
| Witherstine and Van Harrington of Philadel.
| phla, and the noted physicians of Vienna
Jena, Prague, Copenhagen and Moscow. in all
| about three hundred distinguished editors, en-.
| thusiastic as they are exact and profound. Nc
wonder that last year in this country five hun
| dred lives were saved by suggestions from this
| source, tribute more exquisite than any
| praise which could be offered. The seven vol
| umes for last year compress the value of the
| years issue of over three hundred medica
| journals. Borrow it of your doctor, who
| ought to have it if he does not and you will
find it highly interesting reading.
| FOR SKIN DISEASES.
| Dr. Mackenzie of London suggests a treat.
| ment for skin diseases which is valuable fol
| improving the complexion. Hot baths, ak
line with borax or pearline, or glutinous with
bran or rice water, are of value In soothing the
| skin, removing scales and waste and promoting
| perspiration. A diaphoretic mixture combined
| with qulnne is given to secure a healthy action
| of the kidneys, which have much to do with
clearing the skin and preventing unsightly
| fuzZiness of the face A lint mask, stepped il
q lotion of glycerole of lead and glycerine leach
one ounce, to a pint of water. is of benefit, the
| lead acting as q sedatiye and astriugent, curing
wrinkles and falling folds of skin. The glycer
| inc keeps the surface moist, saturating the cpl
| dermis and keeping the horny layer OF the Skin
| from splitting and scaling as in rough hands
or face. The lotion is used till all roughnesi
and irritation disappear, and cocoa butter OIL
cream is rubbed on the skin. This treatment
| explains the Improvement made by the popu
| lar preparations of glycerine and tragacantl
solution. known as violet glycerine and Other
| names the lotion keeping the surface mois
and elastic. SO that the changes of growth an(
| repair pass with greater activity. A cut OIL
wound kept moist by antseptic dressing heal
in half the time it would if left with DIR,
bandage.
| THE USE OF COCAINE.
The endemic of cocaine for the relief O
obstinate neuralgias is of interest both for it
own purpose and as suggesting cosmetic appli
cation. The epidermis is removed by the us,
| of vesicating coiiOdiOn, ie., by blistering ant
| covering the denuded surface with an Indi,
rubber membrane whose edges are secured,
glued to the surrounding skin. The rubber
membrane is provided with a metal shielS
through which two per cent solution o
cocaine is introduced beneath the rubber OF
the bare skin. directly affecting the nerves. Tht
use of yesicating collodion might solve tn,
problem how to remove superfuous hair il
obstinate cases. l have lately seen a lady,
| face which was a constant distress to its owner
on which various forms OF dlpllatOry treatmen
have been tried without avail improved BY
similar treatment. Mider means failing t
meet her wishes she was provided with a lotion
to be used with care, quantity and time
Of application being strictly set down
But, womanlike, she could think Of
nothing but the desired improvement
| in her face and used a months suppl,
in one week. The result was fearful clustering
which took days to heal and she was verl
wroth about it. She came to complain in |
high state Of dudgeon of the results of her owl
mistake, to put it mildly, but with face pink,
| white soft and clear as a child's. The lotion
had done its work, though at a cost of needles,
| suffering. The details of the case would b.
highly amusing to the public, though not s,
much to the family friends, afflicted with tn
care OF hysteric and utterly ungovernabl
woman. But similar cases prove that if womei
want heroic cure for superhuous hair the,
can get il by blistering tall the outer skin peel
Oh. 1t is less painful than electrolysis ant
surer. With the cocaine and India rubbe
membrane the suffering might be greatly re
duced. / beg to be excused, however, iron
personally recommending the treatment.
| A HUMAN TREADMILL.
Among the curiosities Of disease DR.. Fry re
ports ian interesting and valuable case Of
young woman Of thirty who had run heav
sewing machine ten or twelve hours daily TO
twelve Year, till she was taken with muscula