I would suggest then, with all respect, that sows, if not too large, be permitted to range our streets; that the boars be sedulously restrained from this; and that, at least one hour in the day, (and let that hour be fixed by law,) all the private hydrants be suffered to run, so as to constitute a general stream for washing the gutters; in the crevices of which, in spite of scavengers and hogs, a large portion of the finest parts of the perishable materials settle, and beyond a doubt adds greatly to the sickness of our city in the summer months. This expenditure of water will not be wasted, if it cleans our city; and no one will deny that a stream of running water in the gutters is preferable in every respect to the green and putrid matter usually present in them.

Dr. Moyes, a blind philosopher, who many years ago gave lectures on natural philosophy in this city, in a lecture on chemistry, which he delivered in Edinburgh to aid an institution for persons deprived of sight, said, in speaking of the dog: "His fidelity endears him to the sons and daughters of sensibility; but amidst the wonders we daily see, it is not the least, that the number of this animal in England amounts to two millions, which, at an expense of only one shilling per week, gives upwards of five millions sterling, (nearly twentyfive millions of dollars;) a sum capable of building seventy ships of the line, and far exOceeding the revenue of several vast empires!"

he

Repose of the Heart.

Mr. Laennec in his interesting work on Mediate Auscultation has given a very curious and ingenious calculation of the quantity of repose allotted to the heart. This muscle has generally been thought to perform its functions without rest, and to be a kind of perpetual motion. As there are perhaps many who have not read this work, or probably this part of it, we give here Mr. Laennec's statement. After some observations, &c. he pro15ceeds thus:

"It follows from these observations that the heart, far from being in a state of continual motion, as is commonly thought, presents alternations of repose and action, whose comparative sums scarcely differ from the proportions which many other muscles of the animal economy, and particularly the diaphragm and intercostal muscles present in this respect. In effect, in admitting by an approximating calculation very near to exactness, that of the total duration of the time occupied by the complete succession of the movements of the theart, one fourth is occupied by an absolute repose of all its parts, one half by the contraction of the ventricles, and a fourth by that of the auricles, we will find that out of twentyfour hours, the ventricles have twelve hours of repose, and the auricles eighteen. In individuals, whose pulse gives habitually less than

fifty pulsations a minute, the repose of the ventricles is more than sixteen hours a day. The muscles of voluntary motion themselves have often not more, in men engaged in laborious occupations; and amongst those especially which serve to maintain the trunk and head in an erect position, there are some certainly that repose less; the more so as their action is not perhaps always completely interrupted by sleep."

And again, he says-"We may therefore conclude that in a healthy man, and one who, following the rules of hygiene, habitually takes, or pursues some exercise proportioned to his strength, the sum of motion is nearly the same in each order of muscles, and that the heart offers no exception in this respect,"

He concludes the paragraph thus-" This nearly equal distribution of motion in the muscular system, in spite of a great apparent inequality, seems in fact to be the result of a ge neral law in nature. Thus, the medium duration of the day, the medium temperature, do not differ sensibly, spite of contrary appearances, at Senegal and at Petersburgh; and one year in the same climate, does not present in these respects, any more than under that of the quantity of rain, a notable difference from the year preceding or following."

Whether these last items are correct, or whether all will agree with our learned author therein, is a matter perhaps Q. E. D.

At Baltimore, for the week ending June 7th, there were 25 deaths: 5 of Consumption For the week preceding, 24 deaths: 5 of Con sumption.

At Washington,-in the month of May, 1824, there fell 1.58 inches of rain. The quantity for May, 1823, was 2.29. Average height of the Thermometer for May, 65° maximum, 80° minimum, 49°. May 1824, has been rather cooler, much more equable, and considerably dryer than May 1823. Deaths in Washington, May 1824-19.

At New-York,-95 deaths, during the week ending June 12th,-Consumption, 16.-Inflammation of the brain, 6.-Intemperance, 5. -Small-pox, 7.

Snow at Herkimer, (N. Y.) 14th May.Season very backward, generally, to the North. At Boston,-Thermometer, May 30,-56°. May 31,-730. June 1,-85°. 2,-61o. 3,— 49°. 4—58°. 5,—74°.

At Newport, (R. I.) the mean temperature of April 1824, was 48°.-Mean heat of warmest day, 56°-Mean heat of coldest, 40°.-Greatest variation in one day, 17°.-Least, 3°.— Amount of rain, 6.08 inches, i. e. more than double the usual average.

The 4 first months of the year there fell 17.44 inches of rain;-last year, 15.69 inches. At Louisville, (S. C.)-May 22, 3 P. M. Thermometer 86°.-29, 3 P. M. 66°—7 A. M. 47°.

ARS LONGA,

VITA BREVIS.

VOL. I.

THE STETHESCOPE, A HELP TO DEAFNESS.

INTERESTING and important as is the consideration of the Stethescope as a means of diagnosis in diseases of the chest, &c. it is not our intention at this time to treat of it in that particular. Its value in this respect is now generally acknowledged, wherever the instrument itself is known, and this knowledge is daily extending itself in all places, wherever the information of the physician keeps pace with the improvements of the age. We, therefore, refer the reader, on these points, first to the elaborate account of the author himself, (M. Laennec) his explanations of its nature, and directions for its application; and next to those notices of it which have at different times appeared, as well in Europe as in this country.

There is one circumstance, however, connected with this instrument, which is not so generally known, at least in this country, and it is that to which we wish now to call attention; and perhaps we cannot do better than communicate the way in which we first became acquainted with the fact.

In walking one day through the Hospital, under the direction of Mr. Laennec, we were arrested by an interesting case of a young woman who had long been subject to Epilepsy, and who was paralytic to a great degree. There was great irregularity at certain periods; and it was chiefly at those periods that she was

No. 2

attacked with her fits. After the violence of the paroxysm was over, she was usually for some days deaf and dumb-she was in this last state at the time of our visit. In vain did Mr. Laennec raise his voice and apply his mouth close to her ear: after listening apparently with great earnestness to the questions he proposed, she would sigh and shake her head to intimate that no sound communicated itself to her sensorium. When we were all fully satisfied of this, he applied one end of the stethescope to his own trachea, and the other immediately over her ear, so that the orifice of the tube was directly over and continuous with the meatus auditorius externus, all nicely adjusted, and pressing equally on all sides: he then spoke in a natural and rather low, but distinct tone of voice, and she immediately, by her signs, signified that she heard. The next day it was more striking, as, although the deafness continued, she was able, (rather indistinctly however) to answer the questions. The Doctor stated that he had experienced the same effects in several other cases, and that he could make the most deaf persons hear in this way. We have tried it in several cases in this city, and with the like success. old gentleman could hear with great difficulty with one ear, but no efforts of the voice or speaking trumpet could affect the other-he had not heard a word with it, he said, for

One

twenty years. We closed his best ear, applied the cylinder, and he heard! He could scarcely believe his senses. It may be interesting to know that a female voice was most distinct to him, and we believe it is generally

the case.

We intended to have made on this subject some farther remarks, but as this communication has already exceeded our anticipated limits, we must, for the present at least, forbear. We hope our friends who have an op portunity will try the experiment, and let us know the result.

ANIMAL MAGNETISM.

We have derived so much pleasure ourselves from a review of the history of Animal Magnetism, that we are persuaded our readers will be interested with a slight notice of this amusing and singular subject. We are indebted for a principal part of our information to Sprengel's History of Medicine, an interesting and valuable work, which we should like to see more generally in the hands of our physicians than it is at present; and to the fifth and sixth volumes of which we refer those who wish to pursue the subject more in detail. The idea, of the peculiar sensations produced by the application of the loadstone, and the salutary effects of this substance, being owing to a "primitive magnetism of the human body, which may be excited into action without the assistance of an artificial magnet," appears to have originated with Anthony Mesmer. Although this physician of Vienna was the first to entertain these peculiar views of the subject,. and may be considered the author of Animal Magnetism, we however find that as far back as the time of Paracelsus, the magnet was recommended as a very good external remedy. Some of the partisans of Paracelsus employed it both externally and internally, and we find the subject particularly attended to, experiments made, and cures performed, by William Gilbert, Talber, Jean Jacques Wecker, Peter Borel li, Fr. William Klaerich, Hollman, Kaestner, Christopher Weber, John Augustus Philp Gesner, De la Condamine, Glaubrecht, John Daniel Reichel, &c. The lively sensation, however, that was created by Mesmer's cures, was more general in its influence than that caused by others, and led to many and interesting researches; those of Jean Chr. Unzer were to a certain extent in favour of the new method, whilst those of J. A. Heinsius were directly the reverse, or opposed to it.

It was in 1773, that Anthony Mesmer commenced his investigations and experiments with the artificial loadstone, as a means of cure in different nervous diseases. But already, even at this period, he began to accord to, or invest all nature with the magnetic power:

he regarded it as the cause of the general co hesion of all bodies, and of the gravitation of the celestial bodies towards one another: he considered it as the bond of union between all terrestrial bodies, and particularly of that of man with the infinite masses which move in the incommensurable spaces of the heavens. According to his opinion, the fluid which constitutes the substance of this power is the same as electricity: it is accumulated like this last, in the human body, and Mesmer pretended from that to be able to magnetise all that he touched in a certain way. He believed, even from that time, that he could, by his will alone, and without the least contact, produce in patients, effects perfectly similar to those determined by the artificial loadstone.

He also thought he remarked, that the receptivity for animal magnetism originates solely with the disease, and disappears simultaneously with it. He therefore sought to excite in the diseased microcosm, a flux and reflux analogous to those of the ocean, in order thereby to give rise to the salutary effects he desired to produce.

It will be at once perceived that this theory differs in nothing from that laid down by the theosophists of the first ages of the christian era; but more especially those of the 17th, and amongst others, Robert Fludd, Sebastian Wirdig, Valentine Greatrake, Kenelm Digby, and William Maxwell. The enemies of animal magnetism all reproached it with this want of novelty. (To be continued.)

PHRENOLOGY.

A question on the subject of Phrenology will be found in the first number of this paper-we confide in some of our friends of the Phrenological Society to reply to it. In the mean time, a few hasty observations are here introduced, with the view of claiming some respect for opinions, which have the sanction of centuries in their favour.

Al

By this term may be understood the doctrine of the respective location of the faculties, &c., of the mind, in the brain. though the opinion has been more fully advanced by Gall and others, within the compass of the last twenty years, it is by no means new, as some have imagined. Now, if we can point out the antiquity of this doctrine, it is probable it may serve to moderate the sarcasms that have been poured out upon it, too frequently, we will venture to affirm, by those who have never given it a moment of serious reflection; but who, concentrating within the little word Ego, the wisdom of the world,

think they can overthrow by their simple dictum, that, which the more it is looked into, the more it is accredited. It will satisfy such persons, perhaps, to find Solomon's assertion, "There is nothing new under the sun," will even apply to our views of Phrenology. J. Heurnius,a medical writer of some note, in his work entitled, "De morbis qui in singulis partibus humani capitis insidere consueverunt," 1594, Cap. 10, p. 100, speaking of phrenitis, and its various forms, adds, "Secundò differunt phrenitides, loco affecto: nam vel totum cerebrum, vel ejus pars occupata est. Si pars cerebri, ea erit antica, postica, vel media.—Scio hic disputari, utrum principes facultates capitis, sedes in cerebro habeant varias, necne, &c."-Hence we perceive from this, that it was then maintained in the schools. It is, however, so reasonable an opinion, that it will not be a subject of wonder to many, that centuries before this, the same ideas found place; and that Galen, the most learned and illustrious physician of his time, (between one and two hundred years of the Christian era) should promulgate similar sentiments. See first book of Prorrhetics, aph. 27,-and in his fourth book, de locis affectis, he says, that when the brain is affected, apud anticos ventres suos laedi imaginationem: sin illi medios secum ventriculos trahant, perverti et cogitationem. He also inquires elsewhere, why phrenitis has such a variety of symptoms, and why, at one time, the imagina tion, and at another, thought or memory, shall be defective. "Hoc evenit (says he) ex humoris raptu ab unâ in aliam cerebri partem; itaque hoc fieri ex variarum cerebri mansionum irritatione, et alteratione prægrandi, unde successiva opera φανταστικό, nguovis, & μvnμoveutixx, i. e. facultatum apprehendendi, judicandi, et memorandi."-See Heurnius, loc. cit.-Further on, we find, "Si principes facultates quæ in cerebro habitant, varias mansiones occupant, igitur unus idemque homo poterit ingeniosus esse, vique imaginandi excellere, et etiam memorandi potentiâ alios anteire: at plerumque ingeniosi immemores sunt: quin non rarò memoria validè exsplendescente, torpescit imaginatio," &c.--We need not enlarge, our object being merely to prove the present doctrine by no means to be a new thing. We see, however, from the last quoted sentence, that the idea of a due developement of the requisite organs had not occurred to the authors quoted.-Nevertheless, we have now before us a Latin work still older than Heurnius, printed in 1508-entitled "Margarita Philosophica," -a kind of Encyclopedia, in twelve books of dialogues between a master and scholar, commencing with the rudiments of grammar, and going through the arts and sciences; amongst other subjects, the mind is considered; and a curious engraving is given of the human head, on which are depicted, according to the present plans, the lo

calities of several faculties, &c.-" Sensus interiores (says the master) numero quinque sunt, viz. Sensus communis: Imaginativa: Estimativa: Fantasia, que etiam imaginativa dici solet: et memorativa," &c.-all which he locates in three assumed ventricles.

To the Editors of the Esculapian Register.

Among the questions proposed for discus. sion in your paper, is one of no small moment to mankind. I mean that which refers to any certain indication of death, short of putrefaction, by which the hazard of burying alive may be avoided. As this will prove of no common interest, I propose to give proofs of persons coming to life after burial-some of whom survived many years: and I am led to this, because I have long thought our relations are hurried to the grave, on most occasions, with a haste at least indecent, if not dangerous. To check this is my present purpose.

If no one should take up the more direct answer to your question, I may hereafter venture upon it.

Is the contemplation of a deceased friend so very shocking that we must thrust him from our sight, before the marks of death are in any way obvious?-On many occasions it seems but an apparent slumber, so little alteration is effected. Can we not advantageously trace in those remains, a faithful portrait of what we ourselves must shortly be?—The proper study of mankind is man, says Pope. But whether in life or death, he has not told us. If for the present state, such study is alone intended, perhaps the former is its proper page; but if eternity is had in view, we must believe the latter more effective.

The celebrated Winslow, about eighty years ago, maintained a Theme, in which he asks if surgical experiments are more fitted than any others, to discover the least uncertain signs of dubious death;-he says he had repeatedly seen instances in which the marks of death are extremely uncertain; and produces several instances of persons who were thought dead, and as such buried, who, nevertheless, were found to have been alive-from this work, the fol lowing facts, as most remarkable, are stated:

John Duns, surnamed Scotus,* the Subtile Doctor, had the misfortune of being buried alive at Cologne; and when, after some time his tomb was opened, it was found that he had gnawed his arm. The same is related of the emperor Zeno, whose reiterated cries were heard by those who watched him, from the bottom of the tomb. Lancisci, the celebrated physician of Pope Clement 11th., relates that at Rome he knew a person of distinction then

* See something relative to this learned man in Grey's notes to Hudibras, vol. 1, cant. 1, verse 153,