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He was "the miracle" of the district in which he lived, as his friends had given him up for lost.

In the list of treatment adopted by others, I see the mineral and vegetable acids, bark, wine, beef-tea, milk, occasional purgatives and diaphoretics, oranges, potatoes, &c. It is often noted by my obliging friends that the scorbutics only had a few potatoes, or fresh vegetables, or milk, and soon rallied; even a good supply of nettle broth or beer cured slight cases; again and again showing that the slightest change of diet or drink was beneficial, and that in proportion to the nutritious quantity of the food along with variety, was the rapidity of the cure.

As vegetables became plentiful, scurvy disappeared from amongst us. I do not hear of fresh cases anywhere in Cumberland at this date (July 9th.)

Conclusion. On weighing all the circumstances related above, I am led to make the following inferences. 1. That as the vegetable world became more or less blighted, man in common with the higher class of animals suffered, from causes not well understood, but apparently of an epidemic nature, which have deteriorated his condition, and made him the more ready victim to scurvy, fever, &c. 2. That scurvy originates from an error of diet as generally believed,—the occupation, dwellings, &c., sometimes viewed as collateral causes having little or no influence. 3. That a deficiency of potatoes constitutes the chief error of diet, and is the main cause of the present epidemic, whilst the absence of variety and deficient quantity of food hastened the development of scurvy. 4. That the use of milk, as might be anticipated from its proximate principles, lessened the liability to scurvy, but did not prevent its occurrence :-its powers in correcting a monotonous diet have been acknowledged in the list of remedial agents.

P. S. The present epidemic of scurvy contains a warning, which concerns the government, the profession, and the public. Let us hope that it will not be lost sight of.-Monthly Journal of Med Sci.

Functions of the Spinal Cord.-Some curious results have been afforded by an ingenious set of experiments performed by M. BrownSéquard for ascertaining the degree of motor power left in the spinal cord after separation from the brain, compared with the power which can be exerted while its connection with the brain is left uninjured. The process which he employed for ascertaining this consisted in suspending from the extremity of one of the posterior limbs of a frog a light weight, sufficient to keep the limb stretched; and then pinching one of the toes, whereupon flexion of the limb with its attached weight was excited. By increasing the suspended weight until it amounted to more than the animal by its attempts at flexion of the limb could move, a tolerable correct estimate might be formed of the degree of voluntary motor power the frog was capable of exerting. Having determined this, he divided the spinal cord below the origin of the second pair of nerves, and then observed the effect which such division had on the motor power of the limb. Immediately after the division, he finds that sometimes the motor power is

for the time quite lost, although there generally remains about onequarter or one-third of what there was before the operation; at other times there is left about one half, or even, though very rarely, as much as two-thirds. A frog, for example, which before the operation could raise a weight amounting to 60 grammes, would not be able immediately after it, to raise any weight at all, or one amounting to 10, 20, 30, or 40 grammes, but not so much as 60 grammes. In five minutes after the operation the motor power is sensibly increased, and usually amounts to one-third, one half, or even two-thirds of its original amount. In fifteen minutes it has increased still more; and in from twenty to twenty-five minutes generally amounts to what it was before the operation. In an hour after the operation its original amount is sometimes doubled, and in two or three hours it is often trebled. Arrived at this degree, the motor power appears to cease from further increase, though sometimes it does not attain this, which may be regarded as its maximum, until twenty-four hours after the operation; and sometimes it is two or three days in attaining it: but in all such cases, the increase is very slow after the first few hours succeeding the operation. When once attained, the maximum motor force remains stationary for five, ten, fifteen, or twenty days, and then gradually diminishes. If the frog survives the operation for some months, the motor force is reduced lower than it was before the operation. But probably if the animals were nourished, and if movements of the hind limbs were frequently excited, this diminution would not take place,—or, at any rate, not to so great an extent.—London Med. Gaz., from Comptes Rendus.

Asiatic Cholera.-The Indian mail, just arrived, announces, in letters from Dinapore, that the cholera was ravaging her Majesty's 98th Regiment; 64 persons died in the month of May; there were 170 in the hospital daily. According to recent intelligence, published in the Gazette of Augsburg, the Asiatic cholera was still prevailing at Tiflis, where it has occasioned many deaths.--Ibid.

Fulminating Mannite.-That peculiar kind of sugar which is obtained from manna, and which gives the sweet flavor to celery and asparagus, has been lately converted by M. Sobrero into a highly fulminating compound. Although the process is not published, there is no doubt that, like fulminating cotton, the conversion is effected by the agency of sulphuric and nitric acids. It detonates by percussion as violently as fulminating mercury, and produces, during explosion, sufficient heat to ignite gunpowder. M. Sobrero has employed it as a substitute for fulminating mercury in percussion-caps. He found that a small quantity of mannite, crystallized from alcohol, and thus employed, discharged a gun as effectually as if fulminating mercury had been used. Further experiments are, however, required to show whether the mannite can be safely and economically substituted for mercury in the manufacture of percussion-caps.-Ibid.

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A Preservative against Syphilis.-It is announced in a late number of L'Union Médicale, that a M. Debrosse professes to have discovered a method of preservation against attacks of syphilis. The inventor states that any part plunged for five minutes in the prophylactic liquid may be exposed with impunity to the contact of mucous membrane impregnated with the virus of syphilis." A mercantile house has made a proposition to the Government of Spain on the subject; and it has been so far seriously entertained that the Government has referred the question to the decision of the Academy of Medicine and Surgery of New Castle. While the discussion was proceeding, (with closed doors,) a Dr. Lafond, of Bayonne, accompanied by a member of the commercial house in question, appeared before the Academy, and read a memoir on the success which had attended the use of Debrosse's liquid, stating that it was an astringent preparation. A committee was therefore appointed to inquire into the matter, and ac cording to the latest intelligence, the members of this committee were busily engaged in carrying out their investigations on this curious subject.-Ibid, from L'Union Médicale.

Alleged Rape perpetrated on a Female while under the influence of Ether. That which had been suspected as a probable result, on the introduction of a new narcotizing agent, has, according to the Gazette Médicale, actually occurred in Paris. Last week a female went to a dentist to have a tooth extracted. He advised that it should be stopped; and, to avoid the pain of the operation, recommended his patient to inhale the vapour of ether. What passed while the female was under the influence of the vapour may be inferred from the following facts:--The young female was observed to leave the dentist's house about three hours after she had entered it, in a very disordered state. This attracted the attention of her employer, who could not account for her long absence. The injured party, notwithstanding the stupefying effects of the ether, retained some recollection of what had passed, and, from some words which fell from her, suspicion was immediately excited. She was examined by a physician, who reported that her person had been violated. The dentist has been arrested, and is about to be prosecuted for the offence.-Ibid, from Gaz. Méd.

A new cure for Nervous Affections.-M. Pallas considers that the cause of a great number of "nervous affections" is to be found in the excessive influence of atmospheric or terrestrial electricity. He states that, by adapting to bedsteads glass feet, and isolating them at about eighteen inches from the wall of the apartment, he has cured the patients sleeping upon them of a host of nervous affections.

The impression produced on the mind has probably as powerful an influence in the cure as the insulation on glass.—Ibid.

Statistics of Suicides in Paris.-By a criminal report, for the year 1845, just published, out of 11,049 deaths, there were 3084 cases of

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suicide,--being 111 above above the number for 1844, and only 64 above that of 1843. Of the 3084 suicides, there were 2332 males and 725 females. Sixteen males and four females had not reached their sixteenth year. Among the number were children of 7, 8, and 10 years. There were—

From 16 to 21 years

From 21 to 30

From 30 to 50

From 50 to 7)

66

66

66

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123

362

1201

945

203

41

Taking the months of the year, there were of suicides in

Summer.-June July, and August

Spring.-March, April, and May

Autumn.-Sept., Oct., and Nov.

Winter.--Dec., Jan., and February

922

861

756

545

1110

995

432

213

According to the means of perpetration, there were—

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The last mode of self-destruction is exceedingly prevalent in the department of the Seine.

The motives were those usually met with-love, jealousy, debauchery, reverse of fortune, domestic misery, and physical suffering. -Ibid, from Ibid.

Action of Ether injected into the Arteries.-According to the experiments of M. Flourens, it would appear that ether, when injected into the blood-vessels, has an inverse effect to that observed after the inhalation of the fluid. When inhaled, ether suspends sensation before it interferes with the power of motion; but, when injected into the arteries, M. Flourens found that it destroyed the power of motion previously to exerting any influence on sensation : indeed, sensation remains unaffected, unless the quantity of ether employed is very large. Ibid, from Gaz. des Hopitaux.

ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

Composition of the Blood in Scurvy.-M. Marshal de Calvi, in an essay upon this subject, acknowledged the truth of Professor Andral's observation, that the quantity of fibrin might not be diminished in the blood of scorbutic patients, but accounted for the fact by the inflammatory condition generated in the circulating fluid by the efforts necessary for the resorption of extravasated blood. The singular coincidents of the diminution of albumen and of globulin, with the absence of dropsical effusion or of murmurs in the heart and arteries, M. Marshall explained by the difference which muse exist between diminution of the power of creating albumen in the blood, and genuine decrease or destruction of the component principle.

Treatment of Cancer.--M. Rivaillé read a paper on the use of caustics for the treatment of cancer. In a general manner Dr. Rivaillé stated that caustics were preferable to the removal of these tumours with the knife. Concentrated nitric acid had yielded him in his practice most advantageous results. Poured over a pledget of lint, it constituted with the latter a semi-solid cake, which moulded itself to the shape of subjacent parts, and effectually prevented hemorrhage. It was particularly in fungous tumours disposed to this accident that M. Rivaillé had found nitric acid useful as a local application. M. Rivaillé also in many instances employed alum for the purpose of arresting the progress of hospital gangrene.

Spontaneous Dislocation of the Knee.-M. Palasciano forwarded a communication, in which he endeavoured to establish-first, that the muscle known as "tensor vagina femoris" did not deserve that name, but, being inserted by long tendinous fibres to the external condyle of the tibia, its use was to rotate the leg outwards, and to abduct the knee when it is bent. Starting from these anatomical data, M. Palasciano observed that the spontaneous dislocation of the knee was a complicated affection, constituted by the flexion, rotation, and abduction of the knee; displacement of the tibia backwards, of the patella outwards, and often with more or less complete ankylosis. In order to cure this disease, which had hitherto been erroneously considered as irremediable, M. Palasciano proposed the section of the flexor tendons, of that of the rotator externus (tensor v. f.,) of the rectus femoris, and vastus externus, also the division of the external lateral ligaments of the joint: preliminary operations which would permit the rupture of the ankylosis and the surgical reduction of the limb to its natural direction.—Medical Times.

Diarrhea of Children.-The diarrhea which accompanies or follows the period of weaning is often fatal; it is not only observable in children who are suddenly deprived of the breast, but also in those who are nursed for too long a period. Dr. Weisse, physician to the Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, advises the exhibition of raw meat in such cases, and asserts that he has from this practice often derived the most signal advantages. The meat should be hashed, or reduced into a pulp, and two table-spoonfuls may be at first given in four meals. Med. Times, from Annales de la Société Med. Chir. de Bruges.

Burnett's Disinfecting Fluid.--The chloride of zinc in solution, it appears from a parliamentary document which has just been issued, has been employed extensively as a disinfectant in dissecting-rooms, the wards of hospitals, and in the royal navy, and, according to the reports which we have seen, has been eminently successful in effecting the objects for which it is designed. The medical officers at Haslar Hospital state that it has been used in that hospital in the close stools of patients affected with dysentery, in the water-closets

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