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ment indicated in his paper, differed from that of the late Mr.Carmichael. He had had some opportunities of observing thetreatment pursued by that distinguished surgeon, whose prac-tice and writings were now for nearly half a century before theprofession, and he could not discover in Mr. Lee’s paper any-thing very different from Mr. Carmichael’s views, as well ashe (Dr. O’Connor) could recollect. Mr. Carmichael had veryextensive experience in syphilitic diseases, both at the LockHospital of Dublin, and the Richmond Hospital; and thoughlooked on by some as a non-mercurialist, he did not spare itsuse in certain forms of primary and secondary disease. HeWas glad to hear the views of his distinguished countrymanconfirmed by one holding Mr. Lee’s position.Mr. DENDY made some remarks on the discrepancy of opinion

which still prevailed respecting the treatment of syphiliticaores.

Mr. ROBERTS referred to the great injury which mercury hadinflicted upon syphilitic patients, from the careless and recklessmanner in which it was administered many years since.

Mr. ROGERS HARRISON would trust to no remedy but mer-cury in cases of syphilitic sores. It was the best medicine insuch cases, and might be given with tonics and stimulants.Mr. I. B. BROWN had discontinued the use of mercury in

the classes of cases mentioned by Mr. Lee.Mr. LEE having replied, the Society adjourned.

PATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH, 1855.MR. ARNOTT, PRESIDENT, IN THE CHAIR.

THE PRESIDENT, on taking the chair, congratulated theSociety on the auspicious opening of another session. He spokeof the admirable volume of " Transactions" which the membershad just received. The Council had shown their appreciationof the careful labour bestowed on it by a special vote of thanksto the Secretary, who edited it, and he asked the members toshow their appreciation of these labours,-far beyond what maybe supposed,-by letting the Secretaries have the communica-tions which they presented in good time and in good order.He also begged to impress on the attention of members thenecessity of making the communications read before the Societyas brief as possible. Nearly twenty notices of communicationswere on the paper for this evening, and he very much fearedthat they could not be all got through. Gentlemen ought toread abstracts before the meetings, and afterwards the papersshould be published in a more lengthened form in the " Trans-actions." Seventeen candidates have been already proposedfor admission as members of the Society.Mr. GRAY reported on Mr. Erichsen’s

CASE OF TUBERCULAR DEPOSIT IN BONE,

brought forward at the last meeting of the Society, and noticedin THE LANCET of Nov. 3rd, p. 415. He stated that the generaldescription of the specimen as given by Mr. Erichsen in hispaper, as well as the microscopical account of the structure ofthe deposit, corresponded in every respect with what had beenobserved by him. The specimen, representing a well-markedexample of tubercular infiltration in the substance of the can-cellous tissue of the shaft of the tibia, the structure of the de-posit presenting a marked contrast with pus, to which it wassupposed to bear some resemblance, and presenting all theelements peculiar to tubercular deposit.Dr. WILKS exhibited

A TUMOUR FROM THE SPINAL CORD,removed from a woman, aged forty-three, admitted into Guy’sHospital on the 25th of July, under the care of Dr. Hughes.She was single, and by occupation a cook ; she had always en-joyed good health until about six months ago, when, after takingcold, she experienced pains between her shoulders and in herchest, succeeded by pain in the legs. She was obliged toleave her situation, and was blistered without relief. She wentinto the country, became still worse, her legs becoming so weakthat she could with difficulty walk. She took to her bed, andat the expiration of a fortnight found she was quite unableto rise again; at the same time she could not perfectlyextend her legs, as she had disposition to draw them towardsthe abdomen. Since this time she kept her bed, the painsin her legs continuing, with spasms in the abdomen. Onadmission into the hospital, she was very thin, and lay justin the position in which she was placed, having very little

power to move herself. She lay generally on her side, withthe legs drawn up, as she could move them slightly. Sensationremained perfect. Her principal symptoms were this contrac-tion of the limbs, with pain and convulsive twitchings, whichcame on at times in violent paroxysms. In this state she con-tinued for three months, gradually wasting, the paralysis in-creasing, and the pains and spasms never leaving her. Shedied in great suffering on the 15th of October. On post-mortemexamination, a tumour the size of a bean was found growingfrom the anterior part of the dura mater of the cord on itsinner aspect, and opposite the third dorsal vertebra; thisforcibly swayed the medulla against the bony canal, causing itto become flattened and soft. The tumour was hard, nbrous,and nucleated. No other disease existed in the body.

Dr, WILKS next exhibited a specimen ofCHRONIC INFLAMMATION AND OSSIFICATION OF THE MEM-

BRANES OF THE SPINAL CORD,

removed from a man, aged forty-six, admitted into Guy’sHospital on June 22nd, under the care of Dr. Gull, and who-had been by calling a dancing-master. His health had beentolerably good until a year before, when he noticed he couldnot give the step to his pupils with his usual facility, but tookno particular notice of the circumstance until six months after-wards, when the symptoms became suddenly aggravated, andhe found a difficulty in standing for some minutes after risingfrom his chair. He has since been only able to hobble about,and has been troubled with very severe twitchings in his legs.On admission, he was placed in bed, and it was then found hecould move his legs, but had no power to stand. The excito-motor functions were produced by the slightest movement ofthe bed, and on one occasion the spasms were so strong that hewas jerked out of bed on to the floor. Becoming worse, hewas removed to his house, where he continued under the careof Dr. Gull. The legs became more contracted, and greatsufferings were occasioned by the slightest touch or movementof the bed. Large bed-sores formed, and he gradually sankand died on the 2lst of October, his intellect remaining. Afterdeath, the whole of the spinal membranes, from the lower partof the cervical region, the dorsal, and to a less degree thelumbar, were much thickened, and adherent to each other. Inthe upper dorsal region, the membrane could not be detachedfrom the cord, and the dura mater was found to have a numberof bony plates developed in its substance, particularly at theposterior part. These bony plates presented the true lacunmand caniculi. The body of the cord was slightly softened onits exterior, and contained granular masses. A section of thecord showed in a very remarkable manner the centre medulla,and the two thickened coats closely surrounding it, the outerone being bony. The symptoms of this case will be observedto closely resemble the former one, and in both there wasa slowly progressive disease, affecting the membranes, and im-plicating in a slight degree only the medulla itself. £

Dr. WILKS also exhibited a

TUMOUR FROM THE PONS VAROLII,removed from a little girl ten years of age, who had been underhis care at the Surrey Dispensary. She had been in goodhealth until eight months before her death, when she beganto complain of headache, and she had at the same time frequentvomiting. These symptoms continued for some weeks, whenshe had twitchings of the muscles and a little convergent stra-bismus. During the first three months she was able to getabout. The pain in the head was the only striking symptom,and this generally came on towards night, and in very severeparoxysms. She for a time grew better, but the pains in thehead soon became more violent than ever, and subsequentlyshe had numbness of the right arm. She died rather suddenly,her mind remaining quite clear. On post-mortem examination,the pons Varolii was found twice its natural size, on accountof a gelatinous-looking growth which had taken place in itsstructure. This projected on each side of the basilar artery,and had a remarkably lobulated character. The growth wasnot strictly defined, and resembled brain-structure itself in itsgeneral appearance. It was composed of a filamentous struo-ture, containing delicate fibres and nuclei. It would probablythus come under the class carcinomatous.

Mr. TAILOR exhibited specimens ofCATARACT,

taken from patients varying from forty-one to seventy-seveayears of age. They were all of the kind usually occurring at thisperiod of life, commencing, in most instances, in the superficies of

1 the lens; less commonly in the nucleus. The superficial layers,

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especially in cortical cataracts, were softened into a semi-fiiiidpulp, which rendered turbid the drop of water in which it wasexamined. The nucleus, on the contrary, was remarkablyhard and dry, so much so that when divided by a fine needle,the surfaces presented the appearance of a fracture rather thana cut. This he had found in the cortical and nuclear varieties.The pulpy superficies, when examined microscopically, wasfound to contain a quantity of fine granular matter, partly&ating free, and partly sprinkling the surface, perhaps alsothe interior of the tubes. This he believed to be due to the

coagulation of the albuminous blastema. Many of the super-ncia.1 cells were altered in form, or rendered opaque by mole-cular matter in their interior, and numerous cells of very re-markable forms occurred, such as he had not observed in thehealthy lens. The tubes were softened and readily brokeninto short fragments under the needle. Occasionally their out-lines were irregular and bulging. In one or two instances afew of them showed a tendency to split into minute fibrils.The nuclear tubes were exceedingly hard and brittle, and ren-dered opaque by fine granular deposit. Many were atrophied,and their outlines were generally very irregular, being dis-figured by nodular projections, and by deep clefts and cracks.No evidence of fatty degeneration had been seen in any of thespecimens examined. This, he observed, was more commonlyseen in the remains of lenses which have been long and com-pletely disorganized; and the appearance of cholesterine insuch cases may perhaps be due to its separation from the fattymatter normally contained in the lens, under the influence ofthe same law which frequently effects its crystallization inspecimens after their removal from the body.

WESTERN MEDICAL AND SURGICAL SOCIETYOF LONDON.

FRIDAY, Nov. 2ND, 1855.DR. CAHILL, V.P., IN THE CHAIR.

DR. CAHILL read a PaperON THE WATERS OF VICHY AND CARLSBAD,

to which places he had been attracted at two different times,in the hope of ridding himself from the disposition to severeattacks of rheumatism, which had pursued him for severalyears: His personal experience was commenced at Vichy in1852, and was so favourable in its result, that " he has notbeen confined to his house for a single day by any rheumaticaffection" since. And this year he visited Carlsbad, "by wayof change of locality, and in the hope to derive increased bene-fit," in which he has not been disappointed. He proceededthen to give a sketch of the composition of the waters of Vichyand Carlsbad, ascribing the first and great good experienced inrheumatic affections, to the strong alkaline character of theformer, which contains as much as fifty grains of bicarbonateof soda, besides chalk and magnesia, in the English pint(16 ozs.) While those of Carlsbad, on the contrary, containingonly eleven grains of the bicarbonate, and as much as twentygrains of the sulphate of soda, and eight grains of chloride ofsodium. From this it was evident that the Vichy waters ’could saturate the acidity of the system much more rapidlythan those of Carlsbad; indeed, the urine has been rendered ’,alkaline in 24 hours. The waters of Carlsbad being moreaperient, as well as less antacid, require a longer time to acton the system.Accordingly, we find that, while twenty-one days to a

month is the usual course at Vichy, five weeks is consideredthe shortest time in which to receive benefit at Carlsbad. Hehere remarked, that although aperient, the effect of thesewaters was totally different from that of the waters of Hom-burg, Weisbaden, Kissengen, and those springs in whichchloride of sodium is the prevailing salt, these being as severelypurgative as the former are mild and gentle. The complaintsfor which invalids resort to both Vichy and Carlsbad, aresimilar,-viz., gout, rheumatism, gravel, and affections of theliver and spleen; the last mentioned diseases being but toocommon in France and Germany, as sequelse of intermittentfevers; as also amongst military officers who have served inIndia, Algeria, &c. The Author then proceeded to advert tothe most common causes of failure or disagreement of thesewaters, and believed it to be the presence of some febrile actionill the system, or of some disease overlooked or unknown tothe medical attendant, and related two cases in illustration.Cases of organic disease of course remained uncured, although

a great difference existed between the practitioners of Vichyand Carlsbad; for while those of the former place were imme- -diately alarmed at the appearance of the slightest difficulty,declaring that "the waters did not suit," &c., the medical menof Carlsbad, on the contrary, had unlimited confidence in the-powers of their springs. The regulations as to diet also differedwidely at the two places. At Vichy but little restraint ap-peared to be enjoined, and the tables of the hotels were, conse--quently, well and variously supplied; and the visitors appeared.far from insensible to their privileges. At Carlsbad, however,things were quite different, and considerable restraints were:imposed; and the meat, butter, and eggs banished from the-breakfast table were scarcely compensated by the dried andoverdone meats at dinner, were it not for the soups andpuddings, to which he gives all praise. The waters at Vichyare taken twice in the day-those of Carlsbad before breakfastonly. He then gave some account of the different springs, butconsidered that the general effects were nearly the same, exceptthat the hot springs had sometimes an effect upon the moiltl-and gums similar to a course of mercury.To sum up the relative merits of the two places, the author

believes that each has its superiority in different circumstancesand cases. In those who require or bear active aperients, and-still more where constipation is habitual, Carlsbad certainly isto be preferred. But for those who do not bear aperients, andin whom excessive acidity is the chief complaint, and above allin cases of diabetes, Vichy is as certainly preferable.

In conclusion, the doctor having briefly adverted to the bene-fit to be derived from some of the more chalybeate waters of:the continent, especially as supplementary to a course atCarlsbad, paid a lively tribute to the celebrated Chevalier deCarro-a graduate of Edinburgh of 1793-the first physicianon the Continent to advocate the doctrines of our illustrious.Jenner, who is now in his 86th year, having devoted the latteryears of his life to the improvement and celebrity of Carlsbad,.where he now resides.

Reviews and Notices of Books.On the Nature, Treatment, and Prevention of Pulmonary Con-

8U’mption, and incidentally of Scrofula, with a Demonstra-tion of the Cause of the Disease. By HENRY M‘CoR,MAC,M.D. London: Longman and Co., and J. Churchill.1855. pp. 111.

DR. M’CORMAC is a learned man, an extensive reader bothin modern and ancient treatises on medicine, and can fill a bookeasily&mdash;CM)’!’eM<e caMM&mdash;with Greek, Latin, German, andFrench quotations. Dr. Cormack, moreover, has a great likingapparently for certain quaint writers, like " Old Burton" andMontaigne, whose style, in our opinion, he attempts to imi-tate, and it is possible some may think not unsuccessfully.But our author has made, we think, but little way withthe profession in his own favour, though his "Exposition ofContinued Fever," "Methodus Medendi," " Philosophy ofHuman Nature," and "Moral and Sanatory Economy," areworks proving his literary qualifications. Nevertheless, thereis something wanting which makes us shake our heads whenDr. M’Cormac is appealed to as an authority in practicalmedicine. We are sorry to say the work before us helps tofortify rather than to lessen these doubts. Dr. M’Cormac so

oversteps the mark, rides his hobby so dreadfully hard, andshows himself so one-sided in his reasoning, as to confirm us inour previously arrived at opinion, that he is not a sound guidein purely medical matters. In the pages before us the author’sthesis may be said to be-the influence of the respiration ofvitiated air in causing phthisis. Now, instead of simply andtruthfully giving to this cause its value as one factor amongstseveral which either predispose to or excite the scrofulous

cachexia, or one of its manifestations, tuberculosis-accordingto our pathological views-Dr. M’Cormac asserts that

" Tuberculous scrofulous deposits, then, whether in theoffspring of scrofulous, consumptive parents, or the offspring ofpersons free from scrofulous, tuberculous diseases, are alike, andin every case owing to the insufficient imperfect performance ofthe respiratory function. "-p. 22.