History of the Case of a Woman, whose Skin became Black consequently to a violent Moral Emotion.* MARY AGNES LETELLIER, 75 years of age, born at Troyes in Champagne, of white parents, and herself perfectly white until the period of the accident we are about to describe, of a feeble constitution, had menstruated irregularly, and had, during her life, experienced a variety of maladies; she had aborted twice, experienced an inguinal hernia, had luxated the femur, and been affected with various attacks of inflammation of the thoracic and abdominal viscera. Towards the commencement of the French revolution, she was charged with having uttered some benevolent expressions respecting the king, imprisoned, and condemned to death for this imputed crime. The fatal lantern, the instrument of her destruction, was soon let down before her. At this terrific object, menstruation, which she then experienced, immediately became suppressed. Her execution was suspended by the intercession of some person of high authority. Soon afterwards (she said a few days) her skin assumed the colour it ever afterwards preserved. The hue of her countenance became like that of the less dark negroes, but her features did not suffer any alteration of form. The colour became deeper in the neck and shoulders; the chest was of nearly the same degree of blackness as the face. The skin covering the abdomen and lower extremities was not so dark as that of the chest. What was very remarkable, was the marbled appearance on the limbs, arising from the interspersion of white spots: this is also remarked in the American blacks. The joints of the fingers were blacker than the other part of them; the soles of the feet, palms of the hands, and folds of the inguinal region, were the least coloured parts of the whole body. From the time of this afflicting event, the health of the patient became more and more languishing; she became subject to beating in the head, with sense of oppression and general uneasiness. She at length fell a victim to chronic inflammation of the intestines, in the month of April 1819. During the whole time of the disease the skin was supple, and even oily; cutaneous perspiration did not appear to be either diminished or increased; the scales of which the cutaneous tissue is composed were larger than ordinary. A vesicatory was applied in the course of the disease, and the epidermis raised by its action was perfectly transparent. The subjacent . tissue was brownish. Examination of the dead body.-External appearance. The colour of the skin had not suffered any change. The mucous tissue, separated from the dermoid and epidermoid texture by maceration, was brown, like that of negroes. All the other tissues had preserved the colour natural to whites. The head.-The brain was perfectly healthy in appearance, as were its envelopments; there was rather an abundant effusion of serum into the ventricles. The chest. There were old adhesions of the pleura, but no apparent alteration of the parenchymatous structure of the lungs. The peri * Related by M. ROSTAN, in the Nouveau Journal de Medicine, Mai 1819, NO. 249. 3 D cardium was about a line in thickness, and of, so cartilaginous and dense a consistence, that it was impossible to distinguish whether or not it was formed of super-imposed layers. The heart was voluminous, the sides of the ventricles very thick and firm; but all the openings were free, and all the cavities in their natural state. No unusual opening, no extraordinary communication, was remarked. The small The abdomen.-The mucous membrane of the stomach was slightly injected with blood, in dispersed patches. This organ contained a liquid, rather abundant in quantity, of an opake-yellow colour, much, resembling the yolk of an egg dissolved in warm water. intestines were much injected, and presented unequivocal traces of inflammation. They contained similar matter to that in the stomach, only it was of greater consistence. The liver was perfectly healthy, and it did not appear ever to have been diseased. The passages of the gall-bladder and biliary ducts, were not at all obstructed, and the contained bile passed with the greatest readiness into the duodenum. The spleen, pancreas, kidneys, and bladder, did not show any vestige of alteration from the natural state. Observations on the Plague. By Dr. JAMES GREY JACKSON. His Majesty's ship which was lying in the port of Alexandria when Colonel Fitz clarence passed through Egypt from India, on his way to England, convoyed to Tangier a vessel which had on-board two of the sons of Muley Soliman emperor of Morocco. On their arrival at Tangier, the princes immediately landed, and proceeded to their father at Fas; but it was discovered by the governor, or alkaid, of Tangier, that, during the passage, some persons had died; and, accordingly, the alkaid would not suffer any of the passengers to land, except the princes, until he should have received orders from the emperor how to act: he accordingly wrote to Fas for the imperial orders, and in the mean time the princes arrived, and presented themselves to the emperor. The latter wrote to the alkaid, that, as the princes had been suffered to land, it would be unjust to prohibit the other passengers from coming ashore also: he therefore ordered the alkaid to suffer all the passengers, together with their baggage, to be landed; and soon afterwards the plague appeared at Fas and at Tangier. Thus, the contagion which is now ravaging West Barbary, was imported from Egypt. It does not appear that the mortality is, or has been, during its acme at Fas, any thing comparable to what it was during the plague that ravaged this country in 1799, and which carried off more than two-thirds of the population of the empire. Whence proceeds this difference? Is it a different species of plague, and not so deadly a contagion? or is it because the remedy of olive oil, applied and recommended generally by me, and by some other Europeans, during the plague of 1799, is now made public, and generally administered? This is an inquiry well deserving the attention of scientific men; and his Majesty's ministers might procure the information from the British consul at Tangier, or from the governor of Gibraltar. Perhaps the truth is, that the contagion is of a more mild character. effec With regard to the remedy of olive oil applied internally, I should myself be disposed to doubt its efficacy, unless M. Colaco, the Portuguese consul at l'Araich, is competent to declare, from his own knowledge and experience, that this remedy has been administered effectually by him to persons having the plague, who did not also use the friction with oil. I say, till this can be ascertained, I think the remedy of oil applied externally should not be forsaken; as it has been proved, during the plague in Africa in 1799, to be infallible, and therefore indispensable to people whose vocation may lead them to associate with, or to touch, or bury, the infected. For the rest, such persons as are not compelled to associate with the infected, may tually avoid the contagion, however, violent and deadly it may be, by avoiding contact. I am so perfectly convinced of this fact, from the experience and observation I have made during my residence at Mogodor, whilst the plague raged there in 1799, that I would not object to go to any country, although it were rotten with the plague, pro. vided my going would benefit mankind, or serve any useful purpose; and I would use no fumigation, or any other remedy, but what I actually used at Mogodor in 1799, which I have detailed in the description of the plague, inserted in my account of Morocco, Timbuctoo, &c. I am so convinced, from my own repeated and daily experience, that the most deadly plague is as easy to be avoided by strictly adhering to the principle of avoiding personal contact and inhalation, and the contact of infectious substances, that I would ride or walk through the most populous and deeply-infected city, as I have done before, without any other precaution than a segar in my mouth; when, by avoiding contact and inhalation, I should most assuredly be free from the danger of infection! When these precautions are strictly observed, I maintain, (in opposition to all the theoretical doctrines that have lately been propagated,) that there is no more danger of infection with the plague, than there is of infection from any common cold or rheum.-Journal of Science and the Arts, No. xv. An Alphabetical List of the Plants and other Articles of the Materia Medica mentioned in the Works of HIPPOCRATES, with the Latin Version of Föes, and the Synonyms of LINNEUS. [Extracted from a Memoir by Dr. PAULET.] [Continued from page 300.] Γαλβανον ; voyez Χαλβάνον. Tyana; o; pépins de raisin. TAExov; pulegiuin; mentha rotundifolja. Tλexor xλopov; polygonum viride; mentha pulegiuin, ou M. viridis? * "M. COLACO having lately observed that oil was used externally to anoint the body, as a preservative against the plague, conceived the idea of administering this simple remedy internally to persons already infected. Numerous experiments were made by this gentleman; and, out of 300 individuals already infected, wha resorted to this remedy, only twelve died." 3D 2 Tλuxuppin glycyrrhiza; glycyrrhiza glabra. Tλuxvois; pœonia; pœonia officinalis. Toyyuλis; rapum; brassica rapa, ou B. oleracea Aapin; laurus; laurus nobilis. Aaprons; daphnoïdes; daphne laureola. Aavxos; daucus; buplevrum fruticosum? Aavxos ngelinn; daucus cretensis; athamanta cretensis. Aaunos ailio winos; daucus æthiopicus; scandix odorata? Alaprov; dictainous; origanum heracleotium. Aixlaμvov ngelinav; dictamnum creticum; origanum dictamnus. Aoxos; phaseolus; phaseolus vulgaris. Apazolio; dracontium; arum dracunculus. Agvowlegs; filix querna; polypodium dryopteris. Ebavov; Ebenum; Diospyros ebenum. Hdvooμos; entha; mentha sativa, Exaia; olea; olea europæa. Eλaia λeunn; oliva alba; olive verte ou non mûre. Ελαιον αιγυπλιου λευκον ; oleum ægyptium album; huile du sesamum orientale. Exalego; elaterium; extrait du momordica elaterium. EXEλopaxos; salvia, mentha; salvia officinalis. EXEVIOV; helenium; hyssopus officinalis. EXECopos; veratrum; o. EλλεCopos μexas; veratrum nigrum; helleborus orientalis, LAMARCK. EXλCopos Aεuxos; veratrum album; veratrum album. EyλeCopos μantares; veratrum molle; helleborus orientalis, EA; eixine; polygonnm convolvulus? parietaria vulgaris? atractylis gummifera. Evavoor; enanthemum; adonis vernalis. Ewwpor; epipetrum; asplenium ruta muraria, Επιθυμον et επιθυμον λευκον; epithymum album; cuscuta epithymum, EpeCos; cicer; cicer arietinum. Epevladaror; rubia; polygonum bistorta. Egin; erica; erica vulgaris? Egwuλos; serpillum; thymus serpillum. Epvov; ervum; ervum ervilia, Epvoipor; erysimum, iris; erysimum vulgare. Egulpedaver; rubia; rubia tinctorum. Elgins; tragus, olyra; hordeum zeocrithon. Evgavleμov; chamamelum; achillea millefolium? Evopo; eruca; brassica eruca, Exelpoots; bryonia alba; clematis vitalha. Zea; siligo; triticum spelta. @aola; thapsia, ferulago; thapsia asclepium ou garganica, appos; lupinum; lupinus albus. Xao; thlaspi; iberis amara. how to; thlaspi lævigatum; iberis semperflorens. dawi montov; 0; iberis umbellata. @pidas; lactuca; lactuca sativa. Ovupa; thymbra; satureja thymbra ou S. hortensis, vuo; thymum; satureja capitata, Ivdinov; indicum; vitex negundo, 1os; viscum; viscum album. Iov; viola; viola odorata. Iwoμapalpor; hippomarathrum; cachrys sicula. Iwoopan; hippophae; euphorbia spinosa?? Iwoor; ipposelinon, hipposelinum; pastinaca opopanax ou P. syl vestris, Ips; iris; iris sambucina et I. florentina. Ioals; isatis; isatis tinctoria. Ioxas; carica; fruit sec du ficus marisca, Ioxedias pixpos et μɛyaλŋ; anchusa parva et magna, anchusa officinalis; angustifolia, lycopsis arvensis. flea; salix; salix. Kaxpus; cachrys, ros marinus, hordeum; imperatoria ostruthium, laserpitium latifolium, triticum turgidum, hordeum hexasticumr. Kahapon; calamintha; melissa calamintha. Kalapos; calamus aromaticus; andropogon nardus. Kardia; canthia. Kawwapis; capparis; capparis spinosa. Kapdaμapor; cardamomum; amomum cardamonum. Kapdauor; nasturtium et cardamum; lepidium sativum. Kapdaμor aypior; cardamum agreste; lepidium lyratam ou L. latifolium. Kapua Tolina; nuces ponticæ; fruits du corylus avellana. Kapva spoyyvλa; nuces rotunde; fruits du juglans regia. - Kapvor Javorov; nux thasia; fruits du juglans fraxinifolia. Kaoin; casia; amomi species ?? Kavnaλis; caucalis; cordylium syriacum, Kedides; cedri baccæ; fruits du juniperus oxycedrus. Kedgos; cedrus; juniperus oxycedrus. Keopos xpelin; cedrus cretica; cedros cretica, TOURNEFORT. Κεγχρος, κεγχρον; milium; panicum miliaceum. Keyxpus et xeypudas; milium, milii grana; fruits des panicum miliaceum et italicum. Kelaupior; centaurium; inula helenium, centaurea centaurium; gentiana lutea. Kerpor; betonica; betonica officinalis. Kirvapoor; cinnamomum; o. Kiooos; hedera; hedera helix. Kidos ou 2505; cistus; cistus salvifolius et C. pilosus. Κλεμαλις; voyez εχείροσις. KVEXOC; cnicus; carthamus tinctorius et C. cæruleus. Kreopov; cneorum; convolvulus cneorum, daphne alpina. Krepov; cnestrum; daphne cneorum? Κνικος ; voyez κνεκος. Kd; urtica; urtica urens et U. dioïca. Koxxaλos; nux pinea; pignon du pinus pinea. Koxxos xvidios; granum cnidium; fruit du daphne gnidium. Koλoxvrbis aypin; cucurbita sylvestris; cucumis colocynthis. Kov; conyza; inula montana. Korun doodes; conyza fœtida; inula fœtida. Korun novooμos; conyza grati odoris; inula odora ou I. bifrons. Kopravor et nopion; coriandrum; coriandrum sativum. Koluandor; umbilicus Veneris; cotyledon umbilicus Veneris. Kpauen; brassica; brassica. Kpanov; cornus et corna; fruit du cornus mas. Κράταιγονον; voyez πολυκαρπον. Kpelμor; crethmon, crithmon; crithmum maritimum, Kerarsor; crinanthemum; lilium candidum. [To be continued.] |