Review, Jan. 1, 1879. No fatty degeneration could be discovered in the fibres. The thickening of the intima is so considerable that it forms a prominence within the vessel, sometimes homogeneous, sometimes laminated. On the inner surface it is covered with the thickened endothelium, and often by a layer of white blood-corpuscles, frequently degenerated. Sometimes the endothelium appears to degenerate and peel off into the lumen of the vessel. The outer and middle coats of the vessel are always normal in the young aneurisms, and hence it appears that these are due to the change in the inner coat. This is confirmed by the fact that where this change is partial, and affects only one part of the wall, that part only becomes bulged into the aneurism; whereas, when the change surrounds the vessel, the dilatation has a corresponding extent, and a fusiform aneurism results, and if the change is more marked on one side of the vessel than the other, the bulging is greater on that side. The The second stage of the aneurism is characterised by an enormous overgrowth of the intima, a gradual atrophy of the muscular coat, and a process of growth between this and the outer coat. The thickened intima presents lamination, and between the lamellæ are indications of groups of degenerated cells. Finally, a yellow homogeneous plate is produced, on which the endothelial covering can no longer be seen. thickening of the intima is often inconspicuous, in consequence of the great dilatation and stretching of the wall which coincides with it, but sometimes it may be so great as to actually narrow the lumen of the vessel at part of the diseased spot, the other part being bulged. The atrophy of the muscular coat appears to depend upon the bulging of the vessel, but it is rarely so complete that traces of the muscular fibres cannot be seen towards the extremities of the aneurism. The external presents the least change. Only where a vessel enters the aneurism is there obvious thickening of the outer layer, which Eichler believes to be due to the accumulation of lymph-cells in the lymphatic space which he and Axel Key consider to exist between the external and middle coats of the vessel. The thickened intima may undergo calcification or, more frequently, fatty degeneration. This description is, it will be seen, in effect, that of chronic endarteritis, and it follows from these observations that the aneurisms result from the common senile change. They are true aneurisms, involving the whole of the walls of the vessel, and have to be carefully distinguished from the so-called dissecting aneurisms of the same vessels, which are consequences, not causes, of cerebral hemorrhage.-The Lancet. Review, Jan. 1, 1879. POISONING BY ARSENIC IN GLOVES. In a recent number of the Allgemeine Medicinische CentralZeitung is a brief report of a case in which the symptoms of poisoning were traced to the use of gloves charged with arsenic A gentleman, Major von B., travelling from Schleswig to Berlin, bought in Hamburg a pair of marine-blue gloves, and, on arriving in Berlin, put them on and made several visits. Soon afterwards, he felt ill; he returned to Schleswig and sought medical advice. His hands were covered with a peculiar eruption, for which his physician could not account; and he had a sensation of general weakness. Reflecting on the symptoms, he thought of the gloves, and communicated his suspicions to the medical man, who at first laughed at them, but afterwards had the gloves submitted to chemical analysis, the result of which was the detection of a considerable quantity of arsenic in them. -British Medical Journal. OBITUARY. FREDERICK FOSTER QUIN, M.D. In our issue of last month, having gone to press before Dr. Quin breathed his last, we could only chronicle the bare fact of his decease. We have now, however, leisure to notice in some detail the career of this really remarkable man. FREDERICK FOSTER QUIN was born in the year 1799, and pursued his medical education at the University of Edinburgh, where, in 1820, he took his degree of M.D., on the same day as did Dr. Chapman, who died some ten years ago. He was by this time well known to the leaders of London political and social life, and marked out as a man who promised to take a prominent position in his profession, hence, as soon as he had graduated, he was chosen by Lord Liverpool to occupy the distinguished Government position of physician to the exiled Emperor Napoleon at St. Helena. But on the eve of starting from this country, the news of the Emperor's death arrived, and he was at once chosen by the Duchess of Devonshire to travel with her as her physician in Italy, and saw much scientific and literary society. Dr. Quin, whose knowledge of continental languages was perfect, had great opportunities for seeing and enjoying the intercourse of the most cultivated, as well as the most distinguished. His wonderful gifts of conversation and wit soon made themselves apparent to all with whom he came in contact, and Lady Acton told the story of how in Naples at this time the young men used to exclaim, "Dieu, qu'il est amusant ce petit Quin." He remained with the Duchess of Devonshire till her death in 1824, when he was appointed physician to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, afterwards King of the Belgians, by whom he was regarded, not simply as a physician but as a friend. So high was the Prince's opinion, not merely of Dr. Quin's professional skill, but of his judgment and tact, that Baron Stockmar stated that had Prince Leopold accepted the throne of Greece, it was his intention to appoint Dr. Quin his Minister at the Court of St. James'. No better proof could be given of the social position Dr. Quin was fitted to occupy, and of his discretion, judgment, and political capacity, than the expression of such an intention. While attendant on Prince Leopold, his attention was drawn to homœopathy by the illness of one of the household. The case had been given up by himself and other physicians, when to the surprise of all, the patient recovered under the treatment of a homœopathic practitioner. This made such an impression on Dr. Quin, that he resolved to look into and fully study this new and much-abused system of therapeutics. If it requires a considerable amount of moral courage at the present day to investigate this subject openly and thoroughly, much more did. it do so at this time. When in London with the Prince, shortly after the occurrence of this incident, Dr. Quin mentioned the subject of homœopathy to Dr. Johnson, who was at that time the editor of the MedicoChirurgical Review. Dr. Johnson urged him to continue his enquiries into the new doctrine, and requested him to write an article upon it for his Review. Dr. Quin did continue his enquiries, but when he returned to England with the Prince in 1827, convinced that homœopathy was true, and when he was treating patients in London homoeopathically, Dr. Johnson's request for an article was not renewed! It was in the year 1827 that Dr. Quin first practised homoeopathy in England. He did so, however, only when his appointment to Prince Leopold involved his living in London, viz., during what is commonly called "the season." Determined, however, to give his undivided attention to the study of the new system, he resigned his position as physician to the Prince, and spent the greater portion of two years in studying homoeopathy under the tutorship of Hahnemann, and with that enthusiasm, which was another trait of his character, when once thoroughly convinced of the truth of the new system, he became a devoted and admiring follower of the great reformer in medicine. In 1831 the epidemic of cholera was raging in Moravia, whither Quin went to put into practice his new faith, and did so with signal success. He was attacked himself by the disease, and this, with the hard work he had gone through, so affected his health, that he returned to this country in 1832, and Review, Jan. 1, 1879. now devoted himself to the practice of homoeopathy, as the first and only representative of it in England. The open adoption of homœopathy, and public advocacy of its treatment by Quin at this early period, when the system was violently abused, and the grossest ignorance of its merits prevailed, when he had no one in the profession in this country to back him up, and when in so doing he threw away, one might say, the magnificent prospects of advancement to the top of his profession, which lay before him, show in the strongest light that force of character, that honesty, that truthfulness, that energy, that fearlessness in the cause of truth, which characterised Quin throughout his life, and which, as much as his geniality, won for him the position he ever after occupied. There can be no doubt, that had it not been for his open confession of homoeopathy, with his position, his wide aristocratic connections, his cultivated manners, and social gifts, he would in a short time have found himself the leading man in the medical profession, and occupying those posts of honour to fill which is the ambition of all young physicians. But all this weighed lightly in the balance, when truth and honesty were in the opposite scale. Well it was for homoeopathy that it had such an one to be its sponsor. Had a man of no note or position adopted it, it would have won its way by degrees, and slowly perhaps. But with Quin to introduce it to England, it got a firm hold of the highest grades of society first of all, and then permeated downwards to the middle classes. Quin's character and prospects were sufficient to dispel from the mind of every one who knew him the idea that he adopted homoeopathy from any other motive than that which was inspired by a conviction of its truth. From the first he resolved to maintain the highest professional tone towards his opponents, and glad as they would have been to have picked any hole, however small, in his conduct, not one fault was ever found with him even by those who were most bitter against him, while by many, whose good opinion was best worth having, he was regarded with sincere respect, and even friendship. He was on terms of intimate friendship with such men as Mr. Liston, Sir W. Fergusson, and Sir Charles Lococke, up till the time of their death. An amusing story is told of the latter. Meeting Quin one day in the street, "I have been treating a patient of yours," said Sir Charles. "Indeed?" replied Quin. "Yes, and cured him on your own method, too." "Indeed," rejoined Quin, quite interested, "what medicine did you give ?" "Nothing," was Sir Charles' chuckling reply. "Well, it is curious," adds Quin, "that I have been treating a patient of yours too, and I used your method." 'Well," said Sir Charles, "and what was the result?" Dead," answered Quin, in glee at having given his friend as good as he had got. 66 Men of lesser mind, on the other hand, treated Quin very differently. A story, too good not to be related, as it is fact, was told by himself of his relations with Dr. Paris, then and for many years afterwards President of the Royal College of Physicians. Quin was going to be put up for the Athenæum Club, when Paris, one day at the club, in the presence of some of Quin's personal friends, used very strong and insulting language in reference to him, threatening to bring all his medical friends up to blackball him. On being at once called upon to apologise, he repeated his words, and refused. In those days, duelling was of common occurrence. Next day, Lord C- a personal friend of Quin's, called on Dr. Paris, who instead of finding a patient, was shown in writing the words which he had used the previous day. Lord C-requested Paris to apologise, and on his refusing to do so, he was quietly asked to name a friend. This Dr. Paris found himself obliged to do. His friend, after an interview, insisted on Dr. Paris withdrawing all his previous words, and made him apologise. Dr. Quin's first residence in London was at 15, King Street, St. James', from whence he removed to Stratford Place, and thence to Arlington Street. In 1837, he conceived the idea of forming the British Homœopathic Society, but it was not till 1844 that all the laws and other arrangements were completed. In that year, on Hannemann's birthday, three other homœopaths, Mr. Cameron, Dr. Partridge, and Dr. Mayne, met at Dr. Quin's house in Arlington Street (since used as the Turf Club), and founded the British Homœopathic Society; Dr. Quin being, of course, the president. During the first few years of its existence, the Society met at Quin's house, every year adding to its numbers, till the London Homœopathic Hospital was founded, after which the Society met, and still meets, within the walls of the hospital. The office of president, though filled up annually, was held by Dr. Quin till his death, notwithstanding that for years, owing to failing health, he has been unable to be present. Those who were members while Dr. Quin attended regularly at the Society's meetings, speak in glowing terms of the capabilities he constantly displayed for the presidential office, of his powers of summing up argument, of his tact and acuteness in seeing the weak points in any speech, and of the gentle, and even flattering terms in which he used to encourage the utterances of the younger members. His next pet project was the formation of a hospital. A large association of laymen, numbering 1,800, some of them of the highest rank, was formed, for the purpose of spreading the doctrines of homoeopathy, and enlisting the interest of the public. The efforts of this association, with Dr. Quin as the soul and life of it, resulted, in 1850, in the foundation of the London |