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quently does, during the continuance of late secondary accidents, and remaining after the tertiary have made their appearance. Its march is generally chronic, and often attended by so little uneasiness in the part, that the patient is not always the first to discover the change which his testicle is undergoing. Sometimes, however, the progress is less gradual; the increase of size occurs in comparatively a short time, and pain is added to the other symptoms.

The organ acquires an unnatural density; loses its ordinary elasticity and sensibility; commonly increases in size, without alteration of form; the integuments retain their healthy appearance; and no augmentation of heat in the part accompanies the morbid process. Increase of size and preservation of the normal shape, are neither of them, however, constantly met with.

In some cases there is pain in the lumbar region of one or both sides; of one, when a single testicle—and of both, when the two are affected. The sensation is not that of drawing or dragging, but rather as though a fist were thrust very forcibly into the loins.

It

The induration commences in the body of the testicle, but it may subsequently extend to the epididymis and spermatic cord; the body of the gland and the epididymis, when the latter is affected, apparently becoming blended into a single mass. commences in spots, which may be either superficially or centrally situated, and are sometimes found distributed in a zone passing completely around the testicle. The difference of consistency between these spots and the tissue separating them, is very perceptible to the touch, but they do not rise above the level of the surface of the gland, and consequently, occasion no unevenness; a fact, as we shall hereafter see, worthy of being carefully borne in mind. These spots gradually increasing in size, approaching each other and uniting, the entire gland finally becomes indurated.

As the malady progresses, erections take place at longer and longer intervals; the spermatozoa become rare; and eventually, semen ceases to be secreted, and the venereal propensities totally disappear.

The disease arriving at a certain stage, (in some instances after a duration of months, in others of years,) the testicle usually undergoes absorption, which may take place very gradually. In other cases, transformed into a cartilaginous or osseous mass, it is not absorbed; and although incapable of performing its functions, nevertheless saves the patient from deformity. There is no tendency to a termination by suppuration.

Syphilitic sarcocele seldom appears earlier than six months from the date of the primary ulcer; Mr. Ricord has known it to

occur after an interval of five months, and thinks that four months and a half may be safely taken as the shortest limit.

Syphilitic degeneration of the testicle is more or less apt to be confounded with changes of scrofulous or cancerous nature; from the former it differs in the following particulars.

Scrofulous degeneration appears first in the epididymis; syphilitic, in the body of the testicle; in the scrofulous, the epididymis and the body of the testicle remain distinct; in the syphilitic they seem to become fused into a single mass; in the former the surface of the testicle is nodular, and the cord irregularly enlarged; in the latter, on the contrary, the surface of the testicle retains its smoothness, and the cord, when enlarged, exhibits uniform increase of size. Scrofulous degeneration generally occurs about the period of transition to puberty, and hardly ever begins after the age of thirty. Scrofula is much more apt than syphilis to attack both testicles at the same time, and is also much more frequently accompanied by hydrocele. In these cases, moreover, we may frequently detect tubercles in the lungs, and upon examination by the rectum, tuberculous degeneration of the vesiculæ seminales and prostate gland.

Cancerous degeneration of the testicle may often be readily distinguished from syphilitic, by the much greater increase of size which it induces, the lancinating pains and irregular surface: in addition to which we have the circumstance that syphilis after appearing in one testicle, very frequently breaks out next in the other; a course to which cancer has no tendency.*

Syphilitic degeneration may occupy one testicle, and scrofulous the other; and sometimes even the two forms of disease are found co-existing in the same testicle.

In conclusion, we must give as the result of our observation in the wards of Mr. Ricord, whose skill in diagnosis we have never seen surpassed, that although with the very excellent rules which he has laid down, syphilitic orchitis may, we are fully convinced, often be recognized immediately and with certainty, still every test above proposed sometimes fails; one is forced to seek all the particulars which the patient can give of the previous history of his case; and is fortunate should he not be forced even then, to suspend his opinion.

* Cancer passes next to the inguinal and lumbar glands, preferably than to the testicle.

ART. VI.-Singular Disease of the Tongue; by HENRY RAMSAY, M.D., Raysville, Ga.

ON the 18th March last, I was called in haste to see Mr. W, of Columbia Co., who is a carpenter by trade and 60 years of age. When I arrived, I found Mr.

in rather a profuse perspiration, restless, countenance dejected, pulse low and feeble, temperature of the surface natural, eyes suffused with tears, no pain in the head, some tenderness at the epigastrium, some nausea, complains of numbness about the tongue, but no swelling, there existed considerable bluntness of speech, I examined the tonsils and fauces, found them in a healthy condition. From the above catalogue of symptoms, 1 prescribed a warm toddy and a dose of sulph. magnesia for the patient, as he was fond of "juleps" and "hot potations," and left him for the time. I had scarcely reached home, ere I was overtaken by a messenger soliciting my return to see the patient, who was represented as choking to suffocation. I returned in haste, when I reached the house, I found the case had assumed an unexpected and singular form, the tongue was swollen so as to occlude the whole oral cavity, a profuse secretion of saliva was streaming from the mouth, the tongue was protruded but little, the appearance of the tongue was perfectly black, the swelling of the tongue was sufficient to prevent the introduction of a thin knife blade into the mouth, the patient could not lie down for fear of suffocation, the attempt at deglutition was attended with no pain, but he could not masticate or articulate, nor could he introduce any article of food into his mouth, the pulse at this period remained as before mentioned, no pain expressed, the patient striding across the house at swift paces. The subject remained in this situation for eight days, without much abatement of the disease. About the 9th day of attack he began to convalesce, and gradually improved to the 7th April, when I saw him last. The treatment pursued in the case, was blisters to the neck, enemas of diluted brandy with a neutral salt. The patient is now in tolerable health, but talks a little blunt, he says he experienced no pain in his tongue or throat during the attack or previous to it, and that he is aware of no circumstance that could have produced the singular result. Here arises an important inquiry. What is the nature of the disease? It is not glossitis in the common acceptation of the term, there was no pain, no arterial excitement or protrusion of the tongue, although enormously swollen. And why the blackness through the whole course of the disease? Is this a case of black tongue so commonly referred to in our Western States? I am unprepared to answer the question of identity with either glossitis or black tongue, and I leave the reader to draw his own inferences.

ART. VII. Third Dentition- Vicarious Menstruation.
ROBERT S. BAILEY, M.D.

By

MARY ANN-(property of Mrs. Maybank,) supposed to be between seventy and eighty years of age; very active for that period of life; attends women in labour and frequently engaged as a nurse; can recollect events in the revolutionary war; the book having been lost which contained the record of her birth does not know her exact age. She is somewhat tall in stature, of a kind and benevolent disposition, and remarkably fond of children; has had offspring but none of her children now living; upwards of three years ago she had a severe attack of pleurisy which left her very feeble, and last winter was affected with dysentery, attended with considerable pain; her health, however, became gradually established and she appears to have acquired additional strength and vigor. The catamenia disappeared early in life. Two months ago an incisor tooth made its appearance in the inferior maxilla, and a month afterwards, having previously experienced pains about the back and loins, a sanguineous, darkcolored fluid was discharged from each nipple. It varied in quantity, but was generally more during the night than in the day. There was no enlargement of the mammæ, nor was the discharge attended with pain, but she complained of weakness. The only medicine she took was a little magnesia: It has now ceased. I have heard agriculturists remark that when old trees put out blossoms it prolongs their lives, and such is the analogy between the vegetable and animal creation that what occurs in the former may possibly be indicative of longevity in the latter.

REVIEWS.

I. TRIAL OF DR. ABNER BAKER.

1. Life and Trial of Dr. Abner Baker, Jr. By C. W. CROZIER and A. R. MCKEE.

2. Dr. Abner Baker and his Murderers. By A. BAKER, Sen.

3. To an Enlightened Public. A Pamphlet. By A. BAKER, Sen. 4. A correct Statement of Dr. Baker's Case. and SILAS WOODSON.

By A. F. CALDWELL

ABSTRACT justice is an object of love and admiration to us all; injustice is hateful in itself. But our hatred of injustice takes the hue of apprehension also, when we see it inflicted on any one in a condition similar to our own, and the reflection is forced upon us that we too may become subject to the like intolerable calamity. With these mingled feelings of honor and disgust we have read the Publications enumerated above, and proceed to place on record our assent to the universal denunciation which the medical press has uttered in reference to the judicial murder, whose story is told therein. In doing this, we shall endeavor to give a fair synopsis of the matter; recounting the essential facts as authentically stated, with brevity and forbearance as far as forbearance can be carried, certainly "more in sorrow than in anger."

On the 3d of October. 1845, in the town of Manchester, Clay County, Kentucky, a man, Abner Baker, a maniac, was hung! for killing his brother-in-law, Daniel Bates. The homicide was committed in Sept., 1844.

During the trial for murder, which resulted in the conviction of the accused, the following circumstances were brought out; and in what, ever point of view we look at them, we are at every step astounded to find such things possible, in our enlightened age, and in our civi lized and Christian country.

1. A mortal quarrel was well known to have existed between the parties long before the fatal act; each had been repeatedly heard to threaten the life of the other; nay one of the witnesses had been

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