WE

E shall open this chapter, according to our usual custom, with the most important branch of all physical knowledge -physiology, and the laws of preserving or re-acquiring health; the bygirine, or bygizia as it is denominated by the French schools. M. Pinel's excellent "Treatise on Insanity," which has already passed through our hands in its original form, has been carefully translated into English by Dr. Davis of the Sheffield Infirmary; to which version the translator has prefixed an introductory essay of his own, containing a cursory view of the history of insanity as connected with the human mind. It is well placed, and discovers a close attention to the best writers upon this important but still recondite subject. The translation of M. Pinel's treatise into our own tongue was certainly a desideratum: for we have no work upon mental alienation so compendious, and at the same time so truly scientific and practically useful.

Yet Dr. Arnold of Edinburgh has furnished us, in his "Observations on the Nature, Kinds, Causes and Prevention of Insanity," with a larger work on the same topic, which is well entitled to attention, and, for the most part, to no small portion of approbation. Dr. Arhold is no novice in this disease. Nearly twenty years ago he published a volume on the same tremendous malady, which was by no

means destitute of merit his attention has ever since that period been occasionally directed to the same point; and in the "Observations" before us we have his maturer sentiments, as they have arisen in the course of his intermediate practice. We shall take an ampler glance at the disease before us, because we have the fullest conviction, as well from our own professional remarks, as from the unanimous testimony of every medical writer of reputation in every part of Europe, that it is progressively increasing in the world. Were this observation confined to our own country, we think we could of fer a variety of plausible reasons to account for such a fact-and reasons which this hint alone will be sufficient to excite in the mind of every man, without particularly detailing them: but when climate, when manners, when the distresses of the country, and the force of many of its religious opinions, are withdrawn from the mass of causes -when we find this cruel malady as largely multiplied in one part of Europe; if not of the world, as in another-in France as in England-in Italy as in Germany-we confess ourselves at a loss as to the general or procatarctic cause of the augmentation, however we may flatter ourselves that we have dis covered its proegumenal stimuli. Perhaps there is no disease but has its cycle-perhaps there is none but has its birth, maturity and declension

Many diseaseswhich are now known were certainly not known in the tines of the Creeks and Ron.ans, among which we may mention rachitis, sipilis and scrofulaand hence the absurd and unclassical appellations which they have obtained in cur modem nomenclatures: many of the diseases, then fully known and described, have since altogether disappeared: and mary again which have arisen, even since the revival of literature (comparatively of erhemeral existence) have already begun to die away. The English sweating fever was almost literally an ephemeral malady. The rickets, which have now endured for about a century and a half only, are at this hour so considerably on the decline, that probably the next generation will have to wonder what was meant by the term. The siphilis, or syphilis, for the crigin of the term is uncertain, though by no means worn out, and perhaps more commen than ever, has dropped mere than half its horror; and had vaccination not been discovered till a century hence, so less proportionably severe is the small-pex of the present day compared with the same disease in the time of Sydenhain, and so progressively is it diminishing in virulence and fatality, that, unquestionable as is the boon to us now, it might then be regarded as a discovery of supererogation.

Complex as is the mechanism of the body, the mechanism of the mind is more complex still-and the dicadful malady to which it is idier athically subject does not yet appear to have reached its perfect aché. But we are bewildering ourselves in a maze of prospective melancholy from which no good can possibly result. What, in the

language of Dr. Arnold, are the "kinds," for we give up the courts, and what more especially the "prevention" of this ferful cala. mity? Of the kind: our author enumerates two-ideal and notional; the first admitting of four species, phrenetic, incoherent, maniacal, sensitive; the second embracing not less than nine, viz. delusivě, whimsical, fanciful, impulsive, scheming, vain or self-important, hypochondriacal, pathetic, appetitive. We cannot enter into his species, or we should object to several of them, but his kinds or grand divisions are defined as fol lows: "Ideal insanity is that state of mind in which a person imagires he sees, hears, or otherwise perceives or converses with, persons or things which have either no external existence to his senses at that time, or have no such external existence as they are then conceived to have: or, if he perceives external objects as they really exist, has yet erroneous and absurd ideas of his owa form, and other sensible qualities; such a state of mind continuing for a considerable time, and being unaccompanied with any viclent cr adequate degree of fever. Notional insanity is that state of mind in which a person sees, hears, cr otherwise perceives external objects as they really exist, as objects of sense, yet conceives such notions of the powers, properties, designs, state, destination, importance, manner of existence, or the like, of things and persons, of himself and others, as appear obviously, and of ten grossly eroncous, and unreason. able, to the common sense of the sober and judicious part of man kind. It is of considerable duration, is never accompanied with any great degree of fever, and very often with no fever at all.”

It is here sufficiently obvious that our author, though he have not confined himself to the terms, has at least limited his views to the division of Mr. Locke--and that, in the language of this excellent metaphysician, the wording of Dr. Arnold's two distinctions would be insanity of sensation, and insanity of reflection, or sensitive and reflex insanity. We prefer Mr. Locke's terms to his own. It is also equally obvious, that in his general character of the disease, he has embraced every species of the ballucinatio of Sauvage, as well as those of his delirium; and that his description is so comprehensive as to include almost, or perhaps altogether, every one who puts what the writer himself may deem a false estimate on any object or subject introduced; and of course so comprehensive as to include every person who differs from himself in opinion. For, when he speaks of "the common sense of the sober and judicious part of mankind," he can only mean, as is meant by every one else who employs such a phraseology, that which be regards as its sober sense -no person, in this respect, allowing any other to determine for him. Yet much as we object to our author's definition, we highly approve the indefatigable industry with which he has studied his subject in the writings and opinions of the most esteemed authorities. We are chiefly sorry that after all, notwithstanding his adventuring to touch upon the "nature, kinds, causes, and prevention of insanity," he has not felt himself warranted to speak upon the cure of this disease. We give due credit to his modesty, and lament over the hopelessness that restrains him.

The cowpox is still, we perceive, waging its bellum ad internecionem,

although we had flattered our selves we should have been at liberty to have dropped it with the observations we advanced in our last year's number, and especially as we ventured to step a little beyond our due limits to save ourselves and our readers the trouble of reverting to it for several subsequent numbers. But the trumpet is still sounding, and we have nothing to do but to obey the call. Besides the tracts and treatises we have already anticipated, the current year has furnished us with "Vaccine Inoculation," by Robert Willan, M. D. F. A. S. which has already attained a second edition: "The Vaccine Contest ;" by Wm. Blair, M. A. &c.: and not less than three answers to Mr. Birch in consequence of his pamphlet in repudiation of the practice: one by Mr. James Moore; one by the indefa tigable Mr. Ring; and one by an anonymous "Memberof the Royal College of Surgeons in London." We have but little fresh matter, however, notwithstanding this fresh accession of materials, to add to the observations we have already advanced: the argument is alto gether with the vaccinists, but the triumph most assuredly for the present with their opponents; for we believe no unprejudiced practitioner will pretend to say, that at the moment before us there is not a stronger and more extensive prejudice against vaccine inoculation than there was a year and a half or two years ago. In truth, we have always thought the cause injudiciously handled by its best or ratter by its warmest advocates: it was an instrument that required much delicacy of touch-and they have snapped the strings by screwing them up too tightly. Had the discovery been suffered to take its own U 4

course,

course, and to find its own level, we verily believe there would have been at this time scarcely a dissent ing voice heard against it. But it has been weakened by excess of kindness; systematic encourage ments have produced systematic oppositions; and the personal and earnest entreaties which have been made to vast numbers of the poor. est families, and from the best and most benevolent of motives, to be allowed the honour of inoculating their ragged brats, have been received generally with a suspicion of self-interest, and often with a contemptuous refusal. The antivaccinists have availed themselves of the common feeling hereby engendered, and every dying preju. dice has been resuscitated with tenfold vigour. For the uninitiated, Dr.Willan's is by far the best book to be consulted: for the contro versialist, the best reply is that of Mr. Moore.

We have already noticed in our review of foreign literature M. Ca. banis' valuable "Coup d'Eil," or, as his translator names it, "Sketch of the Revolutions of Medical Science;" and are now happy to announce an English version of this useful work from the pen of Dr. Henderson, who has executed his task with no small credit to himself. The volume, as we hinted in our last number, is devoted to the two considerations of the history of medical science, and the various æras of its chief revolutions, and the means by which this science may be still further reformed and improved. In the former part our author enters with considerable minuteness-more so, indeed, than the few scanty details of unquestionable facts which we possess would seem to justify-into the life and pursuits of Hippocrates, and the

origin of the school of Cos: he glances rapidly at the succeeding schools of Greece, Rome and Arabia; and, among the moderns, dwells with peculiar complacency upon Stahl, Sydenham and Boerhaave. In his second part he advises an employment of the analy tical plan to a greater extent-the deduction of legitimate results from facts more largely collected and generalized: he offers some valuable remarks upon nosology, which we think stands in need of even more correction than he has here suggested-and that in every ramification which belongs to it, whether of classification, nomenclature, or terminology; and concludes with recommending a close attention to various accessory departments of medicine. The whole should be perused with care, and the careful reader will not peruse in vain.

"A Practical Treatise on the power of Cantharides when used internally: by John Robertson, Surgeon, Edinburgh," thin octavo. This is a useful inquiry into the powers of a very active and, when skilfully directed, a very valuable medicine. The diseases in which the author has chiefly found it ser viceable are gleet and leucorrhoea. From a personal and very consider. able experience of many years, we can honestly concur with him in its recommendation. It is of great consequence, however, that in the case of gonorrhea the constitution be not possest of high nervous ir ritability: for we have found most painful and obstinate dysuries introduced in such habits even by small doses, and especially when, from the existence of permanent strictures in the course of the urethra, there is a greater disposi tion to spasmodic contraction. In leucorrhoea this consideration is of

much

much smaller consequence; and here we believe it may be administered with most success. The tincture is judiciously recommended in the present work; and the dose, which should be gradually in creased, commences with from eight to twelve drops. Our author recommends the same medicine, also, in cases of indolent ulcers: but in these instances even his own practice does not appear to have been highly fortunate. He has added some valuable experiments on the use of both the tincture and powder in large doses on dogs: a dram and half of the former produces great chylopoietic inflammation; and half a dram of the latter was generally sufficient to destroy the animal.

We shall extend our attention to other diseases connected with the Sexual System. Mr. Howard, who some time since published various observations on Siphilis, has now presented us with a larger work in two octavo volumes upon the same subject, under the title of "Practical Observations on the Natural History and Cure of the Venereal Disease." Mr. Howard is certain ly an attentive observer, and in some parts of his work appears to have been an attentive reader. In his history of the origin of lues venerea he inclines to the opinion that it is not a simple disease, but of hybrid breed, and the mere result of the yaws and leprosy, produced in Africa by the Moorish Jews after their expulsion from Spain. In his mode of cure he does not differ essentially from the best general methods of practice: he regards gonorrhoea as generated by a different poison from lues, and as curable without mercury; yet, with an irregularity of reasoning we cannot account for, he recom

mends the use of mercury in the former as well as in the latter. We have also received a work of some value in the "Practical Observations" of Mr. Henry Johnston, occupying a thin octavo, and directed to strictures of the urethra; diseases of the bladder and prostate gland; and urinary gravel and stone. Calculi, he proves by additional cases and experiments, may have a chance of being dissolved by injections into the bladder, the nature of the calculus, whether acid or alkaline, being in the first instance as certained. Yet, where injections may not be used, or even advisable, the disease in its commencement may be alleviated, if not totally destroyed, by the introduction of alkalies into the stomach, which should hence seem to counteract the secretion of the uric acid by the kidneys. In the case of stricture, our author is decisive in preferring the medical cure by the caustic bougie, to the mere relaxation of the constricted ring by the common bougie: or rather, he is certain that the first method alone produces a radical cure. Connected herewith we may mention, that in a very enlarged form, and certainly enriched by many subsequent obser vations and improvements, Adams has republished his "Observations" on what he calls "Morbid Poisons." These he divides into acute and chronic: the first comprehending siphilis, yaws, sivvens, elephantiasis, and the anomala confounded with them: the second, febrile contagions, particu larly the variolous and vaccine. The theory of constitutional susceptibility and disposition, invented by Mr. John Hunter, is here embraced in its utmost latitude, and enforced by many ingenious conjectures and observations of the

Dr.

author's