Omaha daily bee., 1898-06-22

tuted the necessary changes in their col
lege curriculum. The colleges In increas-
ing the requirements for admission and the
length Of the course have likewise added
TO the fees and other expenses incident to a
medical education until the price has sur
passed the attainment OF those who are
in poor or moderate circumstances, and now
IL is suggested that the course OF study TO
be pursued at medical colleges he extended
from a four-year course to a hve-year
course. 1t is unnecessary for our students
to spend four or five years studying eclectic
text books when we do not furnish those
which are worthy OF such attention. The
demand for the longer course Is usually
made by the practitioners more from a
protective standpoint, or as a high protective
tariff on the medical profession, than any
thing else. II is time to call a halt on the
increase Of requirements for entering the
medical profession.
Much confusion has arisen throughout the
United States in regard to the e%nacting and
enforcing of laws governing the practice oil
medicine. Each state has enacted its laws
and each in turn has endeavored TO exact
the most rigid requirements for those VINO
apply for licenses to practice medicine, as
well as for the regulating OF Its prac-
titioners. Such a diversity OF legal require
ments exists in the various states that 1t
is difficult for the medical colleges to keep
up with the provisions of all of the state
boards. l would recommend as a remedy
for the existing confusion in medical laws
that we look toward an effort to harmonic
the medical laws of all the states and that
a resolution be passed at this meeting direct
ing our committee on legislation to act with
like committees from the other schools and
with the state boards in their respective
states in a manner that will bring about a
uniform medical law throughout the United
States.
The convention then resolved itself into
- a.. " IL
subjects Of materia medica. DR.. w. F..
Curryer of Indianapolis presided, and papers
by DR.. Arthur w. Smith of Chicago, on
"Leptandra virginica," j. T. McClanahan
of Boonville, Mo-, on ''Thuja.' and DIR. Cur
ryer himself on Some of the Polycrests'
were read and generally discussed.
To show the value of this discussion,
"thuja'' is a remedy for abnormal growths
like warts, moles and the like, and "lep-
tandra'' is used for liver troubles.
On Technical Topics.
The afternoon was entirely consumed with
discussion of a very technical character,
yet it was full of interest, particularly the
papers on Bright's disease. pneumonia, ap-
pendicitis, the value of oxygen and hypno-
will be given over to this kind of instructive
labor.
Two sections of the oracular portion of
the program were enough for the afternoon.
The first was that devoted to the practice of
medicine, DR.. r.. L.. Thomas of Cincinnati
presiding and DR.. w. S. Latta of Lincoln
acting as secretary. The second was given
entirely over to the department of general
surgery, DR.. G. w. Boskowitz of New York
presiding and DR.. c. E. Springer of Wis
consin being the secretary.
Under the head of the practice of medi-
cine DR.. Finley Ellingwood of Chicago read
the paper on Bright's disease in which he
said the highly civilized people of the pres
ent day eat two much salt, superinducing
this very prevalent ailment. Bright's dis
ease was also discussed by DR.. ]. ID. Rob-
ertson of Chicago.
There were only two other papers dealing
with practice read, one being by DR.. w.
S. Latta on pneumonia and the other by
DR.. r. l.. Thomas on the medical treatment
of appendicitis. DR.. Latta dwelt upon the
theory of the introduction of serum in cases
of pneumonia after the idea of anti-toxine
in diphtheria cases, and among other rene
dial agents advised protonuclein and bovine
as germicides and blood cleansers.
The subject handled by DR.. Thomas
proved more than usually interesting. He
rather occupied middle ground between the
surgeon and the physician in his treatment
for appendicitis, disagreeing somewhat with
both of two eminent members of his pro-
fession, whose methods were radically differ
ent, namely, DR.. Kingston of Montreal, who
was opposed to all surgical means, and DR..
Morris of New York, who advocated imme-
date removal of the vermiform appendix.
The main feature of DR.. Thomas own
method was purging by sulphate of mag
nesia and restricting the patient to an eX-
clusively fluid diet.
There was more or less difference of opin-
ion in those who followed DR.. Thomas in
the discussion of his paper, DR.. E.. H.. Car
ter of Des Moines fearing that the sur
geon's knife was frequently called into
requisition too soon, and DR.. w. F. Curryer
of indianapolis being inclined to the sur
gical rather than the medicinal view.
Surgery Under Discussion.
The first paper in the discussion Of the
topic of surgery was that of DR.. John d.
Robertson of Chicago, Ill. His subject was
that of operations upon the stomach. Among
several cases described by him was one
in which the Murphy button" had almost
got lost in the alimentary canal. DR.. Car
ter also told of a case handled by DR.. Far
nun in the Cook County hospital, in which
the Murphy button had remained in the
alimentary canal for eighty days and yet
the patient recovered.
An important paper followed by DR.. NJ. ],
Rodermund of Appleton, Wis, on the query
"Why Did Surgery Leave Therapeutics in
the Rear?" DR.. Rodermund's main conten-
ton was that as the fire of life" is main
tanned by the supply of oxygen more at
tention should be paid to breathing, He
did not consider the heart as being the
real propelling organ, but rather that il
regulated" the circulation of blood, while
the lungs did the chief propelling work
through the inhaling of the vital motive
property of oxygen. He reversed the the
DRY that the blood carries the oxygen
through the system, saying that the con-
trary is true, namely, that the oxygen car
ries the blood throughout all its system oil
circulation.
One of the reasons given by DR., Roder'
mund for the amount of sickness reported
among the 80, 900 soldiers encamped a
Chickamauga park was that notwithstand'
ing these men were the physical cream o
the nation, yet, by their presence In 81
large numbers the laws of supply and de
mand respecting oxygen had been thrown
nut nf halanca