SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
753 
t he deeper parts. Many practitioners believe that a counter- 
rritant applied over the throat region will relieve the distress 
11 acute pharyngitis and laryngitis, and it was my custom to ap- 
ly a blister over enlarged lymphatic glands consequent upon 
n attack of strangles which did not suppurate in the usual 
mgtli of time. The blister seemingly hastened suppuration 
nd resolution. The essayist probably indicated the most im- 
ortant point in connection with the firing and blistering for 
slief of chronic inflammations, when he stated that a loug rest 
ras an important factor. It has been held by some good prac- 
itioners that rest alone, without the counter-irritation, would 
fleet a cure. In relation to the comparative value of line fir- 
lg and puncture firing, will say that with my limited experi- 
nce the best results were obtained from the puncture firing, 
ut it has been a question in my mind whether or not the good 
esults were not due to the direct irritation of the deeper parts 
roduced by the puncture, rather than from the cauterization of 
:ie skin, it being doubtful about producing cauterization in the 
eeper parts. Perhaps others will discuss this point more 
illy. 
Dr. Moore ; Relative to the choice between line firing and 
tincture firing, I will say that it has been my custom to em- 
loy the line firing where I desired to secure the influence of a 
ounter-irritant in diseases of the soft parts, but in diseases of 
re bones I have preferred to use puncture firing. I am quite 
lclined to believe that by the puncturing of the periosteum, in 
rses of bony growths, such as spavins and ringbones, the ten¬ 
on on the periosteum is lessened, resulting in relief and cure, 
'he essayist has indicated that the combination of cantharides 
nd biniodide of mercury is a bad one, and as I have used this 
Dinbination for several years with seemingly good results, I 
iel called upon to defend it. However, I would not employ 
lese active agents in so large a proportion as indicated by the 
essayist. I use one dram of cantharides and one-half dram of 
mercuric iodide to the ounce of vaseline, and have found this a 
very reliable and certain blister. In no case have I found that 
the cantharides acted first and the serum produced washed off 
the slower acting mercury. While I am aware that oftentimes 
the cantharides on the market is very inferior in quality, and 
that failure to secure results from cantharides preparations may 
be fairly ascribed to this, I have sought to overcome this possi- 
f ble difficulty by combining the two agents in the same blister, 
and they have always acted admirably for me. 
