198 ; MYXEDEMA 



for, in fact, it is in place here — are put upon the market, and, after a brief 

 and ephemeral existence, are relegated to the orcus of the medicine closet, 

 never to see again the light of day ! 



The natural reaction is a constantly increasing doubt in regard to new 

 remedies. The fascinating reprints, of which every physician has a plentiful 

 supply, owing to the activity of the manufacturer, are read or not read, but 

 are followed very cautiously, for, otherwise, time and money would often be 

 uselessly spent, even if other and greater injury to the patient does not result 

 from their use. 



Why do I mention all this ? 



Certainly not to check a spirit of rivalry in the production, nor in the 

 testing of new remedies by competent physicians, and this I desire to repeat 

 with emphasis and to bring out prominently. The advantage which has 

 already resulted from organotherapy is so obvious that many a failure would 

 be amply compensated' for — but I must advise those who busy themselves with 

 this line of investigation to le more cautious in arriving at conclusions, and 

 to exercise more patience in collecting and more care in utilizing their 

 material. 



It is not wise to cut the corn while it is yet green; harvesting also is an 

 art. Whoever has not learned this, whoever works in a field which is too 

 narrow, i. e., in other words, whoever lacks the necessary experience and the 

 endowment of a faculty for scientific criticism, should refrain from giving 

 opinions on such a subject. 



To this group of over-hasty, uncritical, and, therefore, untrustworthy pub- 

 lications, belong those chateaux en Espagne which form the greater part of 

 that " so-called " organotherapeutics with which we have been favored in the 

 last few years. With alarming haste the manufacturing chemists have made 

 preparations from all of the organs, and offered them to the medical profes- 

 sion for its kind consideration. 



