analysis of foreign medical journals. archives generales-march

6
120 an additional proof of the non-conta- giousness of yellow fever. But he knew that the fact admitted of no satisfac- tory explanation, and he makes use of this paltry subterfuge to get rid of the difficulty. He could here resort to the stale artifice of saying, that the interval between the reception of the contagion and its effects, was too long, or too short, or that it was a mere coincidence. These magic words must soon fail of helping him out of the dif- ficulties into which he must soon fall from the accumulation of facts. But why press him farther upon this ques- tion ? Has he not admitted, to cap the climax of his contradictions, the i truth of the doctrine of contagion in its fullest sense, in the following sen- tence ? " And yet there can be no doubt that fever is capable, under certain cir- cumstances, of generating fever." For an explanation of this admission, we refer the reader to the passage where A. B. C. occur in Dr. Hosack’s letter. In the mean time we shall resume this subject. FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN MEDICAL JOUR- NALS. ARCHIVES GENERATES—MARCH. On the treatment employed at the Hotel Dieu of Orleans, in the Diseases occa- sioned by Lead. WHILST in Prussia these complaints are combated with large doses of ani. mal oil, narcotics, stimulants, purga- tives, and diuretics, in Austria and ill England recourse is had to large doses of opium, either alone or combined with purgatives. At the different hos- pitals of France various methods of treatment are adopted; the antiphlo- gistic, with local bloodletting in some, and counter irritation in others ; the svstem pursued at the Hotel Dieu of Orleans differs from the whole, and the success which attends it is so striking, that it may be considered worthy of some attention. " I have," says the writer of the article in the Archives, " observed most minutely the patients which were admitted during one month, and who were submitted to the following novel treatment. These cases were all in the clinical wards of M. RANQUE, and the considerations which induced him to pursue this plan were princi. pally the following : All the disor. ders produced by lead, not attended by pyrexy, thirst, or dryness of the tongue, are considered as simple neu- ralgies ; the saturnine neuralgia has its primitive seat in one or more of the splanchnic ganglia, and that it is there that the influence of the lead on the organization is first perceived. The pains felt in other parts, not supplied by the splanchnic nerves, are secon- daryonly, and are dependent on the sympathetic action between these ganglia and the spinal nerves ; then if pyrexy, thirst, dryness of the tonarue. and so on. should annear. that state is regarded by M.R. as the third degree of action of the lead on the system. Then follows the manner in which the evil is proposed to be re- moved, namely, that of acting upon the extremities of the nerves distri- buted to the surface of the body from the spine, and on the nerves distri- buted to the surface of the mucous membrane of the intestines." Such are the views which the person who introduced the treatment took of the- disease, and on which he founded his therapeutical system. The means to be employed are few in number ; they consist,—1st, of an epithema, which he has called the Ab- cloneinal Epithema, with which the whole of the body is covered, from the xiphoid, or ensiform cartilage, ta within a short distance of the pubis. Its composition is as follows :- R. Diachylon gummi, ss. Theriacæ, ss. Emplastr. cerce. ij. Camplaorce pulv, j. Sulphur, ss. Melt them well together over a gen- tle fire, then let the plaster be spread

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Page 1: ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN MEDICAL JOURNALS. ARCHIVES GENERALES-MARCH

120

an additional proof of the non-conta-giousness of yellow fever. But he knewthat the fact admitted of no satisfac-

tory explanation, and he makes useof this paltry subterfuge to get rid ofthe difficulty. He could here resort tothe stale artifice of saying, that theinterval between the reception of the

contagion and its effects, was too long,or too short, or that it was a mere

coincidence. These magic words mustsoon fail of helping him out of the dif-ficulties into which he must soon fall

from the accumulation of facts. But

why press him farther upon this ques-tion ? Has he not admitted, to capthe climax of his contradictions, the itruth of the doctrine of contagion in

its fullest sense, in the following sen-tence ? " And yet there can be no doubtthat fever is capable, under certain cir-

cumstances, of generating fever." For

an explanation of this admission, werefer the reader to the passage where

A. B. C. occur in Dr. Hosack’s letter.

In the mean time we shall resume

this subject.

FOREIGN DEPARTMENT.

ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN MEDICAL JOUR-NALS.

ARCHIVES GENERATES—MARCH.

On the treatment employed at the HotelDieu of Orleans, in the Diseases occa-sioned by Lead.

WHILST in Prussia these complaintsare combated with large doses of ani.mal oil, narcotics, stimulants, purga-tives, and diuretics, in Austria and ill

England recourse is had to large dosesof opium, either alone or combinedwith purgatives. At the different hos-pitals of France various methods oftreatment are adopted; the antiphlo-gistic, with local bloodletting in some,

and counter irritation in others ; thesvstem pursued at the Hotel Dieu ofOrleans differs from the whole, andthe success which attends it is so

striking, that it may be consideredworthy of some attention." I have," says the writer of the

article in the Archives, " observedmost minutely the patients whichwere admitted during one month, andwho were submitted to the followingnovel treatment. These cases were

all in the clinical wards of M. RANQUE,and the considerations which inducedhim to pursue this plan were princi.pally the following : All the disor.ders produced by lead, not attendedby pyrexy, thirst, or dryness of thetongue, are considered as simple neu-ralgies ; the saturnine neuralgia hasits primitive seat in one or more ofthe splanchnic ganglia, and that it isthere that the influence of the lead onthe organization is first perceived. Thepains felt in other parts, not suppliedby the splanchnic nerves, are secon-daryonly, and are dependent on the

sympathetic action between these

ganglia and the spinal nerves ; thenif pyrexy, thirst, dryness of thetonarue. and so on. should annear. thatstate is regarded by M.R. as the thirddegree of action of the lead on thesystem. Then follows the manner inwhich the evil is proposed to be re-moved, namely, that of acting uponthe extremities of the nerves distri-buted to the surface of the body fromthe spine, and on the nerves distri-buted to the surface of the mucousmembrane of the intestines." Suchare the views which the person whointroduced the treatment took of the-disease, and on which he founded histherapeutical system.

The means to be employed are fewin number ; they consist,—1st, of anepithema, which he has called the Ab-cloneinal Epithema, with which the wholeof the body is covered, from thexiphoid, or ensiform cartilage, tawithin a short distance of the pubis.Its composition is as follows :-R. Diachylon gummi, ss.

Theriacæ, ss.Emplastr. cerce. ij.Camplaorce pulv, j.Sulphur, ss.

Melt them well together over a gen-tle fire, then let the plaster be spread

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on a piece of leather sufficient to

cover the abdomen, and sprinkle onits surface, before you apply it, thefollowing powder, camphor and tar-tarized antimony a drachm and half,and sulphur half a drachm ; mix them

Itogether.The second application is called the

Lumbar Epithema, which is to beplaced on the loins, extending fromthe last dorsal vertebra to thesacrum.Its composition is as follows.

R. Empl. ceræ partes duas.Diachyl. gum. partem acnanz.

.Liqnify them by a gentle heat, andthen add camphor and sulphnr, ofeach one drachm. The third remedyto be employed is an anti-neuralgicliniment, composed of the distilledlaurel water, two ounces ; of sulphu-ric ether one ounce, and extractof belladonna two scruples. Abouttwo large spoonfuls are to be Pm-ployed in friction for an adult. Thelast weapon with which the said satur-nine neuralgy is to be attacked is, alavement composed of twenty drops ofthe tincture of belladonna, and fourounces of olive or almond oil. Demul-cent drinks are at the same time em-ployed—as the pearl barley water,milk whey, and so on.

- The abdominal epithema is to be re-moved as soon as the pustules beginto appear, but it should be renewedif the pains are not removed in thetwo first days. The lumbar epithemamay remain on five or six days with-out any inconvenience. This applica-tton is considered as seaauve ; Bvmtstthe abdominal epithema acts as a seda-tive and revulsive, the liniment comesin to the aid of these two, and theinjection is given for the purpose ofovercoming the obstinate costivenesswhich usually attends this complaint.Wherever the pains may be seated-inthe head, neck, or extremities-pro-vided there is no fever, then M.RANQUE attacks them with the anti-11euralgic liniment and the epitlaenaaabdominale. When any cerebral excite-ment takes place, it is treated bybleeding trom the temporal artery,the application of cold to the head, andrevulsives, or counter irritants, as

sinapisms to the knees and feet ; if-any abdominal inflammation shouldappear, it is to be treated in the ordi-

nary way.

CASE I.

Two brothers, one aged 10 and theother eight years, had been in thehabit of working on a premises wherewhite lead was manufactured, andthey were taken just about the sametime with severe pains in the abdo-men and vomiting. The elder, how-ever, had these pains the most severe.Both of them were submitted to thefollowing treatment: the epithemasbefore described were applied to thebelly and back, and the antineuralgicliniment was apptied on the arms andlegs. In the younger boy every symp-tom was quite removed in twenty-four hours, and the other, who hadbeen purged ficely before this modewas adopted with any relief, became,within the same period, sensibly re-lieved. He was directed to continuethe frictions, and to take plentifully ofdemulcent drinks. On the third day,only a few wandering pains in thelimbs remained, for which the abdo-minal epithema was ordered to be ap-piiecl to the knees, the same drinksto be continued, and the same lini-ment to be used. On the followingday the pains were quite removed fromthe extremities, but there was a

slight return of the colic. In two

days more the cnre was completed.CASE If.

Bonchet Nicolas, aged 53, employedin the manufactnre of subcarbonateof lead, came into the hospital on the6th of February, having been ill fivedays, tormented with kioleiit colic;abdomen tense, obstinate costiveness,high coloured urine, with dtill pains

’ in the extremities, great prostrationof strength, and anxious countenance.The whole of the surface of the bodyhad a considerable jaundice tint.-Ordered a hip bath, and the anti-neu-ralgic liniment to be rubbed on thelegs; the epithemas to be applied to theabdomen and back, and the demul-cent drinks to be taken freely. Onthe 7th, the pains in the limbs wereless, and altogether a little better.The same treatment to be continuedas on the preceding day. The 8th,still better, but the costiveness veryactive. The anti-neuralgic lavementsordered in addition to the other treat-ment, which produced a copious eva-

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cnation, and, with great relief, a ge-))eral remission of all the symptoms.He continued to use the hip-bathdaily until the 14th, and the frictionswith the liniment, but the injectionwas discontinued ; at which time theskin had recovered its natural appear-ance ; the abdomen became soft, andwithout any pain on pressure. Thediet allowed the patient was graduallyincreased, and on the 20th he wentoat auite well. I

This was the third time that Bonehethad come to the hospital for this com-plaint, and the same success at eachtime attended this mode of treatment.The second time of his coming, thesymptoms were so severe that theywere accompanied with epilepticsymptoms. The following case pre-sents more interest than the preceding, on account of the severity of thesymptoms and the readiness withwhich they yielded to the treatment iemployed.

CASE III.

Minet, a brazier, about 45 years ofage, came into the hospital, complain-ing of very severe pains in the belly;his pulse was small and frequent, hisface pale, and distorted from the se-verity of the pain ; the abdomen flat-tened and very painful on pressure ;frequent inclination to vomit, and oc-casionally greenish matter was reject-ed from the stomach. Ordered thehip bath ; frictions with the linimenton the belly and loins ; barley waterand low diet. On the following day.little alteration in the symptoms, andhe was consequent!y directed to applythe revulsive plasters over the backand bowels, to rub the liniment on thethighs and legs where the pain wassevere, and to continue the bath andlow diet. On the third day the nau-sea was less frequent; the pains inthe extremities also less, but a veryobstinate constipation continued fromthe commencement of the disease.The same remedies were continued.On the fourth day, the t-olic was

rather more severe, and the injectionwas ordered. On the fifth, an eva-cuation was procured from the bowels,which produced great relief, the pa-tient complained only of great weak-ness. A daily improvement was nowperceptible, and the eighth day of

being in the hospital all the functionswere restored to their healthy state.I Such is the treatment which M. R.has adopted, very extensively, at

Orleans, and with, as he asserts, in-) variable snccess. It is worthy a triatby those who are frequently called topatients labouring under these dis.tressing complaints.

Operation for new Palate.M. Roux has lately repeated the

operation for a detective palate, andhas succeeded as well as he could al-most have expected. The edges ofthe divided palate united throughouttheir whole length, except about aquarter of an inch at the back part ofthe true palate, between it and thevelum.We understand that the operation

for the cleft palate was performed byj a sorgeon at Berlin, two years beforeM. Roux attempted his first case on

Mr. Stevenson, but from the little at.tention then paid to German surgeryin this country, was not noticed.

GERMAN JOURNALS.

II Beschreibung der volligen Ausrottungj einer nicht vorgefallenen carcinoma-

tz;sen Geburrrtutter. Von Dr. HOLS-CHER.

Description of the extirpation of unUn prolapsed Ca2-ci2tortiatozis Uterus.By Dr. HOLSCHER." Madame Von C-cht, from Hil-desheim (a town in Hanover), of strong

constitution, middle statnre, light co-loured hair, and full habit of body,was married when only fifteen yearsold, and was the mother ot’ four chil-dren. Until her 30th year she hadenjoyed a tolerable state of health,although she had suffered a good dealof affliction. In 1822, when in the

third month of her fifth pregnancy,she undertook a small journey ; dur-ing the rottte, the horses becameflighty, and Madame Von C—, in

her attempt to jump out of the car-riage, miscarried. A very considera-ble hæemorrhage took place, and wasfbllowed by an inflammation of thebowels, which confined the patient tobed for three weeks. From this timeher health became shattered, and acopious vaginal blenorrhoea kept her

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in a state of great weakness. In thesummer of 1823, she was attackedwith cough and pain in the chest, for

which she was advised to try the Pyr-mont baths, and by the use of thesethe pain and cough were relieved, butthe discharge continued the same. Byan examination per vaginam, it wassoon discovered that the cause of thiswas not merely weakness, but that analteration had already taken place inthe vaginal portion of the uterus. Inthe month of August 1823, her gene-ral health again became much dis-turbed; she was attacked with an in-termittent fever, and the vaginal dis-charge assumed a very bad character. liDr. H. was informed (for up to thistime he had not seen the patient) thatevery examination, even when con- Iducted with the greatest care, occa-sioned a greater or less degree ofhaemorrhage, and was attended with I,considerable pain, which convinced I,him of the existence of a fungus atthe mouth of the uterus, together withulceration of the same part. jOn the 9th of January 1824, Dr. H.

was first called to the patient, whenhe found her much emaciated, with the ’,countenance pale, but not of an earthycolour, which symptom is maintainedalways to be present in the advancedstage of scirrhus uteri. The pulse wassmall and quick, but the respirationwas natural, and she had no coughnor pain in the chest. Her appetitewas good, but she complained of greatthirst. The abdomen was perfectlysoft, and nowhere painful on,pressure,except in the situation of the uterus.The patient had latterly lost a gooddeal of blood, and the haemorrhagegenerally occurred whenever she ex-erted herself, or was examined pervaginam. The catatiienin appearedevery three weeks, and in the usual

quantity, but were mixed with theflaky discharge. She particularlycomplained of pain in the back, heavyweight in the pelvis, and a desire tomake water when she raised herself.On examination, Dr. Holscher foundthe uterus completely encircled withprojecting fungi, so that it was withsome difficulty he could move the

finger about in this organ. On theleft side, some of the fungous protu-berances had been torn off in the pre-vious examinations, and on that sider

the finger could be got higher up theuterus than on the other. This inves-tigation was not attended with anyloss of blood, but was exceedinglypainful, especially on introducing thefore finger into the uterus. The ex-ternal parts of generation were freefrom disease; and, on examining herrectum, it was found that the 8ur-

rounding parts were also sound. Thepatient was perfectly sensible of thenature of her complaint, and was quitewilling to undergo any operationwhich afforded her the slightestchanceof relief."

Operation.On the 5th of February 1824, Dr.

HOLSCHER performed the operationin the presence of Dr. Heine, Dr.Kunfmann, and several of his pupils.The bowels and bladder were firstemptied, and the patient was thenplaced in the horizontal position, withthe legs separated from each other.An assistant pressed down the uterus,and pushed the intestines upwards,whilst the operator conveyed a scal-pel along the middle and fore-fingerof the left hand to the mouth of thewomb. The instrument was then car-ried round the fungus, and the uterusseparated from nearly the whole ofits connexion with the vagina. Thepatient lost, at this step of the opera-tion, about five or six ounces of blood.The operator now introduced his lefthand into the vagina, and seized thecarcinomatous mass, but was unableto pull it down. Although the de-scription of Sauter’s operation haddetermined Dr. Holscher not to oc-

cupy himself much longer in attempt-ing to effect a descent of the womb,yet he judged it advisable to convincehimself, by one trial more, whetherit was possible or not. The operatorhad provided himself with several

pins of brass, of the sizg of a crow’squill in thickness, about a foot in

length, easily bent, and rather sharpat the point. One of these was con-veyed, with the point slightly bent,along the fore-finger of the left hand,and attempted to be pushed abovethe carcinomatous mass, into the cer-vix uteri. The left hand was thenconveyed to the other side, in orderthat the instrument might be carriedmore easily through the cervix, the

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point of which the operator hopedthat he should be able to lay hold ofwith a wire forceps (or a piece of wirebent into the form of a forceps), andthus effect a descent of the womb.But he was soon convinced, that thecarrying of the wire through the sub-stance of the uterus, to its outer part,so as to meet the instrument, wouldbe attended with great difficulty andJoss of time ; and, even if he succeed-ed in getting it through, it would mostprobably slip, and therefore he re-

linquished the trial. He then deter-mined on immediately removing thecarcinomatous mass, which considera-bly impeded the performance of theoperation. A circular knife was thenconveyed, along the fore and middlefinger of the left hand, to that partof the uterus from which the fungushad been torn off, and then carried, inan oblique direction, from right toleft. After the extirpation of thismass, a haemorrhage, to the amountof two or three ounces, took place,which was, however, soon stopped bythe application of a sponge moistenedwith vinegar. The uterus was nowmore easily to be got at, and the ope-rator introduced a sharp-pointed knifealong its outer edge, as far back as

the fungus. An opening being thusmade, the circular knife was intro-

duced, and the uterus separated fromall its lateral connexions, after whichit was easily removed. The operationlasted thirty-five minutes, and thewhoie quantity of blood lost amountedto no more than nine or ten ounces.The intestines did not in the least

protrude. Some fine sponge was in-troduced into the vagina, and the pa-tient conveyed to bed. Her hands,feet, and countenance were cold, andthe patient was evidently much en-feebled by the operation. Some wineend water, together with an anodyne,were given. The patient passed a veryrestless night, and on the followingTmorning was attacked with vomiting;the abdomen became distended, andin the lower part painful to the touch;the pulse feeble; and in twenty-fourliours after the operation she died."

Post-mortem Examination.

On opening the abdomen, not theslightest trace of haemorrhage was tobe seen. The opening in the perito-

neum had closed to the size of a hea’zegg, and would have soon united ifthe patient had survived. There wasno sign of carcinoma in any part, andthe ovaries, were quite natural. Theintestines were distended with flatus.—Graefe and Walther’s Journal derChirurgie.

Extract from Dr. Spurzlaeim’s Obser-vations on Insanity.

The causes of our ignorance ininsanity are numerous. First, the ex.amination of this subject is extremelydifficult, and often considered as. be.yond the medical profession. Insteadof multiplying the observations, andmaking use of every opportunity,medical people are, in a great mea.sure, excluded from this branch ofpractice ; and in general they makethe treatment of insanity not a leadingpart of their professional acquire.ments. Those who have opportunityare often engaged in another line, andfor want of time do not pay the dueattention to this object. Others fearany innovation, and, from want ofcourage to exercise their own powersof reflection, follow the doctrines oftheir predecessors or of titled contem-poraries. It is, indeed, to be lament-ed that, from public institutions andfrom private establishments, where

opportunity of inquiring into this dis-ease occurs, no more medical com-munications are made. I think withPinel, that he who cultivates medi-cine ought to pursue a frank andopen system of conduct, and not setkto conceal the obstacles which hemeets with in his course. He oughtto feel no reluctance to show what hediscovers.’ The contrary, however,often happens. Indeed I have metwith several medical men who pre’vent others from inspecting their esta-blishments, and who, as Pinel says,, under the veil of secrecy intend togive a sanction to pretensions to whichthey have no just nor exclusiveclaims.’Moreover, nothing is done to teach

medical pupils that which is known.The notion of insanity, which any oneacquires, depends on his own appli-cation. There are no lectures on thisimportant branch of medical know*ledge, while, at certain universities,.

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medical students are obliged to attendlectures on the diseases of animalsand on the veterinary art. I how-ever think with Dr. Rush, that theknowledge of the human mind is so

important even in the general prac-tice of medicine, that it shonld be theVade-Mecum of every physician. Fi-

nally, it was quite impossible to im-prove the doctrine of the derangedmanifestations of the mind, becausetheir healty state was not nnderstood.The history of insanity is necessa-

tily connected with that of the humanmind. Hence the different opinionsof it are always conformable to the

prevailing doctrines of philosophy.Those of the ancient philosophers,who believed in the soul of the world,and considered the soul of man as anemanation, the matter as inert, andevery activity as the effect of somespirit;—those who ascribed the effi-cient cause of all operations of manto the mixture of the elements of hisbody ;-otiiers who admitted two prin-ciples, a good and an evil one ;—orwho maintained the existence of spi-rits of different orders, and an inter-course between the spiritual and ma-terial worlds, and who supposed invi-sible spirits to molest the human sonl;- or who considered the soul as essen-tially pure, incorruptible, and thegrossness of matter as the cause of thedisturbances of the soul ;-naturally,according to their theoretical opi-nions, contended for different causesof the deranged manifestations of themind, and modified their curative planaccordingly.—Introduction, pp. 4-6.

ST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL.

The Anniversary Dinner of this IIHospital took place at the ThatchedHouse Tavern on Monday last; about90 Gentlemen sat down to a very ex-cellept repast.H. Jefferys, Esq. was in the Chair,

supported by Sir Everard Home andDr. Hewitt.

After the cloth was removed, "NonNobis" was sung in good style byMessrs. Bellamy, Broadhmst, andCooke.The Chairman then gave

" TlceKing," which, by some strange error,was drunk without the usual honours!

" God save the King."11 The Duke of York, and the rest

of the Royal Family," was receivedwith the same apathy as that of theSovereign.

Glee, " How merri!y we live thatsoldiers be.",The Chairman then rose to propose

a toast; he said, as he was unaccus-tomed to public displays, he shouldnot detain the truly respectable com-pany which he saw around him byany long speeches. In giving ‘ Suc-cess to St. George’s Hospital," hewas satisfied it needed no eulogy ofhis to convince those who had honour-ed him by their company that day,that it was an institution which fos-tered genius, and brought into action,for the benefit of mankind, some ofthe brightest ornaments of the medi-cal profession. (Loud applause.) Thiswas the twelfth Anniversary, and, hewas happy to say, that the Hospitalwas conducted in all its branches withzeal, talent, and honourable feeling,which had obtained for it the confi-dence of the public and the approbation of its governors. (Loud cheer-ing.)

Song, Mr. Broadhurst, " John An.deison mv Joe."

The Chairman observed, that ticpresumed he was addressing all clas-

sical men, lie should therefore, with-out apology, give " Mater omnium;"and if any Gentleman required anexplanation, he should refer him totheir reverend Chaplain, Mr. Hughes.(A laugh.)Song, Mr. Cooke, " The Mountain

Maid," which was sweetly sung." The President and Royal College

of Physicians."Dr. CHAMBERS briefly returned

thanks; lie said the College of Phy..sicians lookpd to St. George’s Hospi-tal as the source from which it derivedsome of its most able and distinguishedMembers. (Applause.)"The President, and the Royal

College of Surgeons."Sir EVERARD HOME said, As a

member of that learned and distin-

guished body, he rose to express itsthanks for the very flattering mannerin which the enlightened companythat he had the honour of addressinghad conveyed their anxiety for its re-putation and honour. That learned