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LINNEAN SOCIETY.
275
extended notice of the Practical of Surgery ;" we " Cyclopasdia should have wished to have entered more fully into several of the articles which the two numbers now before us contain ; we must, therefore, conclude by expressing a hope that the work will be continued with the same spirit with which it has been commenced, and by recommending it strongly to the notice of our readers. The " Cyclopaedia of Practical Surgery" promises to be a more successful undertaking than its rival of " Practical Medicine ;" not, perhaps, because the former will be conducted with more talent than has been the latter, but because the branch of medical science called surgery, admits more easily of the production of an homogeneous work by a variety of individuals, than does the branch denominated medicine.
admit of
a more
LINNEAN SOCIETY. THE first ordinary meeting of the ensuing session was held on Tuesday, November 7, EDWARD FORSTER, Esq., V. P., in the chair. Among the presents exhibited were, the rare fern cystopteris alpinia, collected in Essex, by Mr. Pamplin, and several specimens of cantharides hitherto unknown in England. A note was read from Prince Lucien Buonaparte, on certain turtles and vertebrated animals found by the author in Mexico ; after which the Secretary proceeded to read a paper from Dr Hancock, on the tree which yields the Angustura bark. The subject had been long considered as very obscure, until Willdenow, under the name of " Bonplandia trifoliata," described a plant, from specimens and notes, sent by Humboldt, from Cumana, where this celebrated traveller believed he had identified it in a large tree, called there Cusparia. But Dr. H. having had opportunities of examining many of the trees in flower, and bearing fruit, at Carony, found its botanical characters to differ much from those of Bon. plandia. He considered it to be a distinct species, and as such described it in the " Medico-Botanical Transactions," under the appellation of Galipea officinalis,—the genus to which it belongs, Galipea, having been previously established by Aublet, and adopted by Decandolle. The leaves appear to be very similar in the two plants, but some essential differences were pointed out in the flowers. It is a singular coincidence that the Angustura bark has been used by the natives to intoxicate fish, in the manner mentioned by Dr. Saunders, of the Cinchonas. The paper was drawn up to obviate some doubts which had been suggested as to the disparity of the two assumed
species.
CASE OF
HYPERTROPHY OF THE HEART IN A
CHILD FOUR YEARS OF AGE. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR :—I send you the following case of disease of the heart, and should you consider it of sufficient interest to deserve a place in your valuable Journal, an early insertion will oblige. My statement respecting the symptoms and treatment is probably deficient in some respects, as I had no opportunity for personal observation during the lifetime of the patient, my services not having been requested till a short time before death. I have every reason, however, to believe it is perfectly correct, and under that impression I forward it to you with confidence. I am,
Sir, yours obediently, HENRY W. SANDELL, M.R.C.S.L. SnNDELL, M.R.C.S.L. 29, Chichester-place, Gray’s-inn-road. Nov. 7th, 1837. On
Sunday evening, September 17, Wil-
Clarke, aetat. four years, of fair complexion, and rather strumous habit of body, was seized with severe pain in the pit of the stomach, and oppression across the middle of the chest, accompanied with slight dyspnoea, and inability to lie down. Thefollowing Tuesday, beingmuch worse, liam
he
was taken to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, but no relief was obtained from the medicine that was administered, which I believe was of an aperiant character. As the child was not admitted, his mother took him a second time, on Thursday, on which day oedematons swellings of the upper and lower extremities commenced, and increased in a few hours to a frightful magnitude. The dyspnoea also increased to such a degree that he was obliged to be supported in an erect position, day and night. Towards the evening there was a trifling cough. The day after, and the following Monday, there being no amendment in the symptoms, he was taken to the hospital again, but without any good effect. He died the next
day.
This is the history of the case, which I received from the mother, immediately on my arrival. The suddenness of the attack, and severity of the symptoms, together with their fatal termination in so short a time, led me to conceive that something of an unusual nature must have existed during life to have caused these phenomena. I therefore, without any delay, strongly recommended that an examination should be made, which was agreed to. hours after death.-The Azctopsy
body
was
thirty
in
good condition,
the fat
cover.
extended notice of the Practical of Surgery ;" we " Cyclopasdia should have wished to have entered more fully into several of the articles which the two numbers now before us contain ; we must, therefore, conclude by expressing a hope that the work will be continued with the same spirit with which it has been commenced, and by recommending it strongly to the notice of our readers. The " Cyclopaedia of Practical Surgery" promises to be a more successful undertaking than its rival of " Practical Medicine ;" not, perhaps, because the former will be conducted with more talent than has been the latter, but because the branch of medical science called surgery, admits more easily of the production of an homogeneous work by a variety of individuals, than does the branch denominated medicine.
admit of
a more
LINNEAN SOCIETY. THE first ordinary meeting of the ensuing session was held on Tuesday, November 7, EDWARD FORSTER, Esq., V. P., in the chair. Among the presents exhibited were, the rare fern cystopteris alpinia, collected in Essex, by Mr. Pamplin, and several specimens of cantharides hitherto unknown in England. A note was read from Prince Lucien Buonaparte, on certain turtles and vertebrated animals found by the author in Mexico ; after which the Secretary proceeded to read a paper from Dr Hancock, on the tree which yields the Angustura bark. The subject had been long considered as very obscure, until Willdenow, under the name of " Bonplandia trifoliata," described a plant, from specimens and notes, sent by Humboldt, from Cumana, where this celebrated traveller believed he had identified it in a large tree, called there Cusparia. But Dr. H. having had opportunities of examining many of the trees in flower, and bearing fruit, at Carony, found its botanical characters to differ much from those of Bon. plandia. He considered it to be a distinct species, and as such described it in the " Medico-Botanical Transactions," under the appellation of Galipea officinalis,—the genus to which it belongs, Galipea, having been previously established by Aublet, and adopted by Decandolle. The leaves appear to be very similar in the two plants, but some essential differences were pointed out in the flowers. It is a singular coincidence that the Angustura bark has been used by the natives to intoxicate fish, in the manner mentioned by Dr. Saunders, of the Cinchonas. The paper was drawn up to obviate some doubts which had been suggested as to the disparity of the two assumed
species.
CASE OF
HYPERTROPHY OF THE HEART IN A
CHILD FOUR YEARS OF AGE. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR :—I send you the following case of disease of the heart, and should you consider it of sufficient interest to deserve a place in your valuable Journal, an early insertion will oblige. My statement respecting the symptoms and treatment is probably deficient in some respects, as I had no opportunity for personal observation during the lifetime of the patient, my services not having been requested till a short time before death. I have every reason, however, to believe it is perfectly correct, and under that impression I forward it to you with confidence. I am,
Sir, yours obediently, HENRY W. SANDELL, M.R.C.S.L. SnNDELL, M.R.C.S.L. 29, Chichester-place, Gray’s-inn-road. Nov. 7th, 1837. On
Sunday evening, September 17, Wil-
Clarke, aetat. four years, of fair complexion, and rather strumous habit of body, was seized with severe pain in the pit of the stomach, and oppression across the middle of the chest, accompanied with slight dyspnoea, and inability to lie down. Thefollowing Tuesday, beingmuch worse, liam
he
was taken to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, but no relief was obtained from the medicine that was administered, which I believe was of an aperiant character. As the child was not admitted, his mother took him a second time, on Thursday, on which day oedematons swellings of the upper and lower extremities commenced, and increased in a few hours to a frightful magnitude. The dyspnoea also increased to such a degree that he was obliged to be supported in an erect position, day and night. Towards the evening there was a trifling cough. The day after, and the following Monday, there being no amendment in the symptoms, he was taken to the hospital again, but without any good effect. He died the next
day.
This is the history of the case, which I received from the mother, immediately on my arrival. The suddenness of the attack, and severity of the symptoms, together with their fatal termination in so short a time, led me to conceive that something of an unusual nature must have existed during life to have caused these phenomena. I therefore, without any delay, strongly recommended that an examination should be made, which was agreed to. hours after death.-The Azctopsy
body
was
thirty
in
good condition,
the fat
cover.