hope to report at some future occasion the results of my investigations and experiments on the subject to the American Institute of Homœopathy.

Yours fraternally,

L. SALZER, M.D.

COBRA VENOM FOR CHOLERA.

To the Editor of the "Statesman: "

SIR. With reference to a paragraph which appeared in your issue of this day, headed "Cobra Venom for Cholera," an observation made by the late Dr. Vincent Richards may be of interest to the reader in general, and to Dr. Haffkine in particular. In his "Landmarks of Snake Poison Literature" (p. 132), Dr. Richards states, that the ptomaines generated in the bowels of choleraic patients injected in animals produce results startlingly similar to those produced by cobra bites. In connection with the above, it is worth noticing that ptomaines are not, as generally believed, mere postmortem products of putrefaction, but that such products may, and do often, arise during the lifetime of patients, so that their disease, and eventually their death, may be owing to a kind of self-poisoning (see Professor Lauder Brunton's Pharmacology, London, 1885, p. 350). Now we have heard a good deal during the last few years about the cholera bacilli and the pathogenic action of their ptomaines, to the entire neglect of the choleraic ptomaines. May it not be that in many, if not in most, fatal cases of cholera, there have been, properly speaking, two agencies at work, the pathogenic ptomaines of the cholera bacilli, the toxic action of which generates the disease in man; and, secondly, the choleraic ptomaines to which the fatal issue of the disease is due.

Plausible as this hypothesis appears to me as it stands, I should say it derives a considerable support from the statements of Mr. Perroux concerning the antidotal virtue of cobra poison in cases of cholera, when read in connection with the before-mentioned statement of the late Dr. Vincent Richards. In the official report of Dr. Edward O. Shakespeare, United States Commissioner on Cholera in Europe and Asia, issued at the Government Printing Office, Washington, in the year 1890, mention is made of Mr. Perroux, who relates" the successful employment (intravenous) of the venom of the cobra di capella by some tribes in the North of India as an antidote, in the lethal stage of cholera, of the poison of that disease.” The italics are mine-in the lethal stage of cholera! It would then appear that cobra poison is by no means an antidote to cholera, in other words, to the pathological process as generated by the ptomaines of the cholera bacilli; it has proved itself to be an antidote

to the lethal stage, when we deal no longer with the former ptomaines but with those generated by cholera. And it acts here antidotically in its quality of a similar, or if any allusion to Homœopathy is to be avoided in a question which is already complicated enough as it is, in its quality as-an analogue.

One suggestion more before closing this letter. May not cobra poison find its best antidote in choleraic ptomaines? What are the toxic qualities of the ptomaines of cobra victims? It is easy, of course, to ask questions; but it would require another Haffkine amongst us to solve them.

CALCUTTA, March 28, 1893.

L. SALZER.

THE HEALTH AND QUARANTINE LAWS OF SAN FRANCISCO.

BY JOHN N. ECKEL, M.D., SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.

THE Chairman of the Bureau of Sanitary Science of the American Institute of Homœopathy should have selected a younger member of the profession, a man of mental and physical vigor, used to literary work, and not one who is in a condition to lay aside all work and is looking for rest, of which old age is so much in need.

However, I will try to do my best and comply with the wish of our worthy Chairman and contribute my mite to sanitary science.

Yet, I suppose one must do according to his own gift, and as long as he does it honestly for truth and for the benefit of mankind, he must not mind those who are likely to find fault. The man that will please every one is not yet born.

I thank the Chairman for the honor notwithstanding the latter brings responsibilities.

Let us introduce first the Health and Quarantine Laws of San Francisco, California.

The quarantine grounds of the bay and harbor of San Francisco are at the anchorage of Sancelito, about ten miles north of the city. Our Board of Health for the city and county consists of the mayor of the city and county and four physicians in good standing, residing in the city and county, who are appointed by the Governor, and holding their office for the term of five years. By a physician of good standing, it is understood, a good orthodox Old School physician. As a rule, they not alone capture the Board of Health, but have also the exclusive power to appoint the health officer for this city and county and port of San Francisco, holding office as long as it pleases the Board, or as long as he wears the political garment of the Board.

The condition is that he be a graduate of some medical college in good standing.

As the Board of Health is of good standing, that is, graduates of an Old School college, consequently, the health officer and all his associates must be of the same political color, and the "loaves and fishes," are always carefully divided between the two "regular" medical schools, the Toland (California University) and the Cooper Colleges.

The Governor in his appointments sees to it, that all members of the Board of Health wear his political garment.

The Board of Health appoints also a quarantine officer, a secretary and assistant secretary, six health inspectors, one market inspector and one messenger.

They also appoint one superintendent physician for the county hospital, one resident physician, one steward, one matron, one apothecary, two visiting physicians, two visiting surgeons as officers of the county and city hospital; and the physicians and surgeons are to be nominated by the faculty of the medical department of the University of California (Toland Medical College) and the Cooper Medical College. All other medical schools are excluded and need not apply.

Said Board also appoints the engineer for the city and county hospital.

They may also appoint one superintendent, one resident physician, one matron, and such other employees as are now authorized by law. They also have the power to appoint and prescribe the duties of one city physician, and one assistant city physician, who shall be designated as police surgeons.

In short, the Board of Health of this city and county wields almost as much power as the Governor himself: they appoint a physician to every public institution that is in need of medical aid, and have the supervision of all matters relating to sanitation of the city and county, including the city and county hospital, the jail, almshouse, harbor, etc., with the full power to appoint and disappoint, engage and disengage employees, build and destroy, as it sees best to promote the public welfare, and may appoint as many inspectors as they deem necessary in time of epidemics.-Statutes of California of 1877, 1878.

health

An Act to protect the health from infection by exhumation and removal of the remains of deceased persons.-Approved, April 1st,

1878.

An Act to provide for the proper sanitary condition of factories and work-shops and preservation of the health of employees.-Approved February 9, 1889.

Such are the laws of our city and county. We also have a State Board of Health, which is also appointed by the Governor of the State.

This board meets several times during the year in the city of Sacramento, and makes suggestions pertaining to the health of the State. The mortality statistics of this board, is to say the least, a very incomplete affair, and of little value to the statistician.

According to the United States Census of July 1, 1890, San Francisco has white population, 312,000. Chinese population, 18,000. In all, the population of our city is 330,000. Our population has not increased since the year 1887. All nations are represented; in this respect it is like Chicago.

The city is situated on a peninsula, its whole eastern part girded by a large bay; the western part-the middle portion is girded by four large cemeteries at an elevation of about twenty-five feet.

The topography is of such nature, that it could have the very best sewers. Instead of that the sewers are in a most lamentable condition, the year in and the year out; especially after the rainy season, they become choked up, or the structure collapses, a fact which cannot be denied. Our city has been ruled, and almost ruined by politicians and "ignorant contractors." They played a high game for many years. A daily evening paper says: "When will the people rise in their might and sweep from leadership and from power the men who have used their positions for their own ends." Not less than forty millions of the people's money for street improvements on the part of the city and its citizens have been spent by the street department. But we have nothing to show for it all, but badly paved streets and defective sewers.

The welfare of our citizens was never considered. Old political bosses have been forced to retire by the last election, and new ones have taken their places, and still no indications of reform in our public institutions, streets, sewers, etc., are noticed, notwithstanding the city authorities appointed two well known engineers to examine the condition of sewers, and make suggestions. Their report did not mince matters and in a few words said: "ignorant contractors and faulty construction." The débris and sewage accumulates on the