Reviews and Notices of Books, AND ALSO Analyses of Papers in Manuscript SENT FOR PUBLICATION IN THE LANCET.

413 and dash cold water over the foot two or three times daily. as regards the cureof phthisis, is as great a delusion as On the 10th of June he returned to town, and to his employ- Dr. Burgess has shown the climate of Italy to be in the same ment. There was then not the vestige of a wound, the last disease, in a series of papers published in this journal. We opening having completely healed. He was ordered to wear place before the reader the leading facts contained in He is now a healthy-looking man, and a high-heeled boot. work. Dr. Mason’s walks very well. In conclusion, I believe that I am perfectly justified The author, having given a minute description of the manner in stating to the Society that the operation I have (le- in which the observations were obtained, in regard of time, tailed was the first of the kind that has ever been situation, and the character and local position performed; but I venture to hope that it will not be geographical of the instruments, proceeds to correct the first popular error the last. The patient has been seen by the members of as to the nature of the climate. and this Society, thus an opportunity has been afforded to them of seeing the useful limb which lias been preserved, to "With respect to the hygrometric condition of the climate the manifest advantage of the patient. While unnecessary of Madeira," says Dr. Mason, " we must enter into some surgical operations cannot be too strongly condemned as being detail, particularly as no one has confirmed Dr. Heineken’s the causes of unavailing suffering, and of injury to the repu- observations, which appear to have been greatly overlooked tation of our profession, such cases as the one I have described, by the medical profession, who persist in regarding the climate I venture to state, hold out an encouragement to resort to in- as essentially dry, whereas, if any confidence can be placed in strumental aid, with a view to the preservation, rather than the data obtained by Dr. Heineken and myself, it must be the sacrifice, of a limb. admitted to be saturated with humidity during the greater In the discussion which took place various speakers took part of the year, in which respect its advantages are little part. It was generally considered that the operation was superior to the climate of London, while as regards the action justly entitled to be ranked amongst the usual operations of of humidity on the organization, it is infinitely inferior." surgery, and was as much identified with the name of the The author supports this statement by a series of tables, from author of the paper as the operations suggested by Chopart which it would appear, that at the temperature of 500, which and Syme were identified with those surgeons. Upon this near the mean temperature of London, the air, if saturated is be no for there could difference of opinion; point, indeed, even though excision of joints had been performed on many is capable of holding 100 parts of moisture in solution, while, occasions before, yet the principle in this case was carried to at the temperature of 680, which is rather above the mean an extent, and in a direction never before practised, or even of Funchal in Madeira, it will contain 200 parts, contemplated, by any other surgeon. With respect to its temperature or nearly double what it is able to hold in London. superiority over other operations upon the foot, it was conMadeira has its sirocco as well as Italy; but the characters tended, that in those cases in which it was applicable (acknowledged, however, to be few) it offered advantages over of the wind so named in the two localities, although equally other operations, and the remarkable success which had injurious, are yet essentially different. The wind called by attended the case under consideration was advanced in Italians sirocco, which visits Naples and the south of Italy evidence. It was admitted on all hands that success from the opposite shores of the Mediterranean, is hot, moist, had attended this operation. With respect to the diaand Ou the contrary, the wind denominated by relaxing. was to a difficult in which referred as cases of gnosis, point disease of the tarsal bones, in relation to the extent of the the Portuguese leste, is essentially hot and dry, and of a highly disease, it was remarked that the situation of the sinuses and stimulating nature; so that it soon exhausts those in health the history of the complaint would afford great assistance in means of its exciting qualities. the matter; and it was contended that the detection of the by referring to the tables of Dr. Mason having reference to By so difficult as some real extentItof the disease was not that this matter, it appears that the maximum dryness observed the operation in was, moreover, shown, imagined. the leste is 22°.5, and that the mean of the year, from would to of tend the in during question improve surgery practice nine A.M. to nine P.3,x., only amounts to 30.91; while if the respect to excision of joints. humidity during the night were taken into account in calculating the mean dryness, it would be at least one degree and a half less, making the mean annual dryness of the climate Reviews and Notices of only 20.5, or at most 3 . AND ALSO And Dr. Mason made other observations in London on his in of return to this metropolis, which go to prove that London and its vicinity are drier than Madeira at the period of the year SENT FOR PUBLICATION IN THE LANCET. (June and July) when they were taken. Finally, in order to show the dampness of the climate of A Treatise on the Climate and .11feteorology qf Madeira. By the late J. A. MASON, 15led.; edited by JAMES SHERIDAN Madeira, Dr. Mason observes,KNOWLES. To which are attached, A Review of tlae State of 111may instance the impossibility of keeping iron, in Agriculture, &c., and an Historical and Descriptive Account any form, from being rapidly oxidized. The different powders, of the Island. 8vo, pp. 388. London. 1850. such as opium, squills, &c., soon lose their pulverulent form, MADEIRA is pretty generally regarded, in this country, both and become firmly united into a solid mass; various neutral deliquesce; gloves, shoes, &c., soon become by the profession and the public, as affording the climate, par salts rapidly with various species of cryptogamous plants; silks beexcellence,best adapted forpromoting the cure of pulmonary con- covered come and unfit for use; pianofortes frequently require -sumption. The author of the first-named portion of the above tuning;spotted and the screws of various other instruments, as work, who ultimately fell avictim to phthisis, went to Madeira violins, guitars, &c., become so tight as to be almost imwith the belief that he would recover his health under the alleged movable."—(p. 31.) The following observation, with reference to the variability sanitary and benign influence of the climate of that island. He remained there nearly two years, during which period he of the weather at Madeira, will perhaps surprise the reader:occupied himself most assiduously with meteorological inves"The very frequent and remarkable variations in a given tigations, with the view of showing the real character of the series of years incontestably prove that Madeira is no more to climate, noting down the minutest change which the atmo- be relied on than any other place for certainty of fine weather, sphere underwent. The result of his laborious researches is and that it has equally its annual variations of temperature." a series of observations on the climatology of Madeira, the - (po 35.) The number of days in which rain falls is set down by all best and most complete that have yet been published on that well-used subject. But what do they go to prove ? Simply, previous writers on Madeira at seventy-three. During the that the popular faith in the virtues of this climate in pulmo- last year of Dr. Mason’s residence on the island there were, nary consumption is founded, for the most part, in error, tra- however, 101, giving a majority of twenty-eight days more dition, and romance; that, in short, the climate of JBladeira, than the mean of a series of years. But that year was an ex-

shall

the

Books,

Analyses

Papers

Manuscript

414 of which Dr. Mason attributes to a of continuous wet; the rain not falling in those violent and intermitting showers so characteristic of this climate, but rather after the manner of our own autumnal

ception, the peculiarity greater prevalence season.

Upon the regularity of the land and sea breezes-the northeast and the south-west winds-the salubrity of the island mainly depends; for whenever there is any remarkable or continued variation of these currents, the health of the inhabitants suffers more or less severely. During the summer months they alternate with great regularity, but during the rainy seasons they are very irregular. Neither is the sky so transparent and cloudless as we have been led to suppose. " On the contrary," as the author remarks, " it is a rare occurrence to see it clear and free from detached clouds, even for two or three hours together, and this invariably clouded state of the sky is in a great measure dependent upon the height of the mountains for the origin of the clouds and for their course." We have already noticed, that

the blind credulity which prevails respecting the virtues of foreign climates in pulmonary consumption. It is briefly related by the editor, in these words :" Having completed the present work at Madeira, the author determined upon repairing to Nice, the climate of which, as he had been always persuaded, was far better adapted to his case. This step, had it been taken at an earlier period, and in the proper season, might have ultimately led to his recovery. (?) ... He accordingly embarked for Havre. Proceeding thence towards Nice, partly by land and partly by river conveyance, they reached Avignon, where they took the diligence, without being aware that there would be no stoppage on the road for refreshments. Some fruit and bread, accidentally provided, was the only subsistence for four and twenty hours. They arrived at Nice as dinner was serving up; but scarcely had they sat down to it, when Dr. Mason felt himself compelled to exchange the table for his bed, to which an attack of dysentery confined him from that moment, until, after the lapse of a fortnight, his death took place." How many consumptive invalids have fallen victims to the

during the prevalence of the leste, or sirocco o(,Madeira, the air is excessively hot and parching. Within twenty-four hours after this wind has ceased there is a copious fall of rain; and the author has observed a very strong precipitation of dew three hours afterwards, the atmosphere being reduced from 170 to 70 of dryness on the hygrometer, and at seven the following morning to 20, while the plants and shrubs were covered with dew. Thus we find, a few hours after the leste has ceased, the whole atmosphere, from being intensely dry, becomes surcharged with humidity. With regard to the precipitation of dew on the island, the author is altogether at issue with Dr. Heineken, who states that " at the level of the city of Funchal no perceptible dew is produced, but up the mountains it is profuse." According to the observation of Dr. Mason, nothing can be more erroneous than this statement; for when the nights are at all clear, the quantity of precipitation is immense; so that by exposing a common-sized dinner-plate, in a clear evening, severa drachms of fluid may at any time be collected in only a few hours; while the shrubs and ground-plants are quite wet with moisture, as from a strong shower of rain, and remain in that condition till after eight o’clock the following morning.-p. 85. Madeira seems to have no more immunity from disease than other places. Dr. Heineken and Dr. Gourlay both agree that

no

disease is

amongst the natives than and the author corroborates that

more common

pulmonary consumption,

view. He says,"From my own experience I should be inclined to corroborate Dr. Gourlay’s opinion, that consumption and scrofula are

frequent in Madeira; and also to add, that affections of the stomach and digestive organs are very general, being the principal causes.of death with a majority of the inhabitants. From what has been stated by writers respecting the salubrity of Madeira, a person might be led to believe that disease was scarcely known there; but I am afraid, that were the subject thoroughly investigated, as it ought to be, few places would be found where the system is more liable to general disorder; while, at the same time, I suspect that the average duration of life would turn out to be inferior to that of our own country."-p. 108. Here we must bring our analysis of Dr. Mason’s valuable work to a close. We regret that the length to which it has run precludes us from giving a few of the author’s admirable observations on " Solar and Terrestrial Radiation," and on the electric conditions of the atmosphere, showing the importance of these subjects in relation to climatology; but the reader who is interested in the theory of climate will profit by perusing those sections in their integrity. The spirit of philosophical inquiry which pervades the work is there prominently developed, and contrasts favourably with the slip-shod, wayside observations, or traditionary reports, of which the . generality of works on climate are composed. The fate of the author was a melancholy one, and a telling comment on

same

delusion !

Properties of Hydrogen and Oxygen as the Volta-Magnetic Agents of Life. By H. L. STUART, Esq., M.R.C.S.E. Folio,

pp. 4. THE LANCET Office. THis is an elaborate paper on the subject of the instrumentality of the two elements, hydrogen and oxygen, in the agency of vital functions. It consists chiefly of an iteration of principles which are developed in two papers that have been already published in THE LANCET, one being, " Sense of Touch and Circulation of the Blood;" the second, Tripeds of the Isle of Man." The present paper was elicited by a paragraph which stated that Dr. Faraday had announced the fact of his discovery" That oxygen is magnetic; that this property of the gas is affected by heat; and that he believes that the diurnal variation ofthe magnetic needle is due to the action of solar heat on this newly-discovered characteristic of oxygen." The author feels that professional chemistry has done much for medicine, but believes an error has been committed in repudiating cold as a special agent. In carrying out his theory, Mr. Stuart gives us the following epitome of his views:-First, that "Oxygen is the voltaic or solutive agent of life, and of sen-sibility, being the principle of cold operating upon the carbon or latent heat of the system. "2. Chlorine is the metamorphosis of oxygen, and is the agent of cohesion and condensation, and is therefore the agent of material being or consistence, in the materialization and comprehension of hydrogen. "3. Hydrogen is the magnetic agent of motion, heat, light, and voice, operating upon the chlorine or lethal sensibility of the system. "4. Carbon is the metamorphosis of hydrogen, the agent of stability, and of the accumulation of power or force, as latent heat, which is eliminated from the muscles, into the motor action of life by the due action of oxygen, or the principle of cold." Mr. Stuart makes a wide distinction between soul and spirit; the former he describes as the result of the existence of vital function, the latter as an immortal emanation, and concludes an interesting paper with the following remarkable sentence-

" There is, therefore, life in everything, and death is a retrograde life, in which the spirit is exhaled, while in animate life the soul is exhaled,and both are perpetually renewed, and susceptible of new modifications, establishing order and perfection in the intellectual, moral, and physical syste1ll8 supplanting disease and confusion."

New Inventions IN AID OF THE

PRACTICE OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY. The Electric Rubber. Mr. LUDLAM, of Oxford-street, has forwarded

to

us

a

specimen

which he has given the above title. It is composed principally of flax, and is very well adapted for the purposes for which it is intended to be used-namely, to create rapid and healthy cireulation of the blood on the surface after bathing. of

a

towel,

to