and nearly two years ago we publicly urged the Society to adopt measures for promoting viva voce discussions. These measures have been adopted-and hence one cause, at least of the resuscitation of the Society. One other cause, we allow, was the Billingsgate abuse lavished on the Society, and the prediction of its dissolution, by the junto of the LANCET. This abuse and this prediction had precisely the same effects as the strenuous workings of the Lancet had on the Bartholomew students. They produced their antidote.

A LANCET and a FALSEHOOD have long been so completely synonymous that it is hardly worth while to rebut the mendacious assertion that we have discouraged the publication of hospital reports. Ever since the commencement of our Journal, we have never ceased to urge the example of the continental hospitals, where intelligent elèves are appointed to record and publish cases. But we always did, and always will condemn the publication of garbled, distorted, and falsified reports, as manufactured for the LANCET -a journal which pays the highest price to that reporter who shews most alacrity and ingenuity in falsifying all cases that happen under any physician or surgeon not of the junto! This kind of publication we shall not fail to hold up to the scorn and detestation of mankind-while every fair and correct hospital report shall receive our meed of approbation.

VIII.

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS versus DR. HARRISON.

Many versions of this versus have been given to the public, without any authority and, what is worse, without any foundation in truth. It has been asserted that the prosecution has been given up by the College. It has never yet commenced. The latest information which we have been able to obtain (up to the 8th Dec. when this sheet went to press) is, that a committee had been appointed by the College to collect evidence of practice against Dr. Harrison; but that it was very uncertain when the proper legal proof would be obtained. Many weeks ago, the lawyers of the adverse parties had a meeting, when the College solicitor asked for

voluntary proof of practice on the part of Dr. Harrison. This was refused. For our own parts, had we been in Dr. Harrison's place, we should, after what had passed, have given up the admission of practice, in order to bring the question to a legal issue. The only reasonable excuse for withholding this admission, is, to try whether the College can bring home the necessary legal proof of practice against any man. As the prosecution must hinge entirely on the acts growing out of the charter of Henry VIII. and as it is there decided that a man must practice (de die in diem, of course) for the space of a month, before he is finable, so we apprehend that it would be extremely difficult to bring home such proof against Sir Henry Halford himself. If we were on the jury, (for a jury and not judge must decide as to the proof of Dr. H's practice,) we should certainly interpret the statute as "uninterrupted practice for 28 days"and it is just possible, whatever the lawyers may opine, that a jury will look at the act or statute with the eye of common sense, and not under the influence of corporate pride or legal quibbling. On this principle, Dr. Harrison is probaly right in trying the issue of the preliminary step; for if the College demur in prosecuting, on the ground that evidence cannot be obtained against a man in the receipt of two or three thousand a year, as a physician, then of course no man can be prosecuted, and the matter, so far as Dr. Harrison is concerned, will drop. But the physicians of England and Scotland should not let the question fall to the ground. They should, one and all, unite in a petition, first to the College, and if rejected there, to the Legislature, praying for an inquiry into the state of this part of the profession. They should form no cabals give themselves no designations-deviate not an inch from public, manly, and constitutional proceedings, for the redress of their grievances. Our own advice would be, for physicians, surgeons, all classes of medical society, to unite in one general petition for parliamentary inquiry into the state of the profession, so that the present disgraceful chaos-this "Monstrum horrendum informe," may be re-organized and set on a level with the faculty of physic and surgery in other nations. We shall quickly return to the subject again.

Ι

A CASE OF DELIRIUM TREMENS" TERMINATING IN "IDIOTISM."

THOMAS ROLFE, æt. 29, a shoe-maker, was admitted, under Dr. Elliotson, 21st July, with symptoms of muscular debility, amounting almost to paralysis. There is trembling of the extremities, so that he is incapable of holding any thing steadily, or even of standing quietly--he is thin, and appears to have lost flesh. On being questioned as to the probable cause of his complaint, he betrays some incoherence, as if induced by mental distress, constantly referring to circumstances of business, without shewing the slightest connexion. He distinctly speaks of pain in the head, when asked concerning it, but every part of the body is equally the seat of pain-his genitals, however, seemed to draw his attention considerably, although he could describe neither the pain itself, nor the cause for it. A relative informs us; that this state has been eight or nine weeks from its commencement; he has been occasionally attacked with spasms, as she termed it, which once terminated in a temporary loss of sense and power; he has been harassed in business very considerably, and has laid his head upon a pillow at the end of the day, as if more perplexed than fatigued; he has been married several years, but has no children.

Baln. tepid. at 95° b. d. for 15 minutes. Emp. canth. fronti et occipiti, under the idea that pain existed in the head to some extent, which we learnt from the wife afterwards, he had never complained of. Acid. Prussici, miij. Infus. sennæ, 3j. ter die; strong beef tea, iij, quotidie. 23d. Pulse varies from 72 to 84-stools copious and dark. There is still universal pain, if asked concerning it. He flinches VOL. VIII. No. 15.

on pressure at the pit of the stomach alone. Acid. Pr. m jv. Inf. sennæ, 3 ss. t. d.

26th. Debility very great-tremor much increased-incoherence and jactitation both very prominent-restlessness during the night. These induced the opinion of its being delirium tremens. Pulv. opii, gr. ij, ter die.

28th. Much quieter, and has slept. Pulv. opii, gr. iij, ter die.

30th. Better in every respect-trembling almost gone-slept well-incoherence concealed from a reluctance to talk

pulse 70 and regular-not increased in volume. Pulv. opii, gr. jv. Inf. sennæ, p. r. n. Has been purged, but is better.

July 3d. Perfectly quiet as to trembling, but very restless and incoherentbowels open-pulse full and soft: has taken senna daily. Opii, gr. v. t. d. Mutton chop alt. die.

7th. The opium has been increased to eight grains without affecting the system, but his intellects are gradually losing

power.

misfortunes of life degrading to him, and hence the cause of anxiety, exertion, and at last distraction. His present state is a vague, unsteady, wandering eye, seldom fixed for any length of time upon any object; a stupid expression of countenance, in which a melancholic cast is mixed up; a spitting and increased secretion of saliva; a perpetual rolling of the head and tossing of the arms, legs, and the whole body; no memory, no language, no reason. It is said, that an "idiot has all the animal instincts and some of the passions:" but, of the latter, joy, fear and anger, seem those only with which he is affected, and these to a very limited extent. His joy is evinced by a voracious gratification of hunger and thirst-his fear, by quiet, after a threat merely, or strong language-and his anger, by a temporary fit of violence, when he chatters loudly, resists every thing, and attempts to bite any one in his way. Dr. Elliotson attributes the diarrhoea to the large doses of opium, which is by no means a singular circumstance.

II.

CASE OF EPILEPSY FROM ONANISM.

WM. BENNION, æt. 20, had been attending as an out-patient under Dr. Roots, and was admitted on the 31st of May, under Dr. Elliotson. Both agreed that he was labouring under epilepsy from onanism, which the lad unhesitatingly confessed to have practised, two or three times a day, till within these few months, when, for the first time he had connexion with woman. The fits have been constant attendants on him for 18 months, varying in number from 3 to 11 a day. He is pale and emaciated-sensible of a weight in his head-his memory is so inconstant that he can scarce recollect words to express common observations: has been affected with a failure of sight and a ringing in his ears-he is constantly writing, and has a rapid succession of unconnected, mock-poetical ideas, which float before him, more like the fantasies of a wandering and delirious brain, than the steady effusion of a heal. thy imagination; every other mental function seems influenced by the same debility. Dr. Elliotson considers, that

the organ of ideality is largely developed, but its exemplification is but strangely shewn in common with the other features of an idiot's character-than which he, at present, can scarcely be deemed much better.

The sulphate of zinc is the only remedy which was adopted at first, under which he evidently improved, having commenced with one grain, which was carefully increased to xvij. This afterwards was withdrawn, and the cupr. ammon. was substituted. The fits now rarely amount to more than three in the day, and are so slight, that he is conscious of what passes during their occurrence, and will run, at the moment of their cessation, to another part of the ward in quest of a glass to see the alterations of his countenance.

WM. BURNETT, æt. 29, said that three weeks previous to admission, he was seized, while at work, with a sudden pain in the head, which, accompanied with shivering and vomiting, soon went on to delirium. He was bled and leeched on the temples, and is evidently better; he complains. at present, of tinnitus aurium and great depression of mental and bodily strength-few nights are unattended with wanderings and delirium. His pulse is quick and sharp, his tongue brownish, skin hot, eyes unsteady, and his countenance anxious.

Hyd. submur. gr. v. t. d. Emp. canth. fronti et occipiti.

17th. Purged: neither head-ache nor delirium left-mouth sore, and pulse expanded. Omit the calomel-cold ablution.

21st. Garg. soda chlorat.; the mouth being still very sore.

a crown-piece, somewhat circumscribed, and, indeed, separated in one direction, but in another there appears a disposition to spread; the dark colour of the slough, and the redness of the surrounding inflammation, being intermixed.

Pulse quick, and somewhat hard-skin moderately cool-little thirst, and bowels regular. From his account, excitement has run much higher, especially before the slough was circumscribed. He was at the time compelled to keep his bed. M. s. c. statim. F. D.

June 2d. Has rested well each night, and is in but little pain-pulse lowered and scarce any disturbance is observable -the slough is separating, and that appearance of spreading is now changed into a distinct limit.

6th. The slough came away on the 4th, and the wound is granulating. There is but a small lump of the prepuce left, which, from being thickened, must be very inconvenient-it was consequently removed. He was presented well.

JOHN VOKES, æt. 32, was admitted, 31st May, under Mr. Green, with an immense destruction of his penis. The appearance is as if a section of the penis had been made, by which the glands and ⚫ half the body had been lost. The surface is covered with a foul offensive discharge, interspersed with small spots of coagulated blood-the edges are irregular and scolloped. He states, that eight months ago he was affected with gonorrhoea,which was allowed to run its course without medicine. About two months afterwards he found his prepuce swelling, which, from his continuing his work, increased, gave pain, and excited some fear of its danger. Medical aid was obtained, but, from neglect afterwards, the part went on gradually to slough, each morning shewing a fresh loss of substance.

The pulse is weak and quick-he has the appearance of having lost much flesh, and is at present in a state of great debility, and unfit for work-his bowels are confined-skin moist, and violent perspiration is excited upon the slightest exertion.

Pulv. rhei, c. hyd. gr. xij. statim. Pulv. ipecac. c. gr. v. 6ta q. q. h. Cat. lini. F.D. 6th June. Pulse weak; appetite good; rests well, and bowels regular. Porter Bj. quot.

13th. Wound clearing from sloughsstill weak. Ext. sarsæ, 3ss. Ex. decoct. ejusd. 3iv. ter die.; Acid. nit. lot.

16th. Very much improved-he wished to go out, promising to return, if that improvement did not continue.

The former case, from its immense destruction, shews the necessity of speedy and active measures, in the onset of certain forms of slough; for, notwithstanding the great loss, (which thus might have been prevented,) and constitutional excitement, which gave rise to it, little or no debility seemed to exist; while in the latter case, debility had been the source of extension to the disease, wherein a supporting plan was serviceable. The contrast between the constitutional powers, during the existence of destructive inflammation, is all I wish to preserve; for those conditions, in the present cases, are inferred from the local appearances alone, which, from analogy with other cases, are perfectly adequate to be our guide in treatment, and, indeed, almost without regard to any other symptoms. In one, there was a slow disorganization and absorption of the part, without apparent power either to resist that destruction, or restore its loss; but, in the other, the only source of extension seemed an excess of power, as indicated by the active inflammation surrounding the part, and the slough being in one mass, and yet to be thrown off. These form interesting varieties in our foul wards.

The following are likewise cases from our foul wards, and such as Mr. Green is constantly pointing out to us as incurable, except by mercury. It will be seen,that they are secondary symptoms, i. e. following chancre; and it will be seen, also, that those symptoms have been temporarily cured once, at least. It is true, there is no evidence that the present plan will be more successful, but I have selected these as analogous cases to those which Mr. G. assures us have returned repeatedly until they have undergone a course of mercury, but not afterwards. I cannot think any one will project the mistaken idea, that the uncertainty of their return renders proof impossible; for, while "I do not distinctly speak of proof," there ought to be some instance, in the course of practice, in which mercury, given with satisfaction to the surgeon, had not per