PHRENOLOGICAL SOCIETY. On Thursday Nov. 11, the Society held its second meeting, when, in addition to the members present, there was an unusual number of strangers.

Models of the head, divided and marked out phrenologically, recently executed in this city, were displayed upon the table for the inspection of those who had already subscribed for them, and others who wished for them: they were well executed, and any person not a member wishing to possess one, can be supplied by applying to the Society-the charge is only two dollars and fifty cents a piece. Some new members were elected; several candidates proposed; and then followed a lecture upon taste, phrenologically considered, by Dr. Bell: the subject was one of interest, and was ably handled by the lecturer, who explained on the model, whatever in his remarks would be better illustrated in that way.

A Lecture is to be delivered at the next meeting.-Nov. 25, by the Rev. Dr. Beasley.

LITHOTOMY.

We gave in the last number, a short account of Mr. Civiale's improvement in the removal of Calculi from the bladder. In the present number, we are happy to add the following notice of it, extracted from a late Number of the Journal des Debats, of Paris. It will appear from this, that it excites great interest in that metropolis. We are glad to find that Dr. La Roche is translating the Report made to the Institude, as mentioned below, and that it will appear in a few days.

"The new plan of M. Civiale for the destruction of the stone in the bladder, without the operation of Lithotomy, sanctioned by the Institute, upon the report of Messrs. Percy and Chaussier, daily receives from experience, a confirmation, very consoling to humanity. Of 23 patients, who have sought the assistance of this skilful operator, nine have been completely cured; the rest are in a fair way of recovery: among those cured, we find a woman 75 years old; a small number have been met with, to whom he has not thought

his method applicable, on account of the enormous size of the stone, and particularly, the extent and degree of alteration in the viscus containing it. The stones offered a great variety with respect to size and consistence. One was composed of uric acid, as large as a ben's egg, which required eight sittings for its complete destruction. In general, the smaller and more friable they are, the easier and more prompt is the cure.

Messrs. Montaigu, Giraudy, Richerand, Marc, Brown, Koreff, Sue, Bailly, Lullier, Winslow, Nauche, Thevenot de St. Blaise, Lisfranc, Serres, Lebreton, Mont Courrier, Gillet, Laroche, Larbaud, Sellier, and other distinguished practitioners, having been present at these different operations, have had the opportunity of appreciating their happy results.

By this new method, no danger is experienced, and the pain is in general so slight, that many of those operated upon, have not discontinued their occupations."-From the

Journal des Debats.

Prolific.-A woman of Vire Sarth, was de livered of 4 children in 1823.-In August last, she repeated the offence by presenting her country with 3 girls and 1 boy.

Bradford, (Penn.) October 23. Salivary Fistula.-A curious case of this kind, recently occurred in the township of Troy. The subject was a child two years and a half old. A swelling was first discovered in the seat of the Parotid Gland, which soon extended along the course of its excretory duct, to near the middle of the cheek. few days the swelling and inflammation spread over a considerable part of the cheek, and in the centre there appeared a small extraneous substance, which had protruded itself through the skin, and which, on being extracted, was found to be a Feather.

In a

An incision was made in the tumour, from which a considerable quantity of transparent matter, resembling saliva in all respects, was discharged. The saliva now discharges itself upon the cheek, or whenever the orifice becomes closed, the fluid accumulates. It would be difficult to account for the presence of a feather in that situation, without supposing it to have entered at the mouth of Steno's Duct, and thereby producing the symptoms above described. A. H.

published (EVERY THURSDAY) BY ROBERT DESILVER.

At $3 per annum, payable in advance.

It is no less curious than interesting, o know the state of Literature and Scince, in different countries possessing lifferent opportunities of acquiring knowedge on these and other points; this inormation too is, sometimes, of no little tility; and as perhaps, some of our eaders are not acquainted in any great legree with the customs, manners and tanding, of the people alluded to in the ollowing Summary, we have thought a light notice of their Medical concerns vould not be unacceptable. Most of ur information is derived from "HobHouse's Albania."

No. 25.

"Signor Cazzaiti, (an exception to the general rule,) has tried some courageous innovations, and has even attempted the introduction of the Cow Pox, and with partial success. He had inoculated about three

hundred."

"The general practice is, to administer Jalap, Manna, Glauber's Salts, in quantities too small to be serviceable, and bark draughts in almost every complaint, swilling the pa

tient at the same time with fat broth and tised, but with topical bleedings they seem slops. Phlebotomy is also frequently pracunacquainted, although the Turkish and Greek peasants, scarify themselves on the hands and feet, as a cure for Rheumatic pains. If the disease does not speedily give way, the patient is concluded to be possessed, and recourse is had to a priest, whose business it is to cast out the tormenting spirit."

"Maladies are considered by this ignorant and superstitious people, rather as judgments and visitations, or the immediate operation of the demon, than as the simple effects of a disorderly system.'

Mr. Hobhouse was of opinion, "that the use of the hot bath, must be prejudicial to

health, from the excessive relaxation, and indeed exhaustion, which it produces. A person not accustomed to the heat of the inner chamber of the bath, is unable to support himself a moment in the warm steam, in which

a Greek or Turk will remain, under the

hands of the bathers for half an hour."

66 All the women bathe at least once a month; the men in general once a week." The ancients seem to have ranked bathing with the pleasures of Venus and Bacchus, and

looked upon it as no less pernicious, if carried

to excess:

"Drink much, bathe often, love a woman well

"Twill send you just the shortest way to hell."

"Total blindness in horses is not unfrequently removed in the following manner:They run a needle and thread round the back part of the eye; then, by means of the thread, they draw the eye almost out of the socket, so as to reach the back part of it, and with a razor or knife, cut off the horny excrescence which is the cause of the disease: washing the wound with a little salt, they afterwards return the part to its position, and consider the horse to be sufficiently recovered, to be used the next day."

PATHOLOGY.

Diseases of the lungs and their lining membranes, are so common that we have thought it would facilitate the mode of cure as regards external applications, by giving a short account of a Memoir, by M. Portal, which has for its object some means of communication of the lungs with the arms and the external parts of the breast. The principal part of the Memoir is contained in the first Volume of La Médicine Eclairée, page 335, as, on account of its length we shall only be able to extract what we think the most important part.

After making some observations upon the communication between all the parts of our body, and detailing some practical cases of diseases of the lungs, showing the intimate connexion between them and the arms and external parts of the breast, he remarks, that an accurate knowledge of Anatomy affords a natural explanation of these facts, attested by

practice. Do we not know what large productions of the cellular tissue proceed from the summit of the lungs, pass under the clavicles and accompany the axillary vessels and nerves? The cel lular tissue is there very spongy; it penetrates the axillary glands and passes to the superior extremities. A large quantity of cellular tissue from the axillary mass occupies the space between the scapula and the superior ribs as well as the space between the great dorsal and great pectoral, and passing under those muscles reaches the muscles of the back, and those of the breast. Injections, continues M. Portal, afford strong proofs of the prompt and easy communication existing between the lungs and superior extremities. In fact, anatomists can, in a degree, imitate nature, by injecting into the cellular tissue of the lungs a quantity of water. The water transudes from air cell to air cell, and soon arrives at the external part of the breast, under the Axillæ, in order to spread itself in the arms and lateral part of the breast in following the cellular tissue of which we have spoken. M. Portal says, that he has made these injections of water, or by inflation, in a contrary way, that is, from without to the internal parts, and he always observed a very free and easy communication to exist between them. It is from this knowledge alone that we can arrive at more certain data to obtain a more fortunate and prompt result in the administration of the different external remedies employed every day without order or method; and, in short, in a way altogether empirical.

From this anatomical knowledge, M. Portal says that he has derived great advantages, in consumption, fluxion of the breast, and some other diseases of the lungs. He has employed frictions either dry or with the Tincture of Cantharides, upon the superior extremities, under the Axillæ, and along the breast.

He concludes by saying, that blisters ought not to be applied in affections of the breast, in the same manner as in

Quinzy, Rheumatism, &c. where they are applied over the seat of the disease. The lungs being separated from the skin by the intercostal and other muscles of the Thorax, and by the two pleure, Why do we apply blisters over the seat of the disease? From our knowledge of Anatomy, and allowing it to guide us in the application of external remedies, it is under the Axillæ upon the lateral and superior part of the breast, and along the internal part of the arm, that we ought to apply the blisters.

HOSPITAL.

RENNEJ.

Many inquiries and conjectures having been made relative to the design and purposes of the new building erected on the Hospital Square, we extract the following, from Dr. Coates' “ History of the Pennsylvania Hospital," published in the last number of the "Philadelphia Journal of the Medical and Physical Sciences," lately issued. The whole article is very interesting, and we presume we may depend on the authenticity of all the facts there mentioned.

"In addition to the buildings already enumerated, there are, a fire-proof stable, and a large brick erection, just completed-the objects of which are various. The lower story is to be employed for work-shops and offices, and as a substitute for the existing stablewhich is then to be converted to the use of the deranged, affording a day-room for the women, and a number of cells. The secund story forms a very large day-room for the exercise and employment of the men lunaticsand the insufficient chamber, at present occupied for this purpose, will then augment their lodging-room.'

Medical Ethics-concluded.

A physician, when visiting a sick person in the country, may be desired to see a neighbouring patient, who is under the regular direction of another physician, in consequence of some sudden change or aggravation of symptoms. The conduct to be pursued on such an occasion is to give advice adapted to present circumstances; to interfere no farther than is absolutely necessary with the general plan of treatment; to assume no future direction, unless it be expressly desired; and, in

this case, to request an immediate consultation with the practitioner aptecedently employed.

At the close of every interesting and imnated fatally, a physician should trace back, portant case, especially when it hath termiin calm reflection, all the steps, which he had taken in the treatment of it. This review of the origin, progress, and conclusion of the malady; of the whole curative plan pursued; and of the particular operation of the several remedies employed, as well as of the doses and periods of time in which they were ad

ministered;-will furnish the most authentic

documents, on which individual experience can be formed. But it is in a moral view, that the practice is here recommended; and it should be performed with the most scrupulous impartiality. Let no self-deception be permitted in the retrospect; and, if errors,

either of omission or commission, are disco

vered, it behoves, that they should be brought fairly and fully to the mental view. Regrets may follow, but criminality will thus be obvi

ated. For, good intentions and the imperfection of human skill, which cannot antici

pate the knowledge that events alone disclose, will sufficiently justify what is past, provided the failure be made conscientiously subservient to future wisdom and rectitude in profes

sional conduct.

The opportunities, which a physician not unfrequently enjoys, of promoting and strengthening the good resolutions of his patients, suffering under the consequences of vicious conduct, ought never to be neglected. And his councils, or even remonstrances, will give satisfaction, not disgust, if they be conducted with politeness, and evince a genuine love of virtue, accompanied by a sincere interest in the welfare of the person to whom they are addressed.

The observance of the Sabbath is a duty, to which medical men are bound, so far as is compatible with the urgency of the cases under their charge. Visits may often be made with sufficient convenience and benefit, either before the hours of going to church, or during the intervals of public worship. And, in many chronic ailments, the sick, together with their attendants, are qualified to participate in the social offices of religion; and should not be induced to forego this important privilege, by the expectation of a call from their physician

or surgeon.

A physician who is advancing in years, yet unconscious of any decay in his faculties, may occasionally experience some change in the wonted confidence of his friends. Patients,