and so little of any kind of nutriment was she able to take, on account of the extreme pain which this induced in the stomach. However, by slow degrees she rallied; and, after three or four months, was enabled to be carried down stairs, and I gradually withdrew my attendance.

It

In the spring of 1855, I was again sent for to Mrs. appeared that she had never gained sufficient strength to walk unaided across the room; yet little more than a year after her last accouchement she was again advanced upwards of six months in the family way. All her old symptoms had returned, if possible, in a more aggravated form; she had incessant sickness night and day, inability to take any kind of food or obtain sleep; great emaciation; pulse 120; and debility so extreme, that the poor creature could not turn in her bed without assistance. Again we punctured the membranes, and again a living child was expelled in about the same time. It breathed an hour or two, and expired. Mrs. T. now gradually ceased to vomit; but eating caused so much pain that she took but little food; the debility and emaciation increased, and ten days after delivery she sank. No post-mortem examination was permitted.-[Mr. Gurraway of Faversham in British Med. Jour.

EDITORIAL AND MISCELLANEOUS.

THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION-ITS POWER AND ITS INFLUENCE. An examination of the minutes of the last meeting of the American Medical Association will develope a most active vitality in the association, and an earnest endeavor on the part of its members to promote the advancement of American Medicine in all its interests, whether Scientific, Ethical, or Educational. These three great interests, according to the present constitution of the body, represent the grand triplicate object of its jealous care. The guarding of these interests are the three great functions of the Association. The first of these functions, every class of the Profess ion yields most cheerfully to the Association, as its high prerogative and just privilege, at the second, only transgressors of the laws of Ethics are inclined to demur, while in regard to the third, which relates to the reform in Medical Education, there is a class who loudly exclaim against its daring to interfere with the private affairs of institutions, in whatever way they may be conducted.

The American Medical Association is not indeed a legislative body—this, its most ardent advocates and firmest defenders will readily admit: It does not pretend to force its dicta as laws upon the Profession with the sanctions of ordinary penal codes; but though not a legislative court, it is far from being a body without its legitimate influence, and still farther from being

devoid of laws, the violation of which are ever atoned for by penalties of the severest kind and most inevitable sequence. In its first establishment, a number of the best, the wisest and most honorable of the Profession, earnestly sought to lay down principles of right, for the direction and guidance of their brethren throughout the country; they met the approbation of the wise and the good wherever these principles were read. The principles of right were thus established, and a standard formed by them, which the Profession at large looked to as the criterion, on all questions of propriety pertaining to their conduct.

A standard and a criterion having thus been enunciated, and approved by every one, the power of the Association henceforth rests not so much in themselves as in the hearts and consciences of the Profession at large. It is for the Association only to declare that such and such a measure is not in accordance with the standard of Right, established and acknowledged by them, and by all, in and out of it, and this judgment being pronounced, public opinion applies the castigation which, in time, must inevitably bring reform or confusion to the offenders.

We are aware that there are many who affect to despise the opinions and rail at ethical rules and admonitions of the American Medical Association, as arrogant, offensive, and based on a power, only ideal.-Berkeley asserted, and believed, that life was all a dream, and that external objects and the powers of nature were but the ideal representations of things-yet Berkeley carefully avoided getting into the fire, for fear of being burned, and as carefully shunned the sea, for fear of being drowned. So these pretended despisers of the Association, affecting to contemn its opinions and its judgments, yet are ever anxious to prove that they transgress none of its rules, but have squared with the last letter of its counsels,

The American Medical Association then is potent,-it has a moral power rooted deeply in the hearts and consciences of men, and ramifying throughout the length and breadth of this wide extended land,—it is the true exponent, the highest tribunal of right in the Profession. It has only to be true to itself and to its own great principles-keeping these ever before the world as the standard of Medical Ethics, never swerving from them in one jot or tittle, but on the other hand, avoiding all petty and meddling tyranny towards particular individuals or particular institutions-and thus, however much some may affect to despise its admonitions and to beard its power, still Reform will follow in its train,—for as the fire will burn and the sea will drown, so will the violation of its ethical laws wither and overwhelm all who may be hardy enough to continue in transgression.

In

END OF THE THIRTEENTH VOLUME.-With the present number closes the thirteenth volume of the Southern Medical and Surgical Journal. reviewing our labors for the past year, no one thing has yielded us more

satisfaction than the fact that we have been able to adhere to the spirit of the sentiment expressed in our second number, which sentiment was at the time intended by us as our Platform, in the Editorial conduct of the work. We here reiterate it, and hope that we may be able to adhere to it throughout the whole of our next volume.

"Our sixty-four pages, we find barely sufficient to elaborate the monthly accumulation of valuable matter, which the daily progress of the science is crowding upon us, and which duty impels us to lay before our readers. We have held it an object very near to our hearts, to keep the Southern Medical and Surgical Journal, as it has ever been, the conservative exponent of sound Medical Doctrine, steering clear, if possible, of any involvement in the many vexatious jarrings which too often destroy the symmetry and dim the glory of periodical literature, both Scientific and Polite; rendering the life of the Editor truly, but a "vanity and vexation of spirit;"-—a vanity, because it fritters away, in small things and personalities, time and labor which should be earnestly devoted to the high and important objects of his calling; and a vexation, because "grievous words ever stir up anger," and an angry man stirreth up strife.""

66

These were then our words, and whether we present sixty-four pages or a hundred and sixty-four, we must thank the courtesy and good fellowship of our confrères that we have never yet had occasion to depart from either kindly impulse, or kindly sentiment.

By a reference to the Prospectus for the Fourteenth Volume, it will be seen that our Publisher, with a liberality fully commensurate with the requirements of the advanced state of Medical Science, proposes to add eight pages to each number of the work, without any advancement in the price of subscription. We hope that his generosity will be rewarded by an increased list and punctual payments.

In the original department of the now closing volume, we are aware that we have had too often, though reluctantly, to supply the defaults of contributors by the introduction of papers from our own pens; this was not our fault, but indeed our misfortune. We have a corps of contributors able to supply the most valuable matter, and what has been withheld during the present year we earnestly hope will only serve to enrich the coming volume.

The Transactions of the American Medical Association, Vol. X. Printed for the Association. Collins, Printer, Philadelphia. 8vo. pp. 676.

The above interesting volume has come to hand too late for us to present to our readers, anything like an extended review, of any of the papers, in our present number. Its size, and the character of its contents will, this time, certainly vindicate the Association from the Trans-atlantic charge of making "a big book with nothing in it."

Besides the addresses of the Presidents, the minutes of the last meeting, the reports of business committees, the plan of organization, code of ethics, and list of officers and permanent members, the volume contains thirteen papers, which may be said to be the Scientific Records of the Association for the present year. Some of these reports show much ability, and confer credit upon those who presented them, but at present we can do no more than present a simple list to our readers.

They are the following:

Report on the Medical Topography and Epidemics of Ireland.

Report on Infant Mortality in Large Cities: the Sources of its Increase, and Means for its Diminution. By D. Meredith Reese, M.D., LL.D., &c.,

of New York.

Report on the Medico-Legal Duties of Coroners. By Alexander J. Semmes, M.D.

Report upon the Topography and Epidemic Diseases of the State of Georgia. By John F. Posey, M.D., of Savannah.

Report on the Use of Cinchona in Malarious Diseases. By F. Hinkle, M.D. Report on the Blending and Conversion of Types in Fever. By C. G. Pease, M.D., of Janesville, Wis.

Report on a New Principle of Diagnosis in Dislocations of the Shoulder Joint. By L. A. Dugas, M.D., of Georgia.

Report on the Fauna and Medical Typography of Washington Territory. By Geo. Suckley, M.D., U.S.A.

Report on the Medical Flora of Washington Territory. By J. G. Cooper, M.D.

Report on Deformities after Fractures. By Frank Hastings Hamilton, M.D.

Partial Report on the Nervous System in Febrile Diseases. By Henry F. Campbell, M.D., of Georgia.

Prize Essays.-The Excito-Secretory System of Nerves, its Relations to Physiology and Pathology. By Henry Fraser Campbell, M.D. Experimental Researches Relative to the Nutritive Value and Physiological Effects of Albumen, Starch, and Gum, when singly and exclusively used as Food. By William A. Hammond, M.D., U.S.A. Some of the above papers we will hereafter notice fully in this Journal.

BINDING OF THE PRESENT VOLUME. It has been said that nothing strikes the human mind with greater horror than the idea of annihilationthe thought of passing entirely out of existence; hence every nation, from the most savage to the most enlightened, in its Theology, necessarily con templates some place for departed spirits-some after-life, whether in form of a spiritual or a material Heaven or Hell-they all revel in the idea of continued existence, and are filled with horror at the blank-or we would rather say, the black idea of annihilation. This horror, we had almost said, is ours, at the present moment. When we reflect, that our twelve months' labors are lying disjecta membra in twelve perishable pamphlets, of sixty

four pages each, liable to be torn, soiled, mutilated-annihilated, the wish (selfish perhaps) obtrudes itself upon us, that these twelve, to us, costly members could be collected and bound together, and thus protected in the more durable and convenient form of a single volume.

For the information of our subscribers who may reside conveniently to this place, we will state that in Augusta, there are two Book-binding estab lishments-one connected with the office of the Chronicle and Sentinel, and the other with the Bookstore of Messrs. T. Richards & Son; at either of these establishments the work will be done neatly, expeditiously and cheaply.

The Dissector's Manual of Practical and Surgical Anatomy. By ERASMUS WILSON, F.R.S., Author of " A System of Human Anatomy," etc. The third American from the last revised London edition. Illustrated with one hundred and fifty-four wood engravings. Edited by WILLIAM HUNT, M.D., Demonstrator of Anatomy in the University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Blanchard & Lea. 1856. 12mo. pp. 583.

This valuable work was transmitted to us, through the kindness of its American publishers, some time ago. Since its reception, it has been our intention to call attention to it, at such a time as might be most serviceable to those requiring its indispensable aid in the prosecution of this arduous study, by giving notice of it just when they were about beginning their dissections. As this is the season for Anatomizing, we would earnestly advise every student, for his own benefit, to supply himself with a copy of this manual, before commencing operations, as Anatomy will be an up-hill business without it, and with it dissecting is made an easy, interesting and improving exercise. Not only is this System of Anatomy suitable as a guide to the dissector, but to the practitioner it is, perhaps, the most convenient and best arranged book of reference, in relation to the topography of any part, he may have to penetrate.

R. C.

Elements of Pathological Anatomy. By SAMUEL GROSS, M.D., Professor of Surgery in the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia; and formerly Professor of Pathological Anatomy in the Medical Department of the Cincinnati College. Third edition, modified and thoroughly revised. Illustrated by three hundred and forty two engravings on wood. Philadelphia: Blanchard & Lea. 1857. 8vo. pp. 771.

Nearly eighteen years ago, in the earliest days of our student-life, we read a work by the above author, on General Anatomy; both that and Pathological Anatomy were even then comparatively in an unsettled state. It is pleasant now to note the long advances which they both have made since then, and it is but common justice to Dr. Gross, to say, that to his