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cation exist, still undetected;) and all difference of opinion, s(discreditable to physiological and medical science, will cease.

I will now, for the sake of still greater distinctness, throwthe subject into a tabular form.

I.-In Cerebml Paralysis-1. The Reflex, Actions,2. The Influence of Eanotioat, and3. The Influence of Strychnine,4. The Irritability,

are more noticed in the paralytic than in the healthy limbs ;IL-Itx Spinal Paralysis-

1. The Peficx Actions,2. The Influence of Emotions,3. The Influence of Strychnine aoe extinct, and4. The Irritability diminished.

IIL-I-rx Ganglionic Paralysis-1. The Structure and2. The Functions may be alike destroyed.

Cerebral paralysis may exist alone. Spinal paralysis of- course implies cerebral paralysis. Ganglionic paralysis mayexist with or without spinal muscular paralysis. In divisionor disease of the trifacial nerve we have ganglionic paralysis,and in a case which I formerly published, in which the digitalnerve being injured, the nail ceased to grow as formerly. Butas spinal paralysis implies cerebral paralysis, it also impliesganglionic paralysis. I have at this moment an interestingpatient, who, from inflammation of the sciatic nerve from cold,has lost the power of the limb; the muscles are absolutely un-affectible by galvanism, atrophied, heterotrophied, and, I sup-pose, changed into fat. By restoring the healthy condition ofthe aaerve, will the morbid change of structure undergo restora-tion ? This is a question never yet agitated. It will requiremuch observation and-experiment, to determine it satisfac-

torily ; and I propose shortly to add to the present brief sketchsome ample details.

I shall first add the enumeration of some other forms still toparalytic affection.

Cambridge-terrace, jfryde’park, Sept. 1855.

Reviews and Notices of Books.On t7te Smokeless Fire-place, Claia;2aaey-vcalLes, and other Means,

Old and .New, of obtaining Healtful Warmth and Venti-lation. By NEIL ARNOTT, M.D., F.R.S., F.G.S., &c.pp. 231. London: Longmans and Co.Tnis work opens with a graphic account of the ravages

committed on London and Londoners-on their houses, theirfurniture, and their dress, and on all things, animate and in-animate, by the smoke of this immense town, which the authorcalls " the great nuisance and the opprobrium of the Englishcapital. " As a matter closely connected with the subject, andbearing upon the advantages of smoke-consuming furnaces,and, where possible, of other fireplaces having the like recom-mendation. a statement is given of the quantity of coals con-sumed, and of the greater cost for washing, &c. &c., in thedomestic establishments of London, than in those of families ofthe same station in the country. These remarks are intro-

ductory to the description of the author’s " Smokeless Fire-place. "

"Various attempts," he says, "have been made to feedfires always from below; and so to get rid altogether of smoke.One of the first recorded was made by Dr. Franklin. He

placed the burning fuel in a cage of iron bars supported onpivots, and when part of the fuel was consumed, leaving theupper part of the cage empty, he filled the vacant space withfresh coal, and immediately turned the cage upside down, sothat the new smoking coal was underneath, sending its pitchyvapours upwards through the mass of ignited coke. Another

attempt was made, about thirty years ago, by an ingeniousmanufacturer in London, Mr. Cutler. He placed a box filledwith coal under the fire, in which box there was a movablebottom, by raising which the coal was lifted gradually into thegrate to be consumed. The apparatus for lifting, however,was complicated, and liable to get out of order, which, withother defects, caused the stove to be little used. The movablebottom rested on a cross-bar of iron, which in rising was

guided by slits in the side of the coal-box, and was lifted bychains at each end, drawn up by a windlass, and this windlasswas turned by bevel-wheels, of which one had to be moved bya winch in the hands of an attendant."

It is by avoiding the rocks on which others have run thatfinal success is achieved; and so important have we alwaysconsidered the subject, and so strongly are we disposed to en-courage and to commend endeavours to accomplish the endsaimed at by Dr. Franklin and by Mr. Cutler, that we restatethe results of their ingenious, although not successful, devices.

I Dr. Arnott has supplied a very clear description of the im-provements introduced by himself into what he has called the" Smokeless Fireplace," which comprise the adoption of scien-tific appliances suitable to his object. The description is accom-panied by an exceedingly good woodcut representation of the" Smokeless Fireplace," (which, indeed, is requisite to makethe description complete;) and the cheerfulness of the fire, asrepresented, gives a very favourable impression that the pre.judice which prevails in the Englishman’s mind in favour of anopen grate and a blaze might be fully gratified, and that,moreover, consistently with the two great objects-cleanlinessand economy. The charge of coal for the day is placed in abox immediately beneath the grate, and is borne upwards aswanted by a movable false bottom or piston, raised simply bythe poker used as a lever; to the piston is attached a rod withnotches to admit the point of the poker. In order to give per-fect control over the current of air which passes into the

chimney, a throttle-valve is provided." In all cases," says the author, " it is necessary to be able

to command and modify, by a moveable plate or hanging-door,called a blower, the size of the front opening of the fire-place,as to command, by the damper-valve, the opening of the

chimney-throat above." And the author is enabled to state,that " by the proper adjustment of the two, the rate of com-bustion and the desirable brightness of the front of the firemay be constantly maintained."A few minor points are described, for which the work itself

should be consulted.The author proceeds to explain certain advantages which

would arise from placing fire-grates higher than they are usuallyplaced in this country, and illustrates his views by reference tonatural laws, as, for example, to those of light and heat. He

says :-" A fashion has lately been introduced into this country of

placing the fire-grates much lower than formerly-in somecases on the very hearth; the reasons usually assigned being,that a low fire burns better, or gives out more heat from thesame quantity of fuel, than a higher; and that, because lowerand nearer the floor, it must warm the carpet before, and soprevent or lessen to the inhabitants the evil of cold feet. Now,both these suppositions are curious errors or delusions, havingtheir origin in popular misconceptions respecting the natureand laws of heat, and particularly respecting the law of radia-tion. Radiation is the Latin word for the spoke of a wheel,and anything which diverges or spreads around from a centre,in some degree like spokes, is said to radiate. Light and heatare of this nature. The portion of either which passes in astraight line from the source is called a ray...... Most personsare aware that if a good mirror be placed close to a lamp onone side, it not only intercepts all the rays that fall upon it,which means nearly half of the light given out, but that itreturns or reflects these rays back in contrary correspondingdirections, and nearly doubles the illumination in those direc-tions ; but many do not learn by their unaided observation,that if a surface of any substance, like fire-brick, which stronglyresists the passage of heat through it, be placed near a fire, itnot only intercepts the heat-rays falling on it, but, by absorb-ing them, and so becoming heated, often to redness, it thenreflects and radiates back the greater part of the heat, almostas if it were additional hot fuel in the fire, and thereby nearlydoubles the warmth felt in directions away from the surface." It has been ascertained that, of the heat produced by com-

bustion in a common fqre-place, one part—being somewhatmore than half-is diffused, like the light, by raciiation into theopen space around, and that the remainder is given by con-tact and conduction to the air which supports the combustion,and to the solid material about the fire-place. Thus, then,with a common open fire-place, it is the radiated heat almost

297

alone which warms the room, while the remainder either at truth of this, one has only to recall the ridicule at first, andonce combines with the burned air or smoke, and passes up then the more active resistance, with which the announcementthe chimney, or is given by the heated grate to pure air which of almost all the great modern improvements in the arts of lifetouches that, passes into the chimney with the smoke. And, was originally received-as in the cases, for instance, oflastly, many persons do not suspect the truth that the rays of agricultural implements worked by steam, of steam machineryheat passing through pure or transparent air do not at all for spinning and weaving, of gas-lighting, railways, steam navi-warm that air, but warm only the solid or opaque bodies by gation,the penny postage, and so forth. Against all such new pro-which the rays are intercepted, and that thus the air of a room posals were quickly arrayed in action, the attachment of peopleis warmed only at second-hand, by contact with the solid walls to the established custom of past times, popular ignorance ofand furniture, which, having intercepted the heat rays, have Nature’s laws, strong misconceptions or prejudices, directlythemselves first become heated." opposed to Nature’s laws, the narrow, accidental interests in

rm j- , i i ..,- i,.-..., old things of individuals or classes; and if, in the first trials ofThese facts, presented by Dr. Arnott in order to indoctrinate a novelty, any failure occurred, from the awkwardness or un-

the popular mind with higher and better notions on the subject skilfulness of workmen employed about what was new to them,than are generally entertained, cannot be too widely known. or from. other cause, the fault was sure to be held up byOther illustrations than those we have quoted are given in the opponents as proof of error in the principle."work, which our space, however, does not permit us to Our author, with an admirable perception of difficulties oftranscribe. this class which are thrown in the way of honest endeavours,On the subject of ventilating ordinary dwellings, the work proceeds to say:-

contains, as might be justly expected from the author, a great " In cases when at last, notwithstanding such opposition, adeal that recluires to be more generally known, especially in novelty was proved to be good, then almost as certainly as fliesregard to what might be considered as either public ignorance, collect about a little hcney dropped on a tible, did a host ofor public apathy, with respect to the evil consequences of dishonest men for selfish purposes assail the proposal and thebreathing bad air, and the advantages capable of resulting from proposer, asserting that the proposal has not such novelty in it.the use of the chimney-valve are explained. General references

as could be secured by patent, although some modificationthe use of the chimney-valve are explained. General references proposed by themselves, the objectors, might be so secured.are also made by the author to numerous points in connexion By such opposition as this, the full introduction of Watt’swith practical ventilation, which very properly find a place in steam-engine was retarded for many years, and the inventorhis work, and to which we refer the reader, in the hope of had to defend his patent rights by repeated appeals to courts.their being usefully applied of justice. But sometimes even enlightened and upright menWe are sorry to perceive, however, that Dr. Arnott’s remark have been slower than might have been expected to acknow-

relatinu to the method of ventilttion by means of the inverted ledge the merit in new inventions.......... For instance, suchrelating to the method of ventilation by means of the inverted distinguished scientific men as Davy, Wollaston, and Watt, atsyphon ventilator, to which he refers, are calculated to convey first gave an opinion that coal-gas could never be safely appliedan entirely erroneous impression. According to Dr. Arnott’s to the purposes of street-lighting ; others said that steam-shipsstatement, the author of that plan " believed he had discovered would never be able safely to navigate the great ocean. Whena new principle in nature-namely, that a bent tube had a Dr. Desaguliers and Dr. Hales, about a century ago, .........

power, ’u virtue of the bend itself of giving motion to the air proposed to ventilate houses or ships by mechanical means ofpower, by virtue of the bend itself, of giving motion to the air certain or unfailing action, instead of by the agency of the in-contained within it." We ourselves had an early opportunity constant wind entering windows, ports, or wind-sails, theyof seeing the process, and, indeed, noticed it in THE LANCET of were regarded by some honest persons in authority as erringJune 9tb, 1849, as one shown by the author to depend upon visionaries."

qualities inherent in the atmospheric air--not upon any par- Our author concludes his examples of this class with what weticular bend or form of the tube. We have referred to the must certainly regard as both a suitable and a crowning one.author’s own description, or rather, technically speaking, " A curious fact," he says, " belonging to this class of occur-"s specification, " which is now before us, and certainl y do not rences, ar.d recorded by writters of the time, was, that after"specification," which is now before us, and certainly do not rences, and recorded by writers of the time, was, that afterfind any statement either asserting or implying that the move- Dr. Harvey published his great discovery of the circulation ofment of air which is spoken of as taking place in the bent tube the blood, no medical man who had then reached the age ofis due to any power in the tube by virtue of the bend itself. forty ever avowed his belief that Harvey was right.’’It would therefore appear that a great misapprehension has In proceeding with our perusal, we find various importantexisted, and we feel assured that Dr. Arnott will receive this subjects connected with warming and ventilation practicallycorrection with pleasure, as being justly due to Dr. Chowne. and ably dilated upon, and effectively illustrated by wellAmongst the general references to which we have above executed woodcuts; and an extra value is given to the work

directed attention, we would particularize that part of the by an Appendix, embracing many topics of great public in-present work under the head of the " Origin and Nature of terest, as the epidemic which occurred at Croydon, and wasFevers and Epidemics;" and another, "On Asiatic Cholera the subject of a Commission of Inquiry, the gas explosionand other Diseases, as influenced by Atmospheric Impurity." in Albany-street in 1848, a report of the fevers which occurredInstead of presenting our readers with abstracts from these, in Edinburgh and Glasgow, made by the author in 1840, and.we prefer recommending a perusal of the whole, as set forth some further remarks on ventilation.

by the author himself. We have found the review of this book an interesting duty,On the subject of ’’Warming in General,’’ the author gives and cannot doubt that it will be calculated, by the popular-

a concise account of the progress by which what may be called style in which it is written, to convey to the general readerthe art of warming has advanced through its various stages of most valuable and important information on subjects deeply-progress from "the fire in the open air," "the fire under affecting his comfort and welfare.cover," &c., to its present position, in which it is capable of _____________

conferring health, and domestic comfort and conveniences, and .. ...

luxuries, almost without end. The British Fiorcc, comprising the Phœnogamous, or Flowering We have been much gratified by some remarks; which give Plants, ccr2cl the Ferns. By Sir W. J. HORNER and G. A. W.We ,. , . ° ltie .. . some , , . i,, lC n i ARNOTT. Seventh Edition, with additions and corrections.-

a very excellent view of the operations of what might be called London: Longmans and Co. Fcap. 8vo, pp. 618.popular prejudices, or, in more polite language, the force of London : Longmans and Co. Fcap. 8vo, pp. 618.

habit, and the tenacity of settled notions, no matter whether A iviuch improved edition of a valuable standard work.

right or wrong. "It remains," says our author " to be observed here, that How to Kecp a Horse eco7zomically-viz., for less that One,

even after good practical applications of scientific principles Shilling per Day. Pamphlet, pp. 32.have been devised, and their utility has been tested to the satis- . v VERY useful little work to all persons 11 i horses..faction of competent judges, there is often, for a time, difficulty A very useful little work to all persons who keep horses-to induce the public to consider and adopt them. To feel the There are some good hints in it well worthy attention.