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A perfect skeleton of an adult human body was last week dug from a mound of earth a little distance from Merimack river, in Concord, by workmen on the highway. The hemlock bark in which it was enclosed, had not been consumed. The skull and teeth, and even the toe and finger joints were perfect; and the appearance of the skeleton indicated a recent burial. The bones must have been those of one of the aboriginal inhabitants, and calculating the shortest time, have probably been buried more than one hundred years. Other bones in a more imperfect state, have since been found near those above mentioned. This spot must have been, in days by-gone, an extensive burial ground for the numerous Indians who probably long occupied in peace the fertile meadows of Penacook. N. H. Pat. Cancer. The very remarkable number of cases of Cancer in the neighbourhood of East Grinstead, Hartfield, and Withyham in Sussex, has attracted the notice of several medical persons, and it is likely that this subject will undergo some regular investigation as to its causes. Upwards of 10 cases of direct cancer have died at the small village of Hartfield within 4 years. Some persons have attributed the prevalence of this disease to the waters, which resembling those of Tunbridge Wells are extremely unwholesome; whilst others lay it to the air. Mr. Wallis, Surgeon, who in conjunction with Dr. Foster is making out a list of the cases, states that pork, and hog's flesh in general, form the chief diet of the poor of this district; and we have the concurrent testimony of several physicians that the flesh of the hog is very liable to bring on violent diseases. Phil. Mag.

MEMORANDA.

At the Annual Convention of the Medical and Chirurgical faculty of Maryland, it was resolved that Physicians be recommended to receive as students, those only whose classical attainments and correct deportment qualify them for the profession of medicine.-AlsoThat before being admitted as candidates for a degree, they should have read 3 years-attended 2 courses of lectures, and have read and studied certain books, which are particularly mentioned.

Saturday, July 31, hottest day experienced this year at Boston. Thermometer stood in the shade, at noon, at 94°. at 4 P. M. at 97..

N. York:-80 deaths for the week ending, July 31. Consumption 13, Convulsions 7, Dropsy 8, Dysentery 5, Flux Infantile 4, Small Pox 2.

Baltimore.-31 deaths for the week ending, Aug. 2. Cholera Infantum 7, Infantile unknown 8!

Washington.-24 deaths for July. Cholera 8, Consumption 3.

Charleston.-24 deaths from July 11 to 18. Hooping Cough 3. Thermometer (3 P. M.) July 11, 87°: 12, 88: 13, 864: 14, 80: 15, 86: 16, 85: 17, 86: 18, 89: 19, 90: 20, 85: 21, 84: 22, 83: 23, 844: 24, 861:-22 deaths from July 18 to 25. Consumption 3, Hooping Cough 5.

New Orleans,-35 deaths from June 8 to 14: -52 deaths from June 22 to 28:49 deaths from June 29 to July 5.—Thermometer (2 P.M.) June 20, 90°: 21, 914: 22, 90: 23, 91: 24, 92: 25, 91: 26, 944: 27, 94: 28, 94: 29, 93: S0, 95: July 1, 96: 2, 97: 3, 93:—very little rain.

Thermometer, (2 P. M.) July 4, 93°: 5, 87: 6, 90: 7, 91: 8, 94: 9, 94: 10, 93:—a little rain: Pretty healthy.

London.-Thermometer, average from June 3 to June 10, 57°: average from June 10 to 17, 5240::-no rain first week. Amount of rain last week 2.075 inches.

Lexington.-46 young men received the degree of Doctor of Medicine at the Transylvania University on the 14th of June.

Mauch Chunk.-July 30, was the hottest day experienced this year. Thermometer at 2 P. M. in the shade, stood at 93°:-very little sickness at present among the workmen.

Boston.-Thermometer (1 P.M.) July 25, 78°: 26, 86: 27, 80: 28, 71: 29, 74: 30, 84: 31, 87: mean, 80°: greatest heat in 24 hours, (mean) 83°: greatest cold 65°:-Rain 0.39 inch.

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ARS LONGA,

VITA BREVIS

VOL. I.

EDITED BY SEVERAL PHYSICIANS.

PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1824.

MEASLES. On their Inoculation.

No. 3.

In our present number we conclude the experiments of Dr. Home on this subject, and trust that its interest and importance will prove apology sufficient for any undue extension given to it in our columns. Those of our readers who were not before fully acquainted with these facts, can now judge of the propriety of condemning as absurd and visionary an attempt of this kind, to improve the condition of medical science, and ultimately, perhaps, be the means of saving to friends and country, thousands of valuable lives.

We would recommend to some of our readers, who are qualified for such undertakings, and are placed in situations where they would have opportunities of prosecuting their investigations with advantage, to repeat the experiments of Dr. Home, carefully and diligently, that no errors might arise from inattention or

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want of precision, nor facts be lost from neglect or luke-warmness. They would not only confer a favour on their medical brethren and society at large, but would advance their own reputation, and lay the foundation, perhaps, for future usefulness and fame.

We will, in furtherance of this object, cheerfully lend our columns to record the result of such inquiries, or in any other way in our power assist in their prosecution. The present, perhaps, is not the most favourable time for carrying on these experiments, as measles are not very prevalent: but still it would not be amiss to commence upon what few subjects could be procured, that when we have them more abundant, we may have some experience, and know the best and most effectual method of proceeding.

Let us now, however, detail the experiments of Dr. Home, from where we last left him.

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27th, from a girl who had a great quantity, very considerable fever, and difficulty of breathing. 9th, Hot last night, sneezing, pain of her head and a little cough. 12th, Pain of her head and back, blooding at the nose yesterday, and to-day. Pulse 94, but no eruption. I was afterwards told that this girl had the measles two years ago, and that the mother had been led to this from the view of gain.

"Experiment 9.-Inoculated June 14th, a child five years old, with the same blood. 18th, Shivering at night, head-ache, and sneezing; hot in the night. 19th, Well all day, but the same complaints at night, with a gentle looseness. 20th, A little drought, and whiteness of tongue. Sneezes, but no cough. Weak and watery eyes. Pain in her head. Pulse 120. 21st, Three coughs this morning. Pulse 110. No purging since last night. Sneezes often. Measles beginning to appear. 22d, Looseness; but no cough. Turned hot, and vomited at bed-time: which was probably owing to her sitting at the door this night, which was cold: after this more measles came out. Moderate looseness. 23d, Measles still out. 24th, Almost all gone. Pulse at 83. Had gripes today, which ended in a looseness.

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Experiment 10. July 6th,-Inoculated a child eighteen months old, and of a very weakly constitution. Being afraid that the blood taken May 27th, was now too old, and being uncertain whether some, taken June 27th, would answer, as the person from whom it was taken was not feverish; I made use of them both mixed together. 9th, Feverish and droughty. 10th and 11th, Better. 12th, Has coughed and sneezed some to-day. Puked a little. 13th, Coughed some in the night-time, and sneezed a little. Great drought: no appetite. 14th, Coughs pretty often; sneezes sometimes. Had many spots out this morning, but almost all gone in again. 15th, A great many measly spots out, but especially on the sides and thighs, where they almost touch one another: they are much more distinct than they have been this winter in the natural way. Eyes have scarcely yet watered; thirsty: sneezes a little: coughs more. 16th, Loose belly. 17th, Looseness gone; spots disappearing; no cough or sneezing. "This patient had more of the cough, and less of the sneezing and watering of the eyes, than any of the rest. It would seem that the latter secretions being diminished, more of the saline matter was separated by the trachea and lungs. "This child took the measles again, August 20th. The spots were more numerous, and run more together; and the disease was attended with a severer cough, and a little difficulty of breathing. A natural looseness carried off

these symptoms.

"Was this disease owing to a new infection, or was it the effect of the inoculation? I am of the latter opinion; because, immediately after

the first measles, it was seized with a swelling of the parotid gland, a proof that all the matter was not carried off by the eruption: this continued during the interval, with a constant cough and sneezing: besides, there was not another natural measles in the town or country, so far as I could hear. I have seen several cases in the natural way, where one infection produced two eruptions. Why may it not likewise in the inoculated?

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Experiment. 11. August 29th,-With blood taken two days ago from the former patient, I inoculated a child eight months old. This child was getting teeth, and had been troubled with a cough and looseness for eight days. September 7th, Had been hot, restless, droughty, and had sneezed for some nights. Some spots seen yesterday. 8th, Tongue white. Coughed and sneezed some. About a dozen and an half of spots. 9th, Spots almost gone.

"Experiment 12. August 30th,-With the same blood a very healthful child, aged 18 months, was inoculated. September 7th, Has cried all night, and has been hot and thirsty. Looseness. Coughed and sneezed. 8th, About three dozen of spots to be seen. Vomited all her drink this morning. Tongue very white. Very fretful. Rubs her eyes frequently. Pulse 132.

"These two last experiments were tried at a time when there were no natural measles: and consequently in a time of year very opposite to the disease.

"Experiment 13,-That I might see the dif ference of the disease when it is communicated by the lungs alone, and when by the skin alone,

"May 25th,-1 put into the nose of a child, for an hour, some cotton, which had been for some time in the nose of a measly patient, the fourth day of the eruption; but no disease followed.

"June 11th,-Put some cotton into the nose of a child two years old, which had been for an hour in the nose of a measly child, the day before. But no disease.

"June 13th,-Put some cotton, dipt in measly blood, May 20th, into the nose of a child. But no disease.

"I cannot, from these three experiments, say, that the disease may not be inoculated this way; for the children let the cotton remain too short time in their noses.

"I have hitherto narrated the naked facts, as they presented themselves to me, that every person may have an opportunity of judging for himself. Let us now draw some corollaries from the foregoing experiments.

"Corol. 1.-The blood of a measly patient taken in the manner before described, contains a sufficient quantity of the morbific matter, to produce, by some fermentative power natural to it, the measles. It would appear, that these

morbillous effluvia are capable of going off, if the blood has free communication with the external air, or is kept five weeks, even in a wellcorked vial.

"Cor. 2-In the inoculated measles the patient generally sickens about the 6th day. Here the disease comes on sooner, and seems to be more fixed in the time than in the inoculated small-pox, which varies from the 7th to the 11th. Its first approaches are generally felt only in the night-time, the children being well all the day.

"Cor. 3.-It appears that the inoculated measles are a much milder disease than the natural, as the former are not attended with that degree of fever which precedes the latter; nor with the cough, want of rest, and other inflammatory complaints which attend it; nor with the sore eyes, cough, hectic fever, or ulcerated lungs, which so often follow it. Inoculation appears to weaken the force of all diseases. Whence does this arise? Is it because the effluvia of natural diseases enter the vessels unmixed and undiluted; and therefore operate with more violence on the fluids? Is it

because they are taken in at the head, lungs, and stomach, parts remarkable for their nervous sympathy with the rest of the body? Or, must the blood be in somewhat of an inflammatory state before so small a quantity as is received in the natural measles, can raise the disease? All these causes, I believe, contribute.

"Cor. 4.-The pathognomonic symptoms of this disease, viz., running of the eyes, and sneezing, are as strong in the inoculated, as in the natural measles: I never saw so great a running from the eyes in this disease, as happened in one of these experiments. The principal action of the morbillous matter appears to be on this saline humour, secreted from the glandula lachrymalis; for the sneezing is probably owing to the irritation of the same matter, when it arrives in the nose, upon Sneider's membrane. This inclines me to think that the morbillous matter is itself of a saline acrid nature; and therefore associates more readily with these humours in the body, than with any other.

by inspiration, and fixing on the lungs. I endeavoured to bring it to the test of experiment, as that alone is to be trusted; but, as yet, I have failed in inoculating this disease by the nose.

"Cor. 6.-The inoculated measles have their crisis commonly by purging, as the natural sort. It is probably owing to some of the saline humours going off at the guts: it sometimes raises violent gripes in its passage.

"Cor. 7.-This artificial disease appears to have cured a child of cutaneous eruptions, with which it was troubled for three months before. By combining with these it had exhausted them all at once.

"Cor. 8.-The incisions by which the measles are communicated, do not, when the eruptive fever comes on, inflame again and suppurate, as they do in the inoculated small-pox. Is this owing to the greater quantity of variolous matter, or to its greater acrimony? Both these causes, I believe, concur."

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After thanking the members for the honour conferred upon him by being elected their president, and remarking that an unusual zeal and desire for the promotion and advancement of Medical knowledge seem to be now displayed, the Doctor exhorts them, if at any time party feuds have existed among them, to resolve to know them no more, and banish them from their remembrance, uniting heart and hand for the great and common interest of the whole.

"Cor. 5.—But what is most surprising, is, that the cough, so constant an attendant on the natural measles, almost totally disappears in the artificial kind. Some of my inoculated patients had the cough all winter, others were carried about till the eruption, yet this symptom still continued mild. This symptom is probably owing to some measles, or inflammatory spots coming out on the surface of the lungs; for He then speaks of the peculiar privithese are always found on opening the body, leges and advantages of the physicians and in the more kindly sort the cough disap- of New-York; that they (and other phypears on the turn of the disease. It appeared sicians in large cities) are justly expecthighly probable before inoculation; it' appears pretty certain now, that this symptom arises al- ed to be the most learned and able of most wholly from the infection being received the profession in any part of the state,

seeing they enjoy more ample means of information, &c.

We come next to some very important considerations, to which we would wish particularly to direct the attention of our readers, as few are ignorant that we are here suffering the same inconveniences, and the interests and honour of

the profession imperiously demand, and loudly call for some active and efficient remedy.

"I pass on to notice the means of effecting the latter object, that of improving the healing art, and of extending the benefits to be derived from this Association.

"That we may preserve the honour and respectability of the profession, none should be permitted to practice it who have not been legally received, either as Doctors of Medicine or as Licentiates, agreeably to the provisions of the act of the state legislature. From many facts which have come to my knowledge, there is good reason to believe, that in this city and in its vicinity, many ignorant pretenders, who commenced their career as acknowledged venders of quack medicines, are now prescribing for the sick, and are in the daily violation of the laws of the state. Connected with this subject, is the unwarrantable practice which has obtained among some of our apothecaries, and those of them too the least qualified, of prescribing for the sick who may apply at their shops for the purchase of drugs; and in some instances they have had even the arrogance to suppress the prescriptions of the physician, and to substitute their own combinations.

"It therefore becomes the duty of this Society, agreeably to the act passed in 1813, to interpose, and to arrest these impositions upon the community, and which are to be considered as among the greatest evils that can befall society."

And again-after proposing that a census of all the physicians and surgeons and legally admitted practitioners of medicine be taken, and remarking that the laws of the state, the statutes of the University and the by-laws of the Society contain provisions, which if properly regarded, will in a great degree lead to the suppression of such things he says,

"In all ages our calling has been disgraced by the arts of the selfish and designing; and it is mortifying to observe in our own city continued and most flagrant evidences of the successful career of charlatanery. I earnestly hope you

will omit no effort within the legitimate reach of your authority, to discountenance and suppress the whole tribe of nostrum venders and shall find that the present system of regulations specific mongers; and if, upon experience, you is inadequate, that it will be deemed meet to supersede it by obtaining from our legislature a code of greater efficiency and vigour.

"Many years since, the Medical Faculty of the distinguished and learned Dr. James, who, London expelled from their communion even disregarding the obligations due to his profes sion and to society, became the vender of a secret febrifuge powder. In like manner, the most learned Society of Europe erased from their lists the name of the celebrated Lower, who had been convicted of venal practices. And within a few months, as we are informed by Dr. Johnson,* the name of Dr. Thornton, once highly respectable, has been in a similar manner disgraced, by being struck from the list of the Royal College of Physicians, because of his association with an itinerant quack, or vender of American herbs in London. spirited journalist goes on to remark, that, in his opinion, "Dr. Thornton's conduct, in aiding the Whitlow imposition on public credulity, richly deserved this mark of disapprobation;' and adds his hope, that immoral as well as unprofessional conduct shall be often served in this way in future.' A similar course of decisive and vigorous conduct on our part would probably be productive of similar beneficial results, in preserving the respectability of the healing art in the United States.

The

"Indeed, gentlemen, I cannot withhold the expression of the mortification I feel, when I see the members of our profession lending the sanction of professional authority to any new syrup or panacea, that cupidity and the arts of the impostor can combine to fill the purses of the venders."

He then proposes measures calculated to advance the interests of the society and the profession, and dwells strongly tending to the biography of our departed on the propriety and advantage of at

brethren.

We may probably at some future day point out more particularly the abuses and improprieties committed in our tent ourselves with recommending phyown city, but for the present consicians and the public to have an eye to these things. It is time that an end should be put to such proceedings, and

* See Medico-Chirurgical Review for December 1823.

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