C. Bell talks to us of carpentry, groinings, abutments, and arches; tenons, mortises, and other terms, taken from the mechanical powers and their application to operations. In all this he appears to us to lessen the dignity of the object he means to exalt. Where are the arches, where the centre-pieces or key-stone, where the abutments, where the piers, of the skull? In other words, are not all these effects brought about by means which show a power infinitely beyond the application of the laws of mechanics, though those powers, in a few instances of the laws by which common matter is governed, are made to co-operate in the general design. When we hear of watch-makers, carpenters, and masons,-of their labours brought as an illustration of what they never can imitate, we are always fearful lest the allusion should be still more familiar, and the tendons of the fingers should be illustrated by the machinery in vogue with the four-in-hand gentlemen. In this last instance, the allusion is much closer; nor can we be surprised if, in their structure, a disposition of bones and tendons something like the laws of common mechanism should occur. But is this to be brought as a proof of design, when they evince only what, to a certain degree, can be imitated by man, who can only avail himself of materials unconnected with life?

It is not our intention, by this, to doubt for a moment the goodness of Mr. C. Bell's meaning; but to remind him and others of the uselessness, not to say impropriety, of using such means to prove what no man can doubt whose opinion is worth any regard.

Such are the general outlines of these Observations. That the compilation is useful, cannot be questioned; and it is with pleasure we find the author intends to continue it. We are not less pleased at his not wishing to "promise the same. regularity or frequency of publication in future." We shall be ready to wait with patience, trusting that the delay will be "counterbalanced by the Reports being richer in cases and pathological inquiries, and more carefully composed. We recommend a revision, also, of some of the papers; and, above all, a more accommodating style. There is no reason or propriety in continually courting novelty of expression, or seizing opportunities of inducing the reader to believe that all knowledge is confined to one particular source. Mr. C. Bell has merit enough, without assuming more than he possesses, or without undervaluing the acquirements of others.

Edinburgh

487

October, 1817.

(Continued from p. 411,)

Art. III.-On the Mercurial Treatment of Yellow Fever. By J. B. SHEPPARD, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in London, and Surgeon in the Royal Navy.

THIS paper contains a very ingenious elucidation of Dr. R. Jackson's remarks, published twenty years ago,f concerning the fevers of St. Domingo, namely, that the supposed benefit of mercury was altogether fallacious. That the common re

mark concerning the certainty of the remedy when the mouth could be made sore, amounted to no more than to shew that in some subjects the disease was so mild as to leave the constitution still susceptible to the impression excited by mercury, but that in the worst cases there was a total insensibility to the stimulus it usually produces. Thus, as the sagacious Sydenham remarked of the small-pox, in the severe form it is often beyond the reach of the physician; and in the mild form it is not always in the power of the nurse to kill the patient. Perhaps, in the present instance, we might say, of the doctor; for we have no doubt many subjects have been destroyed by the time lost in the use of mercury instead of the lancet, and that many, under slighter cases, have been unnecessarily tormented with a mercurial ptyalism. As a preventive, we believe some practitioners are not so much of opinion that "whatever cures necessarily prevents," but have thought that a previous salivation might lessen that high health which renders the access of yellow fever particularly formidable to new comers.

Notwithstanding the few remarks we have made, we consider this paper ingenious, well written, and replete with useful and well-digested matter.

Art. IV.-Observations on Inflammation and Brain Fever By JAMES WOOD, M.D. Newcastle.

In this paper, cold affusions and bleeding are strongly recommended in brain-fever, and in the disease lately called delirium tremens. We have every reason to confirm the author's sentiments, and again to remind our readers of the practical remarks of our valued correspondents.

+ See Outlines of Fever, Edin. 1798.

1

Art.

Art. V.-Case of Stricture of the Rectum successfully treated. By G. F. EDWARDS, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, &c. and Surgeon at Bath.

This paper, though it contains nothing very new, does credit to Mr. Edwards's attention. Many cases of obstinate costiveness arise from stricture of or near the rectum, and, by the inattention of the practitioner, who is satisfied with the temporary relief by a cathartic as long as it be procured, such cases prove fatal, without a knowledge of the cause till all remedies are useless. Nothing can excuse such inattention. After every examination and inquiry, our art is sometimes imperfect, a consideration which should induce us to redouble our diligence, and to demand examination as often as we conceive any doubts may be removed by it.

Art. VI.-Case of Recovery after the Separation and Discharge by Stool of a portion of the Ileum. By ALEXANDER RENTON, Surgeon, Penicuik.

This is a very interesting case, but it will be unnecessary for us to do more than refer our readers to a similar one, related by Dr. Hull of Manchester, in our 7th vol. page 22, and to Dr. Baillie's most candid and ingenious remarks, page 104 of the same volume.

Art. VII.-Case of Tetanus. By EMANUEL LAZZARETTO, M.D. F.R.S. and Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in London.

This case presents nothing very new. The patient recovered; but the disease does not appear ever to have assumed its most unfavourable aspect.

Art. VIII.-Case of obstinate Colica Stercorea, cured by the exhibition of Quicksilver. By JOHN O'NEILL, Surgeon, Fermoy.

We

This history, as the judicious author observes, shows that in cases of obstinate costiveness, with pain, and succeeded by stercoreous vomiting, the empirical use of crude quicksilver is not only justifiable, but becomes a duty. should have been better satisfied if, in the beginning of the disease, or as soon as the patient (who is described of a full habit and sanguine temperament) applied for relief, venæsection had been among the remedies, if not the first.

Art. IX.-Historical Sketch of Medicine in the Russian Empire, from the earliest period to the present time. Com municated by Dr. VON EMBDEN, of Hamburgh.

Art. X.—On the Benefit of Cold applied to the Head in the Fever called Typhus. By J. WOOD, M.D.

Art. XI.-Case of Femoral Aneurism cured by tying the external Iliac Artery. By ARCHIBALD ROBERTSON, M.D.

On a careful perusal of this case, we could almost say we were convinced that the artery was obliterated by pressure, and that the subsequent operation was altogether unneces sary. The whole is, however, so intimately connected with a subject to which we have lately paid much attention, that we shall reserve it as the basis of a future essay.

Art. XII. contains an affectionate tribute to the memory of our late colleague Mr. ROYSTON, from Mr. ROBINSON SCOTT, a Surgeon of the Royal Navy, and Fellow of the Linnean Society.-Of Mr. Royston we may truly say nobis gratissimus. Having already given several particulars of his life, and the circumstances of his death, we shall only transcribe the close of this article, as an useful lesson to our-selves and all our brethren. After mentioning Mr. Royston's preparation for a "Bibliotheca Medicine Britannica," his printed prospectus, and the manner in which it was noticed by Dr. Young and some others, Mr. Scott adds,

"An anonymous writer in the Antijacobin Review for June 1808, among other observations on Mr. Royston's publication, quaintly elaborated the following, viz.-"We do not know any greater use of Bibliothecas than to foster indolence, generate vanity, and increase pedantry and superficialness. Such works are never encouraged in any country, unless before the public have attained a taste for inquiry, or after they have lost it.' And again, Mr. R. appears to possess talents adequate to the task in which he is engaged; and, if we can induce the people of the United Kingdom to depend more on temperance than on drugs, for the recovery or preservation of their health, we shall wish his work every possible success." Such is the superficial flimsy jargon of a conceited reviewer, on which it is hardly worth while to waste any remarks. It is manufactured in the usual style of the minor critiques in the common run of inferior miscellanies, which, by a sweeping assertion, or flippant paragraph, appear to do great things, and perhaps leave on the idle portion of their readers a strong impression of profound erudition and oracular dignity. The slashing Bentley' of the review above mentioned also says, 'On the decline of states, we usually find their philosophy and literature minced down into dictionaries and Bibliothecas. Now, this last sentence is mere nonsense. In a note, in Mr. Royston's hand-writing, on the margin of this review, now be føre me, is this remark: As states rise into a high degree of civilization, their literature and science increase and accumulate; and, in consequence, Bibliothecas become useful and necessary.' This critic, whoever

whoever he is, does not know that the character of a Bibliotheca comes nearer to that of a REVIEW than to a Dictionary. In fact, it should be a good review, on a great scale, extending, in a certain department of science, back to a period of publication long prior to the institution of critical journals.

"No one can doubt, however, notwithstanding the palpable examples exhibited in many reviews of inadequacy to their task, or of characteristics worse than this, of their general utility. Numbers of them certainly exhibit the most glaring instances of the abuse of a thing in its principle good. Medical critics should, most espeeially, keep clear of such blemishes. When, indeed, vast quantities of medical books issue from the press, neither containing any thing new, nor exhibiting any thing old in a new light; adding to the heavy expence of study, ostensibly original works, but covertly only ponderous and circuitous advertisements; preceding, not consequent on practice;-the intended cause, not the valuable result of professional experience:*-it is then that the medical censor should speak out, forcibly and firmly. To stop, or, if he cannot stop, to divert the wordy, torrent, to point out only what is excellent to the -student, to whoin money often may be, and to whom time always ought to be, most valuable; he must mark, with decided disapprobation, literary quackery and pseudo-philosophic imposition, whether of native or of foreign growth; and discriminate between productions likely to facilitate the anxious progress of the student, and crude compilations fitted for the mere helluo librorum.'' He should separate what are real improvements in science from scholastic hypothetical dicta, too often palmed on the world under the semblance of system. To do this is to do right; but the task is not easy, nor the gratitude of the public very abundant for the performance of it. It is become, however, an indispensable duty, and if, in the discharge of it, the critic acts from pure motives, positive utility to science may be the result of his efforts, and he will have for consolation, at the least, the mens sibi conscia recti.'

"But whilst, on the one hand, medicine has to lament the quackery of book-making, she is, on the other, often compelled to regret the loss of much excellent practical observation. Many practitioners of celebrity, who have obtained the otium cum dignitate,' consequent on long success in life, ought to be less reluctant in giving the world condensed views, at least, of their extensive experience. Few such works as those of HAMILTON and HEBERDEN appear in an age; and yet many eminent physicians, of practice equally extensive, too churlishly withhold from their brethren the results of their truly useful labours. Satisfied with having basked in the very sunshine of practice, it is to be regretted, that they who have, as it were, for a series of years, been absorbing so much of the light of

*See also excellent observations on medical book-making by Mr. Royston, Med. and Phys. Journal, vol. xxiv,

p. 2."

experience,