September1904CALIFORNIASTATEJOURNALOFMEDICINE265teremarksofDrLelandpraisinghisattitudeanlwithhimcondemningthepolicejudgesOneofDrLelandsstatementsquotedbytheChronicleisThePoliceCourts ID: 296210
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264CALIFORNIASTATEJOURNALOFMEDICINE.Vol.II,No.9mentsinourmagazine."Dr.FrankC.ToddofMinneapoliscalledtheattentionofthepublisherstothefactthattheywerenotlivinguptotheclaimsetforthintheirletter,inasmuchastheypublishedtheadvertisementsofsuchthingsas"Dent'stoothachegum,""Hessler'shairre-storer,"andthe"Morleyartificialeardrum,"whichisclaimedtohelpeverycaseofdeafness.WecannotdobetterthanquoteDr.Todd'sownletter:Itishardlynecessaryformetopointoutthatbyeliminatingmanyquackadvertisementsandmakingtheclaimthatyou"declinetocarryanypatentmedi-cineorotherfraudulentandotherwiseobjectionableadvertisements,"youaredoingmoreharmthanamagazinecontainingmanysuchfraudulentadvertise-ments,butmakingnoclaimtodecency,becausemanyreaderswillbeledtobelievethatthosewhichyoudopublisharetrustworthy.Suchbeingthecase,thesefortunatefewadvertisersshouldbeabletopaywellforsuchconsideration.Whileinyourfirstletteryoustatedthatyoudeclinedtocarry"anypatentmedicineorotherfraudulentadvertisements,"inyourlastyouadmityourclaimtobeamyth.butthinkyoushouldbeconsidereduprightbecauseyoucarrylessthansomeothermagazines-ontheprinciplethatitislesscriminaltosteal$1,000thantosteal$5,000.Closelyfollowingtheactionofthetwolavjournalsalreadymentioned,cametherumorthattheUnitedStates,throughtheTHENOSTRUMPostofficeDepartment,wasANDTHEMAIL.abouttodowondersbyexclud-ingpublicationscarrvingnos-trumadvertisement-s,fromsecond-classpriv-ileges.ThereseemstobebutlittledoubtthatthePostalDepartmenthasfulllegalrighttotakesuchaction,ifitmay;but,knowingthetre-mendousinfluenceofthenostrummakers,wedecidedtowaitandseejustabouthowmuchrealmeatmightbefoundinthisparticularegg.Aswesuspected,amicroscopewillbequiteusefultoanyoneseekingthe"meat."Ifacitizencom-plainsthatanadvertisedmedicineisafraudoritsadvertisingstatementsareobscene,itwill(perhaps)beinvestigated.Iftheclaimofob-scenityorfraudshallbesubstantiated,publisherswillbenotifiedthatiftheyprintthe"ad."theirpublicationscannotbetakenassecond-classmat-ter.ThusfartheenergyofthePostofficehasbeendevotedtotheinvestigationoftuberculosisandlostmanhood"cures."Itisextremelydoubt-fulthatthealcohol"cures,"whichcontainfrom20to40percentofalcohol,willeverbemolestedbyalobby-riddenpaternalgovernment!Dr.HideyoNoguchi,whosinceleavingthiscountryandhisworkwithProf.FlexnerhasbeendoingresearchworkinCopen-SERUMFOR,hagen,writestoDr.WeirSNAKEVENOM.MitchellunderdateofApril27th,givinganoutlineofhisresults.*Agoatwasimmunizedacainstrattlesnakevenombycontinuedinjectionsoveraperiodofseveral*UIniv.Penna.MedicalBuildin,July-Aug.months.Experimentsonguinea-pigsthenshowedthattheserumfromthisgoatwouldpreventdeathfromCrotalusvenomevenwhentwelvetimesthenormallethaldoseofvenomhadbeenadministeredtothepig.Threehoursaftertheadministrationoftwokillingdoses,animalsbe-comecriticallyill,andwilldieinaboutthirtyminiutesiftheserumisnotemployed;theinjec-tioiloffourcc.oftheserumensurestherecovervoftheanimal,andnosymptomsareapparentaftertwodays.AsaresultofhisworkwithProf.Flexner,andmorerecentlyabroad,whereheisworkingunderagrantfromtheCarnegieInstitu-tion,heisentirelyconvincedofthefalsenessoftheclaimsofCalmotte,totheeffectthathisanti-venin,producedasanimmunizingserumagainstthevenomofthecobra;isprotectiveagainstthebiteofallvenomousserpents.Theresultsofhisworkarecertainlyofgreatinterest,andothercommunicationsfromDr.Noguchiwillbelookedforwithanticipationofstillfurtheradvancesinourkniowledgeofthesubjectunderinvestigation.Amilksupplyprotectedonlybyarequiredstandardbasedonchemicalanalysis,fatper-centage,etc.,maybenotonlyfilthyCITYMILKbutalsoverydangerous.Thebac-STANDARD.terialcontentofanaveragesampleisreallytheonlysafeindicationofthequalityofmilk;ofcourseassumingthatnopreservativehasbeenadded.Thatmilkandcreamcontainingcomparativelysmallnumbersofbac-teriacanbesuppliedcommerciallyhasalreadybeensufficientlywelldemonstratedinNewYorkandNewJersey.Timeandagainithasbeenshownthattheaveragebacterialcontentofmilkasordinarilyproducedandmarketedincitiesiswellover1,000,000percc.,oftenexceedingandgenerallyequallingthebacterialcontentofsew-age.TheBostonBoardofHealthhasrecentlyestablishedabacterialstandardandprovidedforthecondemnationofmilkorcreamfoundtocon-tainmorethan500,000bacteriapercc.Thislimitiscertainlyhighenough,andthereisgravequestionastowhetheritshouldnotbedecreasedby200,000.AnurseattheMarineHospitalinSanFran-ciscoaccidentallygaveapatientbichloridofmer-cury,andthepatientdied.ARIGHTEOUSpolicejudgeheldthenurseinINDIGNATION.heavybonds.SubsequentlythemattercamebeforeDr.Leland,theCoronerofSanFrancisco,andhetookocca-siontopassafewcomplimentstothepolicejudgesforthemannerinwhichtheyfailtosup-portthelawinthecaseofrichor"influential"citizens,butgetindustriouslyafteronewhoiswithotutcoinor"influence."Thesearemereivthefacts.TheSanFranciscoChronticleinitsissueforAugust6th,commentededitoriallyon September,1904CALIFORNIASTATEJOURNALOFMEDICINE.265t!'eremarksofDr.Leland,praisinghisattitude,an(l,withhim,condemningthepolicejudges.O(neofDr.Leland'sstatements,quotedbytheChronicle,is:"ThePoliceCourtsdonotattackinthiswaythosewhoperformcriminalopera-tionswiththeworstofmotives."NoonewilldJisputethatfact,norwillhefailtorecognizethelactthattheabortionist,theperformerof"crim-inaloperationsfortheworstofmotives,"isoneofthehardestofcriminalstoconvict,largelybe-causehegenerallyhasplentyof"influence."Fart,atleast,ofhisinfluenceisderivedfromthesupportwhichhereceivesfromthedailypress,andincidentallytheverydailypaperwhichedi-toriallvcondemnsthepolicecourtsfornotdoingtheirduity!ThesameissueoftheChroniclecon-tains,ofcourseonanotherpage,thefollowingchoicemorselsforthedelectationofthemothersanddaughtersandsistersinthehomeswhichitenters:"Ladieswhoareintroubleorsufferingfromirregularitiesorsuppressions...Iposi-tivelygtuaranteeimmediaterelieffromirregu-laritiesfromwhatevercause...Dr.White.""Ladiessufferingfromirregularities...Im-mediaterelieffromirregularitiesfromwhatevercause...Dr.Sylvester."(Weareadvisedthatthismanholdsalicensetopractice,underan-othername.)Andsoon,fornearlyhalfacolumn!Thegreatvalueofhavingacardrecordorindexofeveryphysicianinthestateneedsnoexplanation.ItispracticallyanTHECARDabsoluteessentialtotheproperREGISTER.publicationoftheannualRegisterandDirectoryofPhysicians.Also,itisnecessaryinordertokeeptrackofthephy-siciansofthestateastheymovefromplacetoplace.ItisgratifyingtoreportthatthevastmajorityofthemembersoftheSocietyandphy-siciansofthestategenerallyseemtoappreciatethisfact,andhavepromptlysentbacktoustheblankcardswhichhavebeenmailedtothemfromthisoffice.Somefew,however,donotseemtoapprehendthatthisisamatterofsober,seriousbusiness,anidhavebeensochildishastomaketrivial,pertorimpudentcommentsontheircards,orhavefailedtogivetheinformationdesired.ThePublicationCommitteeisconsideringthead-visabilityofpublishingsuchcommen1tsintheRegister,thoughadecisionhasnotvetbeenreached.Ifyouhavereceivedyourcardandhavenotyetreturnedit,pleasedosoATONCE;ifyouhavenotreceivedacard,pleaseadviseusATONCE.Ifyouhaveanycriticism,commentorphilosophicaldissertationtomake,pleasemakeitinaletterandnotonthecard.ThePublicationCommitteewillmostemphaticallyNOTbere-sponsibleforanyerrorsoromissionsintheRegis-terunlessthecorrectinformationisonfileontheregularformcard,inthisoffice.SometimeagoamemberoftheSocietvlivinginthesouthernpartofthestatewasvictimizedbyamanwhopurportedtobeanFRAUDULENTagentofP.Blakiston'sSon&BOOKAGENT.Co.,medicalbookpublishers.HetookanorderforDaCosta'sbloodexamination,filledoutareceiptonaregu-larblankofthepublishinghouse,received$5.00forwhichhereceiptedontheblank,anddepart-ed.Timewentbyandnobookhavingbeenre-ceived,thedoctorwrotetothehousetoknowwhy.Inreplytheywrote:"SamWrightdoesnotworkforus,andhasneverbeeniemployeddirectlybyus;hewasemployedatonetimebyamanwhowasmanagerofoursubscription(le-partment;afterward,heworkedforKnight&BrownofNewYorkCity;wethinkatpresentheisehngagedwithEdwardBronson,SanFran-cisco.Whilethesepeopleallhandleourbooks,wearenotresponsiblefortheactionsoftheiragents."Itcertainlyseemsaratherpeculiarthingtodenyallresponsibilityfortheactsofamanthoughemployednotbythehouse,butbythemanagerofthesubscriptiondepartmentofthehouse!Thereisapparentlysomesubtledis-tinctiontobedrawnwhichisnotapparenttotheordinaryindividutal.However,thelessonisplain;donotpaymoneytoanyonerepresentinghimselftobeconnectedwiththehouseofP.Blakiston'sSon&Co.TheBoardofExaminershasannouncedthatitwillnolongerundertaketheworkofprosecutingillegalpractitioners,anditbe-EXAMINERScomesthedutyofcountymed-ANDTHELAW.icalsocietiestotakeupthattask.Theboardwilldirectitsenergies,infuture,toseeingthattheletterofthelawisfollowedandliveduptointhematterofcredentials.JustbeforethelastexaminationthecredentialscommitteeoftheboarddiscoveredthatalmostifnotallthemedicalschoolsinCaliforniahadissueddiplomastooneormorestudentswhohadnotremainedinschooltherequisitetime-notlessthansixmonthsineachoffourseparateyears.Doubtlessinallthesecasestheerrorwasoneofoversightandnotoneofdirectintentionalcommission;yetthelawwasnotcompliedwith.Inoneinstance(theHahnemannMedicalCol-lege)acomplicationofthissortarosethroughthechangeindateofthecommencementofthean-nualcourse.UptoOctober,1903,thecoursebe-ganinMayandendedinOctober;thatyearitwaschangedtoconformwithmostotherschools,beginninginOctoberandendinginJune.ThestepwastakenonlyafteradvicewiththeNewYorkStateUniversityRegentsandtheIllinoisStateBoardofHealth.Unfortunately,thefirstcourseunderthenewtimescheduleendedinJune,1904,insteadofrunningtoJuly,sothatallofthestu-dents(withoneortwoexceptions)areaffected.Thelawrequiresthatfourcoursesofnotless'