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treated of at length, an account of the principal ingredient oractive principle of each being inserted either under the firstor the most important of its preparations. The articles of theMateria Medica not employed in Part II., are clumped toge-ther as an Appendix to 11 prepared Vegetable Substances,"which, considering this Appendix contains no less than sixwhich are animal products, is rather an odd arrangement.We find, amongst these, this remark on the Gaduin of Dr.Jongh, said, by him, to exist in cod-liver oil :-

" It is most likely that this gaduin is merely an impurityarising from partial decomposition of the oil, and has no claim Ito be looked upon as an essential constituent of it."

A catalogue of the omissions and insertions in the presentPharmacopoeia, an explanation of the method of employingsymbols and formulae, tables of formulm and equivalents, the I

usual posological table, and an useful index, complete thework; which, when we look at its convenient size for a book ofreference, and the excellence of the paper and type, is by farthe cheapest publication on the subject, as it is unquestionablythe best.We also observe a few corrections of some formulae of the

original, which the editor appears to have been authorized bythe compilers of the Pharmacopoeia to make. Of these, themost important is the diminution, by one-half, of the quantityof the spirit and of water ordered to be used in Tinct. FerriAmmonio-chloridi.Much attention has been paid to the adulteration of drugs

and chemicals, and the methods for detecting these sophisti-cations.

Medical Societies.

MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.

SATURDAY, OCT. 18, 1851.—DR. MURPHY IN THE CHAIR.

MR. B. W. RICHARDSON made a communication to theSociety,

ON THE THERAPEUTIC USES OF CREASOTE.

He stated that during the last visitation of Asiatic cholerahis attention had been called to a short notice, commu-nicated to THE LANCET and Medical Gazette, by Mr. Spinks,of Warrington, on the astringent value of creasote inthat disease. Mr. Richardson had never used creasotein true Asiatic cholera, because the subject had not comebefore him until the epidemic was nearly over, but he had sincefully tested its value as an astringent, and he must say, thatin some cases of diarrhoea, he had never before seen half sogood a remedy. The cases in which it is most useful are ofthree kinds: lst. Cases of diarrhoea during ordinary epidemics,where the disorder cannot be traced to the presence of foreignmatter in the intestines. 2nd. Cases where profuse diarrhoea.follows the employment of purgatives, given to remove foreign imatters during intestinal disorders. 3rd. Cases in which,after an acute diarrhoea, the patient continues to be troubledwith frequent and sudden liquid evacuations, not attended ’,with pain or great constitutional disorder. Illustrative caseswere supplied. The advantages of creasote are the following:It often succeeds when all other astringents fail; of this theauthor is thoroughly convinced from repeated experiments;it is speedy in its action; lastly, it does not leave the bowelsconstipated, unless carried too far in its administration. Occa-sionally, during its use, it produces a dry, white, filmy stateof tongue, and other symptoms of feverishness. When thisoccurs the remedy must not be continued longer; indeed, it israrely required after such symptoms, the purging being usuallyarrested before they appear. With children the dose givenmust be very small, or such good results will not follow;the one-eighth, one-sixth, and one-fourth part of a drop, issufficient for babes from one to two years of age. With adultsthe dose, as an astringent, is from one and a half to twominims. A late writer in the Medical Gazette (Mr. Kesteven)had also alluded to the value of creasote as an astringent, andhad opined that this value depended on the power whichcreasote was known to have, of coagulating albuminous fluids.To this it may be objected, that the quantities of the creasoteemployed medicinally are not sufficient to produce such coa-gulation in the intestines. Mr. Richardson also alluded to

other effects of creasote. He denied that, in ordinary doses,it possessed some of the properties described as belonging toit in elementary treatises on therapeutics, such as narcotic,sedative, and diuretic properties. At the same time heassigned to it powerful diaphoretic and anti-spasmodicqualities, and said, that on the vascular system it rather actedas a stimulant than as a sedative. Its power in stopping vomit-ing depended upon the dose, which should be small. Givenin its full dose, as an astringent, it sometimes excites vomiting,in which case hydrocyanic acid is usefully combined with it.To lessen its nauseous qualities, it is best to unite it with syrupof tolu and tincture of cardamoms, and camphor julep orwater. It may also be prescribed advantageously with thepreparations of ether when they are indicated.Mr. DENDY suggested that the creasote did good in some

cases of diarrhoea from its antiseptic properties. Diarrhoeaoften depended on acidity, and this was removed by thecreasote.Mr. RICHARDSON knew it to be astringent from its effects.

It was, no doubt, also a powerful antiseptic.31 r. STREETER trusted that it would not go forth with the

sanction of the Society that the premonitory diarrhoea ofAsiatic cholera was identical with the ordinary Englishcholera. They were different affections, and required differenttreatment. The practice commenced by himself in theepidemic of 1832, and continued in 1834, of giving superacetateof lead with opium after each action of the bowels, had beenattended with the most satisfactory results in warding off theimpending collapse in that of 1849. He had strongly recom-mended this practice in the spring of 1849, when his commu-nication of the statistical results of the cholera cases at St.Giles’s in 1832 was read at the Medico-Chirurgical Society,and which facts, to the disgrace of the executive, had notappeared in their Transact’ions. Let it not, however, be sup-posed that lead was the remedy for collapse-a state whichhis subsequent studies of Asiatic cholera led him to regard asarising from the abnormal presence of a prussic acid poison inthe blood in the place of the normal cyanic element of thetrue urinous excretion.Mr. RICHARDSON explained that he did not allude to cases

of Asiatic cholera.Mr. HARRISON said that prussic acid was the only remedy

which he had found effective in cholera.Mr. RICHARDSON, in reply to a question of Dr. Lankester,

said, that out of 100 cases in which he had employed creasote,he had combined opium with it in six only.

Dr. LANKESTER believed that in ninety cases out of a hun-dred, it was the opium that did good in cholera.

GELATINOUS POLYPUS-NEW POLYPUS FORCEPS.

Mr. HARVEY exhibited a gelatinous polypus which he hadextracted from the ear by means of a new kind of forcepswhich he had invented for the purpose. He observed that inthese cases it was most desirable that the morbid growthshould be extracted entire; for if it was broken or otherwiseinjured in attempts at its removal, it gave rise to much incon-venience, and required tedious and troublesome after-treat-ment. The forceps which he had constructed, and which hehad been in the habit of using for a long time with satisfactoryresults, were not dissimilar to those of Assalini, but had asomewhat longer blade, were flattened on either side, and ter-minated with three rows of teeth. The foreign body wasfirmly grasped by these teeth, and removed by a rotatorymotion, the instrument admitting of that. This Mr. Harveyregarded as of great importance to the operator on the ear. Itwas also sufficiently small to admit of being used with a bivalvespeculum in the auditory canal, the operator being thusafforded an opportunity of investigating the origin of polypi.The instrument was shown to the Society.Mr. DENDY read a communication on

THE AFFINITIES AND PROPHYLAXIS OF VARIOLA.

He first mentioned the obscurity in which the origin of thedisease has been so long veiled, and then alluded to a sermon,preached in 1722, to prove that the devil, when he smote Jobwith sore boils, was the first variolous inoculator. In the pre-sent day, even, after innumerable discussions, there is still anextreme discrepancy of opinion regarding the varieties of pock,as well as the nature, degree, limitation, and value of prophy-laxis. The question as to the nature of variola and its affini-ties is intimately connected with that of prophylaxis; for if itwere proved that the several species of pock are but varietiesof the same genus, the subject of vaccine influence would beextremely simple-the substitution of a simple for a severeform of a malady. But supposing an original identity, there

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arises the question-By what influence or transmission has vac-cinia lost its epidemic character while it retains its prophylaxis- varicella retaining the former and losing the latter; whilethe most modified variola retains both, although shorn of itsSecondary fever? Varicella, from the absence of prophylaxis, isnot a disease of much importance, nor does it belong to thecategory included in the paper. Bartlett carefully varicel-lated seven children not previously protected, but failed toproduce any effect. Bateman and Rayer, however, had a dif-ferent belief. In its most confluent form, however, varicellahas never been known to produce variola, nor has the latterdisease ever been noticed during the prevalence of epidemicvaricella; and even if inoculation be practised during its preva-lence, the varicella will proceed unchanged; whereas the syn-chronous insertion of variolous and vaccine matters mutuallvinfluence each other to a certain extent. The succession ofcrops of varicellous vesicles, and their purely vesicular andunilocular character, even when confluent or very deeplyseated, mark its dissimilarity. The varioloid disease is, how-ever, of much greater importance. This, Mr. Dendy said, isthe diminutive of variola; their essence is the same; and hetherefore calls it variella; for although its vesicle may dwindlein its birth, or pass at once, about the seventh or ninth day, tothe crust, yet if its pus or lymph in extreme attenuation beused to inoculate with, sooner or later the true variolous pus-tule will be produced. The following is his classification:-’Variola—Small-pox.Variola papularis-Horn-pock.Inoculated variola-In a previously vaccinated person.Variella-Casual variola in a previously vaccinated person.Vaccinia-Cow-pock.Vaccinia spuria-The pustule of grease or udder sores, orheterogeneous or foul matter, often attended by bullse,rupia, or erysipelas.

Vaccinella-Imperfect, or abortive vaccine.Varicella-Lenticular, chiefly in children.Varicella-Conoid, swine-pock.Varicella-Globosa-hives-the closest affinity to variola in

form, as it has a partial disc; but none of these produce fullvariola by inoculation.

To be capable of transmission prophylaxis, the pock mustbe circular, umbilicated, and cellular, having a hard base,and containing lymph. If such be not the case, even

during the crusting of the false vaccine, not only variola, butvariella, may impart the modified form of the eruption.Mr. Dendy next examined the degree of affinity betweenvariola and the disease which he calls variella, the nature ofgrease, and the various udder sores, and then proceeded toexamine the question as to the controlling influence of vacciniaover variola. Of this, he asserted, there could be no doubt; buthe considered the statement made by Jenner and Aicken, thatvaccination was a perfect preservative from small pox, wasthe foundation of the prejudices against it. It has beendisproved by Mr. Estlin, who has seen a fatal case of small-pox, the sufferer having been vaccinated by Jenner him-self. Mr. Marson also has said that several persons operatedon by Jenner have been admitted since into the Small-poxHospital. Nevertheless, the mortality from small-pox,amounting formerly, in the British isles, to 40,000 annually-one-tenth of the total obituary-has been so greatly abatedin consequence of vaccination and the diminution of vari-olous foci, that the author indulged a hope that the diseasemay be ultimately annihilated. Variella may, perhaps, occurin 5 cases out of 100, giving a prophylaxis of 95 per cent.; thedisease also, when it occurs, being much milder than inoculatedsmall-pox without vaccination. The mortality of this modifieddisorder, as recorded by Thompson, was about 3 in 71; by Dr.Gregory’s report about 6 or 7 per cent.; while of 1300 unpro-tected persons 500 died of variola. Mr. Grove, of Wands-worth, states that during the six months from September tolast March, there were 126 cases of small-pox in that parish,of whom 66 had been vaccinated, 1 had had small-pox, and 58were unprotected. Of the 66 none died, and all had the dis-ease mildly; of those non-vaccinated 16 died, a large numberhad the distemper in its worst and most perilous form, andseveral will be disfigured for life. Mr. Waddington, of Mar-gate, adds confirmatory evidence. Small-pox was epidemic inMargate twenty-five years ago: 33 children died, not one ofwhom had been vaccinated. Mr. Dendy next alluded to caseswhich were totally unsusceptible of the vaccine virus, whichhe contrasted with those which manifested extreme suseep-tibility. He remarked, that it is essential that the vaccinebud or germ have a congenial soil, uncontaminated by anotherpoison, which, like a weed, might choke its healthy growth.

Even during the prevalence of specific malaria, children-though the disease be not actually developed-are renderedespecially insusceptible of vaccination. In asthenic, strumous,or cachectic systems the vesicle will be blighted early, or it willburst out into excess or depravity of action, somewhat like thedoubleormonster blossom. It becomesadiseasemore resemblinggrease or udder-sores, and its prophylaxis, of course, fails. Hencetheadvantageofa preparation of the system; for it is in these de-praved diatheses that variola so often becomes confluent, malig-nant, and bloody, or terminates fatally, even before the eruptionwould have appeared. The natural predisposition to infection iseffected by a change in the crasis of the fluids. According to theacuteness or intensity of the agents that effect this in thesystem, will be also the degree or extent of elaboration fromthe system. In the mild form of vaccine, this depuration iseffected by the mere efflorescence of an areolated vesicle, thevisible sign of the constitutional influence. In the severervariola, the process of elimination is multiform-diarrheea,basmaturia, cellular oedema and effusion, and induration andsuppuration of glands, the more malignant form being attendedby the bulloe of pemphigus, terminating in ragged ulcers, ordeep abscess under the crust. Modified variola or variella isnot a mule, as it is reproductive, and may be communicatedlike perfect variola, both by malaria and by inoculation. Itmay also induce the specific fever, without eruption, in children,and in nurses, who are protected in a higher degree. Its ino-culation for the fourth or fifth time, the author believed,would produce full variola, marked by true variolous symp-toms, and he thought it might do so at once. In several iso-lated cases, in which some years ago he practised its inoculation,there were both the secondary and tertiary fevers, the first aslight erythism on the third or fourth day prior to the generaleruption,and the other on the maturation of the pustule. Whenoccurring casually, the first eruption of variella is on thehands, of variola usually on the face and breast. An argumentagainst the identity of variola and vaccinia will be found intheir running a parallel course, or in the one overcoming theother, variola being generally the victor when inoculatedsimultaneously. This draws attention to the question of incu-bation or latency of a germ, The poisonous atom will some-times lie in the system for months and years. Rabies hasoccurred fourteen months after infection; syphilis may pro-duce secondary or tertiary spmptoms years after primary

I disease has subsided. The incubation of variola may be, there-fore, somewhat undefined; nevertheless, from experiments, afair conclusion may be formed as to the usual period of thisincubation, when vaccine prophylaxis may be induced; andfrom these the author judged, that, on the third day, beforethe onset of erythism, rigor, and headache, perfect lymph beinserted, prophylaxis is almost certain, assuming three or

four days for the premonitory symptoms before the variolouspoint or papula appears. The vaccine vesicle will then beeight or nine days old, the areola will be becoming indurated,and erythism will exist. It is probable, Mr. Dendy said, that,in this fever against fever, the essence of prophylaxis reallyexists. If under this influence the variolous papula proceeds,it will resemble umbilicated varicella or horn-pock. If thevaccine be used two days later, especially if there be bronchialor pulmonarv symptoms present, it will be useless. Thepapula may be just apparent, but it will be blighted. Thereare, of course, exceptions to this rule. A woman wasdelivered, says Dr. Hennen, while suffering from confluentvariola; the infant was vaccinated a few hours after birth.The mother died on the eleventh day; the infant had truevaccine, and lived. Eruptive disease is most virulent andperilous in warm climates, and there secondary variola is notunfrequent. In the temperate countries, however, the authorbelieves the occurrence of variola to be most rare after com-plete vaccination, especially if Dr. Bryce’s mode has beenadopted. His colleague, Mr. George, who has had most exten-sive experience, has seldom or never seen variella where fiveor six perfect vesicles have been produced; and he thinks,therefore, that there is no proof of limitation of influence. Mr.Dendy believes, that quality is better than quantity; thatone perfect vesicle is preferable to a crop of pale undefinedvesicles; if, therefore, there be two or three perfect vesicles,with annular and indurated areolse, combined with erythismof two or three days’ duration, and followed by spotted orpitted cicatrices, corresponding with the cells of the vesicles,that impregnation and prophylaxis are as complete as fromvariola against the influence of malaria. Spurious variola,varicella, and variolous horn-pock may still occur by inocula-tion. The occurrence of variella from exposure to variolousmalaria, in vaccinated children, cannot be above four per cent.The inoculated small-pox has seldom been, Mr. Dendy believes,

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followed by a secondary disorder. The case of Louis XV. is Ian exception, The cases of secondary vario!a are marked byextreme severity, especially in adults; the fever will be acuteor typhoid, and precede the eruption of variella. The cases ofthree children were given: one, the youngest, unvaccinated,caught small-pox and died; the second child, well vaccinatedtwo years previously, escaped altogether; and the eldest, whowas deeply pitted with small-pox, had a severe secondaryattack, and also died. These children all slept in the samebed. The nurse, vaccinated in infancy, bad a severe butsoon subsiding attack of variella. Other similar cases wereadduced from other authors. From all this we learn thatprophylaxis is not a rule without exceptions, either in itsdirect or subsequent influence. With respect to the questionof limitation of influence, by some it has been referred to anabstract law of time. Copland affirms that vaccination is moreprophylactic than variolation for fourteen years; and Dr.Gregory has referred to the extreme rarity of variella or modi-fied variola, until fifteen years after vaccination was generallyadopted. Mr. Dendy believes that the first opinion maybe extended throughout the life. He is of opinion that thereis no law of limitation. That some occult change has beeneffected either in the vascular, nervous, or glandular systemis certain, whether we adopt the chemical, animal, or fungoidpathology. A sporule of a fungus may be sown or planted inthe cutaneous tissue,as a vegetable seed in the earth, or rather asa bud is grafted beneath the bark. The cotyledon may thus be un-folded, and the developed germ is thrown up to the surface ofthe soil, terrestrial or cutaneous, and is there displayed, eitheras a flower or a pock, in ail its charactoristio forms and colour.If the germ be diseased, or if the soil be uncongenial or in-fertile, an imperfect effloresence will ensue, a blighted or abloated flower will be displayed. The soil may be naturallyinfertile, or it may be impoverished by over-stimulation, as inthe area within the circle of the ring-worm, or of those vege-table eccentricities termed " the fairy ring;" both being theresult of fungoid sporules spreading in a circle. To completethe analogy, the virus has poisoned the blood, and thrown outits flower on the surface. It has thus done its duty, and thesystem is thus both protected and depurated. The existenceof the sporules was sought to be ascertained in crusts obtainedfrom Mr. Marson, of the Small-pox Ilospital. Mr. Dendy, inconjunction with Mr. Grove, of Wandsworth, dissolved themin liquor potassse, after which black points, which were con-sidered to be the sporules, could be distinctly seen. Thenotion of a law of limitation is not conclusive. Some con-current or casual causes may still be the explanation ofsecondary diseases. A want of balance between the anta-, agonizing influences certainly exists; a concentrated, intense,or virulent form of epidemic may overwhelm or saturate asystem that would have resisted successfully a milder influ-ence ; or a system reduced by disorder, or any other depress-ing cause, would yield to an attack of disease which in ahealthy state might have passed by unheeded. The proof ofsuccessful vaccination is not hypothetical; it is displayed inthe perfect vesicle and the constitutional excitement. Ifthese requisites be fulfilled, the author believes we shall havelittle need to re-vaccinate, or to discuss further the vaguequestion of limitation.Mr. Dendy’s elaborate paper was illustrated by a series ofwell-executed and valuable coloured engravings.

(To be continued.)

GLOUCESTERSHIRE MEDICAL AND SURGICALASSOCIATION.

Copy of Proceedings at the Quarterly Meeting held atCirencester, October 9, 1851.

THE minutes of the proceedings of the last meeting havingbeen read, and also an article in THE LANCET of August 2,1851,page 112, in relation to these proceedings,--The Secretary stated that he had several letters from mem-

bers who were unable to attend, which he proposed to readwhen those points were brought under discussion to which theletters referred; that one of them being applicable to the 1

present stage of their business, he would proceed at once toread it. He then read part of a letter from Mr. Rumsey, ofGloucester, which concluded with recommending a resolutionto the meeting. The Secretary said, as Mr. Rumsey was ab-sent, he would himself propose the resolution, as it met hisentire approval.The resolution being read, Mr. Watts, of Frampton, and

Mr. Goodlake, of Painswick, immediately rose to second it.

Mr. Warner, of Cirencester, suggested some verbal alteration,which was acceded to.

Dr. COLLINGS RoBiNSON inquired whether Mr. Stokes, thelate president, to whom the resolution applied, was a homceo-pathist.The Secretary answered in the negative, and stated, that in

one of his letters which he held in his hand to read, as thebusiness of the day advanced, Mr. Stokes distinctly says, " Iam no homceopathist."The President then put the resolution, which was carried

unanimouslv.-

That our late worthy president, not having fully completedthe period of his services at the time when the vote of thankswas passed to him at the last annual meeting, the Associationregrets, that in the discharge of the concluding duties of theday, he should have been exposed to unjust and hasty censureswith respect to the resignation of Dr. Adrian Stokes, and theyfeel assured that those censures could have originated onlyfrom an imperfect knowledge of the facts of the case, and ofthe objects of the Association, and that this meeting desires torecord its entire approval of Mr. Stokes’ conduct a.s president,and its thanks for the interest he uniformly manifested in thewelfare of the Society."

Dr. COLLINGS ROBINSON then addressed the meeting on theresolutions of which notice had been given by Dr. Brookes.He expressed his regret that Dr. Brookes should not havebeen present, and stated that he had undertaken, on behalf ofDr. Brookes, whose professional engagements caused his ab..sence,to bring the resolutions before the meeting. He declaredhis full approbation of the principles of those resolutions,although he liked those framed by the council of the MedicalSociety of London better. He would, however, submit to themeeting those of which notice had been given, and after urgingthe necessity of their adoption, he proposed the first, viz :-

" That the reporters for the medical journals be eligible foradmission to all meetings."

It was observed by several members, that the eligibility ofreporters for admission had never been doubted.Mr. WILTON said that they had been admitted whenever

proposed, and were always considered admissible when themembers present desired it.On this representation, Dr. Collings Robinson abandoned

this resolution, and proceeded to propose the next, viz :-" That there are three classes of practitioners who ought

not to be members of this Association-1st, Real homoeopathiepractitioners; 2nd, Those who practise homoeopathy in con-junction with other systems of treatment; and 3rd, Thosewhounder various pretences meet in consultation, or hold profes-sional intercourse with those who practice homoeopathy."

After some pause the President inquired whether any gentle-man would second the resolution just moved. No answerbeing returned, after some further time the President said," As Dr. Robinson’s resolution is not seconded, it is lost."The letters received by the secretary on the subject of

those resolutions were therefore not read, and immediatelyon the President’s decision, Dr. Collings Robinson handed tothe secretary copies of three resolutions which he said heshould bring forward at the next meeting at Cheltenham.The following is a copy of them:-

I " Ist.-That the practice of homoeopathy, or the prescribingmedicine in what are called infinitesimal doses, under thepretence that they are useful in the cure of disease, is foundedin palpable error, is a delusion on the part of the practitioner,a deception on the public, and manifestly dangerous to itswelfare.

" 2nd--That the members of this Association cannothonourably hold any professional communion with homoso-nathists.

" 3rd.—That consequently any member of this Associationwho shall hereafter practise homoeopathy, or who shall know-ingly meet in consultation any professional homoeopathistwill thereby render himself unworthy of the membership ofthis Association."OXFORD UNIVERSITY.-The Clinical Professor of

Medicine (Dr. Ogle) proposes to commence his next course ofinstruction at the Radcliffe Infirmary, at one o’clock onSaturday, Nov. 1. Those students of medicine (non-academics)who desire to attend these lectures, will be required to exhibitthe written consent of the parties to whom their services, aspupils, are legally due. All further information may beobtained by inquiry of the secretary of the infirmary, anymorning, between eleven and one.