and coughs by this piece of hygiene. Among others, we may mention Sir Richard Phillips, a well-known character, who has not eaten any thing that ever possessed animal life for forty years past. He attributes in a great degree, (we had it from his own mouth a few weeks ago) the excellence of his health and his complete immunity from colds, to the daily ablution of his whole body with cold water, the moment he gets out of a warm bed. By this practice his skin is kept in a state of unusual purity, and its functions in good order. In consequence of the extensive chain of sympathies between the cutaneous surface and the interior organs, his health is preserved, and he is rendered entirely insusceptible of catarrhal, rheumatic, and other affections that usually result from atmospherical vicissitudes.

Dr. Hamilton has properly adverted to the utility of raising the temperature of the body to a comfortable degree of warmth, by exercise, previous to the cold bath. We strongly advise those who are subject to face-aches, coryza, &c. to get into the habit of sponging the face and neck every morning with warm water, and then immediately with cold, as a powerful preservative from these complaints.

We do not deem it necessary to notice any other part of the present edition of Dr. Hamilton's work, as the book is universally known to, and read by, British practitioners. Although we do not go the full length of Dr. H.'s views respecting purgation, we have no doubt of the general utility of the measure, under the guidance of a judicious practitioner. It is not the use but the abuse of purgatives that is to be deprecated.

21. EPILEPSY.

Mr. Scott, of Liverpool, has recently published two cases of this disease, one occurring in his own practice, the other in that of Dr. Briggs, both tending to prove the occasional benefit which may be derived from digitalis. His own patient was an untoward sample of Imortality, being a boy nine years of age, and who had been nearly idiotic almost from birth. The head presented an unnatural form and appearance, and he had been epileptic for some years. The paroxysms were sometimes very frequent-many in the same day. By the longcontinued administration of tincture of digitalis, which was occasionally carried to a considerable height, the boy became much better, the fits being rendered greatly milder and less frequent. At the end of the history, however, we find the youth by no means cured, nor is it very likely that he ever will, the cause of the disease being most likely or ganic, and within the cranium.

A long and very unconnected case is next related from the dispensary practice of Dr. Briggs; but the nature of the disease in this case is very uncertain, and the effects of digitalis too "magical," for one to place much reliance on the facts of the case, though we believe them to be faithfully stated by Dr. Briggs. The patient was 18 years of age, who, for more than three years, had been suffering from hourly attacks of what were

termed "swimmings in the head," attended with violent palpitation of the heart. His countenance appeared bloated, and he sat constantly in bed, for fear of being hurt by falling. Dr. Briggs merely ordered him a common digitalis pill, containing of a grain, to be taken four times a day. By this medicine he was much relieved, and in course of time, by perseverance and the aid of some other remedies, he was able to take to his father's trade, that of a tailor. As we said at the beginning, the nature of the disease was far from obvious. Dr. B. is inclined to view the cause as more in the head than in the heart:-we should feel disposed to take the opposite view of the chain of causation, and refer the "swimming of the head" to the inordinate action of the heart. Doctors, however, will differ.-Ed. Journ. Jan. 1827.

In the same journal, Mr. Gunn has related the particulars of a case of epilepsy cured by purgatives. The patient was an athletic lad, 20 years of age, who was seized on the night of March 22d, while asleep, with a violent " epileptic fit," which continued severe for more than an hour. He remained in a state of stupor for a considerable time afterwards, for which he was bled and blistered. On the 25th, in the morning, the convulsion returned, and when Mr. Gunn arrived he found the patient lying comatose, with symptoms of accumulation of blood in the head— the breathing laborious-pulse 96, and full-eyes and face red-temporal arteries throbbing-tongue covered with a black crust-skin hot. Here we would ask Mr. Gunn whether this be the state which generally succeeds an epileptic seizure? The case was evidently one of convulsions from intestinal irritation, as will presently be shown, but it is improperly designated epilepsy.

He was now bled to 24 ounces, and another blister applied. A scruple of extract of colocynth and ten grains of calomel were administered-and calomel powders left to be taken every hour till the bowels should be well cleared. 26th. Has taken six calomel powders, in addition to the pills of colocynth and calomel-in all forty grains of calomel, with only the effect of one full alvine evacuation, " partly lumpy and particularly fetid." He is now tranquil, pulse 80-complete command of all his limbs. The tongue is furred, and he has a bad taste in his mouth. Was ordered 30 grains of the compound colocynth pill. Has had three pitchy stools. 27th. Had another paroxysm this morning, while asleep. He was ordered more purgative medicine. Mouth sore. 28th. Complains only of debility. Has had five pitchy stools. 29th. Two fetid evacuations, lumpy and dark. Had another violent convulsion last night. The purgation was continued, and he had only one more convulsion.

We think our readers will agree with us that these paroxysms were mere convulsions from the state of the bowels, and undeserving the name of epilepsy, which is not so easily cured as Mr. Gunn's case would induce the young practitioner to believe. The case, however, is valuable, as shewing well the influence of intestinal irritation on the sensorium and its functions.

22. EXPERIMENTS ON DIGESTION.

In one of the American Journals of Medicine (the book has been overlaid, and we take the account from a continental journal into which it is copied*) there are some curious experiments, made on the stomach of a young Canadian, who was wounded in the abdomen by the discharge of a musket, and in whom a fistulous communication between the stomach and skin existed afterwards. We shall pass over the particulars of the wound, and only state that the fistulous opening in the stomach had now continued for more than two years--that the opening was the size of a twenty-four sous piece-that the aliment taken into the stomach quickly escaped by this fistula, unless it was kept well defended by pad and compress-that the health of the young man was excellent, the appetite good, the digestion perfect, the body active, and the individual capable of every species of labour and exercise. He could, at pleasure, disgorge the aliment from his stomach, by merely removing the pad and obturateur by which the fistula was closed.

Mr. Lovell, an army surgeon, of the United States' service, had attended the patient through the cure of his wound, and then made a series of experiments on his digestion.

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When," says Mr. L. "I removed the pad, it often happened that the internal membrane of the stomach was protruded in the form of a half-blown rose, and resembling that in colour. The patient (if patient he could be called) was able to reduce this herniary protrusion by slight pressure, and without any pain. When San Martin (the young man's name) was lying on his right side, I could see into his stomach, perceive the movements of that organ, and follow, to a certain point, the different stages of digestion. I sometimes introduced water into his stomach, by means of a funnel, and solid food by means of a spoon. Afterwards I could draw them out by the aid of a syphon. I was also able to introduce pieces of meat, raw or dressed, as well as other species of aliment, tied by threads, the ends of which were kept outside. By these means I was enabled to make many curious experiments on the time necessary for the digestion of various nutritive substances. time I introduced as a plug, or obturateur, a piece of raw beef. At the end of five hours, all that part which had gone inside of the stomach, was completely digested, and had disappeared. The division was as smooth as if it had been cut off by a knife. Every second or third day, a wine-glassful of gastric juice could be drawn off from the stomach, without any injury or pain to San Martin."

One

Exper. 1. On the 1st. of August, at 12 o'clock in the day, we introduced into San Martin's stomach, the following substances, made fast by threads: viz. a piece of alamode-beef strongly spiced-a piece

We may here remark, that it is particularly useful as well as proper, to give accurate references, as to sources of information. We have to complain of our continental brethren, in this respect, especially the French, who are extremely negligent as to reference.

of raw corned beef-a piece of fat bacon-a piece of fresh raw beefditto boiled-a piece of bread-a piece of raw cabbage stalk. Each article weighed about two drachms. After they were introduced into the stomach, San Martin continued his domestic occupations, as usual, within doors. In one hour after the introduction of the above materials, they proceeded to examine them. The cabbage stalk and the bread were about half-digested-the animal food had undergone no sensible change. All the articles were forthwith returned into the stomach. At the end of two hours, the cabbage, bread, and bacon were entirely digested the other aliments were little altered. At the expiration of three hours, the alamode beef was partly digested-the raw and corned beef was a little macerated on the surface, but its texture was nearly entire. The fluids of the stomach were somewhat rancid to the taste and smell. San Martin complained of some sense of uneasiness in the chest. At five o'clock he suffered much in his stomach-experienced a lassitude and general weakness, with head-ache. On drawing out the two bits of beef, they were found in nearly the same state as they were two hours previously-but the fluids of the stomach were still more rancid and acrid. The sufferings of San Martin prevented the re-introduction of the materials. The next morning, (2d Aug.) S. M. experienced nausea, head-ache, constipation of the bowels, depressed pulse, dry skin, coated tongue. The internal surface of the stomach, so far as it was visible, presented many white spots, like portions of coagulable lymph. Purgation was deemed necessary, and six calomel pills, of four grains each, were introduced through the fistula. In three hours, they produced a full cathartic effect, and all the symptoms were dissipated, as well as the white specks in the stomach.

Exper. 2. On the 7th of August, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon, the tube of a thermometer was introduced into the stomach. In five minutes the mercury stood at 100° of Fah. and continued at that standard. By means of a gum-elastic syphon, one ounce of clear gastric juice was drawn off, into a phial capable of holding three ounces. A small piece of boiled beef was immersed in the fluid. The bottle was well corked, and placed in a temperature of 100°. In about 40 minutes the digestion had evidently commenced on the surface of the meat. At 50 minutes, the fluid in the phial became opake and cloudy. The fibres of the meat began to be disengaged, and in one hour chyme seemed to be forming. At 1, p. m. the muscular fibres had diminished one half. At 5 o'clock, very few remained-and at 7, there was scarcely any visible trace of muscle. At nine the whole substance was completely dissolved. The solution had now the appearance of whey, and shortly afterwards a precipitate resembling the meat, in colour, fell to the bottom of the phial.

Exper. 3. On the same day, and at the same hour, a piece of meat, exactly the same size and kind as that placed in the phial, was introduced into the stomach, with a thread attached to it. At the end of

one hour, it presented nearly the same appearance as the piece in the bottle. At one o'clock, the thread came away, the meat appearing to have been entirely dissolved. The process in each case was the same, for the first hour; but afterwards, the meat was much more quickly digested in the stomach than in the phial. In both cases, the digestion commenced at the surface of the meat, and seemed stationary there for a certain time. In the phial, gentle agitation seemed to quicken the solution, by presenting new points of surface for the contact of the gastric juice.

Exper. 4. On the 8th of August, at 9 o'clock in the morning, an ounce and a half of gastric juice was obtained and put into a phial. Two pieces of boiled chicken were suspended in the fluid by threads, and the bottle was placed in the temperature above-mentioned. A vigilant watch was kept on the whole. The digestion followed the same phases as in the second experiment, except that it was more slow. The chicken being a denser meat than the beef, the gastric juice could not insinuate itself so readily among its fibres. In other respects, the processes were precisely the same. After the digestion of the fowl, the fluid presented the appearance of milk rather than of whey, and the subsequent precipitate was of a whiter colour than that from the beef. The solutions of both were kept well corked, and in neither was there any mark of acidity or rancidity till the 6th of September following, when the beef solution exhaled a putrid odour, while that of the chicken was free from any disagreeable odour or taste.

The young Canadian was now tired of these experiments, and departed for his native place.

These experiments are curious. They are not different from what we might naturally expect, and they shew that it is to the gastric juice we owe the mysterious process of digestion, and not to any action of the muscular fibres of the stomach. These muscles merely move forward the digested strata to the pyloric orifice, as was well shewn by the experiments of Dr. Philip in the stomachs of rabbits. The effects of indigestion were satisfactorily demonstrated, when the farrago of various substances were introduced into San Martin's stomach. This experiment affords a useful lesson to the gourmand, who mixes a dozen of different kinds of viands in his stomach, regardless of the different degrees of digestibility in different substances.

23. WHITE MUSTARD SEED.

We imagine that the author of this brochure has over-estimated the extent to which the employment of mustard seed has been carried. It had a great run, we know; but, like all other catholicons, it has nearly run its day. From numerous enquiries which we have made at the

A Letter on the Medical Employment of Mustard Seed. By a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. 8vo. pp. 31, Dec. 1826.