Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

rect operation, either on the brain itself or its vessels; and therefore it is difficult to conceive how they can produce inflammation in that organ,

Those occasional causes, however, "which act through the medium of the mind, as the mental passions and emotions," certainly exert their energy directly and primarily on the brain. But while they operate thus, do they leave the brain unchanged, and produce inflammation in its vessels? We should rather suppose that they derange the brain in the first instance; and that inflammation, if it really takes place, is a secondary effect of their operation.

"It is certain," indeed, "that the condition of the brain may be very powerfully and suddenly influenced by applications to remote parts of the body. Thus fainting, or a total loss of sense, is often instantaneously induced by the action of certain odours and effluvia on the organ of smell; while it may be as suddenly again removed by applications of a different kind.

"Alcohol, opium, laurel-water, and some other vegetable poisons, kill almost instantaneously when taken into the stomach in large quantities; and the bites of certain venomous reptiles prove fatal almost as soon as inflicted. Opium destroys the energy of the brain, inducing general paralysis by being thrown into the cavity of the abdomen; in frogs nearly as soon when the heart is removed, as when the animal is entire. The effect in this case must be produced through the intervention of nerves.

The surfaces on which the nerves of the organs of sense are expanded, are more especially susceptible of external impressions; and, when stimulated, more powerfully influence the state of the brain than other parts that are less plentifully furnished with nerves." It appears, from the experiments of the late illustrious Dr. Black, that carbonic acid gas kills more speedily if inhaled through the nostrils, than if taken immediately into the lungs through the mouth only. I discovered,' he says, that this particular kind of air, attracted by alkaline substances, is deadly to all animals that breathe it by the mouth and nostrils together; but if the nostrils were kept shut, I was led to think that it might be breathed with safety. I found, for example, that when sparrows died in it in ten ⚫ or twelve seconds, they would live in it for three or four minutes when the nostrils were shut by melted suet.' This seems to show that the olfactory nerves are more susceptible of impression than those distributed on the surface of the bronchia and lungs, and is what, indeed, might have been expected to take place, considering the abundance of nerves with which all the organs of sense are supplied, and their proximity to and immediate dependence on the brain.

[ocr errors]

plied,

"In other cases the inhalation of carbonic acid gas, and of various other noxious effluvia, produces instant head-ach in many persons attended with a violent throbbing of the vessels of the head. A phrenzy or delirium,' says Dr. Lind, is often the first and im

mediate effect of a bad air.' Some of the gases, when inspired in a highly concentrated state, kill almost instantaneously before they could possibly have found their way into the general circulation. And it has often been observed, when the plague has been raging with great violence, that persons exposed to the contagion have dropped down suddenly, as if struck by lightning, and have died in a

short time."

P. 117.

"These instances sufficiently prove," says Dr. Clutterbuck, "that different noxious effluvia can exert their full action on the system without being taken into the mass of blood." Granted: But do they prove that "certain odours and effluvia, alcohol, opium, laurel-water, and some other vegetable poisons, carbonic acid gas, or the contagion of the plague," produce either immediate disease or instan taneous death, by first inducing an inflammation in the brain? It is plain that all these powers operate directly and primarily on the sentient extremities of the nerves. It is equally plain that most, if not the whole, of the exciting causes of fever operate also upon the nervous system; and therefore, whatever may be their secondary or ultimate effects, that system must be primarily deranged. On these grounds we conclude, that the proximate cause of fever is to be sought, not in the sanguiferous but in the nervous system, and that if inflammation does actually take place in the brain, in fever, it is an effect of this sensorial derangement, like all the other symptoms.

Hitherto, the arguments which Dr. Clutterbuck has advanced, in support of the opinion that fever consists essentially in a topical inflammation of the brain, have been derived principally from analogy, and an investigation of the phenomena of the disease in relation to the peculiar functions of that organ. He now attempts to come closer to his subject, and in the ninth section of this same chapter brings forward the evidence of dissection in support of his doctrine. Here, however, he finds it necessary to make a sort of compromise of the matter.

"It might naturally be expected," says he, "that dissection of the bodies of those, in whom the disease had proved fatal, would remove all doubt from the subject; and at once either satisfactorily establish or overthrow the opinion in question. But although much light is undoubtedly to be derived from this source, and we shall find in fact that every support is afforded to the supposition that could reasonably have been looked fo yet the evidence furnished by dissection is not absolutely conclusive, and that for different reasons." P. 156.

Having stated these reasons, Dr. Clutterbuck adduces instances from Bonetus, Morgagni, Lieutaud, Werlhoff, Haller, Sir John Pringle, Dr. D. Monro, Vogel, Drs. Baillie, Jackson, &c. to prove that fevers of all descriptions very frequently leave behind them visible topical affections of the brain, demonstrating the existence of previous inflammation in that organ.

"that the ap

"It is not, however, to be imagined," says he, pearances now mentioned are to be found in every case of fever. The essential part of this, as of most other primary diseases, consists not in the altered structure of parts, but in perverted actions: change of structure is a remote effect, a consequence merely of the morbid action, and is what may or may not take place. Hence if the disease prove fatal before such alterations of structure is induced (which may well be supposed to happen with respect to an organ, upon the state of which all the functions of the system, more or less, immediately depend), few or no traces of the disease can be expected to be seen after death. The intermissions of fever, during which patients often enjoy an almost total exemption from disease, and the speedy return to perfect health after their cure, prove that no great derangement of structure can have taken place. That fever does not necessarily kill by destroying the organization of the brain, is shewn also by the return in some few instances of the mental faculties a short time before death, where delirium had been present throughout the previous course of the disease." P. 174.

After these remarks, we were rather surprised to find Dr. Clutterbuck drawing this decided conclusion :--

"That the symptoms of fever are the symptoms of inflamed brain, and that the latter is the immediate cause of the former; or rather that fever and inflammation of the brain are identical affections.". P. 178.

Upon the whole, we conclude with Dr. Fordyce, that "what the real derangement in the system is which produces the external appearances in fever, is not at all known--it is a disease, the essence of which is not understood." We have referred it, however, to a primary derangement of the nervous system; and this we think we are warranted to dó from a review of the nature of its exciting causes, and their mode of operation.

[ocr errors]

In the fourth chapter, Dr. Clutterbuck brings forward the diagnosis of fever in conformity to his general doctrine--" topical affection of the brain founded in inflammation; in a word, as a variety of phrenitis." The term phrenitis, however, he considers to be objectionable, as expressive of delirium or alienation of mind; which, though a

very frequent, is not a very necessary or constant attendant on fever. The term encephalitis, as implying merely inflammation of the contents of the cranium, he thinks more appropriate, and sufficiently comprehensive to embrace every variety of the disease.

(To be continued.)

Bidcombe Hill, with other rural Poems. Plates. By the Rev. Francis Skurray, A. M. Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford. Crown 8vo. pp. 162. 10s. 6d. Miller.

1808.

THE principal poem, in this elegant and instructive little volume, is Bidcombe Hill, which occupies more than one third of the book. The hill, which is here celebrated in no unworthy strains, forms the western termination of Salisbury plain, and commands, of course, a view of various interesting objects highly favourable to the descriptive poet. We are not very fond of blank verse; and, early in life, we adopted Johnson's opinion of it, as declared in his remarks on "The Splendid Shilling" of Phillips-an opinion in which reading and reflexion have produced little alteration. Many, indeed, of the writers of blank verse, seek to supply the loss of rhyme by unnatural sentiment, distorted imagery, and inflated diction; or else fall into the opposite extreme, and, by labouring to be simple, become puerile and ridiculous. It is only by observing a due medium between these extremes, almost equally disgusting to sober judgment and classical taste, that a poet can expect either to amuse or to inform his readers. To this medium, it is but justice to say Mr. Skurray has strictly adhered. His sentiments are elevated and pure; his descriptions are animated and natural; and his language is simple, chaste, and classical. He suffers no opportunity to escape for communicating salutary admonitions, for impressing useful lessons, or for enforcing important truths. He is an ardent admirer of the works of nature, but he never fails to elevate the mind from nature to nature's God. In short, the book before us is evidently the production of a good man, considering every thing around him as conveying some moral precept to the mind, and as tending to enlarge his views of the bounty and wisdom of Providence. In performance of our duty, we shall now exhibit some extracts from the poems, to justify the

opinion which we have given of their merit; and our readers will please to observe, that we have not selected the passages which we shall lay before them, on account of any superiority which they enjoy over the rest, but because they can be more easily detached without injury to the sense; and because, also, they show the principles and opinion of the author. In the first extract, the poet alludes to the Abbey of Gastonbury.

"Rous'd by the thunder of the deep-ton'd bell,
The monks no more reluctantly shall start,
From broken rest, to matins or to lauds†;
Nor shall the pealing organ's sacred voice
Again wake raptures in the good man's heart,
And charm his soul to ecstacy. The dome,
Which once resounded with MESSIAH'S praise
And chanted hallelujahs, is no more.

[ocr errors]

My Muse shall ne'er with bigot rage exult,
O'er ancient greatness, prostrate in decay.
What though corruption with its morbid look
Had scar'd the pious from their ancient pale
Of Christian fellowship; yet let not man
Contemn its grandeur, humbled to the dust,
And break the bruised reed. Are there no ties
To bind our gratitude to cloister'd cells?
Can we forget the day, when Vandal rage
Against the Sciences wag'd brutal war?
When to these seats secure, Wisdom retir'd
(A friendless outcast!) with her learned train,
And hid the treasure which had 'scap'd the wreck
Of hands barbarian, 'midst these holy walls?

If Attic elegance e'er charmed thy ear,
Or Grecian story fir'd thy ardent mind,
Think that, perhaps, to these retreats we owe
That PLATO still instructs, and HOMER Sings!
"Or, if a tale of pity move thy breast
To thoughts of charity and deeds of love,
Think how benighted travellers on the road,
Led by the taper's hospitable light,

Here sought a resting-place for wearied limbs,
And never sought in vain. Think on the crowd
Who, at the convent-gate, with crumbs were fed,

"The ancient canons considered the monks as an order between the laymen and ecclesiastics, forbidding their interference in secular and ecclesiastical concerns, and confining them to quietness, prayer, and fasting."--See Fosbrooke's Economy of Monastic Life.

"+Matins was a midnight service: Lauds followed about three o'clock." See the same.

« ZurückWeiter »