PRESCRIBING OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS BYPHYSICIANS\p=m-\A STATEMENT BY DR.

ARTHUR DEAN BEVANTo the Editor:\p=m-\OnFebruary 5 I testified before a Senate

committee in Washington, which was holding a hearing onthe Bingham bill, which sought to amend the prohibition lawso as to permit the manufacture and sale of beer containing4 per cent of alcohol. My testimony was given wide publicityin the daily press and I find that some of it was misrepresentedand misunderstood. I would therefore like the opportunity tocorrect any erroneous impressions which may have been formed.I stated that the doctor is authorized to write 400 prescriptionsa year for a pint of whisky and that a number of doctors hadnot been able to resist the temptation of selling these prescrip-tions to patients\p=m-\someof them selling their full quota of 400prescriptions a year and a number had even sold their entirebooks to bootlegging druggists and bootleggers.

I feel that the writing of millions of prescriptions for a pintof whisky a year, the bulk of which may be used for beveragepurposes and not for medicine, is a disgrace to the medicalprofession. I believe that the great bulk of the illegal andunethical prescriptions are written by a small minority of themembers of the medical profession and I believe that the greatmajority of the profession are entirely ethical and sound on thisproblem. There is no finer body of men in any professionor any field of work than the men in the medical profession.They need no defense from me or from any one else. I feelthat the abuses which have developed in the writing of unethicaland illegal prescriptions for whisky should be frankly and fullyexposed and eliminated.

This alcohol question is one of the most important problemsthat confront the people and the medical profession of thiscountry. It is largely a medical problem, a problem in preven¬tive medicine and public health. I feel that the organizedmedical profession of this country, the American MedicalAssociation, should assume the leadership in this matter andshould attempt to eliminate, as far as it is possible to do so,the injury done by alcoholic drink. I believe that the medicalprofession should handle this problem in exactly the same waythat we are attempting to handle sueh great medical problemsas tuberculosis and venereal disease.

Arthur Dean Bevan, M.D., Chicago.

MALARIA IN NARCOTIC ADDICTSTo the Editor:\p=m-\Theunusual presence of six cases of malaria

at one time in the San Francisco Hospital led to an investigationto determine the source of infection. The accuracy of thedepartment's investigation is plainly manifest. Nothing like thisin my experience has ever occurred before. Five of the patientswere morphine addicts using the hypodermic method:

1. W., aged 32, quartan type, onset February 1, a guest ofthe Hunter House, 675 Howard Street; also the Arcade House,66 Clay Street, at the time of onset.

2. O., aged 45, tertian type, onset February 6, a guest of theNew York House, 753 Howard Street.

3. W., aged 41, tertian type, onset February 1, dwelling placeunknown.

4. J., aged 42, tertian type, onset February 28, dwelling placeunknown.

5. B., aged 39, tertian type, onset February 13, a guest of theGolden Eagle Hotel, 253 Third Street.

They were all treated at the San Francisco Hospital, wherethe diagnoses were confirmed by the demonstration of livingorganisms in the blood. All recovered and were discharged,except patient 4, who died of pneumonia, and who was also a

mental case.

In my opinion either patient 1 or patient 3, whose dates ofonset were the same, infected the others by the common use ofthe syringe, although they denied this ; but I have had thisstatement checked by the clerk of the Hunter House, who saysit is a custom to pass the syringe around when they are con¬gregated in a room free from intrusion. It is obvious that,owing to the character of these men, their statements cannotbe believed.

Inspection was made at three of these hotels for evidences ofmosquitoes and breeding places without results. The men wereall cautioned about the danger of spreading disease in thismanner and advised to disinfect the syringe subsequent to eachinjection. J. C. Geiger, M.D., San Francisco.

Director of Public Health.

Queries and Minor Notes

Anonymous Communications and queries on postal cards will notbe noticed. Every letter must contain the writer's name and address,but these will be omitted, on request.

CALCIUM AND VIOSTEROL IN PREGNANCYTo the Editor:—My wife is pregnant. I propose to administer suf¬

ficient calcium, iodine and vitamin D to prevent dental caries and goiterand favor normal dentition in the fetus. Will you therefore answer thefollowing: 1. How much calcium is there in 1 quart of whole cow's milk?2. What is the calcium lactate equivalent? 3. If it becomes necessaryto diminish or eliminate milk from the diet to keep down the mother'sweight and prevent excessive growth of the fetus, what is the minimumamount of milk or calcium lactate that should be administered daily?4. Is there any advantage in calcium gluconate or other preparation ofcalcium over calcium lactate? If so, please state equivalent amounts.5. How much iodine in the form of Stearodine tablets should be adminis¬tered? 6. What amounts of the following would you recommend:( ) Mead's plain cod liver oil? (&) Mead's cod liver oil with viosterol10 D? (c) White's cod liver oil concentrate tablets? (d) Viosterol250 D? M.D., Ohio.

Answer.—1. One and two-tenths grams.2. The lactate ion removes approximately one half of the

calcium ; hence the amount of calcium lactate necessary toreplace the calcium in one liter of milk is about 2.5 Gm.

3. Since there is not much nourishment in a glass of cow'smilk (about 120 to 140 calories), a pregnant woman may taketwo glasses of milk daily without fear of an increase in weightdue to the milk. For most adults the intake of 1 Gm. ofcalcium or about 2 Gm. of calcium lactate each day is sufficient.Nearly all this calcium may readily be obtained in vegetablesand fruits. It has not been proved that an unusual increase inthe mother's weight necessarily implies excessive size of thefetus, for there is no constant ratio between the gain in weightof pregnant women and the weight of new-born babies.

4. Calcium gluconate is the most pleasant to take by mouthbut it is harder to absorb. The most absorbable form of cal-cilum is calcium chloride, but it is the most disagreeable to thetaste. The absorbability of calcium lactate is between thechloride and the gluconate. The latter is more expensive andif used should be taken in the form of the commercially sold\] grain tablets three times a day throughout pregnancy.5. Stearodine tablets contain from 26 to 28 per cent of iodine.Each tablet is the equivalent of 0.01 Gm., or one-sixth grain,of iodine and for prophylaxis one tablet a week is sufficient.

6. (a) One tablespoonful daily.(b) One tablespoonful daily.(c) From five to ten tablets daily.(d) Thirty drops daily.

HAZARDS FROM BENZENE TO ROOFERSTo the Editor:—I have a patient with aplastic anemia who has been

working considerably with petroleum pitch and with asphalt roofing.Can you tell me whether either of these products contains benzene and,if so, is it in sufficient quantity to be a causative factor in anemia ?I will appreciate any information you can give me pertaining to thismatter. C. J. Meredith, M.D., Valley City, N. D.

Answer.—Some petroleum pitches, and other roofing mate¬rials, require "cutting back." That is, they are softened up bydivers hydrocarbons in which benzene and benzine may beincluded. In the application of sheet roofing, it is common tomake use of a binder, which may be a thin asphalt or other

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