is merely a diuretic. Now we are moderate persons. We should not, therefore, give drachm doses of the hydriodate, until we had felt our way with it, and if in less doses it did no good we should take care to ascertain that in greater it would do no harm. There are stories abroad respecting the effects of iodine on the testicles and mamma, that shoulld make people cautious. Again, we would scarcely be so uncourteous as to declare that we do not believe that Mr. Ashwell has cured six cases of "scirrhus uteri" by the hydriodate, and yet in point of fact we do not believe it. We have seen that game played, and we have played it ourselves, but alas! after much trouble and some time there was the scirhous uterus, never better, and often worse. No. We must have a new specific. This new journal is in truth consolatory. Dr. Seymour, it tells us, is employing iodine in diseases of the ovaries with manifest advantage.

"The diminution of ovarian tumours is most remarkable." Be it so. But think Dr. Seymour, of your patient in the Queen's ward-think of Dr. Anthony Todd Thomp

HISTORY OF THE CHRONIC PHLEGMASIE, OR INFLAMMATIONS. By M. BROUSSAIS; translated from the 4th French edition by Drs. HAYS and GRIFFITH, of Philadelphia. Longman and Co. London. 2 vols. 8vo. 1831.

dress, is unquestionably the best, as it was the first which came from the pen of that extraordinary man-BROUSSAIS. The other productions of this author have been handled severely by various critics-and we ourselves have taken the liberty to offer some commentaries both on the doctrines and practice of the distinguished founder of a large sect on both continents of the world; but the history of the chronic inflammations has always and every where been considered "a model of knowledge and originality in Medicine." The work in qustion was originally published in 1808, and required eight years to arrive at a eecond edition; but since that period it has come to a fourth edition, and is to be found in the libraries of most physicians who stuty French writers.

There is a large proportion of medical practitioners, however, both in this country and in America, who either do not, or cannot peruse the original work of Broussais, and to these we strongly recommend the present translation. We fully agree with the transatlantic editors in the following encomium.

"The History of Chronic Phlegmasia is unquestionably the chef d'œuvre of the most remarkable medical writer of the present day. For pure observation, just and discriminating views, and rigid adherence to the spirit of the inductive philosophy, few medical works can compare with it. No where else in medcial literature is there to be found a more copious array of facts carefully observed-morbid alterations met with after death connected with the antecedent symptoms-and the modifying effects of remedies minutely pointed out. Assailed as the other productions of this author have been with unprecedented virulence and acrimony of criticism, the present has extorted praise even from the most violent opponents of the physiological school."

The translators had a difficult task to

style in this enterprize, preferring rather to render the descriptions and tenets of the author as accurately as possible. We think that Drs. Hays and Griffith have acquitted themselves very fairly in this translation, and the following passage will at once prove a sample of the work, and exhibit some useful hints to the medical practitioner.

"It is well known to all physicians who walk hospitals, that there are met with in these establishments a number of pale, emaciated patients, who are daily losing their strength, and advancing slowly towards the tomb, with a more or less distinctly characterized hectic fever, and sometimes without any appreciable febrile action. The reflections required for the composition of my work on hectic fever, had fixed my attention upon these unfortunate and too long neglected individuals; and as soon as I entered into the service of military hospitals, I resolved to devote myself to the particular study of chronic diseases.

When I sought for a guide among the most illustrious authors, and those to whom medicine confessedly owes its greatest advances, I found only confusion-every thing was conjectural. I immediately perceived that facts were wanting, although pathological anatomy had already been much enriched by Bonetus, Morgagni, Lieutaud, and by the investigations made after the example of the celebrated Bichat, by distinguished physicians of the school of Paris.

The deficiency was not in the number of post mortem examinations, but in the individual histories of cases, and in the connexion of the symptoms. At the present advanced state of the science, a good treatise on chronic diseases can no longer be a compilation, and still less a collection of observations, registered by different reporters, and collated by a person who has not seen the patients.

It was necessary for the presentation of this matter in a luminous manner, that a hospital physician should himself undertake the laborious task of collecting and digesting the histories of diseases. That these histories might be complete, it was indispensa

ble for him to watch the progress of the disease to its termination, and that he should verify it positively, by assuring himself of the continuance of the health of the patient, or by making an autopsy of his body. This labour should not be confided to students, because the art of observing is difficult, and every reporter in framing his account, is influenced by his peculiar views and principles, and interprets nature differently.

It also appears to me, that the most happily organized physician requires the whole of his faculties to examine all the symptoms of a protracted disease; I even persuade myself that it is only by dint of repeating these examinations, that he can habituate himself to the language of suffering naturethat he can ensure the rigorous and uniform progress of the medicine of observationthat he can, by rectifying the doctrine, extend it, render it more correctly appreciated, and contribute to the progress of the science of man, by perfecting the art of curing his numerous infirmities."

As this translation can now be obtained from Longman's house, we strongly recommend it to the attention of our professional brethren.

VI.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS ON CHOLERA ASPHYXIA, &c. By JAMES B. KIRK, M.D. 8vo. pp. 100. Greenock, May, 1832.

We must be very brief with pamphlets and indeed all works on cholera now. Yet it would be an injustice to the public, as well as to those zealous practitioners who have investigated the epidemic, to pass entirely unnoticed the results of their labour. Dr. Kirk appears to be a most philanthropic physician. From Greenock, he proceeded to Edinburgh, Tranent, Musselburgh, and Newcastle, studying the epidemic—and, at length, after multiplied observation, and extensive epistolary communication, coming

to the conclusion that diarrhoea is invariably the first stage of the disease-and that, in such stage it is a very manageable com plaint. That we are of the same opinion the readers of this Journal will testify. In not a single case, where we have been able to investigate the circumstances personally and carefully, have we failed to find that diarrhoea was the primary link in the chain of morbid phenomena. The great value of Dr. Kirk's pamphlet consists in the train of communications from upwards of twenty medical practitioners conversant with the epidemic, and who bear ample testimony to the truth of Dr. Kirk's position respecting diarrhoea. Among these we may note Dr. White, of Gateshead-Dr. Morson, of Newcastle-Messrs. Morson and Leighton, of the same place-Messrs. W., T. K., and J. Fife, do.—Mr. M'Intyre, do.—Mr. Tulloch, do.-Mr. Hardcastle, Mr. Frost, Mr. Clark, Mr. Greenhow, do.-together with many other experienced practitioners of the same place, and of Gateshead. From Mr. Lizars, of Edinburgh-from Mr. Meikle, of do.from Dr. Carruthers-from Mr. Cunningham, of Tranent—Mr. Moir, of Musselburgh Mr. Steele-Dr. Dunbar-Mr. Maccall-Mr. Sanderson-Dr. Mollison Dr. Johnson, &c. &c. Our author has given proofs the most cogent that diarrhoea is the first stage of cholera-proofs that might stagger the most ardent sticklers for "perfect identity" between our epidemic and that which ravaged India. We shall take the following description of the first, stage of the epidemic from our author.

"The patient complains of lassitude. He has frequently partial uneasiness in the region of the stomach; but this not to such a degree as to alarm him. He has frequent evacuations from the bowels-from two to a dozen times a day-not attended with much griping.

His countenance is sharp and dark. He knows not of this symptom, and it is only recognizable to the eye of experience. Occasional nausea may oppress him. But this is not a very common symptom. These symptoms may continue, varying in severity, from one to ten days, before the second stage of the disorder supervenes.

The evacuations at the first are generally of a dark brown or blackish hue. As the looseness continues they gradually become less and less of a natural appearance, until they assume the consistence and aspect of dirty water. Some headach, cramp of the fingers, toes and abdomen, and almost always slight giddiness and ringing of the ears, accompany these symptoms. Sometimes an intervening two or three days of costiveness supervenes, which is followed again by the diarrhoea, and in a few hours collapse supervenes, and in general nausea and vomiting. The skilful practitioner will now give pills composed of aloes and calomel, or a pill composed of scammony, calomel, and aloes. The bowels then in general act briskly. Continue the course for three days-keep the patient warm in bed-give him mild and gentle nourishment; and, after an immense quantity of horribly offensive dejections, the patient is completely recovered, and snatched from the jaws of the dreadful fate which awaited him."

Dr. K. proposes a plan of exterminating cholera-namely, an examination daily in

each town where it breaks out, of the in

habitants, in order to arrest the primary stage, by proper means. This, in truth, is the only sanatory cordon of any efficacy. In our reflections on the Board of Health in Musselburgh, and their contagious doctrines, we were rather severe. But let the reader peruse the following extract from Dr. Kirk, and say whether or not we had justice

on our side.

"It was evident to me, from the eventful experience of these two days, that little was to be learned of the right treatment of this disease in Musselburgh and Tranent. The practitioners were in dismay, and knew not what hand to turn to. Their remedies were as various as they were uncertain; and I retired from the scene, where the Opprobrium Mcdicinæ stared me in the face, and taught me an impressive lesson of how poor a thing our boasted art is when God is against us. Illness persuaded me to go no farther: the love of my country and of my townsmen, who have so liberally supported

me for half a life time, called on me to proceed to a place where the disease had long existed, where panic had subsided, and where I had heard that British energy, and British skill, and British science, had been brought to bear upon this terrible complaint. I proceeded next morning to Newcastle; and how rejoiced was 1 to find, after a single inspection of their hospitals, the disease managed upon a correct system, the medical attendants calm and philosophical, the indications of cure flowing out from premises easily to be understood; and all that was obscure, mysterious, and empirical, in Tranent and Musselburgh, was now dependant on rules of science easily comprehended."

Yet the practitioners of Musselburgh have designated all opponents to their pusillanimous and fanatic doctrines as ignorant and incorrigible sceptics!

Dr. K. is a non-contagionist-or, at most, a very moderate contingent contagionist. With the following extract we must close this short notice.

"Now, after all these facts, are we to pronounce the disease infectious? We have not an approach to a reason to say that it is so. The experience of India, Russia, England, and Scotland militate against it, for in all these countries the attendants of the sick have not been attacked in a larger proportion than the rest of society, unless that attendance has been in ill-venti

lated places where a malaria atmosphere was suddenly perfected; and thus are all the inhabitants of the little district exposed to disease in the same way that the people of an extended country have it, the atmosphere of which has, from inscrutable causes, become choleric. It is here that the contagionists have committed their grand error, in not distinguishing between an atmosphere imbued with disease, and the power of infecting directly by touch or close communication.

It will be seen by these observations that the doctrine I hold is that of contingent contagion; for, undoubtedly, facts most clearly evince, that there are circumstances in which the atmosphere of places becomes so contaminated that they directly cause the disease. But this exists in Cholera to a much less extent than in typhus fever and most of our contagious diseases,—so little, indeed, that we may look on this disease as one which may be considered non-contagious, except under the combined influences of many predisposing causes in the person attacked, and the effect of an atmosphere vitiated by the emanations of accumulated disease."

The appendix of communications from various practitioners, many of them distinguished ones, is highly deserving of perusal, and we recommend Dr. Kirk's modest pamphlet, in the strongest terms, to our professional brethren.

VII.

SECRET REMEDIES.

It appears that in France, as in our own country, swarms of quacks and impostors have sprung up since the alarm of the cholera morbus first began, and have been puffing forth their infallible cures for this direful Scourge. Our only motive for alluding to this subject at present is, to draw the atten

tion of our readers to the much better legislation towards medical men that exists in the Continental governments than at home. There, a commission is appointed to examine into the merit of all nostrums, pretended specifics, secret cures, &c. and the Academy of Medicine, if not satisfied of their propriety, have full power and authority to interdict all such nuisances. If such privileges were enjoyed and exercised by the profession in this country, there would