than dark. His teaching crops up constantly in the centuries after
his time, until the end of the nineteenth century, and while we now
understand the causes of the condition better, we can do little more for
it than he did.

Alexander divided mental diseases into two, the maniacal and
melancholic. Mania was, however, really a further development of
melancholia, and represented a high grade of insanity. Under melancholy
he groups not only what we denominate by that term, but also all
depressed conditions, and the paranoias, as also many cases of
imbecility. The cause of mental diseases was to be found in the blood.
He counselled the use of venesection, of laxatives and purgatives, of
baths and stimulant remedies. He insisted very much, however, on mental
influence in the disease, on change of place and air, visits to the
theatre, and every possible form of mental diversion, as among the best
remedial measures.

After his book on diseases of the head, his most important section is on
diseases of the respiratory system. In this he treats first of angina,
and recommends as gargles at the beginning light astringents; later
stronger astringents, as alum and soda dissolved in warm water, should
be employed. Warm compresses, venesection from the sublingual veins, and
from the jugular, and purgatives in severe cases, are the further
remedies. He treats of cough as a symptom due to hot or cold, dry or wet
dyscrasias. Opium preparations carefully used are the best remedies.
The breathing in of steam impregnated with various ethereal resins, was
also recommended.

He gives a rather interestingly modern treatment of consumption. He
recommends an abundance of milk with a strong nutritious diet, as
digestible as possible. A good auxiliary to this treatment was change of
air, a sea voyage, and a stay at a watering-place. Asses' and mares'
milk are much better for these patients than cows' and goats' milk.
There is not enough difference in the composition of these various milks
to make their special consumption of import, but it is probable that the
suggestive influence of the taking of an unusual milk had a very
favorable effect upon patients, and this effect was renewed frequently,
so that much good was ultimately accomplished. For hemoptysis,
especially when it was acute and due as Alexander thought to the rupture
of a blood vessel in the lungs, he recommended the opening of a vein at
the elbow or the ankle--in order to divert the