- Email: [email protected]
MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.
of having a drunken relative, of occupation with great cheerfulness. He was digging here, one summer day, very industriously, when the wicket in the such a one can be, a dear relation having near, and, outer gate chanced to be left open; showing, beyond, the slowly but certainly committing suicide by the abuse of alcoholic well-remembered dusty road and sun-burnt fields. The way liquors. There are probably but few medical practitioners was as free to him as to any man living, but he no sooner raised his head and caught sight of it, all shining in the light, who have not witnessed the gradual but certain descent into than, with the involuntary instinct of a prisoner, he cast depravity and degradation-who have not seen the ruined away his spade, scampered off as fast as his legs would carry homes, and the dire misery entailed upon the families of him, and never once looked back." those who, having yielded themselves to the power of the We regret that this history is incomplete. Who does not are unable to break from their We demon Alcohol, bondage. pity the unfortunate man ? and who does not wish to learn are not now about to dilate upon the physical evils which result whether the solitary imprisonment of two years acted as a from this slavery; it is useless to draw attention to its certain cure? The information might prove instructive. From these remarks we fear it may be thought that our consequences-delirium tremens, insanity, the drunkard’s or neither we to are consider the liver, dropsy; going question sympathies rest only with the sot. ’rhis is not the case: we in a moral or ethical point of view. What we especially wish have no hesitation in saying, that while, mindful of the weakto consider is the question so frequently put to us by the friends ness of human nature, we pity the drunkard, yet our chief of these misguided victims-Are there no means of cure? It commiseration is extended to his friends and relatives-to is almost needless to say that in these cases medicine is power- those who suffer so undeservedly, yet so severely; and we reless ; advice, warnings, accounts of death-bed scenes, make joice, therefore, that the plan we have so curtly suggested but a temporary impression; the aid to be derived from re- possesses the two-fold advantage of attempting to reclaim the ligion is unthought of and unsought; and former vows of criminal, at the same time that, for a season at least, it reabstinence are disregarded. The advocacy of total abstinence, lieves the kinsfolk from that depressing care and harassing in fact, to the class we are considering, is a folly, and is re- anxiety, the extent of which can only be known to those who direct attention-the a
as
curse
far
as
I
garded by them as an impossibility. It is not that they are unwilling to throw off their bonds-nay, they are in many
have
been
taught by
endurance.
most anxious to do so; but they find, when too late, that have bound themselves in fetters they are unable to they rend. While under the strict control of others, many of them MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. are safe; but remove the authority for ever so short a time, and they relapse: they dare not-they cannot trust themselves. SATURDAY, OCT. 16, 1852.—DR. LANKESTER. V.P., IN THE CHAIR. We think then that it is a point deserving the most serious Dr. BURKE RYAN communicated a case of consideration of all who wish well to their fellow-creatures, SPONTANEOUS OR IDIOPATHIC EMPHYSEMA, whether any good might be done by the formation of occurring in a child, fifteen months old, labouring under scarlaestablishments somewhat similar to those licensed for the tina. The child was first seen by him on Tuesday evening, October 5. He had suffered considerably from irritation during reception of the insane, in which inveterate drunkards teething. Late on this evening an eruption appeared, known on might be taken care of for a certain space of time, the Wednesday as scarlatina, with much fever, and a drowsy, deduration of which must be determined by experiment; pressed appearance of the child. The scrotum was swollen, the brown and dry, and sordes of a bloody appearance were and the endeavour made by education, by cultivating the tongue seen on the lips. On Thursday an emphysematous swelling was moral faculties, by kindness, and other means, to wean them noticed in front of the neck at the upper part, and along the base from their suicidal habits. That many would submit, of their of the inferior maxilla, which in the evening extended more towards the sternum, looking like a large bronchocele. Emphyown free will, to the control and authority which would exist sematous tumours also appeared, extending on each side of the in such institutions, we think requires but little proof. Our spine, from the spines of the scapulae to the nates. The child died suddenly at half-past two o’clock A.M. on Friday, after readers doubtless remember the story related by Mr. DICKENS. taking two spoonfuls of tea. The day after death the emphysema in his " American Notes," of the working man who presented extended over the front of the abdomen, having apparently himself before the inspectors of the Philadelphia Prison, and travelled from the back, that from neck not extending over the chest. The extremities were not affected. The emphysema earnestly requested to be placed in solitary confinement, could in no degree have been connected with the lungs or airgiving as a reason for his extraordinary demand, that he had passages, and must have been purely spontaneous. The poison of the scarlatina seemed to have prostrated the vital powers, and an irresistible propensity to get drunk, which he was conyet there was no evidence of putridity, and no ulceration of stantly indulging to his misery and ruin. His application I throat. Dr. Ryan remarked on the rarity of the disease, saying authors spoke of it chiefly as occurring in the putrid and adynabeing refused, he applied again and again; when, fearing that mic fevers of warm climates; that, however, amongst others, he would qualify himself for admission, he was made to sign a Dr. Huxham mentioned a case occurring in this country with statement to the effect that his incarceration was voluntary, putrid fever and sore-throat; Dr. W. Hunter, an epidemic in and was then locked up in one of the cells of the prison; it which it existed amongst cattle ; and Dr. Hicks, a case of peripneumonv in which it occurred. Hunter also mentions a case; being at the same time intimated to him that the officer in and Dr. Baillie one that occurred at St. George’s Hospital, in a attendance had orders to liberate him at any hour of the day girl aged ten years. or night that he chose. INFUSORIA IN CANCER OF THE MOUTH. cases
Medical Societies.
I
"In this cell," says Mr. Dickens, "the man who had not the firmness to leave a glass of liquor standing untasted on a table before him-in this cell, in solitary confinement, and working every day at his trade of shoe-making, this man remained nearly two years. His health beginning to fail at the expiration of that time, the surgeon recommended that he should work occasionally in the garden; and as he liked the notion very much, he went about this new
Mr. WEEDEN COOKE exhibited under the microscope some infusoria which he had taken from a case of cancer of the tongue. It had been stated that these insects were to be found in cancer generally, but he had only discovered them in that disease when situated in the tongue. Did this arise from the warmth of the mouth? Some of these insects, as seen in the field of the microscope, appeared of the size and shape of bugs;g others were of an eel-like shape. He brought forward the
386 insects,
as
he
thought they
were
interesting
in
regard
to man3
points intothe pathology of cancer. Were they,ovafor ofinstance insectl peculiar cancer ? Did they originate from the getting into
the mouth from the exterior?
EXCISION OF THE ELBOW-JOINT-NECROSIS OF THE HUMERUS.
Mr. exhibited a preparation illustrative of the repa. rative process which had been made in the ends of bones aftel excision for disease of the elbow-joint. This operation had beeD performed six weeks previously with every prospect of success; the boy going on well in all respects, when, in consequence of a fall down stairs, he fractured the humerus on the side of the operation. An abscess formed over the seat of fracture, and the shaft of the bone necrosed. The limb was amputated at the shoulder-joint. The boy got well. The humerus was necrosed through half its extent. There was a considerable pio-ress ’ made towards the formation of a new elbow-joint. The necrosis of the humerus was discovered to have taken place five days after the fracture. The question now arose whether this necrosis could have taken place subsequently to the accident, or whether the bone was not previously diseased. Dr. CAMrs thought that the humerus must have been diseased previously to the fracture. Mr. GAY thought that the disease had not existed previously to the injury, and the fact that the necrosed part did not irnplicate the new joint was in favour of this opinion. He had been consulted in Mr. Smith’s case before excision of the joint had been performed, and had recommended the plan of cutting down on each side of the joint, as he had pursued in many cases with success. The plan was resorted to, and he thought might have been successful, as a loose piece of diseased bone was’disposed to come away. But time was not allowed. He had found of late that cases of necrosis were very common, both in public and private practice, as the result of very slight injury. He related some cases in point, in which the necrosis occurred with great rapidity. He simply stated the fact, and did not attempt to account for it. Mr. CANTON regarded the necrosis, which was superficial in the present case, as the result of the accident, and related a case somewhat similar, which occurred lately in the practice of Mr. Hancock at the Charing-cross Hospital. Mr. WEEDEN COOKE suggested that the prevalence of necrosis at the present time might have some connexion with the carbuncular or furuncoloid disease, which had lately been very common. He had seen cases in which death of the bone had occurred in a week.
(To be continued.)
PARAPLEGIA.
Dr. BARCLAY then read an account of several cases of para. plegia which had recently fallen under his observation at St. George’s Hospital, all of an acute kind, and remarkable either from peculiarity of symptoms, peculiarity of lesion observed after death, or from the entire absence of lesion. DILATATION OF THE BLADDER IN A NEW-BORN INFANT.
Dr. BROWNING SMITH exhibited an enormously dilated and hyp’rtrophied bladder, taken from a new-born infant. The child was still-born, having died in the process of parturition, which was retarded by the abdominal enlargement. When the abdomen was opened, the urinary bladder was found flaccid, though containing upwards of three pints of urine. The secreting structure of the kidneys was much enlarged, and their pelves greatly dilated. The society adjourned till Friday, November .5tti, when a paper on the " Therapeutic Effects of Gold and its Preparations," will be read by W. M. Chatterley, Esq.
Correspondence "Audi alteram partem."
THE LONDON AND PROVINCIAL MEDICAL DIRECTORY. To t7te Editor of TFrELANCET. Sm,-I am about to ask two questions which I believe you will not answer, and I shall even be surprised if the note which contains them is permitted to find a place in your columns. My first question is this: - "Is it true that Yearsley, the aurist, is the proprietor of the’London and Provincial Medical Directory,’ a work which honours the homoaopathic quacks with so many titles and distinctions, and of a trashy paper occasionally published and gratuitously distributed by post amongst the profession?" If this be true, I would then ask-"Why have you concealed such fact (for you must have been acquainted with it) from the knowledge of the profession ?" Answers to these two questions would be satisfactory to me, as well as to many of my professional brethren; but I confess I do not expect to derive any consolation from my inquiries. If it be true that Yearsley is the proprietor of the Medical Directory in which the homeeopathic delinquents receive such honourable notoriety, nothing further need be said on the subject. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, A SURGEON. London, Oct., ]852.
’" * Our correspondent has certainly questioned us in an abrupt, and also in a somewhat unwarrantable manner; but we may surprise, if we do not gratify him, by replying to his THIS Society commenced its Seventh Session on Friday with unequivocal distinctness. In answer then to questions evening, the 15th instant, the President, Dr. MANTELL, in thE the first we have to state that " Yearsley, the aurist," question, chair. There was an usually large number of members present, is certainly the proprietor of " The London and Provincial and many visitors. Several new members were proposed. The PRESIDENT delivered an eloquent and animated address, Medical Directory," and also of the " trashy paper" connected in which, after thanking the Society for the honour they had with that work, which is gratuitously distributed by post." conferred upon him by placing him in the chair which had In reply to the second question, we have to remark that we been occupied successively by distinguished members of the considered ourselves neither bound to conceal" nor reveal profession, he stated that he felt peculiarly gratified at this the name of the proprietor of a Medical Directory which had tribute of respect, as conveying the assurance of a large and influential body of medical practitioners, that in devoting bestowed so many " titles and distinctions" upon the quacks. the leisure hours of a long and arduous professional life to The " proprietor" in question had assailed us with his impotent the cultivation of those sciences with which his name was malice on a variety of occasions, not only without cause, but more immediately associated, he had not, in the opinion of those after he had become inflated by a few words of praise that THE most competent to judge, swerved from the path of duty. He proceeded to expatiate on the advantages resulting from the LANCET formerly bestowed on one of his performances-a bit union of scientific with professional pursuits-warning, however, of praise which he has industriously circulated through the his younger hearers of the danger of aiming at a scientific repu- entire English press. The fellow seemed actually to subsist tation before they had acquired an independence by fortune or pro- upon a commendatory scrap from THE LANCET. Now we fessional position. He then made some observations on the present look upon ingratitude as an unpardonable offence; and we state of medical science generally, and called attention to the wide not discover that we were called upon to warn such an could field of inquiry now open in the investigation of the occult offender of the existence of a gulf which he was approaching causes of epidemic diseases, illustrating his remarks by reference He commended this and other with such rapid strides. He is now fairly in it, and he richly more particularly to the cholera. subjects to the notice of members of the Society, and concluded deserves his self-imposed punishment. At all events, as the expressing a hope that the present session would be fruitful name of the " proprietor" of the " London and Provincial by in communications, both practical and philosophical, promising to contribute his quota by occasionally bringing forward some of Medical Directory" will be henceforth known by the profesthe records of practice in medicine and surgery which he had sion, it is unnecessary, as our correspondent has M6M!/ diligently kept for the last forty years. remarked, " to say anything further on the subject."-ED. L. WESTERN MEDICAL AND SURGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.
"
"
as
curse
far
as
I
garded by them as an impossibility. It is not that they are unwilling to throw off their bonds-nay, they are in many
have
been
taught by
endurance.
most anxious to do so; but they find, when too late, that have bound themselves in fetters they are unable to they rend. While under the strict control of others, many of them MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. are safe; but remove the authority for ever so short a time, and they relapse: they dare not-they cannot trust themselves. SATURDAY, OCT. 16, 1852.—DR. LANKESTER. V.P., IN THE CHAIR. We think then that it is a point deserving the most serious Dr. BURKE RYAN communicated a case of consideration of all who wish well to their fellow-creatures, SPONTANEOUS OR IDIOPATHIC EMPHYSEMA, whether any good might be done by the formation of occurring in a child, fifteen months old, labouring under scarlaestablishments somewhat similar to those licensed for the tina. The child was first seen by him on Tuesday evening, October 5. He had suffered considerably from irritation during reception of the insane, in which inveterate drunkards teething. Late on this evening an eruption appeared, known on might be taken care of for a certain space of time, the Wednesday as scarlatina, with much fever, and a drowsy, deduration of which must be determined by experiment; pressed appearance of the child. The scrotum was swollen, the brown and dry, and sordes of a bloody appearance were and the endeavour made by education, by cultivating the tongue seen on the lips. On Thursday an emphysematous swelling was moral faculties, by kindness, and other means, to wean them noticed in front of the neck at the upper part, and along the base from their suicidal habits. That many would submit, of their of the inferior maxilla, which in the evening extended more towards the sternum, looking like a large bronchocele. Emphyown free will, to the control and authority which would exist sematous tumours also appeared, extending on each side of the in such institutions, we think requires but little proof. Our spine, from the spines of the scapulae to the nates. The child died suddenly at half-past two o’clock A.M. on Friday, after readers doubtless remember the story related by Mr. DICKENS. taking two spoonfuls of tea. The day after death the emphysema in his " American Notes," of the working man who presented extended over the front of the abdomen, having apparently himself before the inspectors of the Philadelphia Prison, and travelled from the back, that from neck not extending over the chest. The extremities were not affected. The emphysema earnestly requested to be placed in solitary confinement, could in no degree have been connected with the lungs or airgiving as a reason for his extraordinary demand, that he had passages, and must have been purely spontaneous. The poison of the scarlatina seemed to have prostrated the vital powers, and an irresistible propensity to get drunk, which he was conyet there was no evidence of putridity, and no ulceration of stantly indulging to his misery and ruin. His application I throat. Dr. Ryan remarked on the rarity of the disease, saying authors spoke of it chiefly as occurring in the putrid and adynabeing refused, he applied again and again; when, fearing that mic fevers of warm climates; that, however, amongst others, he would qualify himself for admission, he was made to sign a Dr. Huxham mentioned a case occurring in this country with statement to the effect that his incarceration was voluntary, putrid fever and sore-throat; Dr. W. Hunter, an epidemic in and was then locked up in one of the cells of the prison; it which it existed amongst cattle ; and Dr. Hicks, a case of peripneumonv in which it occurred. Hunter also mentions a case; being at the same time intimated to him that the officer in and Dr. Baillie one that occurred at St. George’s Hospital, in a attendance had orders to liberate him at any hour of the day girl aged ten years. or night that he chose. INFUSORIA IN CANCER OF THE MOUTH. cases
Medical Societies.
I
"In this cell," says Mr. Dickens, "the man who had not the firmness to leave a glass of liquor standing untasted on a table before him-in this cell, in solitary confinement, and working every day at his trade of shoe-making, this man remained nearly two years. His health beginning to fail at the expiration of that time, the surgeon recommended that he should work occasionally in the garden; and as he liked the notion very much, he went about this new
Mr. WEEDEN COOKE exhibited under the microscope some infusoria which he had taken from a case of cancer of the tongue. It had been stated that these insects were to be found in cancer generally, but he had only discovered them in that disease when situated in the tongue. Did this arise from the warmth of the mouth? Some of these insects, as seen in the field of the microscope, appeared of the size and shape of bugs;g others were of an eel-like shape. He brought forward the
386 insects,
as
he
thought they
were
interesting
in
regard
to man3
points intothe pathology of cancer. Were they,ovafor ofinstance insectl peculiar cancer ? Did they originate from the getting into
the mouth from the exterior?
EXCISION OF THE ELBOW-JOINT-NECROSIS OF THE HUMERUS.
Mr. exhibited a preparation illustrative of the repa. rative process which had been made in the ends of bones aftel excision for disease of the elbow-joint. This operation had beeD performed six weeks previously with every prospect of success; the boy going on well in all respects, when, in consequence of a fall down stairs, he fractured the humerus on the side of the operation. An abscess formed over the seat of fracture, and the shaft of the bone necrosed. The limb was amputated at the shoulder-joint. The boy got well. The humerus was necrosed through half its extent. There was a considerable pio-ress ’ made towards the formation of a new elbow-joint. The necrosis of the humerus was discovered to have taken place five days after the fracture. The question now arose whether this necrosis could have taken place subsequently to the accident, or whether the bone was not previously diseased. Dr. CAMrs thought that the humerus must have been diseased previously to the fracture. Mr. GAY thought that the disease had not existed previously to the injury, and the fact that the necrosed part did not irnplicate the new joint was in favour of this opinion. He had been consulted in Mr. Smith’s case before excision of the joint had been performed, and had recommended the plan of cutting down on each side of the joint, as he had pursued in many cases with success. The plan was resorted to, and he thought might have been successful, as a loose piece of diseased bone was’disposed to come away. But time was not allowed. He had found of late that cases of necrosis were very common, both in public and private practice, as the result of very slight injury. He related some cases in point, in which the necrosis occurred with great rapidity. He simply stated the fact, and did not attempt to account for it. Mr. CANTON regarded the necrosis, which was superficial in the present case, as the result of the accident, and related a case somewhat similar, which occurred lately in the practice of Mr. Hancock at the Charing-cross Hospital. Mr. WEEDEN COOKE suggested that the prevalence of necrosis at the present time might have some connexion with the carbuncular or furuncoloid disease, which had lately been very common. He had seen cases in which death of the bone had occurred in a week.
(To be continued.)
PARAPLEGIA.
Dr. BARCLAY then read an account of several cases of para. plegia which had recently fallen under his observation at St. George’s Hospital, all of an acute kind, and remarkable either from peculiarity of symptoms, peculiarity of lesion observed after death, or from the entire absence of lesion. DILATATION OF THE BLADDER IN A NEW-BORN INFANT.
Dr. BROWNING SMITH exhibited an enormously dilated and hyp’rtrophied bladder, taken from a new-born infant. The child was still-born, having died in the process of parturition, which was retarded by the abdominal enlargement. When the abdomen was opened, the urinary bladder was found flaccid, though containing upwards of three pints of urine. The secreting structure of the kidneys was much enlarged, and their pelves greatly dilated. The society adjourned till Friday, November .5tti, when a paper on the " Therapeutic Effects of Gold and its Preparations," will be read by W. M. Chatterley, Esq.
Correspondence "Audi alteram partem."
THE LONDON AND PROVINCIAL MEDICAL DIRECTORY. To t7te Editor of TFrELANCET. Sm,-I am about to ask two questions which I believe you will not answer, and I shall even be surprised if the note which contains them is permitted to find a place in your columns. My first question is this: - "Is it true that Yearsley, the aurist, is the proprietor of the’London and Provincial Medical Directory,’ a work which honours the homoaopathic quacks with so many titles and distinctions, and of a trashy paper occasionally published and gratuitously distributed by post amongst the profession?" If this be true, I would then ask-"Why have you concealed such fact (for you must have been acquainted with it) from the knowledge of the profession ?" Answers to these two questions would be satisfactory to me, as well as to many of my professional brethren; but I confess I do not expect to derive any consolation from my inquiries. If it be true that Yearsley is the proprietor of the Medical Directory in which the homeeopathic delinquents receive such honourable notoriety, nothing further need be said on the subject. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, A SURGEON. London, Oct., ]852.
’" * Our correspondent has certainly questioned us in an abrupt, and also in a somewhat unwarrantable manner; but we may surprise, if we do not gratify him, by replying to his THIS Society commenced its Seventh Session on Friday with unequivocal distinctness. In answer then to questions evening, the 15th instant, the President, Dr. MANTELL, in thE the first we have to state that " Yearsley, the aurist," question, chair. There was an usually large number of members present, is certainly the proprietor of " The London and Provincial and many visitors. Several new members were proposed. The PRESIDENT delivered an eloquent and animated address, Medical Directory," and also of the " trashy paper" connected in which, after thanking the Society for the honour they had with that work, which is gratuitously distributed by post." conferred upon him by placing him in the chair which had In reply to the second question, we have to remark that we been occupied successively by distinguished members of the considered ourselves neither bound to conceal" nor reveal profession, he stated that he felt peculiarly gratified at this the name of the proprietor of a Medical Directory which had tribute of respect, as conveying the assurance of a large and influential body of medical practitioners, that in devoting bestowed so many " titles and distinctions" upon the quacks. the leisure hours of a long and arduous professional life to The " proprietor" in question had assailed us with his impotent the cultivation of those sciences with which his name was malice on a variety of occasions, not only without cause, but more immediately associated, he had not, in the opinion of those after he had become inflated by a few words of praise that THE most competent to judge, swerved from the path of duty. He proceeded to expatiate on the advantages resulting from the LANCET formerly bestowed on one of his performances-a bit union of scientific with professional pursuits-warning, however, of praise which he has industriously circulated through the his younger hearers of the danger of aiming at a scientific repu- entire English press. The fellow seemed actually to subsist tation before they had acquired an independence by fortune or pro- upon a commendatory scrap from THE LANCET. Now we fessional position. He then made some observations on the present look upon ingratitude as an unpardonable offence; and we state of medical science generally, and called attention to the wide not discover that we were called upon to warn such an could field of inquiry now open in the investigation of the occult offender of the existence of a gulf which he was approaching causes of epidemic diseases, illustrating his remarks by reference He commended this and other with such rapid strides. He is now fairly in it, and he richly more particularly to the cholera. subjects to the notice of members of the Society, and concluded deserves his self-imposed punishment. At all events, as the expressing a hope that the present session would be fruitful name of the " proprietor" of the " London and Provincial by in communications, both practical and philosophical, promising to contribute his quota by occasionally bringing forward some of Medical Directory" will be henceforth known by the profesthe records of practice in medicine and surgery which he had sion, it is unnecessary, as our correspondent has M6M!/ diligently kept for the last forty years. remarked, " to say anything further on the subject."-ED. L. WESTERN MEDICAL AND SURGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.
"
"