social meetings, where kind feelings and lively conversation shed a charm upon the repast. It is but "lenten delight" to eat alone. Independently of the sombre cast of mind so likely to prevail in such a case, the solitary being is very apt to fall into "brown studies," and, in these fits of abstraction, to masticate his food very imperfectly. Hence, from defective comminution, and slovenly insalivation of the morsels, an additional labour is thrown upon the stomach already hebetated by the mind's gloom. Occasional solitariness is, I admit, as necessary to the mind's perfect health, as the rational enjoyment of society. No man can be more wretched than he who is, from habit, dependent upon others for his mind's occupation; besides, every man has, in himself, mental peculiarities, which are proper objects of his private study, with which it is his business to become acquainted, in order to acquire a due mastery over his own mind and affections, or to know how to marshal his intellectual forces in his intercourse with his fellow men. To be too much alone, makes a man timid, suspicious, or irascible, in society; to be too much in society, makes him peevish and melancholy when alone.

An occasional change of society and of scene, is, to many persons, absolutely essential to their bodily health. I have, in the course of my practice, met with many instances of elegant and accomplished young ladies, doted upon by their parents, and much indulged at their homes, in some very retired parts of the country, who were not deficient in inward resources, and who were, in family, sufficiently numerous not to be without the solace of cheerful

society; yet, from an oversight of their parents, they have become unhealthy. They have become so enervated by the monotony of their seclusion, as to be painfully agitated at the arrival of a stranger, and to be affected with tremor, loss of voice, and sometimes violent hysteria, upon coming, once in two or three months, into a town.

There are some professions and occupations, the prosecution of which is attended with a sufficient variety of scene, society and circumstances, agreeably to recreate the mind; but there are, at the same time, occupations and pursuits not so diversified ; and I have little doubt but that, from this cause alone, they are hurtful both to the mind and body.

The moral depravity so much complained of in large manufacturing places, may, in great measure, be traced to the necessity the persons engaged in them, feel themselves under of flying to something to relieve their minds from the ever-recurring sameness of their employment. The mind loses both its spring and balance, and they ignorantly attempt the renovation of both by recourse to baneful excesses. These afford a temporary diminution of their tædium vita, but followed by an increase of it, again to be removed by the same bad means; and thus habits destructive of health and happiness, and subversive of the best interests of society, become irrevocably established. The mind of the labouring manufacturer, requires instruction as to the modes of diversifying his occupation. It is not, I trust, an Utopian dream, to indulge the sanguine expectation that, as useful knowledge becomes more generally diffused amongst this class of persons, they will have their

resources multiplied, and that many innocent gratifications will supersede their present debasing indulgences.

Much more might be said upon this subject, but I am reminded by the limits assigned to this essay, here to pause for the present, not without the hope of having satisfactorily proved the important value of sound religious principles, and diversified mental occupation, in inducing and preserving that serenity and cheerfulness of mind, without which it would be extremely difficult long to preserve the most perfect bodily frame in uninterrupted health. In a future essay, I propose taking a view of the influence of particular emotions and states of mind on the bodily functions, and inversely of the influence of the bodily functions upon the mind; and to conclude with the application of these laws to medical practice, as elucidated by particular diseases.

CASES

ILLUSTRATIVE OF

DISEASES OF THE HEART.

BY THOMAS JEFFREYS, M. D.

LIVERPOOL.

IN the course of a practice of twenty-five years, I have been in the habit of taking notes of all cases of importance. These notes were taken at the time of the attendance, and observations were afterwards added to them, which arose from a careful collation of any series, bearing on the same views, in pathology or practice.

To communicate, from time to time, such of these series as are calculated to throw light, however small, upon the obscurities of our difficult art, I trust will be considered of some service to our profession.

The first series of cases I shall notice, with a view to show what extensive organic disease may exist in the Heart itself, without a fatal termination: the second, what obscure diagnostics we often have, when the most formidable consequences may be expected: and the third, what powerful symptoms of heart disease may exist which may be purely symptomatic, and consequently from which no danger may either exist,

or be expected. To illustrate the first of these positions, I extract a case of

Palpitation, from adhesion of the Pericardium, which occurred in my practice full twenty years ago.

Sept. 23, 1812.-I was called to visit Miss C. N. aged eight years, and found her labouring under febrile symptoms, amongst which, nausea and abdominal pain were most conspicuous, accompanied also by tenesmus. I ordered a powder of calomel and rhubarb to be taken immediately, and afterwards a saline mixture with antimony: the former produced three evacuations, and the latter was continued on that and the following day, without any very material abatement of the symptoms. On the 26th, a powder of calomel and jalap was given, which relieved all the febrile symptoms, except the coated tongue, which was accompanied with a slight cough, for which some syrup of tolu was added to the saline mixture; and on the 27th she was better, but evinced great restlessness, and general irritation of both body and mind, with picking of her nose. More purging was therefore directed, and with such good effect, that on the 28th she was considered convalescent. On the 30th, debility alone seemed to remain, though I fancied there was some peculiarity in respiration, and having still a slight cough, she took a mixture of decoction of bark, oxymel of squills, and camphorated tincture of opium; and on the 2nd of October she appeared well, except the cough, when, for the first time, I observed a more than healthy palpitation of the heart, which her mother informed me she had always observed when her daughter was in any way out of