JULY I, NOVA ET VETERA. [ THE BRITISH I9II.] LIMEDICAL JOURNAL 29 Saturday, June 26th, 1830, and more suddenly than was expected. Feeling a sudden thrill of pain he exclaimed, 42oirn £t Bterra. ' This is death I send directly for Halford'; and the King expired in the act of making a friendly inclination of the SOME ROYAL DEATH-BEDS. head to Sir Henry on his entering the apartment." In the History of t7te Foutr Georges and WVilliam IV., by (Continuiiea fromt vol. i, 1911, page 1436.) Justin McCartlhy and Justin Huntly McCarthy,3 it is saidl GEORGE IV. that the royal physicians " kept issuing bulletins, but they GEORGE IV was born in 1762. In 1811 lhe becam3 Prince were so vague in their terms that it is impossible to believe Regent owing to the insanity of his father, George III, they were not made puLrposely deceptive." George IV. lhad and in 1820, on the deatlh of that sovereign, he ascended the same nervous objectioni to any admiiission by himself or the throne. A life of dissipation wrecked a naturally fine on his behalf of there being any ground for alarm as to thIe constitution, and from 1810 to the time of Iiis deatlh state of his lhealth that has been manifested by so maniy of Sir Henry Halford was in regular, almost daily, attendance h-is family. The public was still kept in doubt as to the upon himi. His dependence on his physiciani is illustrated truth till on May 24th a message was sent in the Kinlg's by the following lines, qutoted in Munk's Life of Sir Henry name to both Houses of Parliament to the effect that the King Halford. The author is said to be Henry Luttrell. no longer found it convenient to sign State papers witlh hiis The Regenit, sir, is taken ill, own hand. For some time no one buit Knightoni lhad been And all depenids on Halford's skill. able to induce himi even to sign the necessary documlients of "Pray what," inquired that sage ph-sician, State. He lay all day in bed and passed his nights in "Has brought him to this sad condition?" restless wakefulness. He kept his room at a high tem- When Bloomfield ventured to pronounce, perature and drank excessive quantities of cherry brandly. " A little too much Cherry Bounce." By February of 1830 lhe had become partially blind, and The Regent, hearing what was said, his singular delusions, such as that lhe bad commanded a Raised from his couch his achinig head, And cried, " No, Halford, 'tis niot so- division at Waterloo and ridden a winning race at G`ood- Cure us, 0 Doctor-Curaqoa." wood, became stronger. On April 12th lie drove out for the last time. Those about him knew, though he did iot, Among other doctors who attended the King occasion- that he was sinking. In May the Duke of Wellington ally were Sir Walter Farquihar, Sir Gilbert Blane, Sir caused the Bislhop of Winchester to attend on him to Williani Knighton, Sir Matthew Tierney, and Dr. H. H. prepare him for his end. Though Knighton thought he Southey. Tierney was the one most frequently associated might rally, Halford and Tierney lhad given h-im-- over. with Halford. A day or two after George IV's accession The rupture of a blood vessel proved to have been the to the throne lie was struck down with an acute illness. immediate cause of death, but ossification of some of the He had an attack of pneuinonia, which ran :a normal vessels near the heart had begun years before, and a com- course; he was not sufficiently well to attend the funeral plication of disorders had graduLally developed. At tlhe of his father on February 15th, 1820. time of hlis death George IV was in his 68th year. The following letter from George IV to Sir William Justin McCarthy4 relates the followinig curious story: shows the bacl state of his health in 1827: 1 Knighton Shortly before his death, George made an earnest request to Royal Lodge, June 18th, 1827. the Duke of Wellingtoin, who was in coiistanit attendamice, that A$ to myself, I am pretty well bodily; but I have little or no he should be buried in the night-shirt which he was wearing a;t Ise of my poor limbs, for I cani nieither walk uip nor down the time. The Duke was somewhat surprised at this request, stairs,- and am obliged to be carried, and iil general to be for . . . the garment in question did not seem likely to com- whleeled about everywhere; for my powers of walking, and mend itself as a shroud even to a sovereign less particular as to eveni of crawliing about with crutches, or with the aid of a costume than George the Fourth had been. During his later strong stick, are not in the smallest respect improved since- you years, however, as we learn from the testimony of Wellingtoni last saw me,-at the same time that my knees, legs, ankles, and himself, the King . . . had got into the way of sleeping in feet swell more formidably and terribly than ever. This, I am uncleanly niglht-shirts, anid particularly dirty nlight-caps. When sure you will agree with me, ought now to be seriously attended the King was dead, Wellington noticed that there was a red to without delay by some plan devised and steadily acted upon, silk ribbon round his neck beneath his shirt. The ribboni was in order to stop the further progress, and to remedy it effectually found to have attached to it a locket containing a tiny portrait anId( finally; for there is no question there is an increasinig and of Mrs. Fitzherbert. )rogressive evil (at least so I fear), unless steps be found, and thlat speedily too, of averting it. The physicians who had been in attendance on the King were sharply criticized in some of the public prints for the The following account of his death is taken from Munk: 2 bulletins they had issued, which, it was contended, were " During the whole ten years of the king's reign his calculated, even if they were not intended, to mislead. Majesty's health was a subject of anxiety to his physicians, Sir Henry Halford took an early opportLnity of refuting and especially to Sir Henry Halford, to whomii exclusively the imputation and justifying himself and his colleagues in all ordinary circumstances the king was pleased to for their part on that occasion. At the same time he entrust the medical charge of himself. It was generally considered generally the duty and conduct of the physician known that his Majesty's health had been in an unsatis- towards a patient suffering from mortal disease. The sub- factory state for a considerable period, but as it did not ject of medical bulletins has, at various times, exercised render confinement necessary, it did not excite alarm until the mind of the profession. The question of the informiia- diirections were given in consequence of the increase of the tion which the doctor should give a patient as -to hiis inalady, to countermand the preparations for the festivities condition has also frequently been discussed. It may not, with whichl the royal birthday was to have been celebrated therefore, be out of place to quote at length the opinions on at Court in April. It had been known for some time by both these matters expressed by a man of such large expe- the physicians that the king had disease of the heart, rience and such sagacity as Halford. In an essay " On tho which could have no other than a fatal termination, and Influence of Some Diseases of the Body on the Mind," its course, which was very similar to that of the Duke of which he read at one of the evening meetings of the College York, was foreseen and anticipated. The first bulletin was of Physicians in February, 1831, he said: issued on the 15th of April, and announced that his " You will forgive me perhaps if I presume to state what Majesty was suffering under a bilious attack, accompanied appears to me to be the conduct proper to be observed by a by embarrassment of breatlhing. The symptoms varied a physician, in withholding or making his patient acquainted good deal from time to time, his Majesty enjoying temn- with his opinion of the probable issue of a malady mani- porary intervals of comparative ease, but they were not festing mortal symptoms. I own, I think it my first duty giving way, and brought with them suclh bodily debility as to protect his life by all practicable means, and to inter- rendered even the slightest personal exertion painful. pose myself between him and everything which may Additional symptoms which manifested a breaking-up of possibly aggravate his danger.5 the constitution, and foremost among these, dropsy, began "And, unless I shall have found him averse from doing to show themselves, and after a time puncturing of the what was necessary in aid of my remedies, from a want of legs was had recourse to, and gave temporary relief. The aVol. iv, p. 119. king suffered, too, from violent attacks of coughing, so 4,op. Cit. severe that on more occasions than one deathliappeared to 5 "At hoc ne holiiines proobi faciunt, ut amicis i ernende4ties calaPi- be-i-mminent. The king died early in the of tates praedicant, quas' mlii effu'getu nrullb niddo possihtt: et fedici, ii6rning quamquarn intelligunt saepe, tamen nunquafi aegris dictilt illo 6or)1O Memoirs of Sir William Knighton, London, 1838, vol. i, p. 375. eos esse morituros. Omnis enimn praedictio mali tum probatur cumn 2 Life of Sir Henru Halford, London. 1895. p. 176. I ad praedictionem cautio adjungitur."-Cicero, De Divinatione, ii, 25. THE BRITISH 30 MEDICAL JOURNAL MEDICINE IN CANADA. [JULY I, I9Il. a proper sense of his perilous situation, I forbear to step however, until the latter end of May-when his Majesty out of the bounds of my province in order to offer any was so discouraged by repeated attacks of embarrassment advice which is not necessary to promote his cure. At the in his breathing, as to desire me to explain to him the same time, I think it indispensable to let his friends know nature of his complaint, and to give him my candid the danger of his case the instant I discover it. An opinion of its probable termination-that an opportunity arrangement of his worldly affairs, in which the comfort occurred of acknowledging to His Majesty the extent of or unhappiness of those wlho are to come after him is my fears for his safety. involved, may be necessary; and a suggestion of his " This communication was not necessary to suggest to danger, by which the accomplishment of this object is to the King the propriety of religious offices, for His Majesty be obtained, naturally induces a contemplation of his more had used them daily. But it determined him, perhaps, to important spiritual concerns, a more careful review of his appoint an early day to receive the sacrament. He did past life, and such sincere sorrow and contrition for receive it, with every appearence of the most fervent what he had done amiss, as, justifies our humble hope of piety and devotion, and acknowledged to me repeatedly his pardon and acceptance hereafter. If friends can do afterwards that it had given him great consolation true their good offices at a proper time, and under the sugges- comfort. tions of the physician, it is far better that they should "After this, when 'he had set his house in order,' understand them than the medical adviser. They do so I thought myself at liberty to interpret every new without destroying his hopes, for the patient will still symptom as it arose in as favourable a light as I could, believe that he has an appeal to his physician beyond for His Majesty's satisfaction; and we were enabled their fears; whereas, if the physician lay open his danger thereby to rally his spirits in the intervals of his frightful to him, however delicately he may do this, he runs a risk attacks, to maintain his confidence in his medical re- of appearing to pronounce a sentence of condemnation to sources, and to spare him the pain of contemplating death, against which there is no appeal, no hope; and on approaching death, until a few minutes before His Majesty that account, what is most awful to think of, perhaps the expired. sick man's repentance may be less available. "Lord Bacon, one of the wisest meni who has lived, "But friends may be absent, and nobody near the encourages physicians to make it a part of their art to patient in his extremity, of sufficient influence or pre- smooth the bed of death and to render the departure from tension to inform of his dangerous condition. And surely life easy, placid, and gentle. it is lamentable to think that any human being should " This doctrine, so accordant with the best principles of leave the world unprepared to meet his Creator and Judge, our nature, commended not only by the wisdom of this 'with all his crimes broad blown.' Rather than so, I have consummate philosopher, but also by the experience of departed from my strict professional duty, and have done one of the most judicious and conscientious physicians 'of that which I would have by myself, and have apprised my modern times-the late Dr. Heberden-was practised patient of the great change he was about to undergo. with such happy success in the case of our lamented " In short, no rule, not to be infringed sometimes, can be sovereign that at the close of his painful disease ' non laid down on this subject. Every case requires its own tam mori videretur' (as was said of a Roman emperor), considerations; but you may be assured, that if good sense 'quam dulci et alto sopore excipi.'" and good feeling be not wanting, no difficulty can occur As we have said more than once, the public has a riglht which you will not be able to surmount with satisfaction to know the truth about the health of the Sovereign when to your patient, his friends and yourselves. the illness is sufficiently serious to cause anxiety. But it "Advice on some of these points, at least, corresponding need not be told the whole truth, and certainly itwould be with that which I have presumed to offer you, is to be most improper on every ground that the" many-headed" found in the beautiful chapter of Hippocrates, 7rEpt should be allowed to share the suspicions and doubts of the evcX7X?o%v7v?s (De decenti ornatu); and I assure you it will physicians, or that the secrets of the sick-room should fur- amply repay you for the trouble of referring to it, by the nish matter for "descriptive journalism." It is necessary, gravity and striking deportment wllich it recommends. therefore, for the sake of the patient as well as for other "Butif, in cases attended with danger in private life, the reasons, that bulletins should be drawn up in guarded physician has need of discretion and sound sense to direct terms. They should not, however, be misleading or so his conduct, the difficulty must doubtless be increased attenuated as to mean practically nothing. This only tends when his patient is of so elevated a station that his to arouse the suspicion of an ill-advised diplomacy. safety becomes an object of anxiety to the nation. In Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas, such circumstances the physician has a duty to perform, Regumque turres. not only to the sick personage and his family, but also to It would be a bad day for monarchy if the people ceased the public, who in their extreme solicitude for his recovery to take an interest in the health of the Sovereign. sometimes desire diselosures which are incompatible with it. Bulletins respecting the health of a sovereign differ widely from the announcements which a physician is called upon to make in humbler life, and which he MEDICINE IN CANADA. entrusts to the prudence of surrounding friends. These ANDREW MACPHAIL, M.D., may known to the royal sufferer By public documents become Montreal. himself. Is the physician, then, whilst endeavouring to ON April 24ththe end came to the long struggle for con- relieve the anxiety or satisfy the curiosity of the nation, solidation of the medical profession in Canada. For ten to endanger the safety of the patient, or, at least, his years the matter has been before the various provincial comfort? Surely not. But whilst it is his object to state legislatures and the Dominion Parliament, and it seemed as accurately as possible the present circumstances and to become more confused as time went on. On the date the comparative condition of the disease, he will consider mentioned, however, the Dominion Senate formally passed the conjectures respecting its cause and probable issue are certain amendments to the Canada Medical Act, and the not to be hazarded without extreme caution. He will not leaders of the profession have obtained the desire of their write one word which is calculated to mislead; but neither hearts. ought he to be called upon to express so much as, if re- The moment, therefore, seems opportune for setting ported to the patient, would destroy all hope and hasten as that catastrophe which it ishis duty and their first wish forth thenew situation which has been created; but, to prevent. a preliminary, a retrospect of the various legislative " enactments and the disabilities which they were meant to Meanwhile, the family ofthe monarch and the Govern- remedy will be necessary for a completeunderstanding of nment have a claim to fuller information than can, with the case. To state the matter shortly, the whole affair propriety or even common humanity, be imparted to the was a struggle to obtain freedom of practice in the nine public at large. In the case of His~Majesty King George provinces for all physicians who are properly qualified to the Fourth, they were apprised, as early as April 27th6 practise in any one. This hasnow been accomplished. (I hold inmyhand the original letters which gave the The question was further complicated by being boum-fi information to the Prime Minister), that His Majesty's up with reciprocity inmedical degrees Great Britain, disease was seated in his heart, and that an effusion of with and that difficulty had first to be removed. This water into his chest was soon to be expected. It was only iiot, made the situation still more anomalous; for,whilst a 6 His Majesty died on June 25th. I means had been found by wlhich reciprocity could be [ THE BRrTISH JULY I, I9II.] MEDICINE IN CANADA. IMEDICAL JOURNAL 3 r obtained between thle various provinces and parts of the was to appoint three members, each of whom should reside empire outside of Canada, there was none by which in a different province. In addition, there were to be reciprocity could be obtained between the various provinces tlhree members elected by suclh practitioners in Canada as, themselves. by the laws of the province wherein they practised, were For ten years tlle attempt to obtain a full measure of recognized as forming a particular and distinct school reciprocity between Canada and Eiigland, or between the of the practice of medicine, and, as such, were by the nine provinces themselves, ended in failure. This was same laws entitled to practise in the province. This due to the fact that under the British North America Act clause apparently was intended to meet the views of of 1867, wlhich governs the confederation of Canada, all persons who are known as "homoeopaths." Everthing ml-atters pertaining to education-elementary, scholastic, was in readiness for the passing of these amendments, and professional-lie within the authority of the various which would have consolidated the profession in Canada, provinces; and Quebec, which is French and Catholic, and when the council of British Columbia demanded delay, and in possession of a system of education specially adapted to protested that it was unwilling to proceed before the those conditions, has guarded this right with jealous proposals had been submitted to the entire body of the care. profession in that province. As the time for presenting To all requests for reciprocity the General Medical bills had already nearly expired, there was no alternative Council of Great Britain made the obvious reply that the but to postpone the introduction of the amended Act until provinces of Canada should first agree among themselves the present session. in establislhing one standard of entrance -to the study of Meantime, Dr. Roddick, with a committee, was at work mledicine and one standard of final qualification. To this upon the subject. This committee was composed of Quebec would not agree. That would be to surrender the members from each of the provincial councils; it met inalienable right to the control of education. in Winnipeg in August, 1909, and again in Montreal in To meet this difficulty the Medical Acts Order of 1906 November, when every province save Saskatchewan and was passed by the Privy Council, under which each pro- Alberta was represented. At the final meeting in Toronto vince of Canada was constituted a separate State for the in June, 1910, the representation was complete. purpose of negotiation. Nova Scotia and Prince Edward As a result of much discussion and many compromises, Island immediately applied. They granted, and received, an amendment to the Canada Medical Act of 1902, and a measure of reciprocity, under which their qualifications known as " The Roddick Bill," was offered in the House were registrable in Great Britain, and, therefore, in both of Commons by Dr. J. B. Black, M.P. for Hants, on provinces; and practitioners registered in England were November 28th, 1910, at the request of Dr. Roddick, who free to practise in those provinces. Quebec also applied was no longer in the House but was as much concerned as for, and offered, reciprocity. This was mutually agreed to, ever about putting into effect the completed provisions of after provision had been made for adequate preliminary the Act. The amending bill was read for the first time, education, and to prevent a graduate who had for cause and was referred to a special committee which was to been refused the Quebec licence from registering in meet at such time as would give ample opportunity for all England, and so evading the local regulations. It is now medical councils which so desired to make their opinions open to any province to apply for reciprocity with England. known. When the disability that men from Great Britain with The amendments passed the special committee on the highest medical qualifications were unable to practise March 3rd, but only after a fresh difficuLlty had been met. in Canada without passing the examinations of a provin- Provision was made for representation on the Dominion cial board was removed, the anomaly was still more curious council of the various universities, but as there are lno that a medical man who was acknowledged in one pro- universities with medical schools in British Columbia, vince as fully qualified could not practise in another pro- Alberta, and Saskatchewan, those provinces felt aggrieved. vince without passing the local examinations and require- By way of compromise it was provided that of the three ments. The inconvenience was especially felt by McGill members of the council to be appointed by the Govern- University, which has always been of Continental reputa- ment two should be from those provinces. Finally the tion, and necessarily derives a large proportion of its bill passed both Houses on April 24th, and all that now students from outside the province in which it is situated. remains is to have it put into effect by formal acceptance In 1902 the Canada Medical Act was carried through on the part of the various provinces, all of which, it is the Dominion Parliament by Dr. T. G. Roddick, at that understood, have already expressed approval of the time Dean of the Medical Faculty of McGill University measure. and member for St. Antoine Division of Montreal. It The main provisions of the law are contained in the aimed at a " one-portal " system for entrance to the following clauses: medical profession in Canada, and passed into law. But 1. The purposes of the council shall be to promote and effect: its operation was restricted by the provision that it would (a) The establishment of a qualification in medicine, such not go into effect until its terms were accepted by the that the holders thereof shall be acceptable and empowered to legislatures of the nine provinces, and Quebec would not practise in all the provinces of Canada. (b) The establishment of a register for Canada of medical agree. practitioners, and the publication and revision from time to To remedy this disability a suggestion was made at the time of such register. meeting of the Canadian Medical Association in Winnipeg in (c) The determination and fixing of the qualification and 1909 to the effect that, when five or more provinces agreed condition necessary for registration, the examinations to be to accept the terms of the Act, a plan of registration for undergone with respect to professional subjects only, and generally the requisites for registration. those provinces could be established. Quebec objected on (d) The establishment and maintenance of a board of examiners tlle grounds that it was being coerced by a threat of isola- for examination and granting of certificates of qualification. tion; but eventually Quebec was satisfied, mainly by the (e) The enactment, with the consent and at the instance of the provisions that the matter of preliminary education should medical councils of the various provinces of Canada, of such be left in the hands of the provinces, and that the provincial legislation as is necessary to supplement the provi- sions of this Act and to effect the foregoing purposes. Dominion Council should relegate to assessors the super- 2. The council shall be composed of: vision of the primary examinations, as they are now held (a) Three members who shall be appointed by the Governor- in the various universities. in-Council, each of whom shall reside in a different province. In the original Act it was provided that a properly (b) Two members representing each province, who shall be elected under regulations to be made in that behalf by the qualified person who had been engaged for six years in the provincial medical council. practice of medicine in any one of the provinces should be (c) One member from each university or incorporated medical entitled to registration without examination. The amend- college or school in Canada having an arrangement with a ment extended this period to ten years, and allowed to the university for the conferring of degrees on its graduates engaged medical council of any province the privilege of exacting in the active teaching of medicine, who shall be elected by the university or by such college or school under such regulations as an examination in final subjects. The scheme of repre- may govern in that behalf. sentation on the Dominion Medical Council, originally (d) Three members who shall be elected by the " homoeo- based on census returns, would, under the new proposal, give pathic " practitioners in Canada, each of whom shall reside in a two representatives to each of the provinces and, on account different province. This Act shall not come into force until the legislatures of all of their greater size, one additional to Ontario and Quebec. its The as the provinces shall have enacted legislation accepting uliiversities, originally proposed, were to have provisions. one representative and the Governor-General-in-Council 3. The establishment, maintenance, and effective conduct of 32 MiDICALTET H BRITIJOV Sll RNAL ]SECRET REMEDIES. [JULY 1, 19I11. examinations with respect to professional subjects only, for object. This enables a higher price to be extorted, anid ascertaining whether candidates possess the qualifications the medicines are also made to serve as an introduction required, the number, times, and modes of such examinations, tthe appointment of examiners, and generally all matters inci- for a price list of various appliances for preventing con- (leiit to such examinations, or necessary or expedient to effect ception, which are nearly always supplied at very the objects thereof. remunerative rates. 4. The subjects of examination slhall be decided by the council, In the fornmulae whiclh follow, no quantities arC inanmed anid canididates for examination may select to be examined in in the Eniglish or French language. A majority of the committee all those cases where it is not practicable to separate conducting the examination of any candidate shall speak the definite compounds, that can be weighed or measured, language in which the candidate elects to be examined. from the mixture of substances examined. It will be Examinations may be held only at those centres at which readily understood that in the case of a pill containing there is a university, or college actively engaged in the teaching such a drug as aloes (consisting of many ill-defined con- ef medicine, or havinig hospital facilities of nlot less than 100 be(ds. stituents), with perhaps powdered liquorice and ginger, an 5. Every one wlho passes the examiniation prescribed by the essential oil, soap, and one or more substances (sugar, gum, council, and otherwise complies with all the conditions and a vegetable extract, etc.) added as excipient, the various regulations requisite for registration as prescribed by this Act portions into which the mass can be separated by analysis and by the council, shall, upon payment of the fees prescribed will not correspond in amount with the several ingredients in that behalf, be entitled to be registered as a medical taken in making it up, and only indirect evidence can be practitioner. Any person who has received a licence or certificate of regis- obtained as to the amounts of some, at least, of the con'- tration in any province previous to the date when the council stituents present; in such cases it is better not to give shall have been first fully constituted under this Act, and who any quantities for the ingredients found. In some cases, lhas been engaged in the active practice of medicine in any one also, in dealing with such pill masses, it is not possible to or more provinces of Canada, shall, after ten years from the date of snch licence or certificate, be entitled to be registered say with certainty whether a given constituent is present unider this Act as a medical practitioner, without examinatioD, or not; and in most of the cases given below there is a ulipoIn payment of the fees and upon compliance with the other possibility of small quantities of other ingredients, of examinations and regulations for such cases prescribed by the "extractive" or other ill-defined character, having been couincil. Provided that if the medical counicil of any province is present. But no doubt can exist in regard to most drugs not satisfied with the period of years prescribed by this subsec- tion, *such medical council may as a cotiditionl to provincial having important medicinal activity. registration exact an examination in final subjects from practi- tioners registered under this subsection. MRS. SHAFFER-BENNYON'S REMEDY. 6. No amendment of this Act, or of the Act hereby amended, This is stupplied by Mrs. Shaffer-Bennyon (London) at may be proposed on behalf of the council, unless previously 4s. 8d. per box, containing fourteen suppositories. accepted by the provincial medical councils. It is advertised in the following terms: 7. At each annual meeting of the council, the council shall appoint a board of examiners to be known as the Medical Ladies! Ladies!! Council Examination Board, whose duty it shall be to hold the Mrs. R. Shaffer-Bennyon, the Eminent Lady Specialist, lhas examinations prescribed by the council, subject to the provisions much pleasure in announcing that her Remedy Withiout hiereinbefore contained. Medicine is the only Positive, Safe, Certain, and Speedy one known. It acts almost immediatelyt, and does niot interfere with household duties. Send at once stamped addresse(d envelope for full particulars and most convincing testimonials (guaranteed genuine under a penalty of £1,000). TIlE COMPOSITION OF CERTAIN On application to the address given, various circulars SECRET REMEDIES.* were sent, in which it is stated that: The method is by means of Soluble Cones, which are inserte(d inito the Rectum, and lying there, are allowed to slowly melt, PREPARATIONS FOR AMENORRHOEA AND thius actilng directly an-d continuouslv on the required organs. The method is simplicity itself, as the Cone glides into the OTHER WOMEN'S COMPLAINTS. Rectum witlh the most perfect ease by meanls of a little pressure IN a previous article (BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, 1907, from the finger, an(d brings about all that is desired in the vol. ii, p. 1653 et seq.) the results of anialyses of a number course of a few hours.... This Remedy has met withi the most unprecedented success, of pills and other medicines advertised for the cure of and is truly described as a "Boon to Women." It has been amenorrhoea and other ailments peculiar to women were used in an immense number of cases, in all parts of the world, published. We now give a report on a further selection and has never been fould vwanting. In fact, so successful is it from the very large number of tllese nostrums advertised that I am able to more or less obtrusively in newspapers and magazines or Guarantee This Remedy Certain to Beniefit in ev-ery case, nio matter what has previously been tried anld otlherwise. failed. There appears to be a greater number of nostrums of The principle of this Remedy is based uponl sound commoni this class than of almost any other, and this is no doubt sense, as a moment's consideration will show that a Remedy due to the specially remunerative nature of the business. that lies in close juxtaposition to, and acts primarily and in one a full strenigth on the desired organs themselves, must be much Obviously, any buying remedy of this kind wishes to more certain and powerful in its action than remedies which, obtain a certain definite result-namely, the reappearance before they can act at all on the parts required, have to travel of the menses, suppressed or overdue, and there can be no through the stomach and entire system. doubt about wlhether this result is attained or not. But, a further if it does not occur after taking the medicine supplied, it It appears that there is preparation- by nio means follows that the vendor loses a customer; in Special Cones, price lls. 2d. per case. . . . Recommenided for fact, quite the contrary is likely to happen; in practically long standing and obstiniate cases. every case thle medicine first sent is accompanied by a In a printed letter sent with the cones the followinog reconmmendation of some " stronger " preparation, which is directions are given: sure to be successful if the first one fails, as, of course, the Syringe freely with an Enema and plenty of warm water up vendor usually knows it is likely to. The disappointed the Vagina (which means the front passage) three times a day, thus worked on to the " " morning, mid-day, and night, using the Long Vaginal Tube on purchaser is try stronger pre- the Enema. After that place a cone in the Rectum (which is tle paration, for which a higher price is charged, and in most back passage) and with the finger press it as far up as possible. cases a " still stronger " (at a still higher price) is held in This means you must syringe 3 times daily and use 3 Cones reserve. In this way a nostrum which is advertised at a daily. low price, such as ls. 1.-d., or as a "free sample," serves as On the wrapper of the box it was stated that: introduction for a means of an extracting from 5s. to one These Cones are composed of Theobrama, Cerum, Fer Lao. or it may be several guineas. Many of these nostrums Sol. Quinae, Sulph, 01, Rutae, Crab, Etc. are put forward with thinly veiled suggestions that they will be efficacious in averting an undesired pregnancy, and (the stops being as here given). The fourteen suppositories had an average weight of it cannot be doubted that they are often bought with this 14.2 grains each. Analysis showed them to contain: *Previous articles of this series were published in the following Quinine sulphate ...... 5.1 per cent. issues of the BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL: 1904, vol. ii, p. 1585; 1906, Boric acid ...... 4.9 , vol. ii, pp. 27, 1645; 1907, vol. i, p. 213; vol. ii, pp. 24, 160, 209, 393, 530, 1653; 1908, vol. i, pp. 833, 942, 1373; vol. ii, pp. 86, 505. 1022, 1110, 1193, Oil of theobroma ...... 90 1285, 1566, 1697, 1875; 1909, vol. i, pp. 31, 909, 1128; vol. ii, P. 1419; 1910, vol. i, pp. 151, 213, 393, 1005, 1063, 1120; vol. ii, pp. 982, 1350, 1928; 1911, They had a slight green tint, and a faint odour which may Vol. i, Dp. 26, 91, 823, 1324. have been due to a t~race of oil of rue. No iron was