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anthelmintic. Amongst others, that it was held in such highrepute, that in some countries of the African continent its em-ployment was confined to the royal families. Where its employ-ment is not so restricted, the natives make a practice of purgingthemselves in company regularly every two months, when a cer-tain day of the Allemah months comes round. An interestingdiscussion followed, in which Mr. Williams, Dr. Sargent, Dr.

Laycock, Dr. Alison, Dr. Goldie, and Dr. Fowler took part.Dr. Laycock next proceeded to read an important communica-

tion " On the Reflex Function of the Brain." He argued thatthe brain, although the organ of consciousness, was also the seatof the reflex actions, and thus did not differ from other ganglia.After giving a short summary of the general phenomena of reflexaction he proceeded to prove, by a series of facts, that the brainand the cerebral nerves were susceptible of the reflex actionsjust as much so as the spinal system. In order to develop thereflex actions of these nerves it is necessary to excite each by itsappropriate stimulus; thus, the optic nerve by light, the auditoryby undulations of air, &c. Thus, in hydrophobia the excito-motory phenomena are excited just as readily by the action of re-flected light upon the retina, the sound of dropping water, or theidea of water, &c., just as readily as by the actual touch of water,&c. The author related several cases from various writers onhydrophobia illustrative of this. Dr. Laycock next referred tothe pathological action of colours, especially of red, and ofodours, more especially the delicate ones. The paper, which wasa most interesting one, was, however, of such a nature as not toadmit of justice being done it by any abstract. A most interest-ing discussion ensued, in which Dr. Goldie, Dr. Alison, Dr.Thurman, Dr. Sargent, Dr. Fowler, and Dr. Laycock tookpart.A paper was next read by Dr. Goldie, from Dr. Bacchetti, ofPisa, entitled, " Some particulars of a case of Extra-UterinePregnancy." A woman, mother of six children, shewed, in Dec.1836, the signs of a seventh pregnancy. At the ninth month all

signs of true labour manifested themselves; these phenomena re-curred for fifteen days, when they entirely ceased. The tumourdid not change in volume. In 1838 she became the subject ofa natural pregnancy, and again in 1841, both of which terminatedhappily. Ten months after this the tumour in the abdomen be-came painful, and the patient gradually sunk, in March, 1842. Onexamination, a large tumour was found, which had contractedadhesions to surrounding organs: on examining this, a malefœtus was found, which was entire, with the exception of thecranium, the bones of which were separated; no traces of placentaor funis could be found. The case was interesting in conse-quence of the complete development of foetus, its continuance forseveral months in the abdomen, and the woman having becomepregnant twice, with an extra-uterine foetus in the abdomen.Remarks were made in French by Dr. Bacchetti, and someremarks by other members of the section,A very instructive paper was then read by the Venerable Dr.

Fowler, on " Some cases of Congenital Deafness, Dumbness,and Blindness," as well as a letter from Dr. Howe, on the samesubject, addressed to Dr. Fowler, of which an abstract can

scarcely be given. After remarks from Dr. Alison, Dr. Fowler,Dr. Goldie, Dr. Sargent, and others, the meeting adjourned tillTuesday, Oct. 1.

SECTION E.

Tuesday, Oct. I.—Dr. Kemp read a paper " On the Functionsof the Bile." After stating that the bile is not merely an excre-mentitious fluid, the author proceeded to point out that it was re-crementitious, and then went on to the discussion of the questionof how the elements of the bile re-enter the system. This, hethinks, can be best ascertained by a comparison of the compositionof the ingesta and egesta. The author also stated, that the bile,when healthy and fresh, was always neutral; but that the mucusof the gall-bladder, being a proteine compound, readily underwentdecomposition, giving rise to the formation of carbonate ofammonia, and that he had noticed the bile to become alkaline inconsequence of this change taking place; and also, that in typhusfever and death from severe burns he had observed the bile tobecome alkaline. The cystic bile is essentially different from thehepatic bile, and that this difference is owing to the admixture ofmucus or epithelium with the cystic bile. The paper, which wasa very interesting and valuable one, was followed by a brief dis-cussion, in which the author, Dr. Sargent, and Dr. Goldie, tookpart.

Dr. Thurnam, of the Retreat Asylum, next made some veryinteresting remarks " On Dr. Carus’s Scientific Cranioscopy," anabstract of which it would be impossible to give.A report was then read, from the pen of Mr. James Blake, " On

the Physiological Action of Medicines." The author, after statingthat isomorphous substances, when introduced into the blood,

exert an analogous influence on the animal economy, proceededto detail some very interesting experiments that he had made ontartrate of antimony, the salts of palladium and platinum, andwith the chloric, hydrochloric, bromic, and iodic acids. Tartrateof antimony gives rise to precisely the same phenomena as thearsenic and phosphoric acids; the quantity required to causedeath was about a drachm and a half Chloride of palladiumwas found to be very poisonous, arresting the action of the heartin smaller quantities than any other substance. A grain of thissalt injected into the jugular vein caused death in twelve seconds.The salts of platinum act in a similar way, but are not so

poisonous, requiring three or four grains to destroy a dog. Theother members of this isomorphous group have not been experi.-mented upon, on account of their rarity.The next group experimented on were the iodic, bromic,

chloric, and hydrochloric acids. These exert an influence onthe passage of the blood through the lungs, and appear to provefatal, by inducing asphyxia.The following is the evidence on which Mr. Blake rests his law

of the analogous action of isomorphous substances:—1st, the simi-larity of action of the isomorphous substances belonging to themagnesian class-viz., magnesia, lime, manganese, iron, cobalt,nickel, zinc, cadmium, copper, and bismuth ; 2nd, those of lead,strontia, and baryta; 3rd, of palladium and platinum; 4th, of £phosphorus, antimony, and arsenic ; and 5th, of chlorine, iodine,and bromine. Mr. Blake concluded a most interesting andvaluable paper, by supposing that isomorphous substances formdefinite analogous compounds with the blood and tissues. Thisreport concluded the business of the section, although two papershad been received, but too late for reading. The medical menwho visited the city on this occasion all expressed themselvesmost highly gratified by the kind and cordial hospitality withwhich they had been received by their brethren of York, moreespecially by Drs. Belcombe, Goldie, Simpson, and Williams.

MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.

Monday, September 30, 1844.

DR. THEOPHILUS THOMPSON, PRESIDENT.

THIS was the first meeting of the new session.The PRESIDENT, on taking the chair and commencing the

business of the session, remarked that it was a privilege to take apart in the proceedings of a body of intelligent men, assembled,not for purposes of selfishness or vanity, but for the discovery anddiffusion of important truth. Such meetings, by the franknesswith which important suggestions were communicated and dis-cussed, contributed to the good of the public, and contrastedstrongly with the conduct of professors of mysterious methods, orthe proprietors of secret remedies for the pretended cure ofdisease. It might indeed be well if some suitable authority couldinvestigate the claims of those who professed to have discoveredimportant remedies, so as to reward the discerning and screen thepublic from dangerous impositions. It was truly lamentable thatpatent medicines should be sanctioned by an enlightened legis-lature, and the bearings of our gracious Queen be permitted todecorate packets of poison for her subjects. He trusted that thismatter would secure attention in the further consideration of agovernment measure, introduced, as he believed, with good inten-tions, but, he feared, with bad success. He hoped that any dis-cussion of that measure in the council of the society would nottend to disunion. He believed that such societies as that overwhich he had the honour of presiding were favourable to amutual kindliness of feeling among the departments of the pro-fession, by teaching individual members to forget accidental dis-tinctions of grade, to imitate without injuring, and admire withoutenvying, and to cherish a fraternal feeling towards all who dis-

tinguish themselves by assiduous observation, patient thought,and honourable conduct. The president concluded by expressinghis hope that the supply of dissertations would, this session, bemore abundant, and that the discussions would be conducted withstill more animation and instructiveness than in former years.

Dr. THEOPHILUS THOMPSON read a paper

ON THE CONNEXION OF CERTAIN FORMS OF INDIGESTION

WITH THE HABITS OF CIVILIZED LIFE.

I! He commenced by remarking on the great frequency of indi,gestion, not merely as a primary disorder, but also as induced, inthe course of other diseases, as a result, sometimes, of the ac-companying fever-at other times, of the remedies employed. Hebelieved that a discriminating classification of the varieties ofdyspepsia (provided it be not too elaborate) would materiallyassist in establishing definite and successful plans of treatment.

58The inflammatory form of indigestion, having no marked relationto civilized habits, was only cursorily noticed. The authordwelt chiefly on the atonic and the irritable varieties. Hedescribed the atonic as characterized by weight and distentionafter food; heartburn; insipid or foetid eructations; a clammy,furred, pale, flabby, or sodden tongue, covered with mucus; in-tolerance of a diet abounding in milk, sugar, or fat; sick headache;sleepiness after meals; timidity; hypochondriasis; cloudiness overthe intellect; unnatural captiousness; a want of command overthe intellectual powers, and sometimes even a tendency to suicide.

Irritable dyspepsia was described by the author as characterized,not by a simple sense of weight, but rather by various uneasysensations-as of emptiness or fulness, gnawing or grinding; byredness of the tongue and fauces, capricious appetite, and by greatsensitiveness to medicines and to moral impressions. Atonicdyspepsia required simple, compact, and nutritious diet, warmaperients, and, when the tongue becomes clean, tonics. Irritabledyspepsia was best treated witn anoaynes, alkalines, and prussicacid. In the former variety, coffee often agreed; in the latter, itwas injurious. The former was induced by simple exhaustion, ordistention of the stomach, sometimes by deficient stimulus ofbody or mind; the latter by causes which excited while theyweakened-such as irregular diet, protracted fasting, professionalor maternal anxiety. Dr. Thompson observed, that in regulatingdiet, it was a common error to apply to diseased conditions therules adapted to a state of health. He proceeded to shew thatnervous energy, muscular power in the stomach, and healthyblood, were essential to the adequate performance of digestion;and he enlarged on the tendency of a sedentary life, of longintervals between meals, succeeded by full repasts, as well as ofconfined air, elevated temperature, and the use of stoves, to inter-fere with these conditions; but of all the unfavourable influencesexerted by modern habits, he believed none to be more detri-mental than disturbed sleep, study unduly and anxiously pro-longed, corroding care, unsatisfied ambition, and perturbed passions.The author illustrated, by a reference to certain physiologicalprinciples, the manner in which the elaboration of nervousenergy, essential to mental processes, may be expected to induceexhaustion; and in conclusion, especially urged, in the treatmentof individuals with dyspeptic tendencies, exercise in the open air.systematic repose, moderate vicissitudes of temperature, and ruraloccupations, and argued that only partial benefit could be expectedfrom medicine, unless ambition were restrained within the lirniiof power, and the mind preserved in a state of equanimity a,necontent.

Mr. KINGDON expressed his approbation generally of the viewsadvanced in the paper, and inquired if the good effects said to bederived from taking milk in cases of irritable dyspepsia werepermanent, or only temporary. He thought that a large quantityof milk undiluted was likely to be prejudicial, as it would form ahard curd not easily to be digested. The effect of warm waterwas often beneficial in this form of dyspepsia. ;

Mr. PILCHER expressed his approbation of the manner inwhich the author of the paper proposed to treat the forms of dis-ease alluded to—viz., by general treatment rather than by specificremedies. He related the case of a gentleman who suffered fromdyspepsia, the result of close and anxious attention to the manage-ment of a large mercantile concern. He suffered successively undersymptoms of disease of the heart, lungs, and kidneys, and for therelief of these had been subjected to a variety of treatment withoutany relief. He was cured by relinquishing for a time the caresof business, and going into the country. Milk, he (Mr. Pilcher)thought, was unsuited to dyspeptic patients.

Dr. LEONARD STEWART suggested that the present fashion oftaking large quantities of tea and coffee tended to the productionof atonic dyspepsia.

Dr. WILLSHIRE said that dyspepsia was very prevalent amongthe poor as well as the rich. He divided the subject into theirritative, and atonic or asthenic forms; and the former, whichhe considered most common in men, into-first, the irritativefrom ingesta, and second, from the influence of particular trades,as, for instance, the shoemaker, from pressure of the last on thepit of the stomach, &e. The atonic, most common in women ofthe lower order, he considered to arise mainly from excessive tea-drinking, and the living upon poor and squashy food, which pro-duced distention, flatulence, and similar symptoms. This kindof dyspepsia also had its origin in an inveterate form of leuco-rrhœa. To cure asthenic dyspepsia, he proposed the avoidance, asmuch as possible, of all fluids, and the administration of solidfood. As a medicine in this disease, he had found great advan-tage from the liquor potassse, and tincture of hops and henbane,in infusion of columba or gentian. The irritative form of thedisease was best treated by hydrocyanic acid in infusion ofcolumba. If there was vomiting, creosote should be given also.

If the disease were produced by a particular trade, the occupationmust be discontinued. The irritative form of dyspepsia was morecommon among the upper than the lower classes.

Mr. KINGDON agreed with the last speaker respecting the in-jurious influence of swallowing large quantities of tea.

Mr. HEADLAND drew the attention of the society to the title of £the paper-viz., " Indigestion connected with Civilized Life," andinquired whether indigestion was met with in the savage state.He was disposed to think that it was mainly a disease con-nected with civilization. He would inquire whether it had itsorigin so much in the use of tea, as in exertion of mind, crowdingtogether in large towns, and other like depressing causes. Healluded to the prominent position which dyspepsia occupied inthe modern compared with ancient medical writings. Heartdiseases he considered to be decidedly on the increase, as theresult of the anxieties and over-exertions consequent upon outadvanced state of civilization.

Dr. RiSDON BENNETT questioned whether the injurious influ-ences attributed to exertion of mind were not over-estimated,and whether the diseases in question were not to be attributed tosomething more than mere mental exertion,-as anxiety, disap-pointed ambition, &c. He did not think that exertion of themind, to its fullest extent, if unaccompanied by anxiety, inter-fered much with the digestion, or tended to shorten life. Heinstanced the fact of clergymen, mathematicians, &c., as beinglong-lived as a class; while, on the contrary, poets, and that classof men in whom intellectual excitement was not kept under con-trol by the moral qualities of the mind, were, comparatively,more subject to these diseases, and shorter-lived.The discussion was adjourned.

HOSPITAL REPORTS.

LONDON HOSPITAL.PARTIAL SOLUTION OF CALLUS FROM LOW LIVING.

JOHN A-, aged 16, a labouring lad, admitted under Mr.Scott, Sept. 14. He complained of considerable pain in the rightthigh, increased materially during progression. He moved aboutvery slowly, with a faltering gait and great caution.On examining the thigh it presented a considerable bulging

forwards, a little above the centre, in which situation the mediumthat had united the two originally separated portions of the bonehad become partially absorbed, the upper and lower part of thefemur admitting of slight but obvious independent movementwhen grasped by the hands: he appeared thin and weak, the fea-tures being pale, and the pulse small and hurried.About two years ago he was an in-patient, having received a

simple fracture of the right thigh, near the upper third. He wasunder treatment about nine weeks, and when he was discharged,the limb was perfectly firm, and he could walk with facility.From the hospital he became the inmate of a neighbouring union,where he remained till the period of his second admission. Hisdiet during this time consisted of five ounces of meat three timesin the week, soup three times, and bread and cheese once; andfor about six or eight months, at different periods, he had, byrequest of the medical attendant, half a pint of porter daily. The

symptoms of the uniting medium giving way were first indicatedby local pain, afterwards by imperfection of gait, and increasedprominence of the thigh bone, forwards and outwards, at the ori-ginal seat of fracture. The pain commenced about three monthsbefore he entered the hospital. He was placed on full diet, bywhich he was allowed fifteen ounces of meat in the week morethan he received in the workhouse, and a quantity of soup, equalin volume and strength to what he drank there; he took, also, alittle decoction of bark, and half a drachm of sesquioxide of iron,three times in the day, and an occasional rhubarb purge. Therecumbent position was strictly enjoined. Having been underthis treatment for seven weeks he left the hospital, firm union ofthe bone having resulted.

PARTIAL SOLUTION OF CALLUS CONSEQUENT ON AN ATTACK OFRHEUMATIC FEVER.

James M— aged 46, occasionally subject to severe attacks ofrheumatism, admitted under Mr. Scott, with a simple fracture ofthe left tibia and fibula, about two inches and a half above theankle. Firm union resulted in six weeks. In three or four daysafter this an attack of rheumatic fever supervened: it lasted threeweeks, and at the end of this period the union of the bones hadbecome so far impaired as to allow of the easy separation of theupper and lower portions from each other, (ligamentous structure