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mend it to our medical readers. On the whole, the pamphlet is creditable to its distinguished author, and if it should not increase, will at least derogate nothing from his well earned fame. O the same subject we would recommend to our younger brethren, the excellent "Lecture on the duties and qualifications of a physician" by Dr Gregory.

MUSTARD SEED.

We have lately received from a valued friend and correspondent in London, a minute account of the efficacy of white mustard seed, given whole, in We will at present only the cure and prevention of numerous diseases. remind our friends that this remedy was held in repute by Dr Cullen, has been used and recommended by several distinguished physicians since his day, and is now the most popular object of attention among the faculty of Great Britain. The medicinal virtuce of the mustard seed are a subject of common research at the present moment, and we are encouraged at every step of the investigation, by the conviction that this article is a most valuaIn our next, we shall speak more ble acquisition to our materia medica.

particularly on this subject.

LUNAR CAUSTIC IN LEUCORRHEA.

Many lives are sacrificed by a concealment of this disease. It exists in many more individuals than apply for its relief, and in great numbers, even, who carefully avoid a disclosure of their trouble. The morbid discharge being allowed to continue, sooner or later produces a prostration of strength and constitutional derangement, which, united to the obstinacy acquired by the local affections, resists every means resorted to at this late hour for the recovery of health.

cure.

We have not been ignorant of the nature, more than of the ravages of this complaint, and a proportional degree of industry has been given by the faculty, to ascertain the most effectual remedies and the surest method of Tincture of Cantharides was, a few years ago, a popular medicine in the treatment of Leucorrhoea. It was doubtless effectual in many instances, but required, in all, so much care and attention, that a remedy of equal efficacy and more easily applied, became a desideratum. We think that such is found in the Nitrate of Silver. This we have found uniformly more effectual in removing the symptoms of the disease, than any other medicine, and it has the additional advantage of giving tone to the stomach, and improving the state of the system generally. We have usually advised one tenth of a grain, four times a day, until the disease yields. For the first week, a blister over the sacrum should be enjoined, and a good nourishing diet and fresh air recommended.

By the late English journals we find the medical world rejoiced by the success of a new remedy in this obstinate and common disease. A physician," say they " who pays particular attention to the diseases of females,

informs us that he has found the fo wing mixture uniformly successful in the cure of Fluor Albus in leuco-phlegmatic habits and elderly subjects. Take of Tinct. of Cubebs and Tinct. of Rhatany Root, each 6 drs.-Infus. of Buchu, 8 ounces-mix. Three table-spoonsful to be taken three times a day. He paid attention to the state of the intestines, and when not properly relieved, he prescribed aperient pills, composed of extract of rhubarb and jalap with a little ginger powder. When there were symptoms of visceral obstruction, he also prescribed the blue pill, in doses of four grains at bed time every other night for a fortnight."

Now we have two objections to adopting this plan of treatment although it may be very good in itself. One is, that we are so shamely deficient in medical zeal that we have never been able to obtain Rhatany Root or Buchu in this country, and the other is, that the disease may be effectually cured by the nitrate of sliver in less than a "fortnight"—that is—before the patient across the water had done taking his blue pill. Besides, we think Fluor Albus is one of the diseases which is always accompanied by a loss of strength, and never occasioned by plethora. Burns says in this, as in ev ery other of the numerous complaints he treats of, that if there be too much excitement, bleed, blister, and purge,—if too little, give tonics. This is an epitome of his work as far as treatment is concerned. There are few cases, however, if any, in which depleting remedies are useful in leucorrhoea, and we can recommend the lunar caustic as serviceable in every case,-it may be given without exception.

VARIETIES.

EFFECT OF POISON UPON VEGETABLES.-M. F. Marcet, of Geneva, has lately published the result of some curious experiments respecting the effect of both mineral and vegetable poisons upon the system of vegetables. From the whole of his experiments he concludes, 1st. That metallic poisons act upon vegetables nearly as they do upon animals. They appear to be absorbed aud carried into different parts of the plants, altering and destroying the vessels by their corrosive powers. 2dly. That vegetable poisons, especially those which have been proved to destroy animals by their action upon the nervous system, also cause the death of plants. Whence he infers, that there exists in the latter a system of organs, which is affected by poisons nearly as the nervous system of animals.

CHLORUET OF LIME AS A DISINFECTING AGENT.-M. Deslandes has published an observation upon the use of chloruet of lime in destroying the odour arising from putrid animal matter. In a case in which the placenta was retained aud came away in shreds, producing such effluvia that the chamber could hardly be borne, this preparation completely succeeded. It was injected in the proportion of an ounce to a pint of infusion of marshmallows. The putrid odour disappeared after the second injection; and this being frequently repeated, it did not again return.-London Medical Repository, January 1826.

GYMNASTICS.-Gymnastic exercises have been introduced at Harvard University, under the authority of its government, and superintended by a competent director; for the purpose of promoting that great desideratumthe health of students.

ADVERTISEMENT.-In compliance th the wishes of many of the subscribers to the Medical Intelligencer, the fourth volume will be published in the octavo form, with a view to an enlargement hereafter, as proposed in the last number, if desired. It is hoped that all subscribers who have any preference in regard to form or size, will, when they make remittances or forward communications, express their wishes on these points, to enable the proprietor to judge of the expediency of their adoption. The price of the work, as now published, to those who comply with our terms of paying in advance, will remain two dollars per annum; but of those who are delinquent at the end of threemonths, two and a half will be required. These conditions will in no instance be deviated from. The Intelligencer in its present form, will make an octavo volume of 426 pages in a year, of the earliest and most practical information that can be collected from all medical journals and periodical works both foreign and American, original commmunications from the most eminent practitioners in various parts of the country, reviews, analyses and the earliest intelligence upon all medical subjects, in as condensed a body as possible. It is proper further to state, that an association has lately been formed, the members of which will regularly contribute to the work; this must give it an interest and character, and a degree of usefulness that it has not before possessed.

To CORRESPONDENTS.-Our acknowledgments are due to Dr Miner and to Dr Wallace for their recent communications-to a correspondent for an interesting report of a surgical operation, by Dr Flint, of this city-also to the Publishing Committee of the N. H. Med. Soc. for a report of a singular case of Lusus Naturæ: these shall be published soon. Some papers by Dr Codman, of Philadelphia, are received, of which further notices will shortly be given.

WEEKLY REPORT OF DEATHS IN BOSTON.

Pleurisy, 1-Drowned, 4-Consumption, S-Dropsy in the Head, 1—Inflammation, 2-Cramp, 1-Intemperance, 2-Croup, 5-Canker Rash, 1Lung Fever, 1-Inflammation, 1-Old Age, 1-Childbed, 1— Cancer, 1Palpitation, 1-Brain Fever, 1-Stillborn, 3. City poor, 2.

MEDICINES, SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, &c.

BARTLETT & BREWER, at the sign of the Good Samaritan, No. 92, Washington-Street (late 13, Cornhill), have received by the London and Havre packets, and other late arrivals, a fresh supply of Drugs, Medicines, Surgical Instruments, and Chemicals: Among them are Blue Pill, Calomel, Tartar Emetic and Calcined Magnesia, from Apoth. Hall, London: Iodine; Elaterium; Croton Oil; Hydriodate of Potash; Sulph. Quinine; Cheltenham Salts; Colchicum Root and Seeds; Henry's Magnesia.

Amputating, Trepanning, Couching, Midwifery and Dental Instruments; Pocket Cases and separate Instruments; Frenum and Hare-lip Scissors; Extracting and Forcing Probangs; Anatomical Syringes; Laundy's Splints; Carved, Lancet and Triangular Pointed Trocars; Silver Syringes and Stilets for Fist. Lachrymalis.

Gum Elastic Catheters, Bougies, Pessaries, Suppositories, Urinals, Clyster Pipes, Tubes for Extracting Poison from the Stomach, Resuscitating Tubes, Nipple Shields, Caustic Plaisters, and Syringes.

Also, kept constantly on hand, a large supply of Stone's much approved Patent Spring Pad Trusses, with an extensive assortment of articles in their line, which they will sell on the most reasonable terms.

Published weekly, by John Cotton, Proprietor, at 184, Washington-Street, corner of Franklin-Street, to whom all communications must be addressed, (post-paid). Price two dollars per annum, if paid in advance, but, if not paid within three months, two dollars and a half will be required, and this will, in no case, be deviated from.

MEDICAL INTELLIGENCER.

"NON EST VIVERE, SED VALERE VITA."

MAY 23, 1826.

VOL. IV.

NO. 1.

COLLECTIONS OF THE NEW-HAMPSHIRE MEDICAL SOCIETY.

SINGULAR CASE OF LUSUS NATURE.

Communicated in a letter of April 3d, 1826, to one of the Publishing Committee, by Dr LEANDER GAGE, of Waterford,, Me.

S. D. H., aged 9 years, had been slightly affected with diarrhoea a few days previous to the 30th of July, 1820; though he had not been so far indisposed as to need medical attention, or to take him off from his ordinary food and exercise. At 4 o'clock, P. M. on the 30th of July, he was suddenly attacked, when in the act of taking food, with most severe pain in the right lumbar region, and the contents of the stomach were soon rejected by vomiting. I was called immediately, and was alarmed, when within a few rods of the house, by the peculiar sharpness of the little sufferer's shrieks, which reminded me of the cries of a patient under the knife. I found his extremities cold, his features sunk, and his skin, particularly on his extremities, moistened with sweat; and his pulse small, frequent, and contracted. Between the paroxysms of exquisite torture, he had short intervals of ease, which gave his afflicted friends moments of hope. When requested to inform me of the seat of his pain, he uniformly applied his hand to the same point in the right lumbar region.

I directed fomentations to the bowels and extremities, and administered an opiate, which, however, was soon rejected. I then gave an emetic, which, after being retained a little time, produced vomiting, by which some undigested food was ejected.

In the intervals of severe pain, he had restless sleep and occasional vomiting. After 6 or 8 hours from the first attack, his skin assumed a more natural and healthy feel, and his countenance, (except when he was in pain) was remarkably natural and healthful, his pulse also now became almost natural, and continued so until a short time before his decease, when it was somewhat accelerated in the evening. His intellect was clear until the 7th or 8th day of his confinement, after which he had, occasionally, fits of violent derangement and distress. His temper was calm, patient, and uncommonly complying, even to his last moments. Whatever he swallowed seemed to undergo but very little change, before it was rejected by a kind of spasmodic vomiting, like that which attends strangulated hernia. Pain and tenderness in the right lumbar region, uniformly referable to the same point; invincible vomiting, and a diffused tenderness and tension of the whole abdomen, were very constant symptoms. In fine, the appearances so exactly corresponded with the symptoms of strangulated hernia, that I did not hesitate to ascribe them to a permanent constriction of some portion of the intestinal canal, situated in the right lumbar region.

A persevering and modified course of anti-emetics, anti-spasmodics, fomentations, warm bathings, injections, vesications, &c. was continued and varied with untiring assiduity, without, however, the least apparent effect upon the immediate cause of his

danger, from the time of his attack, until his exit on the morning of the 8th of August, being the 9th day of his disease.

On examination of the body, 24 hours after dissolution, in which I was assisted by Drs Farnsworth and Hay, the abdomen was found very much distended with flatus. The stomach was empty, and had a natural appearance, as had also its neighbouring viscera, the pancreas, spleen, and liver. The gall bladder was distended with bile, and its transfusion had coloured the surrounding peritoneal coverings. The small bowels were filled with feces and flatus, and appeared to have a greater capacity than is common at the age of 9 years. The mesentery was relaxed and broader than usual, and some of the mesenteric glands were indurated. In dissecting the ileum we came to a bag-like process, like the finger of a glove, sent off from this intestine, about 12 inches above its termination in the caput coli. This process was about two inches long, and contained some feculent matter, it had the natural appearance of the intestine of

EXTIRPATION OF A TUMOR.

which it seemed to be a portion. This process seemed to have sent off from its most depending point, a vascular, membranous cord, about the size of a crow-quill and about three inches in length. This cord, three inches long, was wholly unconnected excepting by its two extremities, one of which was attached to the depending extremity of this process of the ileum, and the other was firmly rooted in the cellular tissue upon the right side of the body of the last lumbar vertebra, a little above the sacro-iliac symphasis. This cord was wound around a double of the jejunum, and had firmly constricted it in such a manner as totally to interrupt the passage of the feces, and in a great measure the circulation of the blood. The portion of the intestinum jejunum which was cut off, (as it were) by this cord firmly twisted around it, was about two inches long, and in a state of gangrene. large intestines were empty and very much contracted, except the arch of the colon. Their contraction and emptiness were probably owing to the frequent use of warm injections.

REPORTS.

Communicated by a Gentleman who assisted at the Operation.

An interesting operation was performed a few days since in the House of Correction, by Dr Joshua B. Flint, of this city. The patient had been annoyed for some months past by a rapidly increasing tumor in the left ham.

On examination it was found to be an encysted tumor, and probably a ganglion. It had now become about the size of a pullet's egg, and its rapid growth, together with the occasional pain and interference with the motion of the joint which it caused, induced the patient to desire its removal.-The integuments and fascia were divided by an incision

The

about three inches in length, and the tumor cautiously dissected from its attachments on all sides until its base was obtained, which was the fold of the theca on the tendon of the semimembranosus muscle. The tumor, then, consisting of this distended theca, filled with a gelatinous substance, was cut up from the tendon and removed.

The tumor being restrained in a backward direction by the strong fascia which covered it, had buried itself deep in the cavity of the ham, on one side lay in immediate contact with the sheathe of the popliteal artery. Its contiguity to this large vessel, together with the resistance of the fascia, somewhat embarrassed and prolonged the operation. It was

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