marked out, by forming a private class, is a good one. It would be well for the profession if private preceptors generally devoted more time to the instruction of students, as it would improve both. The Doctor is a little mistaken in reference to his character as a pioneer in the work of giving private courses, with dissections. Classes were assembled for such purposes in different places in the west, within our knowledge several years ago.

In setting forth the advantages offered by his course, Dr. Cooper says the dissections will continue as long as the weather will pernit, which will enable them to acquire a proficiency seldom met with, and "during the course you will have an opportunity of witnessing and ass sting in the performance of most of the important surgical operations on the dead subject, which will not only give you a delight in surgery, taking it as science, but it will overcome any natural repugnance which you may have to cutting human flesh, which is indispensable to your success as operative surgeons."

We have received Dr. Yandell's lecture, but unfortunately it has either been carried off or misplaced.

E.

ARTICLE VI.
CLE

A Text Book of Practical Anatomy. By ROBERT HARRISON, M. D., M. R. I. A., F. R. C. S. I., &c., with additions by an American Physician; with numerous illustrations. pp. 720. N. York, S. S. & W. Wood, 1848; (from the publishers, by express.)

This is the new edition of the Dublin Dissector, enlarged by additions "under the supervision of Robert Watts, jr., M. D., Prof. of Anatomy in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the University of the State of New York." The idea of making a text book of anatomy, suited for a dissector by being so arranged that the parts can be examined in turn

as they are treated of in the work, occurred to us long ago as the thing that was wanted. We see that some of our cotemporaries speak slightingly of the work of changing a Dissector to be a system of anatomy. Ours be it to praise the effort. The dissector or system of practical anatomy is the work to make anatomists. The study of anatomy is a dry business in any other than the practical way; but thus, well may the student fancy he is repeating the "hymn of praise to the Almighty." Although we have many excellent text books on anatomy already, we cannot say there is not room for this. Not having examined the work in its details, we cannot speak of the additions that have been made; but Prof. Watts' reputation as an anatomist, is a guarantee that they are valuable. E.

ARTICLE VII.

Medical Lexicon of Modern Terminology. Being a complete Vocabulary of Definitions, including all the Technical Terms employed by Writers and Teachers of Medical Science at the present day, and comprising several hundreds of words not found in any other Dictionary. Designed for the use of Students and Practitioners. Second Edition, greatly enlarged. By D. MEREDITH REESE, M. D., L. L. D., Resident Physician of Bellevue Hospital New York, Editor of Cooper's Surgical Dictionary, etc. pp. 233, 18mo. New York: S. S. and W. Wood. 1848. (From the Publishers, by Express.)

From the extent of title page used in setting forth the character of this work, one would be induced to expect to find it, a huge overgrown dictionary, filling volumes. But, instead of this, it is a neat little book, that you can buy for a small sum and carry in your pocket without inconvenience. We have had the pleasure of occasionally referring to it for a definition, and it has, in every case, proved satisfactory. The call for a second edition speaks well for its merits. E.

ARTICLE VIII.

Annual Circular of the Medical Institution of Geneva College, Spring Course to Commence March 14th 1848.

A change has been made, as we learn by this document, in the time of commencing the annual course of lectures in this Institution, so that the term will hereafter be during the sixteen weeks immediately following the second Wednesday of March.

An impression that had obtained to some extent, that the members of the faculty who are connected with the Buffalo University, designed retiring from their connection with this institution is corrected as "no such intentions exist.”

ARTICLE IX.

Lectures on the Theory and Practice of Physic. By Joan
BELL, M. D., Member of the Amer. Med. Association &c.,
&c., and by WILLIAM STOKES, M. D., Lecturer at the
Medical School, Park Street, Dublin; Physican to the
Meath Hospital, &c., &c. Fourth Edition, revised and
enlarged. In two volumes.
Ed. Barrington and Geo. D. Haswell, 1848. (From the
Publishers and for sale by Keenes, Chicago.)

pp. 1760. Philadelphia:

The fourth edition of this excellent standard work, comes to us revised and enlarged by the American contributor. It is with great propriety termed Bell and Stokes' Practice, instead of the title under which it was at first issued, (Stokes and Bell's,) since Dr. Bell has contributed nearly four fifth's of the matter contained in the present edition. The new articles in this edition are on diseases of the eyes, diseases of the blood-vessels, and dropsy. Besides these, the author tells us in his preface that several of the most important subjects, such as "epidemic cholera, diseases of the urinary Vol. I, No. 1.—5.

organs, of the female organs of generation, pulmonary cousumption, diseases of the heart, meningitis (simple and tu bercular), the exanthemata, and fevers," have been recast.

It is now as complete a system of practice as any extant, and has, for some time been recommended, as a text book, in several of the best medical institutions in the country.

E.

ARTICLE X.

A System of Clinical Medicine. By ROBERT JAMES GRAVES, M. D., one of the Physicians of the Meath Hospital and County of Dublin Infirmary; formerly Professor of the Institutes of Medicine, &c., &c. With notes and a series of lectures, by W. W. GERHARD, M. D., Lecturer or Clinical Medicine to the University of Pennsylvania, one of the Physicians to the Pennsylvania Hospital, &c., &c. Third American Edition. pp. 751 8vo. Philadelphia: Ed. Barrington & Geo. D. Haswell, 1848. (From the Publishers-for sale at Keenes', Chicago.)

This work stands decidedly approved by the America Medical Public. Clinical Medicine is, in fact a very im-portant feature of the subject of practice; and as this work occupies the field almost alone, it is not surprising that it should be in such active demand, as to require this new edition.

Thls edition is made from the recent and much enlarged European edition of Dr. Graves' lectures.

We can most heartily recommend the work before us as one containing a large amount of the best information on the subject of practice in many of the diseases prevalent in Europe and America.

E.

Part 3.-Selections.

ARTICLE I.

Passage of an Iron Rod through the Head.

To the Editor of the Boston Med. Surg. Journal:

DEAR SIR-- Having been interested in the reading of the cases of "Injuries of the Head," reported in your Journal by Professor Shipman, of Cortlandville, N. Y., I am induced to offer you the notes of a very severe, singular, and, so far as the result is taken into account, hitherto unparalleled case, of that class of injuries, which has recently fallen under my own The accident happened in this town, upon the line of the Rutland and Burlington Railroad, on the 13th of September last, at 4 o'clock, P. M. The subject of it is Phineas P. Gage, a foreman, engaged in building the road, 25 years of age, of middle stature, vigorous physical organization, temperate habits, and possessed of considerable energy of character.

care.

It appears from his own account, and that of the bystanders, that he was engaged in charging a hole, preparatory to blasting. He had turned in the powder, and was in the act of tamping it slightly before pouring on the sand. He had struck the powder, and while about to strike it again, turned his head to look after his men (who were working within a few feet of him,) when the tamping iron came in contact with the rock, and the powder exploded, driving the iron against the left side of the face, immediately anterior to the angle of the inferior maxillary bone. Taking a direction upward and backward toward the median line, it penetrated the integuments, the masseter and temporal muscles, passed under the zygomatic arch, and (probably) fracturing the temporal portion of the sphenoid bone, and the floor of the orbit of the left eye entered the cranium. passing through the anterior left lobe of the cerebrum, and made its exit in the median line, at the junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures, lacerating the longitudinal sinus, fracturing the parietal and frontal bones extensively, breaking up considerable portions of brain, and protruding the globe of the left eye from its socket by nearly one half its diameter. The tamping iron is round, and ren