to convert your monthly into a medium for the settlement of doctors' differences. I only wish to correct a misstatement of facts concerning the condition of practitioners of the homœopathic school in the Province of Ontario; in regard to which, the position I have held on the Board of Examiners and the Medical Council may justify me in speaking with authority. The misstatement is to the effect that "in Ontario, up to ten years ago, homœopaths were yearly registered by scores; since then they have to pass through the same courses and examinations as the regular students, in all but therapeutics and pharmacy. The consequence is, that in ten years there have only been two or three applications for examinations as homœopaths. Homœopathy is now dying a natural death."
1. Up to ten years ago, homœopaths were not "registered" (licensed, he means, for there was then no registering) by scores. Half a score a year was considered a large number. The old law required a longer course of study from homœopathic than allopathic students; and much longer than was necessary for graduation in a United States college. As a consequence, fully five sixths of our students settled across the line.
2. In the ten years following, under the new law, instead of only two or three homœopaths licensed for the whole period, there have been applicants every year—some as homœopaths, while others have passed the allopathic examinations. And, though the number of applicants may be less now than formerly, the diminution applies to students of all schools—the result of our extended course of study and rigid examinations. The proportion of allopathic and homœopathic applicants remains about the same.
3. The way "homœopathy is dying" in Ontario is illustrated by the fact that the President of the Medical Council, the ex-officio head of the medical profession, is this year an avowed homœopathist, and a graduate of a homœopathic college. And he has been elected to that position by a two-thirds vote of a body in which allopathic physicians have a majority of five to one.
As nearly all the statements regarding homœopathy in the article referred to have as much foundation in fact as those I have taken the liberty of correcting, it is evident that your contributor's assertions will need more than a single grain of salt to render them acceptable. Misstatements of facts are always made either in ignorance or in malice. Your contributor probably knows better than I the cause of those that have called forth my corrections.
| Cl. T. Campbell. |
| London, Ontario, June 25, 1883. |
"OUR MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE LAWS."
Messrs. Editors:
Gordon A. Stewart, writing on "Our Marriage and Divorce Laws" in the June number of the "Monthly," in speaking of the causes for which divorces may be granted in different States, uses this language: . . . "In Connecticut, Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina, and Maine, there is any cause that a discontented and dishonest party may allege, or that a judge in his discretion, influenced by sympathy or corrupt motives, may approve."
As applied to Indiana this statement is wholly without foundation. In this State the causes for divorce are clearly defined by statute. No one is entitled to a divorce who can not show the existence of some one or more of the statutory grounds.
No discretion is vested in the judge, further than that of saying when the evidence is sufficient to prove the existence of the cause for which a divorce is asked. At one time Indiana had such a statute, but it was repealed many years ago. Mr. Stewart having thus (inadvertently, I presume) libeled our State, should make the "amende honorable" through the columns of the "Monthly," and will doubtless take pleasure in doing so when his attention is called to the matter.
| R. W. McBride. |
| Waterloo, Indiana, June 20, 1883. |
THE DEAD-LANGUAGE SUPERSTITION.
THE celebrated defense of classical studies in college education delivered at the University of St. Andrew's, some fifteen years ago, by John Stuart Mill, produced a very powerful effect upon the public mind, and was thought by many to end all discussion upon the question. Mr. Mill had a great reputation, which was at that time at its full height. He was a man of extensive erudition, and fine mental accomplishments, and was, moreover, a radical reformer, and ranked high as a representative of modern ideas. Not being himself a university man, and standing as a leading liberal, it was naturally supposed that he would take the modern
