ON THE DURATION OF HUMAN At a late meeting of the Royal Institute of France, M. Fourier read a very interesting Memoir, by M. Benvistan de Chateauneuf, on the changes that the Laws of Mortality have undergone from 1775 up to 1825. The Memoir contains a great many curious and interesting details, of which the following are a few: In 1775, of every 100 children, 50 died before two years old; in 1825, 38.3. This difference may in a great measure be attributed to the introduction of vaccination. Formerly, of every 100 children, 55.5 died before ten years old; in the present day, out of the same number, 47.7. For merly, of every 100 male children, only 21.5 arrived at fifty years of age; in the present day, out of the same number, 32.5 come to fifty. In examining the other epochs of life, and comparing them, the 1 in 30, comparison is always in favor of 1 in 39. 1 in 20, 1 in 31. 1 in 111, 1 in 135. The fecundity appears to have been the same formerly as at the present time; the births, as well as deaths, have diminished; and the term of human life is longer. One may discover a cause of the diminution of births in the fewer marriages that now take place; but the number of foundlings is more than tripled since 1780. Population, however, must increase, because the term of life is longer; and it is the duration of life that must increase it, rather than the birth of a few children more, of whom death cuts off 48 in every 100 before the age of two years. The difference in the population of France is also given, being the result of a mean of ten years for the first epoch, and of eight for the second. In 1780, the Population was 24,800,000; in 1826, 30,400,000, The Mortality at different ages was as follows: In 1780, from birth to 10 years of age, in 100, 55.5; in 1825, 43.7, It is thus shown that the lot of increased in France.-Revue Mé THE RIDING SCHOOL. Having occasion to ride from time to time in this school for the improvement of my health, I have been much gratified, in the absence of Mr. Roulstone, to find the circus perfectly well conducted by Mr. Pike, under whose direction the establishment is left. By stating this fact, Mr. Editor, you will oblige the subscriber and probably a number of invalids who may wish to resort to this means of restoration, but who may think it shut. A SUBSCRIBER. We insert the above with great pleasure,knowing it to be strictly true from personal experience.-EDITOR. MISCELLANEOUS. Vaccination. We are enabled to state, from an authentic source, says the American, that under a resolution of the City Council, there have been four thousand, five hundred and thirtysix persons vaccinated within the limits of the city of Baltimore, during the year 1827. The highest praise is due to the Corporation officers and professional gentlemen for the ef ficient manner in which the design of the resolution has been accom plished. There is so much of genuine humanity and benevolence in this proceeding, that we trust the efforts of the Corporate authorities will not be relaxed while there remains one citizen unprovided with this simple and effectual safeguard against the most loathsome of diseases. In Philadelphia, during the same period, we are informed that the number of persons vaccinated amounted to seventeen hundred and twenty four only. And yet the bills of mortality furnish, weekly, the melancholy evidence of the fatal effects of the smal pox on the inhabitants of that city. Baltimore Patriot. Deaths in Philadelphia, last week, 77, including, of Smallpox, nine. Deaths at N. York, last week, 78, including, of Smallpox, fire. Apples marked with the Impression of a Leaf, are sold in the bazars of Persia. To produce this impression a leaf of some flower or shrub is glued or fastened with a thread on several parts of the fruit, while yet growing; the apple gradually ripens, and all that the sun reaches becomes red; the parts covered by the leaves remaining of a pale green or ye low color. loric, furs and fires. But the present season, thus far, we have had little of frost or ice to complain of; and the temperature generally, has more resembled the mild weather of spring, than the characteristic frostiness of midwinter. Our brethren at the South, however, notice the weather with them as being still more remarkable. The Norfolk, Va. Herald, of the 9th inst. in a paragraph on the subject states that vegetation has felt the genial influence of this delightful temperature of the atmosphere.Asparagus of mature growth,Hyacinths in bloom,-Apples and figs in a forward state,-Oats,we speak as to one fact only,grown to more than half their full height, are a few of the features of this remarkable season." - American Traveller. An Irish counsellor being questioned by a judge, to know for whom he was concerned," replied as follows:-"I am concerned, my lord, for the plaintiff, but I am employed by the defendant." Moral Improvement.--TheGrand Jury of McIntosh County, Geo. say, "the moral habits of the community are such as to require no animadversion on their part. In the same county, a man was fined five dollars for cutting the end of the tail off his neighbor's cow, by which she was much injured, and suffered greatly in fly time, in consequence of the loss of her fly brush. Cutting off a cow's tail is, we suppose, say the editors of the N. Y. Morning Courier, merely a jeu d'esprit, an effervescence of innocent gaiety,--the poor cow, however, might consider it an act of cowardly cruelty.. To the Conscientious.-A subscriber lately accompanied his'advance subscription to our paper, with this sensible and judicious hint: "How to read a newspaper with a clear conscience. PAY FOR IT IN ADVANCE." Quaker Wit.-A Quaker invited a friend to dine with him, whom he treated with an excellent dinner, a bottle of wine and a pipe of tobacco. His guest, after drinking pretty freely, became extremely rude and abusive to his host, insomuch that the Quaker's patience became quite exhausted; and he rose up and addressed him in the following words:-'Friend, I have given thee a meat offering, and a drink offering, and a burnt offering, and for thy misconduct I will give thee a heave offering; and immediately threw him into the street out of the parlor window. Whether that part of the pape BOSTON, TUESDAY, JAN. 22, 1828. embracing topics which all shook THE BOSTON MEDICAL INTELLI GENCER. In October 1826, when the subscriber bought this paper and begun to edit it, he doubled its pages from 8 to 16 a week that he might provide more fully than had been previously done for the wants of his medical readers, and leave some space for subjects relating to physical education and the means of improving and preserving health through life; subjects of universal interest and intended for the general reader. One year's experience, however, convinced him that the wants and de sires of two classes of readers, in se veral respects widely different, could not be satisfactorily provided for in the same journal; he had therefore concluded, at the end of the present volume, to make the Intelligencer altogether medical, as originally it had been. Under this determination an opportunity was presented for selling it, which he has accepted, and the paper will cease to be owned or conducted by the present editor after three numbers more. His medical readers, however, will have nothing to regret on this occahave nothing to regret on this occasion, for the paper will pass into new hands to be continued under enlarged resources and better auspices. This change may be considered that mutation only which progression and improvement always imply and necessarily produce. In cases like this if something is surrendered, more is secured, so that what in anticipation may seem to be a loss, turns out to be a gain. understand and apply, will in some form be resumed hereafter, is at present entirely uncertain. Such an attempt would possess great interest for the writer, as it is, in his estimation, of more value than any species of information which should be generally diffused, and which is so much overlooked and disregarded. EDITOR. The gentlemen who have become the proprietors of this paper, have issued the following notice. The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. THE first number of this Journal will be published on the 19th of February next, and it will be continued weekly. It is intended as a continuation of the NewEngland Medical Journal and of the Boston Medical Intelligencer, and will be sent by mail to the subscribers of each of these works unless direction be otherwise given to the publisher. Its object will be to present, in as condensed a form as possi ble, the Medical and Surgicaltelligence of the day, both doFor this mestic and foreign. purpose arrangements have been made for publishing in it all the most interesting practice of the Massachusetts General Hospital, and more particularly histories of all the most important surgical cases, as well those which have heretofore occurred in the Institution, as those which are now occurring. The Editors have reason also for believing that they shall receive notes of the practice of many of the most eminent professional men VAPOR BATH. A vapor bath is now in operation NewEngland. It will also contain notices of the state of disease in this city, in the neighborhood, at 228, Washington Street, corner of and in all such parts of the country as it may be found convenient to obtain intelligence from; and also, when practicable to procure them, statements of the practice in the various charitable institutions for the cure of the sick in this city and its vicinity. The plan of a weekly publication will necessarily exclude all long and elaborate articles, but the editors trust that it will not on this account be less inter esting or less useful to the medical profession. The leisure of a medical practitioner is so much broken up that his opportunities for reading are few, and consist only of short intervals of time. A small and frequent publication, therefore, will meet his wants better than a larger one published at long intervals. The quantity of matter in this Journal will be about equal to that contained in the Medical Intelligencer, and will exceed that of the New England Journal. It is intended also to print it on a better paper than has been used for these works, and to accompany it occasionally with a plate. The BOSTON MEDICAL AND SURGICAL JOURNAL will be published weekly, by JOHN COTTON, 184, Washington Street; to whom all communications will be addressed, postpaid. Terms, $3 per annum, if paid on subscribing or within three months after,—$ 3,50, if paid at any subsequent time within the year,$4, if paid after the expiration of the year. No paper to be discontinued till all dues have been paid. Boston; Jan. 1828. Summer Street, under the superintendence of the editor. Vapor baths of a construction far superior to those lately used in Central Court, unencumbered by any patent restrictions or Whitlaw pretensions can be had, or made to order by applying at this office. DICTIONARY, FOR THE LAST WEEK AND THIS. and brane; that tissue of the body, Dermoid pathology, diseases of the skin; from dermis, the skin. Nutrientia, whatever articles of diet are suited to nourish the body. Piamater, a membrane so called because it embraces the brain as a good mother enfolds her child. It is a thin vascular membrane closely attached to the brain through its various parts and convolutions. children, in which the hairy part of Porrigo, a disease common among the scalp becomes dry and hard, and comes off like bran on combing the head. Varioloid disease, from variola, smallpox, and eidos, Gr. resemblance; resembling smallpox. It is in fact secondary smallpox, as this disease in a system which has been previously variolated or vaccinated; that is a system which has already passed through the smallpox or cowpock. This disease communicates genuine smallpox to those who have never been inoculated or vaccinated; hence it is as much to be guarded against and avoided by the improvident and unprotected, as primary smallpox itself. This secondary affection is much milder after cowpock than after smallpox. |