2
390 by means of a long tube, succeeded in swal- lowing three ounces ; it was, however, soon brought up a6,aiii. On the 26th, tepid water was injected a fifth time, but tetanic con- vulsions supervened, and he died the same day. On examination, the pia mater was found much infiltrated ; the substance of the brain hard and injected ; the vessels of the pons Varolii and medulla oblongata, particularly near the origin of the auditory, fascial, pneu- mogastric glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal nerves, were gorged with blood; the arach. noid of the spinal chord was injected, and contained a serous effusion ; the salivary glands were filled with a dark liquid blood. 2. A young man had an ulcer on the left leg, which he suffered his dog to lick fre- quently ; it healed within a short time, but the dog shortly became rabid, and six-and- twenty months afterwards the young man was, without any further assignable cause, attacked with hydrophobia. In this patient, also, dread of the least movement in the air was observed. He died on the eighth day of the disease. On examination, the brain and medulla spinalis presented unequivocal signs of in- flammation, which appeared to have had its principal seat in the coats of the cerebral nerves.—Hufeland’s Journal. ON THE PLAGUE IN ALEXANDRIA. L’Ami dn Bien, a Journal published at Marseilles, contains the rernarks of an Ita- lian physician, who, during a residence of five years at Alexandria, had a frequent op- portunity of observing the plague. " It manifested itself, (says he,) in 1815. at the time when the European inhabitants were enjoying the pleasures of the carnival. According to the custom of the country, every body kept, from this moment, at home. I could not, however, consent to shut myself up in the French quarter, and had but too soon sufficient reasons for re- gretting my obstinacy. On the 25th of April, I was requested to visit a female servant of the Austrian Consul-General, M. Godard. This gentleman assured me that she was not affected with the plague, and, to overcome my repugnance, touched her himself. Having carefully examined the patient, I found her labouring under violent pneumonia, and ordered leeches to the chest; but when I, shortly afterwards, re- turned to see her, she was dead, after an illness of no moie than thirty-two hours. On her body neither buboes and pustules, nor the least eruption, were visible, so that, according to the general notions, she had not been affected with the plague. A few days afterwards, I was suddenly sent for to M. Godard, who had been seized with an apoplectic fit. Leeches and cupping seemed to cause a remission of the symptoms, but they soon returned with increased violence, and he died on the same day. His body, also, exhibited no signs of the plague. On the 2d of May I was requested to see the widow, who, I was told, was slightly indis- posed from excessive grief. 1 hastened to her house, but she had already expired. Thirty-six hours after this event I was my- self seized with a violent fit of shivering and convulsions, which terminated in fre. quent vomiting. Within a few hours my body was covered with buboes, carbuncles, and petechiæ. This dreadful disease con. tinued for two months, and my recovery was not completed before a twelvemonth. Of my five servants, four were victims to their zeal, or rather their Turkish fatalism; the fifth escaped the disease altogether. Dr. Audriac, a French physician, who, with the greatest intrepidity exposed himself to *lie infection, without using any other precau- tion than frequent washing with aromatic vinegar, and wearing a dress of cere-cloth, paid me a visit: two days afterwards he died with a bubo. During, and after my recovery, I saw and came in contact with many patients, as I considered myself per. fectly free from danger ; and the observa. tions which I had thus the opportunity of making, convinced me, that the plague is a much more varied disease than is generally believed. The following are the results to which I was finally led :- 1. The plague is endemic in Egypt, but ’ its manifestation depends on several causes, which seem to prevail only from March to the end of July. 2. Contact alone is not sufficient to com. municate the plague ; and a certain predis- position is necessary for tl1e",infection. 3. For its propagation from one place to another, a peculiar state of the atmosphere, and the re-union of several circumstances, are necessary. During my stay in Egypt, Cairo was almost constantly exempt from it, in spite of the continual communication be- tween it and infected places, by travellers, letters, and merchandise. 4. Negroes and foreigners, especially if recently arrived, are most exposed to the contagion. 5. In some years it rather attacks chil. dren, wounded and timid persons ; in short, to all those who are of an asthenic disposi- tion ; quarantine is, in such years, of no use. Such was the plague in 1815 and 1818 ; the slightest indigestion, or excess in drinking, fright, accidents, the most trifling wound, even from bleeding, or the action of a purgative, was, almost without any exception, followed by the plague, in spite of the most rigorous quarantine. 6. In other years it rather attacks aduks,

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by means of a long tube, succeeded in swal-lowing three ounces ; it was, however, soonbrought up a6,aiii. On the 26th, tepid waterwas injected a fifth time, but tetanic con-vulsions supervened, and he died the same

day.On examination, the pia mater was found

much infiltrated ; the substance of the brainhard and injected ; the vessels of the ponsVarolii and medulla oblongata, particularlynear the origin of the auditory, fascial, pneu-mogastric glossopharyngeal and hypoglossalnerves, were gorged with blood; the arach.noid of the spinal chord was injected, andcontained a serous effusion ; the salivaryglands were filled with a dark liquid blood.

2. A young man had an ulcer on the left

leg, which he suffered his dog to lick fre-quently ; it healed within a short time, butthe dog shortly became rabid, and six-and-twenty months afterwards the young manwas, without any further assignable cause,attacked with hydrophobia. In this patient,also, dread of the least movement in theair was observed. He died on the eighthday of the disease.On examination, the brain and medulla

spinalis presented unequivocal signs of in-flammation, which appeared to have had itsprincipal seat in the coats of the cerebralnerves.—Hufeland’s Journal.

ON THE PLAGUE IN ALEXANDRIA.

L’Ami dn Bien, a Journal published at

Marseilles, contains the rernarks of an Ita-lian physician, who, during a residence offive years at Alexandria, had a frequent op-portunity of observing the plague.

" It manifested itself, (says he,) in 1815.at the time when the European inhabitantswere enjoying the pleasures of the carnival.According to the custom of the country,every body kept, from this moment, at

home. I could not, however, consent to

shut myself up in the French quarter, andhad but too soon sufficient reasons for re-

gretting my obstinacy. On the 25th of

April, I was requested to visit a femaleservant of the Austrian Consul-General, M.Godard. This gentleman assured me thatshe was not affected with the plague, and,to overcome my repugnance, touched herhimself. Having carefully examined the

patient, I found her labouring under violentpneumonia, and ordered leeches to thechest; but when I, shortly afterwards, re-turned to see her, she was dead, after anillness of no moie than thirty-two hours.On her body neither buboes and pustules,nor the least eruption, were visible, so that,according to the general notions, she hadnot been affected with the plague. A fewdays afterwards, I was suddenly sent for toM. Godard, who had been seized with an

apoplectic fit. Leeches and cupping seemedto cause a remission of the symptoms, butthey soon returned with increased violence,and he died on the same day. His body,also, exhibited no signs of the plague. Onthe 2d of May I was requested to see thewidow, who, I was told, was slightly indis-posed from excessive grief. 1 hastened toher house, but she had already expired.Thirty-six hours after this event I was my-self seized with a violent fit of shiveringand convulsions, which terminated in fre.quent vomiting. Within a few hours mybody was covered with buboes, carbuncles,and petechiæ. This dreadful disease con.tinued for two months, and my recovery wasnot completed before a twelvemonth. Of

my five servants, four were victims to theirzeal, or rather their Turkish fatalism; thefifth escaped the disease altogether. Dr.Audriac, a French physician, who, with thegreatest intrepidity exposed himself to *lieinfection, without using any other precau-tion than frequent washing with aromaticvinegar, and wearing a dress of cere-cloth,paid me a visit: two days afterwards hedied with a bubo. During, and after myrecovery, I saw and came in contact with

many patients, as I considered myself per.fectly free from danger ; and the observa.tions which I had thus the opportunity ofmaking, convinced me, that the plague is amuch more varied disease than is generallybelieved. The following are the results towhich I was finally led :-

1. The plague is endemic in Egypt, but’ its manifestation depends on several causes,which seem to prevail only from March tothe end of July.

2. Contact alone is not sufficient to com.municate the plague ; and a certain predis-position is necessary for tl1e",infection.

3. For its propagation from one place toanother, a peculiar state of the atmosphere,and the re-union of several circumstances,are necessary. During my stay in Egypt,Cairo was almost constantly exempt from it,in spite of the continual communication be-tween it and infected places, by travellers,letters, and merchandise.

4. Negroes and foreigners, especially ifrecently arrived, are most exposed to thecontagion.

5. In some years it rather attacks chil.dren, wounded and timid persons ; in short,to all those who are of an asthenic disposi-tion ; quarantine is, in such years, of nouse. Such was the plague in 1815 and1818 ; the slightest indigestion, or excessin drinking, fright, accidents, the most

trifling wound, even from bleeding, or theaction of a purgative, was, almost withoutany exception, followed by the plague, inspite of the most rigorous quarantine.

6. In other years it rather attacks aduks,

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and persons of a robust constitution ; andthen quarantine alone is sufficient to protectthem agaiust infection. This was the casein 1816 and 1817.

7. In those years where the plague is of anastlienic nature, no medical assistaiiee is ofany effect; it can at best but aid nature dur-ing the crisis.

8. When it, on the contrary, exhibits astlienic character, the strongest sedatives,especially emetics, digitalis, and prussicacid, in full doses, at the beginning of thedisease, are of the most salutary effect ; insuch years the mortality is much greater,owing to the Turkish fatalism and indo-lence, than it would necessarily be if properprecautions were taken.

9. The plague not unfrequently attacksthe same person more than once, but hardlyever in the same year.

EPIDEMY IN PARIS.

This epidemy, of which we gave somecases in No. 269, has by no means sub-sided, as appears from the French medicaljournals, and the discussions in the medicalsocieties of Paris. At the time of our first

report we observed, that there was a strik-ing analogy between it and the diseasecalled raphania ; and it seems that theFrench physicians are now of the same

opinion. A committee has been appointedby the Aeadémie Royale de Medecine, toinquire into its causes and nature, and weshall give an extract of the report as soonas it appears.

SKETCHES

OF THE

MEDICAL SCHOOLS OF SCOTLAND.

No. XXV.

DR. MONRO.

" NEARLY twenty-five years," exclaimsthe learned professor, with whose namethese sketches are resumed, " have I beenemployed in the composition of my work,"alluding to his late book on the brain. In

this heart-broken ejaculation, the predomi-nant feature of Dr. Monro’s character is

faithfully embodied. Though obviously in..tended as a testimony of the labour bestowedon the volume, and of its consequent value,to all who are acquainted with the peculia-rities of the author, this unguarded reflec-tion sounds as the self-gratulation of indo-lence on completing a painful task. It must

have been written to the dreamy music of ayawn. The wonder is not, indeed, that heshould have been occupied so long in anundertaking of the kind, but.that he shouldhave ever embarked in such a speculationat all. Not that he does not possess qua-lifications for the accomplishment of a muchmore extensive and better executed designthan any of those which he has performed ;but that his industry bears no proportion tohis abilities and love of ease. Between hisanimal and intellectual properties, a perfectequilibrium seems to be established ; or, as

the phrenologists would express it, the cere-bral organs are exactly balanced by the con-tents of the cerebellum. Had not this balanceof the faculties kept him in some measure sta-

tionar on the road to eminence, he might,ere this, be occupying a place in the °’ tem-

ple of fame," along with his illustrious an.cestors, instead of being an appropriate in-mate for another ’° Castle of Indolence."

In person and manner, the Doctor lookshis laziness to admiration. His magnitudeconfers a sort of corporeal dignity on sloth.Accurately measured, he stands about sixfeet; and is awkward in his movements inproportion to his bulk. In the extent of

organisation included in this ample dimen-sion, it would be difficult to discover oneillustration of the laws of mechanical con-cord. The component parts of his frameseem as if they had run wild during theirgrowth, in the indulgence of idleness andalimentary excess. His frame presents a" concors discordia" " of members and mo-tions, in which, though one side of the

figure corresponds anatomically with theother, and each joint performs its duty cor-rectly, yet symmetry has been preservedwithout beauty, and functional efficiencywithout harmony of action. He might sitfor a frontispiece to Boyer on dislocations ;his person being a personification of a lux-ation, and his gait of a civil war of muscu-lar motions. To see this innocuous defini-tion exemplified, (at which the Doctor him-self will scarcely take the trouble to smile,)you should be a little behind him on the

opposite side of the street, as he labouredon about one o’clock to the University, alongthe North Bridge, through one of thosesnow or sleet storms, which are much morefrequent than agreeable in the capital of

Scotland. Just about the middle of that"

porta ventorum," the North Bridge, heappears to repent of having ventured abroadwithout a great coat, with which his robustconstitution and national contempt for in-clement weather, induces him to dispense.As he ascends the hill, the storm confinedwithin the barriers of that vast chasm,which divides the old from the new town ofEdinburgh, assails him with increased ve-hemence ; he draws the skirts of his frock