ings of meat. In the second dog, the phenomena and post mortem lesions were as nearly as possible the same.

In an experiment where a fœtid liquid, produced from the putrefaction of cabbage leaves in warm water, was injected into the jugu, lar of a middle-sized dog, copious stools of a liquid, fetid, and sootcoloured appearance, analogous to the dejections in melena, supervened in the course of nine hours, accompanied by vomiting and great prostration of strength. The dog lived three or four days with nearly similar symptoms, and then sank.

On dissection, slight phlogosis was observed in the lining mem brane of the bronchia-the left ventricle of the heart presented several brown ecchymoses-a fibro-albuminous concretion, weigh, ing two drachms and a half, filled in part the right ventricle of the heart, and adhered to its internal surface by a space not larger than the finger nail. The mucous membrane of the intestines, especially of the duodenum and rectum, was inflamed in longitudinal streaks, but without any thickening or ulceration.

In a similar experiment, where a putrified solution of the stalks and leaves of beetroot was used, nearly the same symptoms as above were produced, especially dysenteric affection, with bilious vomitings, &c. The post mortem appearances were nearly the same. These two experiments, M. Gaspard thinks, prove that putrid vegetable matters act upon the system in the same manner as animal, but in a milder degree.

The next suite of experiments is on the subject of absorption. Where putrid vegetable liquor was thrown into the subcutaneous cellular tissue, inflammation arose, attended with pretty severe constitutional symptoms, but death did not ensue. Where a similar liquor was injected into the cavity of the peritoneum, severe constitutional symptoms immediately took place, such as vomiting, purging, abdominal tenderness, dyspnea, tenesmus, and death, in nine or ten hours from the injection of the fluid. On dissection a quantity of vinous coloured, but inodorous effusion was found in the belly-the peritoneum inflamed-and, as it were, ecchymosed-the mucous membrane of the digestive canal, from the cardia to the anus, uniformly inflamed-the cavity of the pleura containing red and bloody serum. These experiments prove, M. Gaspard thinks, that putrid substances are absorbed when thrown into the cellular tissues, grounding this assumption on the following circumstances:1st. The similarity of symptoms resulting from injection into the veins and into the cavity of the peritoneum. 2d. Although the injection into the latter produces violent local symptoms, still derangements supervene in different and remote organs, which can only be explained (he thinks) on the principle of absorption. 3d. The copious secretion of urine which always followed the injection, must, he imagines, arise from the absorption of the irritating liquid. 4th. The absence of the peculiar odour of the injected substance in the fluid found in the peritoneum after death. 5th. The derangements found in the lungs, &c.

Although we have no doubt of absorption in general, yet we think

the author's arguments in proof thereof are far from satisfactory. The disorders induced in the system at large, and even in remote structures of the body from an acrid substance thrown on, and producing inflammation in, the peritoneum, might be accounted for, we imagine, without the actual absorption of foreign matters, on the well-known principle of the sympathy which exists between the different structures of the body.

M. Gaspard goes on to remark that the general effects of the introduction of the putrid matters in question, whether into the great cavities or the veins, appear to be a peculiar kind of inflammation accompanied with a species of passive hæmorrhage from the mucous membrane of the intestinal canal. The remaining experiments of M. Gaspard we do not consider as particularly interesting or worthy of translation to our pages at present. We leave our physiological readers to form their own conjectures, and draw their own deductions from those we have above detailed.

19. Carcinomatous Tumour in the Neck, mistaken for Aneurism of the Carotid Artery. A gentleman in Geneva had a tumour, which grew under the angle of the jaw on the left side, accompanied by great pain. At length it so obstructed his swallowing, that he was on the point of dying from inanition, In consultation it was agreed that there was reason to believe the tumour to be aneurismal, founded on the following circumstance. When the patient was placed in such a position that the outline of the tumour could be defined, and compared as to its size, at different periods, it was perceived that pressure on the carotid artery manifestly and considerably diminished its volume. This fact, and a consideration that the patient had but a few days to live, if not relieved, determined M. Munoir to pass a ligature round the carotid artery.*

The operation was accordingly performed with the temporary ligature. The tumour quickly shrunk, the gentleman was able to swallow, and in a short time it was reduced to one-third of its original size, with an entire cessation of the excruciating pain. When the patient and friends were congratulating themselves on the prospect of complete recovery, the volume of the tumour began gradually to augment the pain to increase-and, in short, the whole of the bad symptoms to return. The surgeons of Geneva knew not how to proceed, and the patient was recommended to go to Paris.

In a conversation which Dr. Marcet had with the celebrated Scarpa at Pavia, the latter gentleman observed that he had repeated all Mr. Travers's experiments on temporary ligature of arteries, both in man and brutes, and found them perfectly correct. He was therefore not a little surprized to find Mr. Travers subsequently invalidating his own doctrines, the truth of which had thus been proved by a foreign and unbiassed experimentalist.

There he consulted Dupuytren, who, with his accustomed liberality, reproached the surgeons of Geneva, for having completely mistaken the case, and performed an unnecessary operation. He, of course, proposed and executed extirpation. For a time, things wore a flattering aspect again, and Dupuytren plumed himself on his penetration and dexterity; but presently the disease began to shew itself once more, and in despite of all the caustics and cauteries which Dupuytren could apply, it progressively got worse, and, in fact, assumed all the characters of a malignant or carcinomatous affection. The disease has spread not only to the skull, but to the brain, with a loss of intellectual faculties, and a state of dreadful sufferings, so that his existence is become loathsome and horrible in the extreme. Fortunately it is near a close.

Now, contrary to the fiat of M. Dupuytren, we are of opinion that the operation resorted to by the Geneva surgeons was justifiable under the then existing circumstances. It cut off the supply of blood from a tumour which had so far encroached on the œsophagus as to threaten speedy death for want of food-and the event proved that it did give a temporary relief, not only checking the growth, but actually diminishing the volume of the tumour to onethird of its greatest size. This operation also gave a chance for the sloughing process, (which sometimes oocurs,) by reducing the vascularity, and consequently the vitality of the morbid structure.

On the other hand, we conceive that M. Dupuytren's operation was unjustifiable at the time it was performed;-and for this reason, that the disease was, long before, become constitutional. Those most experienced in carcinomatous affections are aware that the period for extirpation is often too late, long prior to the scirrhus becoming an open cancer-and that even in the female mamma, where there are no important parts underneath to prevent the surgeon from searching freely for all roots of the disorder. But in the neck, where the bands or radii of the scirrhous structure shoot in anong vessels and nerves where the knife dare not follow, what chance have we, at any thing like an advanced period of the complaint, of extirpating root and branch of this malignant disease? M. Dupuytren may say, "you judge of my operation by the event." We reply that we do not judge of it entirely by the event, but by the event, in many other cases-the safest way surely of forming an opinion in medical matters. And there can be little doubt that M. Dupuytren availed himself of the knowledge of the event, when he censured so freely the first operation on the patient by the Geneva surgeons and when he boldly pronounced that it never had been aneurism after the operation proved that part of the business beyond all doubt. We freely accord to M. Dupuytren the merit of being, probably, the first operating surgeon in France; but we will not accord to him a merit of equal importance, that of knowing better than any of his brethren, when an operation is proper, and when unjustifiable.

20. Malaria. The learned but somewhat visionary author of the article "Malaria," in the last number of the Edinburgh Review, has made, or thinks he has made, three notable discoveries. The first is, that St. James's Park" is a perpetual source of malaria," producing intermittents, dysenteries, liver complaints, sciatica, toothache, rheumatism, neuralgia, and "various derangements of health, in all the inhabitants who are subject to its influence." This is glorious news for the doctors, and we expect to see a fresh colony emigrate from the East, and settle "within the verge of the palaces,' as the poor's rates express it. This is clearly the reason why

The College is deserting Warwick Lane,+

"For Burnham Wood has come to Dunsinane."

We always gave the doctors, as well as the lawyers, credit for keen olfactories in smelling out a suit; but really we had no idea that their sagacity was such as to discover Pandora's Box between Buckingham Palace and the Horse Guards.

The second notable discovery of our author, is that of a "miasmometer," or test for malaria, in the person of "an officer who had suffered at Walcheren," who always has a return of his ague fits if he walks up St. James's Street, or down the right hand side of the Strand! We are rather at a loss to discover the reason why the Park malaria "reaches all through Finsbury division and Whitechapel," together with the South side of the Strand, while the North side of the same street is proof against this morbific agent! It appears too that the walking "miasmometer" has detected this courtly fiend in Bridge Street, Blackfriars. Surely Alderman Waithman, of that street, will bring this into Parliament as a charge against ministers, and as a specimen of the corrupt influence of crown lands, as well as of crowned heads.

The third or grand discovery of our author, "will form," he says, "one of the most valuable discoveries which modern times have added to our knowledge of prophylactic remedies." This is neither more nor less than a "gauze veil," by which the London Peripatetic may defend himself at once from flies and miasmata, while perambulating St. James's Street, Whitechapel, the Finsbury division, and even the South side of the Strand!

The discoverer of such a valuable prophylactic would certainly be entitled to a parliamentary reward, were it not for the unlucky circumstance that Rigaud de Lille proposed the same defence against malaria many years ago, as is well known to every medical man in the British dominions.‡

In conclusion, we beg to say that the author of the paper before us cannot attach more importance to malaria than we do; for we

⚫ Edinburgh Review, No. LXXII. Vol. 36.

+ See our last number.

See a translation of Rigaud de Lille's Memoir, in the second edition, of Dr. Johnson's Influence of Tropical Climates.

have felt its influence, and seen its effects, on a much larger scale than ever came within his observation. But living, as we have been, in the very centre of this supposed malaria of London, for years past, without seeing an atom of foundation for the hypothesis (for such we deem it) which is here brought forward, we can hardly be accused of unreasonable scepticism on the subject. It is not from such a piece of water as that in St. James's Park, and under a sky like ours, that febrific miasms are wont to arise. And even if they did, it is not upon the well fed, well clothed, and well housed inhabitants in the neighbourhood that they could make any impression. No wonder, then, that we could hardly restrain a smile, when we perused this serio-comic hoax of the sly Northern Critic on his credulous brother Bull of the South.

21. Traumatic Tetanus. Dr. Kennedy, an able and zealous cultivator of medical science, has detailed, in the 101st number of the Medical Repository, a curious case of traumatic tetanus succeeding a lacerated finger. On dissection, there were traces of vascular excitement on the peritoneal covering of the stomach-its mucous coat was preternaturally soft, and overspread with a firm yellow exudation, emitting a nauseabund odour-sphacelus obtained near the pylorus, and in the superior half of the duodenum. The liver was extensively disorganized-its substance being much softened and untenaceous, its vessels gorged with purple blood. The spleen crumbled into pieces when pressed between the fingers. The pericardium was dark, approaching a livid hue, easily lacerable, and containing two ounces of a dark brown sero-sanguiform fluid, of a syrupy consistence. The posterior hemisphere of the heart was marbled with streaks of dingy white-the anterior was nearly black. The left auricle and ventricle were unaltered. The right, with their valves, muscles, and tendons, "were so dissolved and imblended with coagula of venous blood, as to form an inorganic mass, black like pitch, and not firmer than a dense fibrinous clot." We regret that there is no dissection of the brain and spinal marrow.

In the succeeding number of the Medical Repository, Dr. Kennedy returns to the subject of tetanus, and presents us with a sketch of the principal modes of treatment which have been employed in this very formidable disease. We cannot analyze this part of Dr. Kennedy's excellent paper, but may merely observe that he appears to lean to the depletive treatment, as that which offers most chance of success. The concluding case related in the very valuable communication we shall introduce here, somewhat abbreviated.

On the 1st January, 1822, Dr. K. was summoned to a young woman who had failen down in a fit, and was apparently dying. He found her labouring under an exquisite paroxysm of hysteria,

* Dr. James Kennedy, of Glasgow. Med. Repos. 101-2.