GEORGE MANN BURROWS, M.D.

251 1 to have contained us by Mr. Stephens, shortly after the expo. essential oil of almonds a short time pre- sure of the impostor Chabert : In attemptvious, was found empty by the proprietor of iing to destroy a pack of hounds, eighteen in the shop soon after the man’s death. number, amongst which rabies had made The facts relative to the autopsy were its appearance, I found that five, six, and Scheele’s strength, were suffi. simply these : that the stomach presented a eight "phlogosed," or highly excited state of cient to kill the majority only, the youngest the vessels of the mucous membrane and the dogs dying first. Others required a much upper intestines, and that the brain dis- larger dose, and three or four of them I played an increased state of vascularity. could not kill at all by the acid. The lat. There was not initch serum effused, but ter fell down, and lay gasping for some onlv more than usual. The colour of the time, but recovered, and ’took second and blood in the brain was not in the least alter- third doses, considerably increased, with ed. The turgidity of the stomach, Dr. the same result, and were ultimately com. Whiting explained, was not that of inflam pelled to be destroyed by other means. The mation, but an unusual quantity of blood in conclusions I drew from these experiments the minute ramifications of the artery-a were, that unless this acid produces its full turgidity of the mucous membrane and effect speedily, it fails altogether, and that upper part of the duodenum. All the mu- the constitutions of some dogs are almost The same tenacous glauds were remarkably large, stand- proof against its influence. ing up or projecting, particularly towards city of life appears to characterise kittens, the large curvature of the stomach. One which I have also tried to poison in lieu of of the points most particularly attended to, suffocating them. The animals were a few was an attempt to detect prussic acid in the days old, and though they took several brain. After opening the stomach, in which doses, were ultimately obliged to be drownof course the quantity was large, and the ed. With the same agent I readily desmell proportionably strong, the nose was stroyed a pheasant and some other birds, a canied gradually along the body, and in the piece of thread moistened with the acid, and brain the’ scent was discovered to be per- appiied to their throats, being amply suflifectly plain, though the detection of acid in cient for the purpose." it, by any other means, was not possible. Some of the fluid, both from the brain and stomach, was collected in a bottle, and carried by Dr. Whiting, on his way home, to a GEORGE MANN BURROWS, M.D. clieriiist, to be tested. Presenting the botthe tle, first, which contained the fluid from brain, the chemist, on smelling it, immeTo the Editor of THE LANCET. diately said the tluid contained prussic acid, SIR,-An association of medical men in from which there could be no doubt that that poison was present to a greater or less Surrey, under the title’ of " The Surrey extent in the ventricles. Not a trace of it, Benevolent Medical Society," and meeting at Epsom, have thought proper to however, could be detected by analysis. yesterday This is in accordance with the statement of address a letter to Dr. Burrows, of which the is a copy, and at the same time Qtfila, who says, that though discoverable following directed me to request the favour of you to in the different of the smell body, parts by the most delicate chemical test is inadequate insert it in the next Number of ’1’fm LANI have the honour to be, Sir, CET. to its detection. Your most obedient servant, It happened that ammonia was made use THOS. 1BIARTIN, THOS. MARTIN, Sec, Sec. of immediately the indisposition of the man Reigate, May lith, 1830. was discovered not as an antidote to the prussic acid, however, but under an impression that he was merely affected with faintTo Dr. Burrows. ness. The intended of course, did not produce the least effect. Epsom, May 10th, 1830. The rapidity with which fluid must have SIR,-The members of the Surrey Medibeen formed m the brain, was thought, by cal Society, in consequence of circumstances the relater, worth attending to, as an indi- which have occurred, and from which you cation of the prompt treatment which should have been most strangely and unjustly misbe pursued in acute diseases terminating in represented and traduced in the public effusion. newspapers, beg permission to express their Mr. STEPHENS mentioned the result of sympathy, and the assurance of their most some experiments in which he had adminis- cordial and undiminished regard to you, as tered the prussic acid to animals, the par- individually their friend, the friend of the ticulars of which will be found in the follow- society, of medical science, and of humaanaextract from a letter, commuuicated tc nity.

fact, that a phial, known

drops,

.

remedy,

,

252

integrity, and of the with- the worth-of the object in whose ser. praiseworthy, tenour of vice he may volunteer; and to adopt ano. your professional conduct upon all occasions, ther precaution of trifling importance ; you hardly stand in need of this assurance namely, to inform himself of the precise from such humble individuals; but you have strength of the adversary be may be about The very plain proposition, been so hardly and unjustly treated by the to engage. public press in particular, that they consider above quoted, he says, is unintelligible, I your professional brethren may, without hope he does not blame the composition for impropriety, state to you, that they are not that which is justly chargeable to himself forgetful of your former labours in behalf of alone : however perspicuous I might be, I the general practitioner, of the merits -of could not pledge myself to make him under. your admirable writings, and of the friend- stand me. Neither was it alien to the ocship and kindness they have collectively casion, for he greatly needed the reproof’; and individually experienced at your hands. and if any thing can heighten my regret that Vfishing you a long career of happiness, it was necessary, it is, that his second let. success, and of meritorious exertion on be- ter proves him to be one of a large class, half of your suffering fellow-creatures, they who profit as little by experience, as they teach by example. remain He disavows any intention of impressing Your faithful friends and servants, John Parrot Charles Cooper your readers with a high opinion of his rea. Conscious of your

blameless,

as

well

as

Has it not, ere now, ocMr. Hawkes, that such an assur. He is pleased to ance was superfluous? disapprove of my sometimes using the lan. guage of others. To quotations I confess my partiality, and his repugnance will not But even he overcome my predilection. will allow my integrity ; the inverted com. mas proclaim my obligation, and prove, that if I occasionally borrow another’s mode of ERGOT OF RYE. expression, I never refuse to acknowledge it. Mr. Hawkes says he will not be convinced MR. WALFORD, MR. HAWKES, AND of the necessity for craniotomy in my cases, MR. EVANS. I shall not attempt it: it would be like " his own periods, labour without end." Besides, .To the Editor of THELANCET. I am not intolerant; I cordially hate all SIR,-" Full of vacuity, and replete with kinds of conversion ; it is a task rarely renothing," Mr. Hawkes again devotes him- paid by the value of the proselyte. I infer that he holds it essential to the self ; and, as he seems to be in earnest, he may, perhaps, obtain some of the merit, conditions requiring the use of the secale, with all the sufferings, of a martyr. He that the fcetal head shall be in the pelvis; greatly wrongs me, by suspecting that I notwithstanding his ungracious reception of either hoped or apprehended a renewal of the only information I ever ventured to offer hostilities ; to it, I was perfectly indifferent; him, I forgive his ingratitude, and assure and I should not now congratulate him on him that in this supposition he ens egrehis re-appearance, but for the small injustice giously. I have elsewhere stated what I which he has done me, by misquoting what conceived to be requisite to prove the virtue I said; and, by delivering his meaning for of the ergot; and if I here admit that I may mine, reduced me to the necessity of dis- have required more than is absolutely neclaiming a responsibility I shall ever be cessary, its advocates must allow that it unwilling to incur. In relating my expe- cannot be prejudiced by proofs more than rience, I was not unprepared for the opposi- enough. A great oversight is frequently tion I have encountered ; but, as I did not committed by the believers in the efficacy calculate upon misrepresentation, so I am of this medicine. They regard as a proof not disposed to endure it. He says, I told of its power, the termination of a labour him he neglected " the advice of those rea- soon after its exhibition ; forgetting, that soners who prefer analogy to proof." I did frequently, labour pains will cease, or dimi. no such thing : I told him he -neglected nisb, they know not why ; and be resumed, the advice of those reasoners who resorted or increased, they know not wherefore. In to analogy for illustration, rather than for such cases, after the exhibition of the secale, proof." This is upon record, so is his un- it is a very natural error for men, ignorant candid misrepresentation. Notwithstanding of the nature of final causes, to ascribe the this injustice, I owe him no ill-will; in event to the means employed ; they seem proof whereof, I advise him to beware of ato forget that the event would occur almost contest, before he is perfectly acquaintedinvariably; but when, they know not. A Thomas Martin John N. Shelley Geo. Fletcher James Tunstall Joseph Ward Geo. Bottomley Edw. Wallace

Thomas B. Toovey John W. Mayd T. W. Montagu Wiliiam Hart William W. Chaldecott Thomas Steele Thomas Smith.

soning powers. curred

to