The gardener was now accused with the utmost violence; and the cool assertion of his innocence only contributed to the transformation of the divine into a demon. In that state he rushed into his wife's presence, and with dreadful rashness wished, that if she was guilty, the child which she was then with might be born without fingers !-Poor woman! she had indeed taken the fruit; and thus became the grand-progenitrix of a fingerless race, unto (even now) the tenth generation. Extract of a Letter from Professor TAVAREZ of Lisbon. I HAVE the honour to send you a specimen of the bark of the Portlandia Hexandria of Jacquin, or Goutarea of M. Aublet. One ounce, infused in distilled water, gave 3i. and ij. of extract of a bitter nauseous taste, not very perceptibly felt on the tongue, but very strongly in the throat, like that of aloes, very lasting. The same quantity, in proof spirits, gave 3i. and 20 grains of an extract with the same taste; in alcohol, it furnished 3ij. and 27 grains of an extract equally bitter. From the observations of several physicians, it appears, that, 1. It cures intermittent and remittent fevers, and even typhus, in the same manner, and in the same circumstances, as cinchona. 2. In confluent small-pox, in erysipelas, approaching towards gangrene, in carbuncles, it is superior to cinchona, in checking and dissipating the gangrene, where the latter has failed. 3. In chronic diseases, in which bitters are indicated, alone or combined with aromatics, astringents, and wine, according to different circumstances, and in different forms. 4. The dose is at first from 10 to 20 grains, because, being more stimulating than cinchona, it sometimes produces anxiety and vomiting, when given in larger doses than 3ss. Still we may sometimes push it the length of a drachm of the powder, or even farther, according to the constitution of the patient. 5. It is applied externally in decoction, as an excellent digestive, in scrofulous ulcers, in degenerated venereal sores, in caries, even in cancerous affections; sprinkling the part affected with it in powder, and then using fomentations of the decoction, as is usually done with cinchona, giving it at the same time internally. Such is the information I have at present to communicate on the subject of the Portlandia, which grows abundantly in our pos sessions sessions in the Brazils. There are, I believe, varieties of it; but I am waiting for more accurate information from our botanists, at present travelling in Brazil, when I intend to publish all the observations made with regard to it by myself and others, not forgetting its effects in gout and rheumatism. MR COLLINS, Surgeon in Swansea, writes, that his patient with the singular tumefaction in the abdomen, whose case is described, Vol. I. page 298. of this Journal, died in great misery. Upon examination, a large cyst was found attached to the liver, containing about five quarts of a yellow bilious fluid, not offensive in its smell, and which seemed to have deposited a leathery substance, of a very red or yellow colour, like saffron. Extract of a Letter from Dr THACKERAY of Chester. MARTHA MARTIN, æt. 23.- At the age of 14, her face and breast used to be affected every month with an erysipelatous swelling, and the eye and breast would become black as if she had received a severe blow, accompanied by violent pain, vertigo, and a copious and limpid discharge from the nostrils. She had also violent spasms in her head, face, and different parts of her body; light made no impression on the pupils on the eyelids being opened; tickling of the nose excited no sneezing; no kinds of voluntary motion were performed; the jaw was now closed; respiration difficult, and the pulsation of the arteries quick and irregular; catamenia natural, and body open. The spasm also extended to the bladder, no urine being voided without the assistance of the catheter; she often bent and bruised herself without sensation of it. In this situation she remained from one hour to four, eight, twelve, or even more; then the respiration and pulsation became reuglar, her sensation recurred, and she found herself fatigued, but recollected nothing of what had happened during the paroxysm. She was often bled topically and generally, blistered, had setons, underwent two courses of mercury, which nearly destroyed her, being compelled to swallow the saliva; and she took various nervous and antispasmodic medicines, as musk, camphor opium, &c. &c. with but transient relief. She tried the warm and cold bath, electricity, &c. without effect. From the 26th of March 1804 to Septemper 22d, 1807, when she came under my care at the Infirmary, her jaw had been altogether locked, except when opened by art, and as soon soon as the force was removed, shut again with great violence; and not a drop of urine had been voided without the aid of the catheter. I immediately ordered eight ounces of blood to be taken from the temporal artery, which was repeated thrice, and the jaw, neck, &c. to be rubbed morning, evening, and night, with the following liniment: B. Ol. olivæ, Ol. terebinth. aa ziß. Internally the following draught, B Infus. rad. valer. 3viß. Ft. Haust. quater quotidie sumend. was given by means of a tea spoon, through an opening made by extracting two of the great molares, one on each side, the only way she was capable of receiving any sustenance. On the 18th of October, the mouth opened a little, but she could make no urine. About the 26th of December, her mouth was perfectly free of spasm, the water was passed without the catheter, and she was dismissed cured. By a letter a few days since, I find that she has had no return of her complaint. Extract of a Letter from Mr BARLOW, Blackburn, Lancashire. BEING actuated by a desire of promoting the improvement of the art of midwifery, through the channel of your useful Journal, I solicit the attention of your readers to an axiom in midwifery, which seems to me involved in some degree of obscurity; it is respecting the possibility of adjusting the position of the head of the child during labour, when presenting with the face towards the os pubis of the mother. Few authors who have written on the subject have furnished us with precepts sufficiently explicit on this species of presentation. The observations of Dr Clark in the Transactions of a Society for the Improvement of Medical . and Chirurgical knowledge, Vol. II. appear plausible, for out of fourteen cases of this untoward presentation, thirteen have yielded to his tactile manoeuvres. How far this mode of practice has been successful, yet remains a desideratum in the obstetric art; for no remarks, either for or against this simple expedient, have come to my knowledge since the publication of those above alluded to. The elucidation, then, of a matter so important to the practical practical accoucheur, shewing explicitly its possibility or impossi bility, would, in all likelihood, meet the approbation of a majori ty of your readers. Remedy for the Hooping-Cough. THE acetite of lead has been lately recommended for the hooping-cough; it may be given to children, without producing any bad effects on the stomach and bowels, and it is said to relieve the symptoms of the disease very speedily. The following formula has been employed.-B. cerussæ acetatæ gr. iij. ad gr. v. syrup. violæ 3ij. aquæ rose 3ij. M. f. mistura. Capiat coch. parvulum 4ta vel 5ta quâque horâ, Dr BARTHEZ, formerly an eminent professor at Montpellier, late physician to the Emperor a. Paris, has published a work entitled, "Consultations in Medicine," in two volumes 8vo. to which are annexed a variety of consultations of several other distinguished French physicians, as M. M. Bouvart, Fuquet, Lorry, and Le mur. DR SHAW has been solicited to publish his lectures on Natural History, delivered last year at the Royal Institution; they are now in the press, and will soon be publised, illustrated with plates. THE First Number of a new London Medical Review is just published; it is to be continued Quarterly. A NEW Work is in the press, entitled, The Medical Mentor; or, Reflections on the History, Importance, Objects, and Difficulties of the Healing Art; consisting of a series of Letters from an old Physician to his Son, during his collegiate and other stu dies, preparatory to his engagements in the active duties of the profession. DR ARTHUR EDMONDSTON, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, has in the press " A Practical Inquiry into the Nature and Treatment of the Hooping-Cough." ERRATA-P. 30. text, 3d line from the bottom, dele (.), and for T read t. No. XV. will be published on the 1st of JULY...Communications may be addressed to the Editors of the EDINBURGH MEDICAL AND SURGICAL JOURNAL, to the care of Messrs Constable & Co. Edinburgh; Mr J. Murray Fleet Street, London; or Messrs Gilbert & Hodges, Dublin. THE EDINBURGH MEDICAL AND SURGICAL JOURNAL, 1. JULY 1808. PART I. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. I. Observations on a peculiar Affection of the Testis, attended with the growth of Fungus from that Organ; illustrated with Cases. By WILLIAM LAWRENCE, Demonstrator of Anatomy at St Bartholomew's Hospital. I HAVE met with several diseased testes, exhibiting appearances, which have not, I believe, been described by any surgical writer, but which must probably be familiar to the practical surgeon; since the numerous examples that have fallen under my own observation lead me to suppose, that the affection is by no means of rare occurrence. I am induced to lay before the public the facts which have come to my knowledge on this subject, in consequence of its not being noticed, at least in the ordinary sources of surgical information; and from having seen the operation of castration performed, as I think it will appear, unnecessarily, in several instances. The causes, symptoms, and progress of the disorder, will be sufficiently elucidated by the annexed cases. I shall, however, shortly describe its history, in order to bring the facts which the cases establish under one point of view. The patient has generally assigned some blow, or other injury, as the cause of the complaint; in other instances, it has originated in the hernia humoralis from gonorrhoea, and sometimes has appeared spontaneously. A painful swelling of the gland, particularly VOL. IV. NO. 15. R |