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no remains of the tumour could be found, unless it were a

’body about the size of a walnut, below the right lobe of theliver. The author comments upon the diagnosis of the dis-ease, the propriety of the operation, the degree of dangerattending it, and the precautions adopted to avert evil results,and concludes with some remarks on the nature of the fluiddischarged from the sac. -

ON THE INTERNAL USE OF TURPENTINE OIL IN CASES OF

HÆMORRHAGE. By L. PERCY, M.D., Lausanne, Switzerland.The author, after noticing the fact that several writers-

Adair, Nichol, Johnson, Warneck, Copland, Ashwell, and Pe-reira-have spoken of the efficacy of the essential oil ofturpentine in haemorrhagic diseases, observes that this remedyseems nevertheless to be little used by practitioners. In thecases in which he first made trial of it, haematuria of twoyears’ standing, in an old man of eighty, was stopped in twenty-four hours by eight drops of oil of turpentine, and did notreturn. He has since used it in different cases of haemorrhage,and always with a favourable result. The cases in which itsuse is indicated are those of passive haemorrhage. It mustnot be employed in cases where there is an active determina-tion of blood, and where the pulse is full. When the dischargeof blood is the consequence of organic disease, as of disease ofthe uterus, or of tubercular disease of the lungs, the action ofthe remedy is not so efficacious; but the author has seen acase of scirrhus of the womb, in which the haemorrhage wasfor some time stopped by this remedy. The author has foundthe action of turpentine oil very rapid, an effect being manifestin a few hours, often after one small dose. In order better toascertain its power, he used it alone, without having recourseto local astringents or cold applications, where he could do sowithout fear of endangering the life of the patient. He hasused it most frequently in cases of menorrhagia and epistaxis;but he mentions, that it appears to him to be particularlyapplicable in the cases of haemorrhage attending typhus. Henoticed the fact that turpentine exerts different actions onthe body according as it is taken in large or small doses, being

more readily absorbed in the latter case; and he remarks, thatas its beneficial action in cases of haemorrhage must depend onits being absorbed, the inference would be drawn, that the

’’

doses in which it is given in such cases ought to be small.His experience confirms this conclusion. He has always founda dose of from eight to thirty drops sufficient. The bestvehicle for it is almond emulsion, with a little gum arabic.When there is pain in the abdomen, a few drops of laudanummay be added. -

CASE OF HYDATIDS WITHIN THE CRANIUM, GIVING RISE TO SOMESINGULAR PHENOMENA. By JAMES STEWART, M.D., Surgeon,Royal Artillery, Woolwich.

(Communicated, with some prefatory observations on Intra-cranial Hydatids,by GEORGE GREGORY, M.D., Physician to the Small-pox Hospital.)

In the first portion of this paper, Dr. Gregory remarks onthe greater rarity of acephalocysts, or hydatids, in the intra-cranial structures than in the thoracic or abdominal tissues,and he refers to Dr. Craigie’s observation that in the greaternumber of recorded cases only solitary serous cysts existed,not clustered hydatids. After noticing briefly three cases,one described by Rendtorff, a second related by Mr. Mowatt,of Worthing, in the second volume of the 31-edico-CltirurgicalTransactions, and the third communicated by Mr. Burnell tothe late Dr. Baillie, who remarked that none such had everfallen under his own observation, Dr. Gregory states, as theresult of his reading, that the normal series of symptoms flow-ing from the development of intra-cranial hydatids seem tobe the following:-Pain in the head, succeeded, after a con-siderable time, by epileptic fits, and terminating in apoplexy.The Pathological Museum of the Army Medical Departmentat Fort Pitt, Chatham, contains two specimens of hydatids ofthe brain. An account of all that is known relative to thesecases has been furnished to Dr. Gregory by Dr. French. Inthe first case no cerebral symptoms were noticed during life.After death, cysts, described as hydatids, were found beneaththe pia mater, covering the hemispheres, in the right corpusstriatum, and in the substance of the cerebrum in its immediatevicinity. In the second case, epileptic fits were present forthree years and five months before death. Here were fonndsmall round bodies, like hydatids, some hard and almost carti-laginous, not only beneath the pia mater, but also generallythroughout the substance of both cerebrum and cerebellum.They were collected to the amount of an ounce or more. Eachconsisted of a distinct membranous sac, which sometimes ap-peared double, and in layers like an onion. All the cysts

contained a clear fluid, with more or less cheesy-lookingmatter. Dr. Gregory then communicates the following case,which, at his request, had been transmitted to him by Dr.Stewart:-The patient, a gunner of the Royal Artillery, agedtwenty-four years and nine months, was admitted into theArtillery Hospital, Woolwich, on the 29th April, 1848, imme-diately on his arrival from Malta, with the following history :-He had arrived in Malta with his company in February, 1847,and from that time suffered from constant headach. InNovember, 1847, he had a severe epileptic fit, followed bycoma. Subsequently imbecility showed itself, and his visionbecame impaired, the pupils being sluggish, and the left eyelidaffected with slight ptosis. His memory became defective,and he became subject to immoderate and uncontrollable fitsof laughter when spoken to. When he arrived at Woolwicb,he still presented the last-mentioned most remarkable syaip-tom. His hearing was little affected, but both eyes wereamaurotic; he staggered in his gait like a drunken man, andthe expression of his countenance was idiotic. On the 22ndof May, a large piece of meat which he had attempted toswallow stuck fast in the oesophagus, and he was only savedfrom suffocation by tracheotomy. A few hours afterwards,epileptic fits ensued, and were followed by coma, in which hedied on the following morning. On examining the body,there was found in the middle fossa of the base of the craniuir.between the cranial bones and the dura mater, a mass, thesize of a closed fist, which proved to be a nest of hydatids.The hydatids were very numerous, and varied in size fromthat of a large pea to the dimensions of a small orange. Thecontiguous bones were roughened. The substance of thebrain, which, together with the dura mater, was pressed to-wards the right side, presented no abnormal appearances.The lateral ventricles were filled with a clear fluid.

CASE OF OBTURATOR HERNIA, WITH SYMPTOMS OF INTESTINALOBSTRUCTION WITHIN THE ABDOMEN, TO RELIEVE WHICH THEABDOMEN WAS OPENED. By JOHN HILTON, F.R.S., Assistant-surgeon to Guy’s Hospital.Miss -, aged thirty-six, in September, 1847, had some

severe pain and local tenderness on pressure on the rightside of the abdomen, above Poupart’s ligament, with con-tinued constipation and some vomiting. During several daysthese symptoms were relieved by the local application ofleeches and fomentations, and the use of aperients and purga-tive injections. From that time she continued in her usualhealth until Jan. 20th, 848, when she was suddenly seizedwith symptoms of strangulated hernia; but no hernia couldbe detected, although she was repeatedly examined in refe-rence to that point. Various means were employed, withoutany permanent relief to the symptoms of strangulated intes-tine. These means were continued during eleven days, when,in consultation with Dr. Fox and Mr. Blackmore, of Old-street-road, in whose practice this case occurred, it was re-solved to recommend the patient to submit to an operation,the whole importance of which was fully explained to her.On the twelfth day from the first symptoms of strangulatedintestine, Mr. Hilton opened the abdomen by cutting in themedian line below the umbilicus, and ascertained the exist-

ence of an obturator hernia, which had not been at all sus-

pected to exist. The intestine was withdrawn from the obtu-rator opening by laying hold of it within the abdomen : noexternal tumour could be at that time detected in the upperpart of the thigh. The operation was performed (with thepatient under the influence of chloroform) in the morning,and the patient died in the evening of the same day. Thepost-mortem examination gave evidence of extensive recentperitonitis. The portion of intestine which had been in thehernial sac was distinctly seen, and on examination was foundto have been in a condition favourable to recovery. Thehernial sac remained fixed in the thigh; the parts surroundingit were dissected; and a drawing is annexed to the record ofthe case, showing the position of the hernia.

CONGENITAL MALFORMATION AND STRUCTURAL DISEASE OF THEHEART IN A CHILD. By FRED. ROBINSON, M.D., Assistant-surgeon 74th Highlanders.G. J-, a male child, aged one year and a half, had

suffered from his birth from violent palpitation of the heart,and dyspncea, which had latterly increased in severity : thechild had otherwise thriven. The veins at parts were promi-nent, but the general hue of the skin was scarcely abnormal.The heart’s action was quick and violent, and heard over agreat space, the sound being accompanied by a loud sawingnoise. The child died with these symptoms.

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Autopsy.-The left lung was reduced to nearly one-third ofits normal size by the encroachment of the heart, and studdedwith tubercles. The distended pericardium contained aboutfour ounces of serum. The right ventricle was large enoughto contain a hen’s egg, and was filled with a firm coagulum.The free border of the tricuspid valve was thickened to suchan extent as to prevent its perfect closure; the pulmonaryartery and valves were healthy. The left auricle presentedno musculi pectinati, except in its appendix, its walls beingas thin as a portion of intestine. A circular orifice, almostas large as the little finger, existed in the septum of theventricles, opening beneath a muscular fold in the rightcavity, and, in the left, immediately below the aortic semi-lunar valves. The foramen ovale was closed, and no remainsof the ductus arteriosus existed.

HISTORY OF A CASE OF DISLOCATION OF THE HEAD OF THEFEMUR BACKWARDS; WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THAT FORMOF DISLOCATION. By RICHARD QUAIN, Esq.An opportunity having occurred to the author of making a

dissection of the parts concerned in a recent case of disloca-tion of the femur, he availed himself of it, and has embodiedhis observations in this communication to the Society. The

subject of the injury, a man, aged sixty, was killed by a fall. from a ladder, the cause of death being extensive fracture

through the base of the skull. Considerable deformity beingobserved in the right lower limb, the author was induced tomake a careful examination of the extremity, with a view todetect the nature of the injury it had sustained. It was appa-rently, but not really, much shortened; it was also inverted,- -and separated from the sound limb. The trochanter majorwas altered in its relation to the iliac spine, and the depres-sion behind it was wanting: the head of the femur could befelt towards the back of the pelvis. The limb could be flexed,but not rotated outwards. On removing the glutseus maximus,the head of the dislocated bone was exposed below the pyri-form muscle, and immediately behind the acetabulum. The

pelvis had sustained a fracture, but the fragments were notaltered in their relation to each other. The obturator ex-ternus, quadratus femoris, and some deep fibres of the glutaeusmedius, were torn through. The inner and lower part of thecapsular ligament was separated from the neck of the femur,and the round ligament was torn from the depression on itshead. The great sciatic nerve was stretched, but not injured,as were also the obturator internus and gemelli muscles.The brim of the acetabulum was slightly fractured. Aftergiving the above details, the author remarked that there arepoints of contrast between the present and other cases whichhave been recorded of a similar accident; and proceeded toquote the history of the dissection in a few instances of theform of dislocation in question. The first was a case from

Sir A. Cooper’s Treatise on Dislocations;" the second, onereported by Dr. Scott in the third volume of the DublinHospital Reports;" and a third, described by M. Billard, inthe third volume of the Archives Generales de Médecine."He then proceeded to comment on these cases, directingattention particularly to the following points:-1st, the condi-tion of the structures immediately interested in the disloca-

tion, and especially the exact position of the femur; 2ndly,the characteristic signs of the displacement; and 3rdly, therestoration of the bone to its natural position. The practicalinferences drawn by the author from the foregoing observa-tions may be summed up as follow:-lst. In the ordinaryform of dislocation backwards, the femur does not reach thesciatic notch. 2nd. The head of the bone is lodged imme-diately behind the acetabulum, over the base of the ischiaticspine, and opposite to a small part of the sciatic foramina.3rd. The injury would be correctly named the dislocation ofthe head of the femur backwards. 4th. During the extensionmade to reduce this dislocation, the thigh is most advan-tageously directed across the pelvis, so that it shall form aright angle, or nearly a right angle, with the abdomen. Atthe same time the limb is to be in a state of abduction; thefemur will thus be drawn away from the pelvis, forwards andoutwards. The knee is to be bent, the extending force beingfixed above the joint.

TYPHUS AMONGST INSURGENT PRISONERS IN PARIS.-A Parisjournal, called La Providence, mentions that typhus hasbroken out in several prisons overcrowded with insurgents.The heat of the weather and defective ventilation are saidto contribute largely to this sad result. There are in thehead police-office no less than 4000 prisoners huddled toge-ther.

British and American Medical Journals.ADULTERATION OF DRUGS.

The llrew York J01l1’nalof .ZIIedicine publishes a report fromthe College of Pharmacy of that city, illustrating the adulte.rations which they find practised by the druggists of that andsome other countries from which medicines are imported.Blue pills sold by Messrs. Cumming, Dodge, and Co., wasfound, on analvsis. to be composed as follows :-

I To discover the cheat it is merely necessary to "place 100

grains of the mass on a clean iron plate or shovel, and placethe shovel over the fire until the pill is reduced to an ash.The genuine gives two per cent., or near it; the adulterated,twenty-nine per cent."The Editor of the Philadelphia Examiner further illustrates

these by saying that" Quinine .is now imported in bulk instead of bottles. These

latter are generally manufactured here, together with thelabels, according to the French patterns, usually the Pelletierstamp. The quinine generally in use all over this country isat least one-half salacine-this latter being imported veryextensively for the purpose, at an expense of less than one-third that of quinine. Some dealers, however, use flour orstarch for the same purpose. The house of Teschdorf, Fischer,and Co., of Hamburgh, sends us immense quantities of drugs,especially of extracts, as of carduus benedictus," " cheli-dpnium," "fumaria," "gratiolus," "lactuca virosa," "mille-folia," and "graminis"! Where are these articles used!What are the medicinal properties of the extract of grass!The only use for the latter, we have very good reason tobelieve, is to mix with genuine extracts, for the purpose ofdilution.

" Much of the nitrate of silver, so called, now on sale in ourwholesale drug establishments, does not contain a particle ofthe metal ; whether the substitution is prepared here or

abroad, we do not know. Of the hydriodate of potash also alarge proportion is utterly worthless, iodine not entering intoits composition : the article is extensively imported in thisshape."These examples of " drugging" may not be lost on some of

our own practitioners, who full often are disappointed in theanticipated effects of their remedies.

ON THE INJURIOUS INFLUENCES OF TEA AS A BEVERAGE.

Dr. MARSDEN (of Quebec) mentions, in the British-AmericanJournal, several cases, which, if correctly reported,-andthere is no reason to doubt the reporter’s accuracy,-showthat tea indulged in as an habitual beverage is very capableof keeping up, if not of exciting, the intensity of neuralgicaffections. These cases seem very clearly to show the rela-tion of cause and effect, and may be well borne in mind in41.... 1.,.....4...-......4 4- 4r .....t".....4-’:.-......l-..........""..........1.....’:.....

MARCH OF THE CHOLERA IN RUSSIA.-The cholera is in-creasing rapidly at Kasan, at Nijni Novgorod, at Kostroma,Smolensk, &c., and it has just broken out at Pensa, Tver, &c.

According to these facts, which are official, being recorded inthe Gazette de St. Petersbourg, we may infer that the cholera isproceeding westwards, along the same track which it took in1831. We are bound to add, however, that its progress isnow less rapid than it was at the above-mentioned date, andthat it is likely that this dreadful epidemic may stop or

greatly diminish in intensity before it reaches our shores.Due precautions should, however, be taken.M. Bixio is fast recovering the effect of his desperate

wound. M. Dornes is convalescent. These gentlemen areboth members of the Assembly. General Damesme is in a

satisfactory condition.