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other body to which the suffrages of his medical brethren may call him!

The works of Hewson are in three parts. Part first treats of the properties of the blood. Part second, of the lymphatic system; and Part third, of the red particles of the blood; with some detached papers. It contains also eight copperplates, and an excellent engraved likeness of Hewson from a mezzotint in the possession of Mr. John Quekett, which is probably the same as that spoken of by Dr. Franklin, in a letter he wrote to Mrs. Hewson from Passy, in 1782-"I forget whether I ever acknowledged the receipt of the prints of Mr. Hewson. I have one of them framed in my study. I think it very like."

The editor Mr. Gulliver, is well known for his translation of Gerber, and for his microscopical researches. He has attempted to place the matters to which his notes relate on a level with the present state of knowledge, and in this he has amply succeeded. Both in them, and in the introduction, the historical method has generally been kept in view, "because it is useful and pleasing, in a work of this nature, to mark the footsteps of the science and the names of its cultivators." The labour he has bestowed upon the subject has been great, and the results are most satisfactory. On the whole, the profession owe their thanks to the Sydenham Society for having placed in their possession-and in so beautiful a form the works of one of the most distinguished of British physiologists.

The Principles and Practice of Ophthalmic Medicine and Surgery. By T. WHARTON JONES, F. R. S., Lecturer on Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology at the Charing Cross Hospital, etc., etc. With one hundred and two Illustrations. Edited by ISAAC HAYS, M. D., Surgeon to Wills Hospital, etc. Svo. pp. 509. Lea & Blanchard. Philadelphia, 1847.

The author of this work is well known to the profession by numerous and valuable contributions, which have appeared in the medical journals of the British Metropolis within the last few years, especially on Physiological and Pathological subjects. All his writings are distinguished by great precision and clear

ness as well as terseness of style, and the production before ust is well entitled to this praise.

"To produce a work on Diseases of the Eye," says the author in his preface," which should serve at once as a text-book for students and as a book of reference for practitioners, has been the great aim of the author in composing this manual. Accordingly, besides carefully discussing the principles, he has laboured to give such a practical exposition of the subject as will be found available at the bedside of the patient, and in the operating room. At the same time, he has not neglected the opportunity which the subject offers, of illustrating the general doctrines of pathology, especially those of inflammation." The author further

more mentions "that he has incorporated in the present volume the various contributions to ophthalmic medicine and surgery which he has made, some anonymously, in the course of the last fifteen years, and also that he has freely availed himself of the information contained in the principal works, British and foreign, on the subject."

On the subject of inflammation, affecting the various tissues of the eye, the author has treated at considerable length, and certainly with great clearness. As many of the most important diseases of this delicate organ consist either in inflammation or its consequences, and as all operations upon it must be regulated by the kind and degree of inflammation expected to follow, he justly regards an accurate knowledge of it as the master-key to the whole subject. This part of the work, therefore, is particularly rich and instructive for the young practitioner; indeed the work throughout is one of very great merit, and eminently worthy of the confidence of the profession. "The author having fully posted it up to the knowledge of the day, the Editor's task," to use his own language, "has been a light one. He has restricted himself merely to the narration of the results of his own experience in a few instances in which they differed from those of the author."

The pictorial illustrations are valuable, but we cannot say that the execution of all of them is equal to what we are accustomed to see from the press of the same eminent American publishing house.

Materia Medica and Therapeutics, including the Preparations of the Pharmacopoeias of London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and [of the United States,] with many new medicines. By J. FORBES ROYLE, M. D., F. R. S., late of the Medical Staff of the Bengal Army, Member of the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, of the Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta, and,the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh, &c., Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, King's College, London. Edited by Joseph Carson, M. D., Professor of Materia Medica in the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Member of the American Philosophical Society, &c., &c., with ninety eight illustrations. 8vo. pp. 689. Philadelphia, 1847. Lea & Blanchard.

Of the various works that have from time to time appeared on materia medica on the plan of the one before us, there is none more deserving of commendation. From the examination which we have given, accuracy and perspicuity seem to characterize it throughout, and as a book of reference to the student of medicine, and especially of pharmacy in its applications to medicine, none could be better. But arranged as the lectures are in our medical schools, with sessions of a duration of not longer than four months each, it would manifestly be impossible for a professor on materia medica and therapeutics to embrace the relations which drugs bear to other subjects than medicine proper; and hence the best constant accompaniment to a course of lectures on materia medica and therapeutics in our schools is one that treats of the articles as medicines chiefly. In this relation we would not place Dr. Royle's work in the very first rank, to which position it is unquestionably entitled amongst treatises which are more adapted perhaps for the pharmaceutist than the physician.

From the station, which Dr. Royle occupied in the East India service, he was enabled to collect a vast amount of information in regard to the natural and commercial history of various drugs, on which but little precise knowledge was possessed previously; and every future work on materia medica and pharmacyevery new edition of dispensatories-must be esteemed imperfect, unless it shall have culled extensively from the valuable materials contained in his pages. Dr. Royle adopts the natural ar

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rangement, and treats, in succession, of the operations of pharmacy, pharmaceutical chemistry, mineral materia medica, vegetable materia medica, medicinal plants from ranunculaceae to fungi; products of fermentation; animal materia medica from porifera to mammalia,-concluding with remarks on a physiological and therapeutical arrangement of the materia medica.

We think that every one who can afford it should possess this excellent work, the value of which has been greatly enhanced by the additions of Dr. Carson, than whom no one is more competent to estimate it correctly, and to make such additions as may adapt it for American service.

It is well "got up," and the wood cuts are better executed than in any work of the kind that has issued from the American press. The cause why certain plants have been selected rather than others is not apparent, but the author, we doubt not, could assign one that is satisfactory. Belladonna, Hyoscyamus and Stramonium, for example, have xylographic illustrations, whilst Digitalis, Tabacum, Rheum, Camphora, and numerous others are neglected. The number of illustrations mentioned on the title page shows, indeed, that a large proportion of the plants must go unrepresented.

Lecture Introductory to the Course on the Theory and Practice of Medicine, in the Medical Department of Pennsylvania College. Session 1846-47. By WILLIAM DARRACH, M. D. The excellent temper and good feeling exhibited in this lecture of the amiable Professor is in strong contrast with the ebullitions of spleen and mortified vanity, exhibited on like occasions by some grey-headed occupants of chairs in older and more pretending institutions. For the edification of such, we copy the opening paragraph.

"The topic, which I have been induced to select as an introductory lecture, is Life. Before I discuss it, permit me to tender you the usual, and, at the same time, most heart-felt welcome to all our Philadelphia Medical schools. Hitherto, we have been the youngest of them; and now there is yet a younger-the Franklin Medical College of Philadelphia. Prosperity to her laudable efforts! Long life to her! In her name and our own we welcome you. In that of our elder sister, the Jefferson Col

lege, in her beautifully remodelled edifice; in that of the University of Pennsylvania, the venerable and beloved mother of us all; in the uaine also of the departed and never to be forgotten worthies, Rush, Wistar, Barton and Physick, patriarchs of American medicine-and higher yet, we welcome you in HIS Name, the Source of life, in whom we live."

Such sentiments disarm criticism, even when invited to the task by assailable doctrines and inconclusive reasoning.

THE MEDICAL EXAMINER.

PHILADELPHIA, MARCH, 1847.

LA LANCETTE CANADIenne.

We have received the first and third numbers of a new Medical journal with this title, in the French language, published at Montreal (Canada) on the first and fifteenth of every month. The journal is edited and published by Dr. J. L. Leprohon, and from the ability displayed in the numbers before us, promises to be an able coadjutor in the good work of diffusing Medical knowledge. A considerable portion of the practitioners of Canada speak and write the French as their vernacular language, and to them such a publication must be particularly acceptable; and as many of the younger and more aspiring members of our profession in the United States pay more or less attention to it, they will find the perusal of such a journal to subserve the double purpose of furnishing them with much valuable information in the line of their profession, and of improving them in the knowledge of the language in which it is conveyed. We wish the enterprising editor a full realization of his warmest anticipations, whilst we promise ourselves the pleasure of occasionally gleaning from his labours for the benefit of our readers.

NATIONAL MEDICAL CONVENTION.

From all that we can discover, the Medical Convention to be held in this City in May next is likely to be the largest body of the kind ever assembled. Delegates have already been appointed by most of the Colleges and chartered Medical Societies throughout the Union,

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