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McKenzie or Mr. Jones make any mention of the former, and hence we presume it is scarcely ever seen.

We present these cases before our readers for their interest, and not because we have any theory to offer for their occurrence. We have examined several of our best authorities on the eye, and find they submit, that they know little of the producing causes.

The first case proves, that neither inflammation nor injuries are essential to its production. The second, that the removal of the cataract has no power to promote vision, and instead of doing good, may even possibly do harm; and the third, that synchysis may be congenital, the individual at the same time enjoying a limited amount of vision.

ARTICLE IV.

WM. BRODIE, M. D.,

235 Woodward Avenue.

From our Chicago Correspondent.

The effect of the continued pleasant weather has shown itself in a diminished amount of sickness, the mortality for January of this year being about fifteen per cent. less than last year. The following item I cut from the Chicago Tribune:

"CITY MORTALITY FOR JANUARY.-We have compiled the following mortality returns for January and other years, from the books of the City Sexton:

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The causes of deaths in January 1858 were: Spine disease 2, still born 3, convulsions 3, croup 26, inflammation of the lungs 13, consumption 23, teething 6, ossification of the heart 2, typhoid fever 7, cancer 1, small-pox 1, bronchitis 1, accidents 4, rheumatism 1, typhus fever 2, strangulation of intestines 1, old age 1, water on brain 1, scrofula 1, child bed 1, ulcer 1, not stated 2, scarlet fever 4, delirium tremens 3, dropsy 2, exposure and want 1, suicide 1, puerperal fever 3. Total 117.

The nativities of those who died in January 1858, were:

United States,

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66

28

7

3

3

1

9

117

The ages of those who died in January 1858, were:

One year and under,

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Over one year and under five,

Over five years and under ten,

Over ten years and under twenty,

Over twenty years und under thirty,
Over thirty years and under forty,

Over forty years and under fifty,
Sixty years and over,

Not stated,

Total,

19

31

1

7

15

18

11

9

6

117

The past month has been an unusually healthy one, owing no doubt to the remarkably pleasant weather experienced."

It will be observed that the mortality among the Irish is very great, considering the fact that their number is, as I suppose, not much greater than that of the Germans.

The County Medical Society met this month at the house of the President, Dr. Davis, and partook of a supper. During the evening Dr. Bevan read a translation from a French author, advocating very large venesections, repeated many times, as the best treatment for rheumatism. Dr. Bevan detailed a few cases treated by himself on this plan, but the result, even according to his own report, showed no advantage over other methods.

The new city directory just published affords some curious statistics by comparison with former directories.

In 1849 this city had 49 regular physicians, 8 botanics and 6 homœopaths-total 63. Population 23,000. There was one practitioner to every 365 inhabitants, and the homoeopaths constituted 13 per cent. of the number.

In 1854 there were 100 regular physicians, 7 homoeopaths and 13 quacks of other kinds-total 120 practitioners, of whom the homoeopaths constituted 6 per cent.

In 1855 the practitioners were one to every 635 inhabitants, and were distributed as follows: Regular physicians 106, homœopaths 8, botanics 4, miscellaneous 8-total 126. Of these the homoeopaths constituted 6 per cent.

In 1856 the homœopaths constituted about 6 per cent. of all the practitioners.

In 1857 the practitioners were one to every 564 inhabitants, and were distributed as follows: Physicians 176, homoeopaths 9, botanics 6, miscellaneous 4-total 195, of whom the homoeopaths constituted a little less than 5 per cent.

These statistics show that since 1849 the homoeopaths have relatively lost ground, falling from 13 down to 5 per cent. The figures are not strictly accurate, because the directories are always imperfect, and some names are by accident omitted. The numbers, therefore, of all parties are set down a little too small, but the homoeopaths of this city have never been backward in getting their names into directories and other places of notoriety, so that it is probably fair to assume that the ratios derived from these figures are pretty correct.

The number of lawyers in the city is 339, clergymen about 90, physicians 176, quacks 19. It is worthy of observation that the number of men in each profession is inversely as the interests involved. We have 339 lawyers to protect our pockets, 176 physicians to look to our health, and 90 clergymen to care for our souls.

X.

ARTICLE V.

RIDGE FARM, ILLINOIS, Feb. 2d, 1858.

Editors Peninsular Journal:

DEAR SIRS:-On the morning of the 22d of last month, I was summoned to attend Mrs. B., in her seventh accouchement, and was met at the door and informed by her husband that the child had been born dead, and that it was a miscarriage, his wife having been only seven months pregnant. I proceeded at once to examine into the state of affairs, and soon discovered that there was something wrong with the child. I removed it, wrapped it in a cloth and had it laid in an adjoining room for future examination. Upon examining the woman, I found considerable hæmorrhage, and no pains since the child was expelled. I prepared a strong decoction of Secal. Cornut.,

and administered of it freely every twenty minutes. Pains were soon produced and the Placenta expelled. The uterus contracted firmly, and the hæmorrhage ceased.

I then called Mr. B. with me to examine the child; but before unwrapping it, I asked him if his wife had been frightened at any thing during her pregnancy. He said the only thing he remembered of was a worm she had seen in the intestine of a hog; but the first glance he got of the child caused him to remember that she had been badly scared at a large frog she saw in the garden last fall. The child's head and face were about a medium between a human and a frog. Its eyes, neck, breast, shoulders and arms to the elbows were exactly like those of a frog. The fore-arms and hands, and the lower part of the body, legs, &c., were natural. The back part of the head and neck had the appearance of having been bruised for some length of time, as there was some pus formed in the centre of the bruise. Mrs. B. had sustained no injury to produce this effect. Another point of interest in the case, was the excessive amount of Liquor Amnii. Mr. B. told me his wife was double the size that she had been in former pregnancies; and that there was at least four gallons of water escaped. I suppose it was the diseased child, acting as a foreign body, that produced this, by causing the Amnion to become inflamed.

Respectfully, &c.,

J. A. HUNT.

EDITORIAL AND BOOK NOTICES.

A Parting SALUTATION.-In the February number of the Peninsular Journal it was announced that, after the present issue, Dr. Brodie and myself would transfer our interest respectively to Professor Palmer and Dr. Christian, and withdraw thenceforth from any participation in its management. That time has now arrived, and I avail myself of the prerogative sanctioned by custom, and sanctified by recent example, of inflicting upon my readers a parting salutation. The relations which have subsisted for some years past between the readers of the Peninsular Journal and myself, have been to me a source of so much pleasure, that I cannot permit them to be dissolved without expressing some words of regret, although the con61-VOL. V. NO. IX.

tinuance of them would have been maintained at a pecuniary sacrifice on my part, and the loss of time I could not well spare, from more pressing private pursuits.

Whilst the Peninsular Journal was yet in embryo, even before my honorable and cultivated friend, Dr. Edmund Andrews, now of Chicago, had sent out his prospectus, announcing his design of establishing such a means of intercommunication among the members of the medical profession in the State, my sympathies were enlisted in the enterprize, and I cheerfully contributed my mite to the promotion of its success.

On the retirement of Dr. Andrews from his position in the University and removal from the State, his connection with the Journal necessarily ceased. As his associate editor, Professor Palmer, was then also a resident of Chicago, there arose thence a necessity for some parties in Detroit to participate in its management; and I, yielding to the importunities of its friends, became one of its editors. Never having had, either at the time of its inception, or of its transfer to its present proprietors, or at the approaching period of its immersion behind a name of dubious import, any personal ends to accomplish, through its instrumentality, I do not repine at the prospect of being cut off by an act of my own, from the privilege of impressing my personal views upon others, of either the politics, the ethics or the science of our profession.

Confessing to the profession of those infirmities which prompt mankind to love their friends and hate their enemies, I shall regret the severance of the present ties, only because I may loose the place I now hold, in the memory of the patrons of the Peninsular Journal, many of whom I am happy to rank among my personal friends.

I shall continue to feel interested in the success of Medical Journalism in Michigan, and hope to manifest that interest by occasional contributions to the new Periodical, already announced by Messrs. Higby & Stearns, into which the Peninsular Journal and the Medical Independent, are hereafter to be compressed. My interest in the business success of the publishers, would of itself, prompt me to desire the prosperity of the successor to the Peninsular Journal, notwithstanding the hybridity of its character.

Aside from the gratification of so natural a wish, I hope, through the instrumentality of this new editorial amalgam, to show, as in natural science, how far it is true, that bodies oppositely electrified attract each other, and whether that affinity is made manifest at sensible or insensible distances.

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