the tonsils and fauces, but soon found that it was such a horrible dose for a child to take, that I abandoned its use, until after seeing Dr. Thomas Nichol's report in the second edition of Hale's New Remedies.

Still having the fear of the dose before my eyes, I concluded to modify his modification. After repeated trials, I have now settled down to the following dose, which I find to be very pleasant to the taste, and exceedingly effectual: Sanguinaria ten drops, water twenty teaspoonfuls, good cider vinegar one teaspoonful,white sugar two or three teaspoonfuls; give a teaspoonful every half hour till better. When there is a decided improvement, every one or two hours. I have cured a number of cases with it, and have recommended it to my medical friends who also have been successful. I have only failed in one case of pseudo membranous croup with it, and that illustrates the necessity of attending to all the symptoms. A father came in the night for medicine saying his child had the croup but no fever. Supposing it to be a case of spasmodic croup, I sent Teste's remedies, Corallia and Opium. He brought a bottle along to be filled with Spongia, saying that they had given her all they had. I told him if the breathing became sawing to omit the other remedies and give Spongia. They did So. Saw her next morning and was told that during the night the voice sank to a whisper. It was now a little better but still very hoarse; the cough, a muffled bark. Gave Sanguinaria as above. Was called up that night to see her. She had some fever and delirium. Gave Gelseminum and Sanguinaria, in alternation. The next afternoon, rather worse. I had noticed in the beginning several ulcers on the inside of the lips such as I have cured with Chlorate of potash 1st. dec. trit. (which I find better than either Merc. or Mur. acid,) and thought as soon as she got well of the croup I could give her Chlorate of potash for them. I now asked myself what croup remedy has those ulcers? The answer was Kalibichromicum. I had with me only a few of the crystals. Of these I put about the fourth of a grain into half a glass of water, and gave a teaspoonful every half hour. It produced vomiting twice. The next morning, however, she was decidedly better. I now diluted the medicine. The day following, the croup had disappeared and the ulcers nearly so. Diluted the medicine still further. The patient was about ten years old. If I had attended to all the symptoms at first I might have saved the parents much anxiety and myself some trouble.

Since writing the above I have treated four cases of croup; two of them sisters of the child just mentioned: one twelve years old, the other eighteen months. The other two patients were boys. All had a tendency to assume the pseudo-membranous form, and (what was singular) Sanguinaria did them no good. Both Hering and Grauvogl speak of a certain remedy being suitable only for certain epidemics. For instance; last year a certain remedy suited the epidemic influence, this year some other

remedy is required. Kali bichrom appears to suit the present genus epidemicus. All four cases recovered under the use Kali bichrom. with the aid, in two cases, of Caust. to relieve the remaining hoarse'ness. To some of them I gave the crude article, and afterward 3 to 4 grs. of the 1st. dec. trit. One of these cases had an ulcer on the upper lip originating in a crack or chap.

ARGENTUM NITRICUM LOCALLY.

Miss W., æt. 43, a medium sized and compact built woman of vital temperament. (Wells,) has been out of health for the past nine years, most prominent symptoms are and have been pain from vertex to os sacrum, most severe at vertex and occiput, and between scapula; tenderness upon pressure along left side of dorsal vertebræ: some pain and tenderness in left ovarian region, increased at the menstrual epoch; left arm and leg numb and weak. Periodic attacks of what she terms "the shakes."

Present condition includes the above and in addition she is anæmic, and her appetite is poor. The "shakes" now appear at every effort to work, or on the recurrence of any mental excitement.

The symptoms are all aggravated at the menstrual epoch. The bowels are regular, but the passages are attended with pain.

Upon inquiring about the uterine organs, I learned that neither herself nor her former medical advisers had ever suspected uterine disease. I made up my mind at once that uterine inflammation was at the bottom of the difficulty, and solicited an examination, stating that unless I knew something of the condition of those organs, I could do nothing for her. It was three weeks before she would consent to an examination.

When finally I called to make the examination, I had an occular demonstration of those "shakes, "the mental excitement in view of the examination developing them with great intensity, commencing at the head with a to and fro motion, increasing in rapidity and involving the whole body with a convulsive jerking kind of shake, they continued perhaps half a minute and terminated suddenly in one tremendous jerk, leaving her exhausted and sore as if bruised. Some two or three attacks like the above ended the paroxysm for that time.

I was able to introduce a small sized glass speculum which revealed inflammation and ulceration of the cervical canal for one inch in depth; hypertrophy of the cervix; the organ prolapsed and retroverted; the cervix resting on the left side against the rectum; and very tender to the touch, (which accounted for the pain at stools). The almost perpendicular position of the cervix rendered it imposible to bring it into the instrument, without the aid of the sound.

On the 10th Jan last, I made the first local application of

Nitrate of silver to the diseased canal of the cervix-(The Nitrate is applied effectually, by being fused on the bulb of a long silver probe)-and commenced the use of injections twice per day of Belladonna, Calendula, Hydrastis, singly and in alternation, ten to twenty drops of the tinct. to the gill of water. Internally I gave of tinct. Caulophyllum, one drop in water every two hours for one week, then tinct. Cimcifuga, five drops every five hours for one week, and so on alternately.

To control the nervous excitement and "Shakes I gave Cannabis Indica in material doses, which succeeded admirably.

The local applications of Argent nit. I made once per week, except when the catamenia were present, I will here add that the menses have always been regular, but, of late years, scanty and of short duration. Present condition, greatly improved. No shakes for two months, cervical inflammation nearly subdued, size of cervix diminished, and in nearly a natural position. Can go about quite well and perform considerable labor; eats and sleeps well, feels quite herself again, and has a fair prospect of ultimate

recovery.

M. D.

REMARKS BY THE EDITOR.

The question of the propriety of the application of Argent, nit., Chromic acid and other chemical agents to the ulcerated os uteri is one which is yet in abeyance among physicians of our school. There can be no doubt that these measures are roughly, at times partially, and mayhap sometimes wholly homœopathic and curative. That they are sometimes not homoeopathic, and not only not curative, but positively injurious experience has led us to believe. Our own practice is first to attempt a cure by rigorous dietetic and hygienic measures allied to a purely homœopathic prescription. Should this fail, as it not seldom does, we superadd a cautious use of caustics, not however as caustics but (as old time phrase has it) as alteratives. That is we use the remedy so diluted as only to stimulate a change in nutrition. The exact and proper strength of such remedies can only be determined by experience in their use, but we find it far better to begin with too mild than too strong solutions.

The best gynecologists of the old school now decry the use of strong caustic applications, and discard them altogether as applied to the interior of the uterus.

We would be obliged by the report of cases treated without and with caustics. The treatment of no form of disease is more unsettled, and we think no clinical records would be of equal value to the profession at large.

W. S. S.

Materia Medica and Therapeutics.

PROF. E. M. HALE, CHICAGO, ILL., EDITOR.

LILIUM TIGRINUM.

(Tiger Spotted Lily.)

BY WM. E. PAYNE, M. D.*

Botanical Characteristics. The Lilium Tigrinum is a wellknown, showy, orange-colored, coarse-flowered, garden plant, very abundant in cultivation, and is a native of China and Japan. It belongs to the natural order, LILIACEE. The stem is from 4 to 6 feet high, (varying in the rankness of growth in accordance with the quality of the soil in which it is planted), unbranched and woolly. Leaves, scattered, sessile, three-veined' the upper cordate-ovate; the axils bulbiferous. Flowers, large, in a pyramid at the summit ofthe stem, dark orange-colored, with black or very deep crimson, somewhat raised spots, which give the flower the spotted appearance of the skin of the tiger, and from which circumstance it has derived its name; perianth revolute and papillose within. It is hardy enough to thrive in open ground in the vigorous climate of the north, and is propagated by the bulbs produced in the axils of the leaves, as well as by those that surround the mother bulb. It blooms freely in July and August. The bulbs are said to be used by the Japanese as an article of food. It was first brought from China, and introduced into the royal botanical gardens at Kew in 1804. A very good representation of the Lilium Tigrinum may be found in the Botanical Magazine, plate 1237, taken, it is said, from the plant in the Kew gardens. Owing to a general external resemblance, there is a liability, with those unacquainted with botany, of confounding this plant with the Lilium Philadelphicuus.

* Report of the Central Bureau of Materia Medica to American Institute of Homœopathy, 1870.

But the botanical distinctions are very marked, and easily recognized by those who have but a limited knowledge of botany.

The Tiger Lily, so far as known, has been regarded and cultivated only as a garden ornament. But it has been long known to botanists as belonging to a tribe of plants which has furnished several therapeutic agents of great value, of which the Aloe ; Allium Sativum, (garlic); Allium Cepa, (onion); Scilla Maratima, (squill); Asparagus; Dracœna Draco, (dragon's blood); and Convallaria polygonatum (Solomon's seal); are conspicuous examples. The Lilium Candium, (white lily), which belongs to the same family, is also traditionally credited with important uterine medicinal properties.

In view, then, of this botanical relationship the inference was entirely legitimate that the Lilium Tigrinum possessed valuable medicinal properties. The reported death of a child in convulsions by eating the pollen of the flower, suggested the idea of proving the drug, and the hope of finding in it additional means of combatting the sometimes formidable convulsions arising from acute and chronic meningeal irritation, prompted the execution of the work. Though the hope is not realized in the proving, yet the promise in a class of diseases, which from their multiplicity have become the bane of female happiness, is sufficiently strong to inspire confident expectations that this drug will henceforth hold an important place in the Homœopathic Materia Medica.

The provings, fifteen in all, were made with the tinctures or attenuations prepared therefrom of either the whole plant with the flowers combined, or the pollen alone, gathered in the months of August and September, when the plant was in full maturity. No difference was observed in the disease-begetting power of the plant and the pollen. Both seemed equally potent in developing symptoms.

Several of the provings were made under the supervision of our able colleague, Prof. Carroll Dunham, of New York city, the most important of which is indicated by the letter W; one, a very valuable proving, indicated by the letter F, under the direction of Dr. Wm. Gallupe, of Bangor, Maine, who is a careful observer; and one, indicated by the letter Y, under the eye of Dr. J. W. Savage, of Wiscasset, Maine, to each of whom, on behalf of the profession, as well as in acknowledgement of personal favors, I return sincere thanks.