s accompanied with a teaspoonful or two
of cream of tartar, will prove serviceable. Beyond these general
principles of treatment it would be useless for us to attempt to advise
the invalid suffering from any one of the many forms of dropsy. The
specialist skilled by large experience in detecting the exact morbid
condition which causes the watery effusion and accumulation, can select
his remedies to meet the peculiar indications presented by each
individual case. Sometimes the removal of the watery accumulation by
tapping becomes necessary, in order to afford relief and give time for
remedies to act. We have found it necessary to perform this operation
very frequently in cases of _hydrocele_, and also quite often in cases
of abdominal dropsy. The chest has also been tapped and considerable
quantities of fluids drawn off, and this has been followed by prompt
improvement and a final cure.

CASES TREATED.

CASE I. A Canadian gentleman, aged 68, applied at the Invalids
Hotel and Surgical Institute, for examination and treatment.
He had been dropsical for over two years, and had become so
badly affected as to be unable to lie down at night. His legs
were so filled with water and enlarged as to render it almost
impossible for him to walk, and there was a general anasarca.
The least exertion was attended with the greatest difficulty
of breathing. He had been under the treatment of several
eminent general practitioners of medicine in Canada but found
no relief. They were unable to discover the real cause of his
ailment, but to the specialist who has charge of this class of
diseases at our institution, and who annually examines and
treats hundreds of such cases, it was at once apparent that
the dropsy was caused from a weakened condition of the heart,
which rendered it unable to perform its functions. He was put
upon a tonic and alterative course of treatment, which also
embraced the use of such medicines as have been found to exert
a specific, tonic action upon the muscular tissues of the
heart. He improved so rapidly that in less than two months he
was able to lie down and sleep soundly all night. The bloating
disappeared, his strength improved, and in three month's more
he was discharged perfectly cured.

CASE II. A man aged 42, consulted us by letter, stating that
he was troubled with general bloating