Gaillard's Medical Journal and the American Medical Weekly

reads in such tables the serious record of so many cases of death from "dropsy"; whether the dropsy be due to anæmia, cirrhosis, valvular cardiac disease, chronic inflammation of serous structures, or tubercle, etc., is never mentioned; the disease of which the dropsy has been a mere symptom, is stupidly oinitted. “ Consumption," "heart-disease," "spasms," “paralysis," "cancer," " jaundice," "abscess," "croup," "spinal disease," "scrofula," etc., etc., are gravely recorded in the mortuary reports, in magnificent elucidation of the cause of death, and as valuable guides for the pathologist and statistician. Such reports are not only worthless, they are erroneous, false, and unjust. They may be tolerated in an undertaker, or nurse, but they certainly cover their medical authors with ridicule and disgrace. It is not surprising that even the secular public derides them, and that State Legislatures refuse to authorize, by legal enactment, the preparation and dissemination of mortuary rreports. Judging of such reports from those seen in the public prints, they very naturally refuse to be silly parties to such patent absurdities. Until physicians present all their mortuary reports in a scientific, and therefore reliable and useful manner, it is folly to ask or expect legislative Bodies to make proper provision for the creation of proper registration tables. It is not the fault of legislative Bodies, when they refuse to creato such tables; the fault lies with the medical Profession. When they so act as to secure proper tables; when they sting, disgraco and drive from the field those who (in the tables, so familiar throughout so many cities and States,) bring contumely, ridicule and disgrace upon the Medical Profession; when they demonstrate how tables should be prepared, and what practical, political, and pecuniary lessons can be drawn from them to guide the people in legislation, as the medical lessons deduced should guide the physician in the library and at the bedside, Legislatures will never require anything more than a plain and lucid presentation of the question to promptly create a properly organized office for the collection and dissemination of such valuablo information. Physicians must to act 29 to require proper

tables from their medical men now entrusted with such duties, before they can expect Legislatures to act at all in this connection; it is idle, it is supreme folly to expect legislators of sense to make themselves parties to such absurdities as mortuary reports and registration tables prepared as most of them are at present. Nothing can sooner call the blush of shame, mortification, and anger to the face of an educated physician than these mortuary reports and registration tables, as they are so frequently and familiarly presented. Deaths are foolishly yet gravely ascribed, in these Health Reports, to "dropsy,” etc. Why not ascribe a few of them to "sub-sultus tendinum," to floccitatio," etc. This would furnish a little variety, and the act would be fully as valuable, and certainly not more foolish.

Close of Volume Twelve.—This number closes volume twelve of this Journal. The period of probation and experiment has passed; the Journal is a success; it has reaped this reward, at least, as a return for six years of indescribable labor and corroding care. Of the fourteen Journals established at the South since the war, nine have perished. This, with four others, romain. Whatever may be said of the present and future of these Journals, the “Richmond and Louisville Medical Journal" tests upon the sure basis of success. The past year has been the most prosperous year of its existence. Those who subbcribed, in past years, not from inclination, but from “duty," have disappeared from the subscription list; the names of many who seemed to think that their subscribing to a Journal was an honor, and the payment of their subscription anything else than honor or honesty, have been carefully expunged from the Journal books; the names remaining represent those whom it is a pride to recognize as the friends and supporters of the work. These bave made the Journal what it is, whatever this may be; with their purse and pen, they have carried it through the deep waters of trial and adversity, and hare placed it where it now is, in prosperity and safety. But they have done far more than this; there are few of them who have not enlisted others in support of the works; while some have done eton more than this, they have not only sustained the Journal by paying for it, by writing for it, and by working for it, but several have endured a crucial test indeed, they have fought for it. Such friends make it impossible for a Journal to suffer; they protect, develop, and carry it. Gratitude is speechless in seeking to thank them in words, and the writer of this is indeed very grateful. He can only say so, and hope to show that he feels 80. The Journal will, it is believed, be steadily improved, and offer to its supporters an increasing return for their outlay. The course of the Journal will be as it has been. To procure the best material; to publish promptly and liberally; to give each year more material than formed the basis of agreement (this volume should contain 672 pages, it contains 730); to advocate the best interests of the Profession; to publish the truth irrespectively of all persons; to furnish fair exhibits of current medical literature, and to give in regard to all of this just and impartial criticism.

The friends of the Journal will please remember that it is published without capital; a small reminder of this fact will be found by many in this number, and they are respectfully asked to act promptly in regard to it. A new volume is about to be commenced, and their aid is, as usual, required.

This number closes another volume, and this volume marks, in part, the close of another year. It is the season for kindly feeling, and this cannot be better manifested here, than by wishing for each reader a prosperous new year, and a peaceful, happy, closure of the old. Before another Journal is issued, each traveller on the old highway of time will have passed another milestone; on this is carved "the close of 1871.". Let us rest here; remembering, with advantage, the lessons of the past years, and commencing, with renewed hope, the year that js to come. A vew year is before us ; THÉ OLD TEAR RAS CLOSED!

THE

RICHMOND AND LOUISVILLE

MEDICAL JOURNAL.

E. S. GAILLARD, M. D.,

PROFESSOR OF PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF MEDICINE IN THE LOUISVILLE
MEDICAL COLLEGE; LATE PROFESSOR OF GENERAL PATHOLOGY IN
THE KESTI (KY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE; IN THE MED).
IC'AL (OLLEGE OF VIRGIXIA: IN THE
CUMBERLAND (XIVERSITY

OF SASIIVILLE,

EDITOR IND PROPRIETOR.

IXDOCTI DISCUT ET AMENT MEMISISSE PERITI.

VOL. XII.

DECEMBER, 1871.

No. 6.

ASSOCIATE EDITORS.
Drs. J. MARION Srus, F. II. HAMILTON, T. GAILLARD THOMAS, L. A. SAYRE,
New York; J. J. CHISOLM, S. C. Chew, Maryland; J. L. CABELL,
L. S. JOYNEs, Virginia ; W. A. B. Norcom, North Carolina ;
T. T. ROBERTSON, South Carolina ; W. H. DOUGHTY,
Georgia; W.O. BALDWIN, J.S. WEATHERLY,
J. M. WILLIAMS, Alabama; J. M.

HOLLOWAY, Kentucky;
Paul F. Eve, Tennessee; 2. Pitcher, Michigan; S. II. DICKSON,

Philadelphia; SAMUEL Logan, New Orleans.