The Dispensatory of the United States of America. By GEORGE B. WOOD, M. D., Professor of Materia Medica and Pharmacy in the University of Pennsylvania, one of the Physicians of the Pennsylvania Hospital, etc., etc., and FRANKLIN BACHE, M.D., Professor of Chemistry in Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, one of the Vice Presidents of the American Philosophical Society, etc., etc. Seventh Edition, carefully Revised.

Grigg, Elliot & Co. Philadelphia: 1847.

We have much pleasure in announcing a new edition of this excellent work; not because of any deficiencies in the former edition, or of any large additions to be expected in the present, derived from improvements made within the brief period which has elapsed, but as evidence of a just appreciation of its merits. The authors have carefully gleaned from the periodical journals, and recent European treatises, everything of value which came within the scope of the work, so that it is fully up to the day. The publishers, too, have done justice to the work by the style in which it is brought out.

Wood's Quarterly Retrospect of American and Foreign Practical Medicine and Surgery. April to July, 1847. No. 1, Vol. 1. Richard and George S. Wood: New York.

This is a new publication, just projected, on the plan of Braithwaite and Ranking, but instead of semi-annually, it is to appear quarterly.

The present number contains sixty-four pages, double column, of well selected matter, embracing sixty-nine American articles and forty-one Foreign. The fault we would find with it is the want of attention to typographical accuracy.

We can see no reason why such a publication of indigenous origin should not succeed as well as the exotics, which we believe thrive bravely. It is perhaps true now, as in ancient days, that a prophet hath honour in all countries save his own. We see evidences of it daily; and yet as a people we are charged with being egotistical and self-sufficient beyond all example. We certainly are a little boastful, and have a right to be; we have more to be proud of than any other nation, as it regards our country and its institutions, and all that is wanting to perfect our

national character is a national literature. Why should not American learning, American talents and enterprise in literature and authorship, be fostered and protected as well as the grosser arts? Individually, we are the richest people on the earth; but the wealth that we have will only serve to brutalize and degrade us, without the refining influences of science and the arts.

THE MEDICAL EXAMINER.

PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER, 1847.

EPIDEMIC CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS IN MISSOURI.

In our number for August last, (p. 506,) we inserted in the Record' department, a communication, addressed to the New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, on the subject of a highly fatal disease, which prevailed in the early part of the year in Mississippi and Tennessee, and was manifestly an affection of the same character as one which visited with fearful malignity different towns of France, attacking principally the common soldiers of the garrisons. It was seen also in Ireland in 1846; and everywhere has presented the same great general characters. The term cerebro-spinal seems to be applied to it with propriety, and it evidently attacks, in a marked manner, the gray matter in the centre of the cord-the nervous system of reflex actions. It would appear from the following extract of a letter, addressed to Professor Dunglison by Dr. W. C. Philips, dated Rocheport, Boon county, Missouri, September 13th, 1847, that the scourge has been devastating localities widely apart from each other, and it is not improbable that it may extend elsewhere.

"I take the liberty," says Dr. Philips, in his intelligent epistle, "of advising you of the prevalence of a disease, that has excited. considerable interest in this country, from its nondescript and fatal character.

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Symptomatology. There are no invariable symptoms attending it. Generally, the patient has been in ordinary health, pursuing his accustomed occupation, and the first indication he has of the approach

of the disease is, perhaps, a pain in the hand, foot, arms, legs, eye, brain, lungs, stomach, or bowels. Any one, or a number of these locations in connection, may be primarily affected-sometimes there is a sensation of cords drawing at the back of the neck, producing stiffness. In one case, there was contraction of the occipito-frontalis, and the muscles of the face. In many cases, there is so much soreness of the surface, as to render the smallest amount of clothing intolerable. It is usually ushered in with a chill of variable intensity, succeeded by similar reaction, and this reaction is followed in from 3 to 12 hours by a second chill, and if disorganization has not previously taken place, (which is often the case) it appears to accompany, or immediately succeed it. In many cases, there is excruciating pain in the arms, legs, and other parts of the body, and this pain, when located in the limbs, is often accompanied by swelling of the joints and more or less loss of the use of the limbs, with stiffness and inability to move them. These pains are sometimes permanent, but at others, shifting from one point to another. The neck is often drawn backwards or forwards at an angle of almost 45° from its natural position, and so rigidly fixed, that it would break it short off to force it to resume its physiological position, and is swollen very much larger than its ordinary size. The external surface is sometimes beautifully spotted; and in a few cases there was an exanthematous eruption. The nervous system is deeply involved. There may be profound coma,-wild and furious delirium,-subsultus tendinum, &c., apoplexy and paralysis. In one case, there was blindness of one eye, accompanied with permanent pain in the head; also swollen joints, (terminated fatally.) Lungs may or may not be implicated. Stomach the seat often of nausea and vomiting. Bowels, nothing characteristic. In a few cases, there was gastro-enteritis. Trismus occurred in one case. In other cases, there was an inability to swallow any thing, from the swollen and painful condition of the larynx and pharynx.

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"Etilogy. Most common form 10 to 15 years of age; but occurs at all periods of life. It resembles in many respects the prevailing disease of our country, (at the time of its occurrence last spring,) which was a modified form of pneumonia. There was, in both, the same soreness of the surface. The chill ushering in; the pneumonic symptoms and the swelling of the joints were similar; and the worst forms of the prevailing disease, and this malignant scourge, were similar in their duration, termination, &c. From these facts I

infer, that they are produced by the same general cause, and that

there exist local causes where it prevailed giving its malignant type. The disease is confined to a section of country in the Missouri River bottom, which was the seat of a great overflow in June, 1844, at which time an extensive layer of sand was deposited upon the soil, entombing large crops of vegetable matter. After the overflow, this bottom has been unusually healthy until last spring, whilst the rest of our country has suffered far more from disease than usual. Would it be philosophical or scientific to say this overflow produced these local causes?

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Prognosis is unfavourable: five-sixths die. In many cases, it is death ab initio. When fatal, it is generally so in from six hours to two days."

DR. RUSCHENBERGER, U. s. N.

This able medical officer, whose services in the Navy have been long highly appreciated, not only when afloat, but in the naval hospitals of the country, and who has been not less distinguished for his incessant efforts to elevate the character of the corps, and to obtain for its officers-in which he succeeded—a fixed rank in the Navy, has left the Naval Hospital, New York, to reside in the place of his nativity-Philadelphia. Of that hospital he has had the professional care for four years; and has been succeeded by Surgeon Waters Smith.

The following-we believe, unusual-testimonial is honourable to the giver and the receiver, and we have no doubt was as true as it is honourable; and, although at the risk of offending the modesty of the party most concerned, we publish it as an incentive to others to merit the same tribute.

NAVY DEPARTMENT,

1347.}

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Sept. 2d, 1847. S

Sir, I have to inform you, that the Board of officers, ordered on the 16th inst. to examine into the state and condition of the Naval Hospital at Brooklyn, then under your charge, have submitted their report to this office. The character of this report is so highly com plimentary to yourself, I deem it proper to furnish you with an extract, as follows: The order, method, cleanliness and good discipline everywhere apparent, from the sick wards to the most inferior offices, were highly satisfactory. The exact system of accounts deserves to be particularly noticed as an act of justice to the surgeon, who has devoted great pains and much labour in the details.

"Unusual attention was observable in the Laboratory Department, which has been turned to a good account, in an economical view, in

the preparation of many articles of materia medica, as well as securing uniformity in the strength of various preparations."

I have the pleasure to add, that I am authorized to signify to you the high satisfaction entertained by the Department for the very able manner in which all your duties have been performed while Surgeon in charge. Respectfully,

per

THOMAS HARRIS,

J. L. Fox, Assistant to Chief.

DR. W. S. W. RUSCHENBERGER, Surgeon, U. S. Navy, Brooklyn, N. Y.

DOCTOR ANDREW COMBE.

[We are indebted to a friend for the following notice of Dr. Combe, which will be read with interest, especially by those who are conversant with the admirable productions of his pen.]

Of the death of Dr. Combe, our readers have been apprised through the public papers. On us devolves the duty of indicating the special merits of our deceased brother, and the loss to the profession by his death. Here, if any intelligent reader were at our side, he might interrupt us by remarking on the signal services rendered to mankind by the writings of Dr. Combe, and allege that still, in a greater degree, must his loss be felt by the members, generally, of every community, than even by his professional brethren. Literally, and in its full meaning, may it be said, that man, woman and child, are under the strongest obligations to this popular writer, for his singularly lucid and practical teaching of hygiene, in connexion with physiology, as evinced in his different works, of which we shall soon speak under their respective titles. In another point of view, the labours of Dr. Combe furnish a lesson of encouragement to those who, owing to failing health, might be deterred from prosecuting their literary and professional labours, and of reproof to others who plead every slight indisposition and mental depression as excuses for not discharging their duties in these respects. He became a victim to the inroads of pulmonary consumption soon after the age of manhood; but yet he continued to be the zealous student, and at intervals the industrious and successful writer, during the whole of the period between the date of his first attack of disease, in 1820, and that of his death, on the 9th of August, 1847, a little before he had attained his fiftieth year.

Doctor Combe was born in Edinburgh on the 27th of October, 1797, being the fifteenth child, and seventh son, of parents whose entire progeny numbered seventeen. Having gone through the usual course of instruction at the High School, he was bound apprentice, in