JUNIOR MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. TUESDAY, NOV. 17TH, 1863.

654 Not only had the natural progress of that period been suspended, but this remarkable diminutionhad taken place. Before acceptTUESDAY, NOV. 17TH, 1863. ing these figures and facts as indicative of the changes produced by the tribulation to which we have referred, we must MR. J. E. CHURCHILL (V.P.) IN THE CHAIR. bear in mind that the previous census of 1851 exhibited a population which, during the last four years of its term, had been THE following pathological specimens were exhibited:A Fibrous Tumour of the Uterus, of very considerable size. suffering the full effects of calamities to which there is no parallel. As an exposition of the effects of "the great Irish By Mr. Willson. A portion of a Foot removed by a modification of Chopart’s epidemic," we must, therefore, regard the present tables as .Operation. By Mr. Fennings. affording but a. partial return. And yet their contents are An Atheromatous Aorta which had burst into the Pericarsufficiently startling. From 1847 to 1850 a morbid reign of dium. By Mr. Sutcliffe. terror existed in Ireland. Disease held its court throughMr. WILLSON (Charing-cross Hospital) then read a paper on out the land. The ground refused its food, or gave up its THE TREATMENT OF THE EARLIER STAC-ES OF PATHISIS. product blighted and decayed. Cattle perished in the fields. The author first drew attention to the efforts of nature to Typhus fever, dysentery, small-pox, scarlatina, cholera, in effect a cure, as evidenced by post-mortem examinations. The their combination, swept away the poor, and did not spare the average duration of life, he said, was longer than was generally rich. The voice of wailing on all sides ascended unto heaven. believed, tubercles being often found in the lungs, with the We believe the narration of the occurrences of this period, inference that they had existed for a very considerable time. the last four years of the previous census and the He dwelt next upon the symptoms and diagnosis of the very including of the present, would be regarded as incredible. first two early stage of phthisis. He said that the disease did not usually manifest itself until after the application of some exciting It may be that when Providence so afflicts a people, an ,cause; that the principal indication in the treatment was to all-wise dispensation ordains that after a night of mourning place the patient in as favourable external circumstancesas and woe, joy shall come in the morning, and the hours of possible; that diet, clothing, air, and exercise should be espe- their terrible suffering be remembered no more. Certain it is cially attended to, in conjunction with the nse of -certain that the present condition of Ireland is one of singular prosappropriate remedies; that the system should in nowise be lowered,-a diet of milk and eggs had been found of the; perity, warranting that congratulation with which this Report greatest benefit. Cod-liver oil and the tincture of the sesqui- concludes. At no period was that country so free from epichloride of iron were the remedies to be preferred amongst; demic disease or the causes conducing to it. If even now its those usually employed. The author lastly referred to Dr. inhabitants be impressed with a sense of moral responsibilities Churchill’s plan of treatment, and fully concurred with that and the necessity of social discipline, their sufferings will not physician in the efficacy of the hypophosphites. He thought have been in vain. There can be no doubt that the extrathat although much bad been done of late years in improving the treatment of phthisis, still more was to be hoped from the; ordinary mortality of those years of trial was materially inuse of the hypophosphites. Whatever the treatment be, itb creased by circumstances which might have been controlled. must be rigorously persevered in. For a time the immensity of theaffliction overpowered every A prolonged discussion followed, in which Messrs. Braine,’ effort for its relief. In many districts the ’nearts of men failed Bruce, Fennings, Freeman, Lyle, Pick, Sutcliffe, Walmsley,’ them for fear, and their counsels but increased the general and White took part. As disease progressed, and it became evident that dismay. destruction must have followed delay, attempts were made to meet the catastrophe. Universal sympathy hastened to its relief, and then began the great experiment as to how could be restrained within supervision entire communities who sought The Census of Ireland for the Year 1861. Part III,: Vital for eleemosynary aid ; also as to what test could be applied Statistics. Dublin : A. Thorn. to prove the reality of their distress. For this there was but THE third part of " The Census of Ireland for the year the alternative of workhouse reception or outdoor labour. Both 1861;" entitled " Vital Statistics," and containing " the Report contributed to the spread of disease. The former crowded into and Tables relating to the Status of Disease," has been pre- buildings often little suited for the purpose numbers who had sented to both Houses of Parliament by command of her been accustomed to freedom and fresh air, and provided them Majesty. The value of this work it is impossible to exagge- with food scarcely more than sufficient for the bare mainterate. It expresses in the severe simplicity of figures the his- nance of life. The latter subjected to the " labour test" the tory of that country for ten years. It expounds with an males of families, and in return gave an amount of relief meaThe object of the accuracy there is no questioning the mighty changes therein sured with severe economic precision. effected through the agency of causes which attracted the sym- labour was a test." Its utility to the country in the great pathies of the world. At this time, especially when in our majority of cases was not considered. Stone-breaking may be manufacturing districts an entire community is emerging from said to have been that most usual. All males within certain privations and trials borne with exemplary fortitude, it is not a,ges were so employed. The continuance of this work geneinappropriate to recall the incidents this volume details, and rally produced dysentery, which commonly proved fatal. The revive the recollection of occurrences unexampled in the career records of mortality of that period, and those of the present of peoples. Whether the failure of the Irish potato crop was tables, show an extraordinary excess in the number of deaths the initiative of epidemic influences separate and distinct, which amongst the males, which can only be accounted for by the together spread desolation throughout the land, or the special injurious effects of physical labour and exposure on constitucause conducing to the untoward misfortunes which followed, tions impaired by previous suffering. it is now unnecessary to determine. The history of Irish epiMr. Wm. R. Wilde, whose profound knowledge of all Irish demics is yet to be written, not as a matter of description, but matters lends especial value to his observations, has placed of analysis, whereby may be solved, with approximate truth, before the Government some of the principal results which the association between those material and vital phenomena have followed on this condition of affairs. The reduction in which periodically eventuate in outbursts of disease. We for the number of the Irish population is attributable not only to the present must be content to accept their results. the general and terrible mortality which during the year of The " Vital Statistics" exhibit the operations of the ’’plague, epidemic prevailed, but also to the social results of the subsepestilence, and famine," which for so longa period devaetated quent legislative measures affecting Irish property. Emigrathe sister country. We learn th t in ten years the population tion has been largely carried out. One consequence is, that :1 had decreased by the number of three-quarters of a million. system of squatting, which led to the congregation of numerous

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