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English pint of pure bile was evacuated in this way, every twenty-four hours. The quantity of fecreted bile cannot, however, be afcertained by this extraordinary exertion.

Mr. Leeds next informs us of his fuccefs in curing a cafe of chronic rheumatism with farfaparilla in fubftance. It must be in fubftance, if it be ever ufeful.-The theoretical part is too far extended, and frequently trifling.

Another account, by Mr. Brown, of the lofs of a part of the fubftance of the brain, follows. The fracture of the cranium was very confiderable and extensive.

'From the whole history of this cafe, I think we may draw the following conclusions:

1. That a found ftate of the brain is not fo effentially neceffary to life as has been imagined.

2. That it may be very much injured, without producing dangerous, or even alarming confequences. And,

be more

3. That this cafe affords a proof, that the brain may freely treated, provided, in every circumftance, the injury is entirely unconnected with compreffion.

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This laft conclufion is clearly pointed out, by attending to the fituation of the patient; for notwithstanding the bone was beat in upon the brain, the dura mater lacerated, and a quantity of brain extravafated between the cranium and teguments, no alarming fymptom enfued. It can only be explained from that quantity of brain getting immediate vent, which was neceffary to compensate for the depreflion of the bone, and confequently preventing its power of compreffion.'

We may have another opportunity of entering on this fubject; but fo many inftances have occurred of a part of the brain being deftroyed, without any injury, that our author's first corollary has been long established. We may take an opportunity of fhowing, that a fmall part of the brain only is neceffary to the corporeal functions, and that a great part of the mafs is only useful in forming extenfive communications, and preferving, probably, a degree of power to refift fuch injurìous impreffions, as few may experience, and confequently few find the ill confequence of.

The next Effay is an account of an inflammatory disease of the fkin, alternating with affections of the bowels, which at laft proved fatal, by Mr. Brown. Some circumftances in the treatment deferve attention. Quickfilver was given, and it feems to have reached the obftructed part very foon, notwithftanding, in fome of the convolutions of the intestines, it must have afcended. It added weight to the fæces, for two thirds. of the quantity, not very minutely divided, was évacuated, in the fir ftool. Another circumftance is, that, when large

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quantities of water were thrown in, the colon was filled, but the valve prevented its paffing farther; yet tobacco fmoke pasfed through the valve, and the fmoke feemed more active than any other kind of injection.

Dr. Robertfon defcribes a cafe where, by a projected fuicide, the trachea had been cut through, and the edges were in time healed, fo as to form a callous wound. The edges were flightly scarified, and brought together by ligatures, and covered by the retracted fkin. In fhort, the whole was fuccefsfully treated, without any material impediment.

Dr. Tilton gives the supplement of an account of rabies canina in the fixth volume of the Medical Commentaries. The disease recurred three times; but we strongly doubt of the diforder having arifen from the bite. Recurrence of rabies canina, without fresh infection, is almost unprecedented; and the whole feems to be a cafe of mania with fome peculiar fymptoms. Even in her best intervals an abhorrence of water attended her.

Dr. Maharg defcribes, what in northern climates is not uncommon, fuppuration after eryfipelas; a cafe of hernia congenita, where, after reduction, no ftools could be obtained, and a fhort imperfect defcription of an eryfipelatous peripneumony, from a Dr. S. The last is fingular, but not very uncommon: we have seen it epidemic more than once; and our author is right in faying, that it is neceffary to keep up perspiration, especially with the addition of opium.—But wine, and even bark, are occafionally necessary.

Mr. Dove's cafe of anafarca, cured by infufion of tobacco; the cutaneous eruption, cured by alterative pills of antimony and mercury, by Mr. Robert Bishopric; a common cafe of epilepfy from a nervous affection of the finger, which feems greatly confufed by theoretical difquifitions, but which was relieved by dividing the nerve; and an account of pulmonary confumption, feemingly relieved by abftinence from liquids, deferve no particular remark.

The laft Effay, by Dr. James Hamilton, jun. gives an accurate description of Lowder's extractor, with a very judicious diftinction between the different powers of Roonhuyfen's lever,. the forceps and the extractor of Dr. Lowder.

• From these obfervations it is obvious, that the inftrument introduced into practice by Dr. Lowder, affords exactly the afiflance, in the first order of laborious labour, which is required; for it fupplies the place of the propelling powers, or increases their efficacy, by acting on the body of the child, without injuring any part of the mother.

This property renders it of great ufe in certain cafes of deform

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ed pelvis, viz. where the fhort diameter of the brim is about three inches. In fuch cafes, the long continued ftrong action of the uterus, often eventually forces the head into the pelvis; but the ftrength of the patient is in confequence fo much reduced, that after it has proceeded fo far, the pains are entirely fufpended, and the delivery muft neceffarily be finished by the ufe of mechanical expedients; but the child's life is commonly previoufly deftroyed, by the comprefiion of the brain.

'If, in fuch cafes, it be poffible to increase with fafety the vis à tergo, the child would then be forced through the brim of the pelvis before the woman's ftrength were exhaufted, and before its life were endangered; confequently, many children, commonly doomed to inevitable deftruétion, would be preferved.

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Lowder's lever, I apprehend, poffeffes this power. It may be calculated, that, by its ufe, the efficacy of the labour-throes is at leaft doubled. Hence the child, in cafes of flight deformity of the pelvis, is forced through the oppofing part within one half of the time which would be otherwife required; and this is accomplished without injury either to the mother or infant; for the inftrument prefles on no part of the former; and it refts on such parts of the latter, that no harm can poffibly be done.'

But however defirable it may be to leffen the number of mechanical expedients, and to fimplify practice, I apprehend, that many lives would be loft if we poffefied or employed no fuch inftrument as the forceps. As they have the property of a lever, delivery can in many cafes be accomplified much more expeditiously by them than by Dr. Lowder's inftrument. This feems to be the fole advantage which they poffefs over it; and, that is counterba lanced by feveral great difadvantages. Many authors, indeed, have alleged, that the forceps bave exclufively the power of diminishing the fize of the fatal cranium, by the preffure of their blades, and hence have attributed a degree of pre-eminence to them, which in fact is not their due; for as the fize of the child's head is, in natural cafes, diminished as far as is necefiary, by the contractions of the uterus forcing it forward through the bones of the pelvis, an increase of the vis à tergo will of courfe increafe that diminution, if the shape of the paffage require it. While Lowder's lever, therefore, poffeffes the power of compreffing the cranium in common with the forceps, it has a decided fuperiority over them in this, that it accomplishes that end by fimilar means with nature.

The great difadvantages of the forceps are, that they are inapplicable when the child's head is fituated high in the pelvis; that their application is often difficult to the operator, and painful to the patient; and that, as their centre of action is on the parts of the patient, they muft injure her in proportion to the refiftance oppofed to the delivery.

• On

'On the whole, then, in cafes of the first order of laborious labours, both inftruments must be occafionally had recourfe to. When the head is not completely within the cavity of the pelvis, Lowder's lever must be employed; and even when it is in that pofition, the fame means may be used, if there be pains. But, when the labourthroes are entirely fufpended, or when any circumftance renders it neceffary to terminate the delivery with expedit on, t..e forceps ought to be employed in preference to every other inftrument, if the head of the child be within their reach.'

The laft fection of the volume is, as ufual, Medical News, and on this part, we have ufually been concife. The late; however, of the univerfity, and the new buildings, have formerly claimed our attention, and it is now neceffary to remark, that the fums fubfcribed have been expended, while the buildings are ftill unfinished. To what this must be attributed is uncertain-there was a time when the most falutary, ufeful inftructions, were not fuppofed to be connected with splendid domes and elegant architecture: at prefent the fate of fcience is, from the language and folicitations employed, Leemingly dependant on the new buildings Had the patrons of the univerfity been as anxious in properly fupplying the vacant offices, as in raifing the new buildings, the latter would not have been neceffary.

Pudet hæc opprobria

Et dici potuiffe & non dicta refelli.

The death of the principal furely deferved fome notice, from his connection with the univerfity, and from his amiable conciliating manners, independent of his extenfive literary acquifitions.-But of him and his fucceffor, if any is appointed, we find no record. Perhaps none is yet appointed, for it would not be easy to find an adequate reprefentative; and few, except an Ajax, or an Ulyffes, would covet the arms of Achilles.

Dr. Faynard's powder for ftopping hemorrhages feems, on the authority of Dr. Odier, to be the charcoat of beech wood in powder. Eyen internally, a tea fpoonful three or four times a day is faid to be very fuccefsful.

The only other information we fhall notice is that of two treatises on cutaneous affections by Drs. Willan and Garnet, with coloured plates, defigns which we fully approve of, and works which we impatiently expect to fee.

The

The Hiftory, Civil and Commercial, of the British Colonies in the Weft Indies. (Concluded from our last.)

THE remaining articles in this hiftory are comprised under the heads AGRICULTURE, GOVERNMENT, and COMMERCE. The former includes a particular description of the fugar-cane, its history, and mode of cultivation, and the several proceffes it undergoes in the making of fugar and rum. In this part of the work, although we meet with fome things which are not new to those who have studied the agriculture of the Weft India islands, yet there are, at the fame time, many original and important obfervations drawn from the experience of a long feries of years, and which entitle Mr. Edwards to no inconfiderable rank among the Scriptores de re ruf tica, the Youngs and Marshalls, who have endeavoured to refcue the art from the errors of indolence, and the ignorance of hereditary practice. In difcuffing thefe fubjects, Mr. Edwards refers chiefly to the ifland of Jamaica, as his own experience was confined to that ifland, but occafionally marks the variations of fyftem in the others, from the beft authorities.

In treating of the capital neceffary in the fettlement or pur chafe of a fugar plantation, which confifts of three parts, the lands, the buildings, and the ftock-he informs us that the bu finefs of fugar planting is a fort of adventure, in which the man who engages, muft engage deeply. A British country gentleman, who is content to jog on without rifque on the moderate profits of his own moderate farm, will startle to hear that it requires a capital of no lefs than thirty thousand pounds fterling, to embark in this employment with a fair profpect of advantage; for, it must be understood that the annual contingencies of a small or moderate plantation, are very nearly equal to thofe of an eftate of three times the magnitude. These facts are explained by calculations, for which we must refer to the work itfelf, and the author concludes the fubject with the following remarks:

Admitting even that his (the planter's) prudence, or good fortune, may be fuch as to exempt him from most of the loffes and calamities that have been enumerated, it must nevertheless be remem bered, that the fugar planter is at once both landlord and tenant on his property. In contrafting the profits of a Weft Indian plantation with those of a landed eftate in Great Britain, this circumstance is commonly overlooked; yet nothing is more certain than that an English proprietor, in ftating the income which he receives from his capital, includes not in his estimate the profits made by his tenants. These constitute a diftinct object, and are ufually reckoned equal to the clear annual rent which is paid to the proprietor. Thus a farm in England, producing an income of 3 per cent. to the owner,

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