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perception of colours, and found him anerythroptic. I give youhis own appreciation : bright-red he described as pale-yellow;deep-red, deep-yellow; orange, yellow; crimson, the colour oiunbleached linen; green, greyish-white, or chocolate colour;Vandyk brown, dirty yellow, (jaune bourbeux;) carmine,greyish-yellow; while every diversity of blue he distinguishedwith ease. Mons. L- stated that at times, but not fre-quently, all white objects appeared more or less yellow. Ihave forgotten to observe, that the green which I exhibitedto him upon a white ground, and which he mistook forgreyish-white, was nevertheless surrounded by a halo ofgreen.Seebeck, (see Poggendorifs Annals, vol. xlii.,) having

accurately tested sixteen anerythroptic individuals, dividedthem into two classes, those to whom blue, indigo, violet, andgreen, and those to whom the more refractive rays of red andorange, appeared altered.How far Brewster’s theory for the explanation of anery-

thropsia, (see Wollaston, Transactions of the Royal Society,1820,) or Herschel’s theory, (see "Metropolitan Eneyclop2edia,"§ 507, art. on Light,) may find support in this remarkablecase, of which the ultimate cause is well attested-namely,electricity, I leave to others to determine. The facts aboverecited I cannot but consider -worthy of the consideration ofphysiologists and natural philosophers, as they furnish atleast one undoubted example, that both nyctalopia and anery-thropsia may be due to a powerful external cause, while thecause itself may perhaps, in this instance, tend to elucidatethe change of structure by which such phenomena can alonetake place.

Being, as I have before observed, a healthy man, and un-willing to be placed on the pension list, Mons. L. is anxious tobe relieved of his impaired vision, which at present incapaci-tates him for service. I am therefore treating the case as oneof anaesthesia, by the cold douche, and the internal administra-tion of the valerianate of quinine and iron combined withassafcetida. Should this or any subsequent treatment lead toresults at all interesting, I shall be happy to communicatethem.Spa, November 6, 1848.

AnalysesOF

COMMUNICATIONS IN MS. RECEIVED FORPUBLICATION IN THE LANCET.

NOTICES OF NEW INVENTIONS AND AIDS TOMEDICAL AND SURGICAL PRACTICE.

DENTAL SURGERY.

" L’auteur se tue a allonger ce que le lecteur se tue à abrdger.11

A New Chair, adapted to the Practice of Dental Surgery.We have lately examined a chair, to be used in the

practice of dental surgery, which has been invented by Mr.Gilbert, a surgeon, of Suffolk-place, Pall Mall, and whichwe consider presents very ingenious and useful peculiarities.Its chief feature is, that it removes the fulcrum required inthe extraction of teeth out of the mouth, so that the jaw is notliable to sustain injury. It consists of a padded and easy seat,with arms; a moveable back, which can be’readily let,down toany inclination, and which (the back) at its summit is semi-circular, so as to receive and retain steadily the head of thepatient. At the right-hand side is let in a strong circularsteel bar; on this runs another at right angles, which can bepromptly fixed by a screw at any required height. The crossbar, at its termination, holds a flat piece of metal, which beingcovered by lint, is brought opposite to, or within, the mouth,and serves as the fulcrum for the forceps used by the operatorto rest on. In extracting the teeth of the lower jaw, theforceps is placed superiorly to this fulcrum. In the removal ofteeth from the upper alveoli it is only necessary to let downthe back of the chair, when the operator, standing behind thepatient, makes the inferior surface of the bar his fulcrum, andproceeds to extraction in exactly the same manner as in theformer case. The forceps having grasped the tooth, the ope-rator, with a single movement in one direction, raises the latterout of its socket.Mr. Gilbert states, " that he was led to the construction of

his invention, which he has now fully matured, by a remark ofJohn Hunter, to the end that the extraction of a tooth should,’ if possible,’ be effected perpendicularly, or in the direction of i

l its axis. (See Natural History of the Teeth,’ p. 122.) Every.; surgeon and anatomist must needs admit, that the more ex-tensively a lateral force is used, the greater is the extent of

injury to the alveolar process, to say nothing of the increased, ^, pain and haemorrhage consequent upon the crashing the jaw

and the structures by which it is surrounded, which is inevit-able unless the fulcrum can be removed from these structures."Mr. Gilbert (with a certain degree of modesty which is not

exhibited by all inventors) forbears to assert, that by means ofhis apparatus, tooth-drawing will be rendered a positivelypleasurable operation to the patient, but he contends that byits use the suffering is rendered " quite bearable." He hopesentirely to banish the "key" from dental surgery, whichterrible-looking instrument has long been the great bugbearof the art. He has shown us, very satisfactorily, that withhis chair any species of forceps may be used, at the pleasure ofthe operator; we believe that Cartwright’s forceps is thatwhich he commonly employs. He states to us that he willfeel pleasure in showing and explaining the use of his chairto any practitioner, and we can confidently direct attentionto it as a boon to the profession and the public.

OPERATIVE SCROEBY.

The " Tracheotome;" a New Instrumentfor the Performance ofTracheotomy.

Ma. WEiss, surgical instrument maker in the Strand, writesto us as follows:-

" Having been favoured by Dr. Marshall Hall with hissuggestions for a more efficient instrument for the operationof tracheotomy, I have succeeded in constructing an instru-ment, which on trial on the trachea of a sheep, both by Dr.Marshall Hall and Mr. Fergusson, has answered most satis-factorily. As it was the decided opinion of those gentlementhat it would be equally efficient on the human subject, I,have taken the liberty of sending you a drawing and descrip-tion of the instrument, which I propose to call a tracheo-tome,’ hoping that you will think it worthy of notice in yourwidely-circulating journal.

"The " tracheotome" consists of twoparts: the stem, A, fitted into an octagon,or round handle, has a tenaculum point,curved laterally, like the end of a cork-screw. This form will keep the portionof trachea to be removed in closer con-tact with the cutting edge of the tube,B, than the usual form of tenaculumwould do, and will thus secure the cer-tainty of its action. The tube, B, has aprojecting shoulder, with a nurled edge,within which is a female screw, fittingthe male screw of the stem, A. In usingthe tracheotome,’ the two parts, A andB, are screwed together, so that the tena-culum projects beyond the tube, which ispurposely made shorter than the stem.The operator, after exposing the tracheain the usual way, has only to insert thetenaculum by one turn of the wholeinstrument, and then, with the fingerand thumb advanced upon the beadedshoulder, to turn the tube from left toright, gently draws the instrument to-wards him, when a circular portion ofthe trachea will be removed on the tena-culum, leaving a corresponding clean,circular opening, sufficient for the pa-tient to breathe through, without theinconvenience of the usual tracheal tube,so much complained of.

" It will readily be perceived that the action of thetracheotome’ is exceedingly simple-the act of unscrewing

the tube from the stem forces the cutting edge through thetrachea, whilst the tenaculum screws the portion to be re-moved."

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On this subject, Mr. MILLIKIN, of St. Thomas’s-street,Borough, writes to us:-" beg, through the medium of your pages, to refer Dr.

Marshall Hall and Mr. Weiss to the sixth volume of ‘Braith-waite’s Retrospect,’ p. 211, where they will find a wood-cutand description of the instrument for tracheotomy now claimedby Mr. Weiss, which was invented by me in 1842, and pub-lished in the Dublin Medical Press of that year, and if I mis-

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take not, copied into THE LANCET also. I shall feel happy inshowing it to any gentleman who will favour me with a callat Mr. Bigg’s establishment, and point out an advantageentirely overlooked by Mr. Weiss, and which, perhaps, is thegreatest claim the instrument has to the notice of the pro-fession." My instrument has not the stamp of originality, being

merely the adaptation of another instrument to the operationof tracheotomy. Dr. Marshall Hall’s, published in THELANCET of September 9, 1848, I believe, is original, but re- quiring an experienced instrument-maker to remove its diffi-culties. These have been removed by Mr. Bigg, who willshortly submit to the profession an instrument combining allDr. Marshall Hall’s improvements."

The following passage is an extract from the letter of acorrespondent:-

11 I perceive, by a late number of THE LANCET, that Dr.Marshall Hall has invented an instrument for performingtracheotomy, and that it has been improved upon by Mr.Weiss. I beg leave to say, that the instrument as describedI saw, four years ago, in Dublin, and I believe originatedwith Mr. Millikin, surgical instrument-maker, of the saidcitv."

AIDS TO MEDICAL PRACTICE.The Calefactor, a New Foot- Warmer.

Mr. TOZER, of Dean-street, Soho, has forwarded to us a newfoot and bed warmer, which he calls a

" Calefactor," adaptedto the use of invalids &c. He says,-" I feel persuaded, by introducing it to your notice, as editor

of THE LANCET, that it will be in the proper channel to bemade known to the medical profession. I also feel it a dutyI owe to the public, as well as myself, to solicit your opinionas to its real usefulness for the purpose for which it isintended."We shall confine ourselves simply to describing it. The

instrument is a triangular closed tin vessel, with a valve atthe top, for the admission of hot water, and a channel, aboutone inch and a half in diameter, passing through its centre.This channel, in the words of the inventor, 11 its for the admis-sion of air, which, passing through the cylinder, to a vacuumformed in the cap at the opposite end, creates a circulation ofair at a high temperature. If the apparatus be filled withhot water, and a piece of lighted paper applied to the openingof the central cylinder above mentioned, the rate of velocitywith which the air travels through the cylinder will bereadily indicated. If the cap be removed, no circulationtakes place, so that the vacuum formed in the cap is theprinciple of the invention, and only cause of the circulationof air. The celerity with which the " Calefactor" impartsheat, and which can be regulated at pleasure, far supersedes(inventor loquitur) every other invention for the purpose, andmight render it an article of domestic utility, in its appli-cation for the purpose of airing beds, independently of itsother uses."

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Improved Trusses.MR. WRIGHT, of Dublin, late surgeon to the 88th Foot Regt.,

has drawn our attention to Mr. L’Estrange’s truss for obliqueinguinal hernia, the chief recommendation of which is, hesays, the preventing protrusion of the bowel in its first stage,by making a steady pressure upon the internal ring, inguinalcanal, and superior angle of the external ring, (in whichparticulars, we may remark, its objects were the same as thetruss of staff-surgeon Dartnell, noticed in THE LANCET ofOctober llth last.)"The pad does not rest on the pubis, but is placed on the in-

guinal space, having the full control of the internal ring,inguinal canal, and external ring, without making any pressureon the spermatic cord, where it passes over the pubis.

" While applying this truss, the patient should be placed inthe recumbent posture, having the thighs drawn upwards, soas to relax as much as possible the muscles of the abdomenand facilitate the return of the hernia. The surgeon shouldthen take the truss, and place the circular or body springround the patient, with the bulging extremity of the pad onthe internal ring ; the centre should rest on the inguinalcanal, and the inferior extremity of the pad on the superiorangle of the external ring; the small strap which is placed atthe other extremity of the circular spring should be broughtacross the abdomen and buttoned on the screw which attachesthe pad to the circular spring, as tight as convenient. At

night, the strap should be buttoned one hole shorter, onaccount of the receding of the abdomen. The circular springshould be placed immediately below the crest of the ilium orhip-bone; if it fits well, it will rest there without any incon-venience. The neck of the truss can be either lengthened orshortened by removing the brass screw and the upper steelscrew, and sliding up or down the circular spring on the padpiece, and then replacing the screws. There are four holesfor that purpose in the circular spring."The truss for femoral hernia is on the same principle, but

with this addition, there is a spiral spring in the neck to allowof the bending of the thigh on the abdomen. In this, thebulging extremity of the pad is placed downwards, and is soformed to make its principal pressure below Poupart’s liga-ment, and is applied round the body in the same manner asthe inguinal truss, with this exception-that the elastic partof the femoral truss is placed on the upper part of the thigh,immediately below Poupart’s ligament, the ball on thebulging extremity of the pad is made to fit the aperture in atendon formed for the passage of the femoral vessels, throughwhich, also, the femoral hernia protrudes. The bulging ex-tremity of the pad for femoral hernia is placed the reverse tothat for inguinal hernia. For inguinal hernia, the pad isplaced upwards and outwards, whereas in that for femoralhernia the pad is placed downwards. When this truss is ap-plied, its pressure is upwards, outwards, and backwards, thesmall strap attached to the pad passes round the thigh, andretains the pad in its place."Mr. L’Estrange’s truss appears to have received the approval

of the army medical department, and of various other autho-rities, both in the United Kingdom and in foreign countries.We prefer here recording only the personal testimony of Mr.Wright, who says—" Having myself commenced a career of £ -practice as a military surgeon upwards of thirty-six years ago,I can with pleasure bear testimony to the priority as wellas the superiority of this truss as the only one I have everknown to effect a permanent and radical cure, and I trust Ishall yet live to see it universally adopted as a reward for

’ merit to the inventor, and a benefit to mankind in general."

ON a former occasion we noticed Mr. Ton’s truss, theobject of which is to impose pressure on the internalring. " This pad, which is about the size and shape of the

; point of a man’s thumb, is made to press gently over the in-ternal abdominal ring only, so as to allow the muscular fibresof the ring to remain in their natural position. The spring ofthe truss is made to ascend from the pad obliquely towardsthe spine of the ilium, then to form a curve over thelumbar muscles above the crista ilii, and to terminate abouthalf-way between the umbilicus and spine of the ilium of theopposite side. The pressure of the truss is confined chiefly tothe pad and centre of the hoop; but care is requisite in fittingthe truss to the part where the pressure of the pad must bemade, else the instrument will be of no use to the wearer."

Reviews.

Surgical Anatomy. By JOSEPH MACLISE, Surgeon. Imperialfolio. London : Churchill, 1848.

DUTY to the profession, to the gifted author, and to the

enterprising publisher of this work, demands this early noticeof its production. It is, and must long be unique; for the

practical knowledge of the surgeon, the patience and skill ofthe dissector, in combination with the genius of the artist, ashere displayed, have never before been, and perhaps never willbe again, associated to a similar extent in the same individual.Though Rosenmuller, Scarpa, Bell, and others, have been theirown draughtsmen, we have no hesitation in saying that

nothing like what this work promises to be has yetappeared. Mr. Maclise already possesses a well-earned repu-tation ; first, as a joint-editor in the production of a largework on the " Surgical Anatomy of the Arteries," andsecondly, as the author of a volume on " Comparative Osteo-logy," of which, and its profoundly philosophic views, we hadoccasion to speak about eighteen months ago. He now appearsas a most careful and accurate dissector, displaying with thescalpel the relative anatomy of all the regions of the body

, which can in any way become of interest to the surgeon or