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Next follows a view of the authors who have attempted to improve on the Cullenian system. Macbride has great credit" for a nice skill in the arrangement of his genera and species, in which there is a neatness and simplicity of which the author has endeavoured to avail himself, wherever the structure of his own system would allow, and which he has often left with regret when it would not."

Dr. Chrichton is next produced, and Mr. G.'s objections stated, excepting to the part which relates to mental derangement, and even that is not without its faults.

Dr. Darwin's system is commented on with much pleasantry; and, as we shall have occasion to mention it again, we are glad of an apology for making a further transcript.

"But (says Mr. Good) the direct death-warrant of the system consists in his making every single proximate effect (in common language, proximate cause or symptom) a distinct disease; for, as the same proximate effect or symptom may be produced by several, or by each of what Darwin calls proximate causes, and which constitute his classes, it follows that the very same species or specific disease must, in such cases, belong equally to some order or other of several, or of all the classes of his system. And such, to the stu dent's embarrassment and surprise, he will find, upon examination, to be the real fact. Thus, while variola (small-pox) is arranged under cl. II. ord. 1. gen. iii., eruptio variola (small-pox eruption) occurs under cl. IV. ord. 1. gen. ii. So hydrophobia appears first in I. III. i. and afterwards in III. I. i.; diabetes in I. III. ii. and again in IV. III. i.; palpitation of the heart in 1. 11. i. and again in 1. 111. iii. being twice in the same class: and of so many others."

The author next noticed is Dr. Parr, of whose Dictionary we should say, Mr. Good speaks in terms of exaggerated praise, were it not for a sentence so just as at once to convince us what we are to expect from such a medical writer.

"He [Dr. Parr] was his [Mr. Good's] colleague in conducting, for some years, two of the most extensive literary works of the present day, though not the Dictionary in question; and he can affirm, from a full knowledge of his talents, that he was a man of deep study, comprehensive capacity, and extensive learning. His mind, indeed, was so widely fraught with miscellaneous information, that few subjects could come amiss to him. His Dictionary gives evident proof of his having been alive to every novelty in his own profession, and of his readiness to allow its merits. He was far more disposed, indeed, to be satisfied with the opinions of others than with those of himself; and chiefly failed in a want of deference to his own judg ment. In laying down the outline of his system of diseases, which he only attempted upon a full conviction that a work of this kind was extremely wanted in the medical republic, he had his eye chiefly directed to the nosological method of Selle, and the botanical method of Jussieu. It follows, therefore, that his primary division

would

would consist, not of classes, but of what he intended to be natural orders or families. These orders are twelve, whose names are taken from the classes or orders of Sauvages or Cullen, with the exception of one, SUPPRESSORII, which is borrowed from Linnéus. "Here again, therefore, we have a great and noble ain, whatever be the success of its accomplishment. But, as a natural system, even in botany, is to the present hour, and perhaps always will be, a theoretical rather than a practical idea, there seems very little expectation that it can ever be realised in medicine."

At present we shall only remark, that we do not consider "a mind widely fraught with miscellaneous information," or "the conductor of two of the most extensive literary works," as expressions complimentary to a physician or a medical writer.

Lastly, Dr. Young's "Introduction to Medical Literature, including a System of Practical Nosology," is, in our opinion, very fairly estimated. "Though limited to a single 8vo. it comprehends a complete course of medicine, and directs the student to the best authorities and sources of information; in this respect answering the purpose of Plouquet's seven 4to. vols, with a great saving of expense, a prodigious saving of time, and by a far nearer and pleasanter pathway."* It is not to be wondered if even Dr. Young failed, like his predecessors, in his attempts at nosology. His plan, how ever, comes the nearest to Mr. Good's, though essentially distinct. We ought to add that Dr. Young published in 1813; and it has already been remarked that Mr. Good's work has been nine years on his table. Whatever similarity, therefore, may be detected, must arise from a coincidence of opinion, and not from plagiarism,

This general review concludes with a slight notice of those nosologists who have confined their labours to "a single family or group of diseases," To the name of Selle, Pinel, and Crichton, are now added Plench, Willan, Abernethy, and Bateman. After a few remarks on the merits of each, the author commences his own plan by some observations on medical nomenclature: A considerable portion of this, he observes in a note, was published in the Memoirs of the Me dical Society of London, and for which the author received the Fothergillian medal. There can be no difficulty in showing the absurdity of many of our terms, the erroneous

* We are glad of this opportunity of doing justice to Dr. Young's book. Our remarks on it at the time were confined to a cer. tain passage, which, from the nature of the performance, seemed the most candid method of pointing out what the reader might expect from the whole,

opinions

opinions on which they were originally formed, nor the pro-, priety of changing them. But, in the latter, the difficulty is great. As we remarked before,* to alter the terms adopted by authors universally respected, and in well received works, is a violence that few will submit to. This difficulty may, however, be confined to the present generation, and be greatest in us who are arrived at an age when we are apt to become laudatores temporis acti. Besides this, we are forced to acknowledge, that, having found the study of medicine quite sufficiently laborious, and longer than we can expect our usefulness in life to continue, we have been always shy of encumbering ourselves with any addition to our troubles. What we have just said, will be considered as a further acknowledgment of the danger we feel lest prejudice should direct any of our remarks; and we again repeat the wish, that the reader, whilst he peruses us, would keep that dan ger in view. After this confession, we enter on the

Scope of the present Design.

"I. It is obvious then (says Mr. G.) that the healing art stands in considerable need of improvement in its two important branches of NOSOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENT and NOMENCLATURE: and it is, among other points, to an improvement in these two branches that the ensuing pages are especially directed.

"In giving an outline of what the author proposes in order to accomplish this purpose, it is of little consequence which of these two divisions shall first pass in review before us: let us then begin with that of language or NOMENCLATURE, as being, perhaps, freshest in the memory.

"In the hope of giving some degree of improvement to the medical vocabulary, as far as he may have occasion to employ it, the author has endeavoured to guide himself by the following general rules. Firstly, a strict adherence to Greek and Latin terms alone. Secondly, a use of as few technical terms as possible, and consequently a forbearance from all synonyms. Thirdly, a simplification of terms, as far as it can be done without violence or affectation, both in their radical structure and composition. Fourthly, an individuality and precision of sense in their respective use."

In taking a view of the languages best suited for nomenclature, no scholar can' fail to prefer the Greek, which by

*See London Med. and Phys. Journ. vol. xxv. p. 56. It may be right to remark, that the nomenclature is much improved since its former publication; and, in one instance, the author has attended to our hint, or, which is more probable, improved his terms by subse quent reflexion.

NO. 223.

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common consent has found its way into every branch of philosophy, in proportion as each has been better cultivated, and hence become more precise in its terms. Whenever it is found necessary to make compound terms, the Greek has so many advantages, that even the Germans, with a language scarcely less flexible, have not scrupled to submit to the general choice of all Europe. Mr. Good has also the advan-` tage of early authorities, from the best writers, for most, if not all, his generic terms. In his specific terms, he is less scrupulous; but, even here, he rarely wanders beyond the Greek and Latin. The next object in philosophical language is simplicity. We shall copy the following paragraph as a specimen; it may come before us again, when considering the execution of the work, for, at present, the reader will recollect we are only engaged on the preliminary dis

sertation.

"2. The machinery of every art and science (says Mr. G.) be comes simpler, and its auxiliary powers fewer and less needed, as it advances towards perfection. It is the same with their technology. While we are but loosely acquainted with the principles of an art we speak of them with circumlocution, and employ more words than are necessary, because we have none that will come immediately to the point. As we grow more expert we learn to make a selection; we give to many of them a greater degree of force and precision; and separate those that are thus rendered of real value from the "leather and prunello," the heavy outside show of useless and unmeaning terms with which they are associated; and thus gain in time as well as in power. In unison with these ideas, the author, as soon as he has pitched upon a word that will best answer his purpose, will be found, as he hopes, to adhere to it wherever he has had occasion to advert to the same idea, without indulging in any play of synonyms, or different terms possessing the same or nearly the same meaning. Marisca and hæmorrhois have been equally employed by medical writers to distinguish the disease which we call vernacularly piles. The first is a Latin term, and refers to the tubercles of the disease, and the second a Greek, and refers to a discharge of blood which occasionally issues from them. As commonly used they are direct synonyms, notwithstanding this difference of radical meaning, and either might answer the purpose; the diversity of the disease being pointed out by distinctive adjuncts, as cæcà, mucosa, or cruenta. Sauvages and Sagar, however, have employed both; but have laboured to establish a difference, without having succeeded even in their own judgment. So that, in these writers, we have one and the same disease described under two distinct genera in distinct classes; the first occurring in Sauvages under class 1. ord. v. entitled, VITIA, CYSTIDES: the other under class IV. ord. ii. entitled, FLUXUS, ALVIFLUXUS, and introduced with this remark, “HÆMORRHOIDES vero nihil aliud sunt quam MARISCE, gazæ apud Aristotelem."

In the present system, marisca* is alone retained; and the author has preferred it to hæmorrhois, first, because hæmorrhage is only a symptom that characterises a peculiar species, or rather, perhaps, a variety of the disease; and next, because hæmorrhois, or rather hæmorrhoida, (aiuopioida) was employed among the Greeks, as well vulgarly as professionally, in a much wider sense than that of modern times, and imported flux of blood from the vagina, as well as from the anus; and, in fact, from any part of the body, when produced by congestion and consequent dilatation of the mouths of the bleeding vessels, which were supposed in every instance to be veins. So Celsus, "Tertium vitium est, ora venarum tanquam capitulis quibusdum surgentia quæ sæpe sanguinem fundunt: aiμoppoidas, Græci vocant. Idque etiam in ore vulvæ fæminarum incidere consuevit." To the same effect Hippocrates, Lib. de Morb. Mulier. Galen uses it in a still wider extent, De Morbus Vulgaribus:+ and hence the woman with an issue of blood in St. Matthew, ch. ix. 20, is termed in the Greek text yun aμojošσa.‡ Gaza (yaga), the term used by Aristotle, would have answered as well as marisca, but that it is less common in the present day, and an exotic term even in the Greek. Hesychius calls it a Persian word, and Scaliger coincides with him; translating it, "thesaurus, reditus, tributus," "a treasury," or place of deposit or accumulation, chiefly of tribute or taxes. It is rather an Arabic than a Persian term, though both countries use it under different inflexions. The Arabic root is (khazi) a blush or ruddy flush,' whether from fulness, shame, or modesty; whence the verb (khaza) 'to produce blushes, erubes'cence, or suffusion ;' and hence (khazan) in Persian, signifies 'autumn, or the season of fulness and erubescence;' while (khả

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"* The term occurs in Juvenal, in its medical import, ii. 12.

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Cæduntur tumidæ, medico ridente, MARISCÆ.

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"In Martial it occurs frequently in the literal sense of fici, 'fleshy or succulent figs or raisins.' The spongy and succulent bulrush of the marshes, or grounds overflowed by the sea, was called mariscus, from its habitation à mari: and hence, probably, the name of the spongy and succulent tubercles which constitute the piles. Our English marsh has the same origin as mariscus.”

"+Comm. VI. cap. xxv."

"Sauvages, not sufficiently attending to this extensive sense of the term among the Greek writers, represents this disease in St. Matthew as a marisca cruenta, or case of bleeding piles, instead of a catamenial bæmorrhage. Hæmorrhois, à Græce aima et rheo est fluxus sanguinis EX MARISCIS; unde mulier in Evangelio hæmorrhoissa dicta fuit.' Vol. I. p. 164. Apud Mariscam."

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[§ The Arabic characters are in every place given by Mr. Good, but omitted in our review, as unnecessary for the oriental readers, and useless to others. Every one also knows the difficulty of procuring a correct copy of them.-EDIT.]

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