Editorials.

The Real Object.

The New Year with THE THERAPEUTIST, opens auspiciously. The policy of this journal seems to have met with general approval. I am inclined to the opinion that it does not strike those who are looking for theories and for the discussion of obscure and unusual conditions.; but the field is designed to be a practical one, and the meeting of all conditions in a simple, practical manner, has brought me many letters of approval and congratulation.

The object of this journal is to stimulate therapeutic study on the part of those who have been in the habit of devoting themselves to this branch, and what is more important, to interest those who have previously cared but little for earnest, persistent, thorough therapeutic study and observation. This is the most important object, and to this we shall continue to devote ourselves.

The profession at large is now quite generally realizing that the course we have laid out for many years is the proper course. While the laboratory study of drugs is essential to a degree, and gives a completeness and finish to the education of the medical student, he finds when he comes to apply these theories in practice, that there is something wanting.

It is soon revealed to him that the clinical observations made at the bedside of the patient concerning the action of each and every remedy that he would employ, is the important thing after all. He thus learns to meet exact conditions with an exact remedy; he learns preciseness and positiveness in practice; he acquires a knowledge of his drugs that enables him to discard routine formulae entirely and to create a compound, with correctness and perfect adaptation, on every occasion, to the conditions met with, in the patient he is then treating.

He further finds that this knowledge of remedies enables him to immediately and with confidence, and ultimately with satisfaction to himself, prescribe for conditions which are entirely new to him. This is one of the most astonishing, but at the same time, one of the most satisfactory results of the thorough study of the single drug.

This course we are endeavoring to encourage all physicians in, and we are doing all that we can to obtain from each one those exact observations which he has been able to make on the action of drugs, which will serve to prove or disprove opinions previously existing, or statements which may have previously been made.

I observe with great satisfaction the unanimity of feeling on the part of our subscribers at the beginning of this year concerning the importance of obtaining from each doctor the proven fact. And those who previously laid but little stress upon my request, are very sensibly complying with it promptly and fully, and the prospect is that I shall have a far more perfect array of facts for the coming year than I have had in the past.

All this must certainly be gratifying to the readers. I shall certainly do my part and I have perfect confidence that my every reader will do his or her part.

Ellingwood's Therapeutist, Vol. 2, 1908, was edited by Finley Ellingwood M.D.