kind looks respectable; we only ask our subscribers to keep up our re spectability in this way, throughout the year, and we promise our most carnest endeavors to do our part in sustaining it.

Death from Dissections.-The statement made, in regard to the cause and nature of Dr. Porter's last illness, is based on an opinion expressed by the undersigned, who was Dr. P.'s attending physician. Its correctness is proved by the history and the symptoms of the disorder. Dr. P., on the 27th of May last, when the heat of the weather was and had been for some days extreme for the season, opened, in presence of his class of pupils, a body far advanced in putrefaction, and made it the subject of anatomical demonstration during a period of two hours. The odor emitted was so offensive that some of his audience were driven to the windows, and others 'without the room. On the succeeding day he was seized with a chill, followed by a fever, the malignant character of which clearly attested its extraordinary origin. One of the most remarkable of his symptoms, as most indicative of the source of his disease, was the presence, without intermission, as he himself described it, of the odor of his nostrils, and the taste in his mouth, of the effluvia of the dissecting-room, in their most offensive forms. THOS. R. JENNINGS.

[Prof. Lindsley's Address on the Life, &c., of Dr. Porter,

On the differences in the composition of Milk at different times of the day. By Professor BODEKER.-The very careful analyses of Dr. Bödeker lead to the following results:

1. The quantity of fatty matter increases continually from morning until evening, and in the evening it is nearly doubled. In sixteen ounces of milk drawn in the morning the infant received three-eighths of an ounce of butter, while in the same quantity of milk drawn in the evening it received from five-eighths to three-fourths of an ounce of the same substance.

2. This augmentation in the quantity of fatty matter is accompanied by a trifling augmentation in the quantity of caseine. In sixteen ounces of milk drawn in the morning, there were three-eighths of an ounce of dry caseine; and in the same quantity drawn in the evening, about nine-twentieths of an ounce.

3. As the caseine increases in quantity the albumen diminishes, and almost in the same proportion.

4. The sugar of milk undergoes little variation. It is, however, somewhat more abundant in the morning than in the afternoon.

5. The quantity of the saline constituents of the milk remains constant, [Zeitsch. für rat. Med-Ranking's Abstract.

Electricity in Amenorrhoea.-Dr. Sanders says, in his article on Physiological Electricity, that in those cases of amenorrhoea, where no congenital malformation exists, the application of the electric current will always be attended with success, even after the usual remedies have been tried in vain; but that it is important to combine with the electrical treatment, or to precede it by certain tonic medicines and invigorating diet and regimen. He quotes Dr. Bird as observing that, in electricity we possess the only real direct emmenagogue with which the experience of our Profession has furnished us. He has never known it fail to excite menstruation, when the

uterus was capable of performing this function. But this capability is always an important consideration. Nothing can be more absurd than to undertake the excitation of this, or any other secretion, while the state of the general health, or of the particular organ to be excited, is such as to forbid secretory action. The electric current may be sent through the uterus either from side to side through the hips, or from the sacrum to the pubes. Perhaps it would be still more effectual in cases of extreme torpor, to bring one of the wires into direct contact with the os uteri-[Memphis Med. Recordər.

Tincture of Iodine in the Vomiting of Pregnancy. By Dr. EULENBERG, of Koblenz.-Dr. Eulenberg, of Koblenz, says that this remedy, even in very small doses, is a most efficacious agent in arresting the troublesome vomiting which so often occurs in pregnant women. He orders the tinc-. ture in a very dilute form, (Tinct. Iodin., j; Spir. Vini. Rect., 3iij; M.) and in small doses, three drops several times a day in water. The cardialgia which accompanies this morbid condition is also relieved by it. Dr. Eulenberg alleges that other sympathetic irritations, and neuroses of the nerves of the stomach, are alleviated by similar treatment. The author has not found iodide of potassium equally serviceable in the affections alluded to.-[Preuss. Ver. Zeitung; Edinburgh Med. Jonr.; Ranking's Ab.

On the Treatment of Cracked Nipple. By M. LEGROTA, Physician to the Hotel Dieu, Paris.-M. Legroux proposes to cover the affected nipple with an artificial epidermis, and he thinks that the "baudrache" will answer this purpose very conveniently. This "baudruche," first pricked with a few pin-holes to allow the milk to pass through, is drawn over the nipple, and then fixed to the skin of the breast by a varnish consisting of collodian, 30 grammes; castor oil, 50 centigrammes; and turpentine, 1 gramme 50 centigrammes. In applying this varnish, it is necessary to avoid the nipple itself, or much inconvenience and pain may be caused by the subsequent contraction of the drying film. When the infant is applied to the breast the "baudruche" is first made soft and supple by the application of a little sugar and water. With care one of these sacs may last for several days-until, in fact, the cracks may have healed.-[Gaz. de Hebdom. de Méd. et Chirurg. Ranking's Abstract.

Solution of Phosphoric Acid in Typhus. By Professor MAGNUS Huss, of Stockholm.-Solution of phosphoric acid, two and a quarter ounces; decoction of marsh mallow, five ounces; syrup of marsh mallow, four ounces; mix-dose, from ten to fifteen drops every two hours. M. Huss recommends this solution in the first stage of typhus, whether it appear under the abdominal or petechial form, or under any form intermediate between these. The state of the tongue by no means contraindicates the use of this remedy, which always renders the course of the disease more favorable. The solution contains 25 per cent. of phosphoric acid.—[Presse Médicale Belge, and Dublin Med. Press.

Remarkable Fecundity.-In a commune near Lille, a young woman, who had on each previous occasion had twins, gave birth in her third confinement to five children, three boys and two girls. Her labor lasted forty

hours. All the children were perfectly formed but small, and two days after the birth of the last, were likely to live. Towards the end of her pregnancy the mother was affected with double vision, but since her accouchement her sight has returned to its normal state.—[Ibid.

A Child Crying in the Uterus.-Dr. Hüter of Morburg, has published a case of twin births, where the first ovum was expelled intact with the pla centa. The child was noticed to breathe distinctly within the sac, and it soon cried when the membranes was a little pinched. The latter swelled up, and Dr. Huter, after hearing five or six sobs, tore the membranes. The second child presented with the vertex and the right hand; it looked dead when born, but finally breathed and cried. They were both of the male sex, and very small. In spite of the warm bath, the first child died four hours, and the second five hours, after birth.-[Dublin Med. Press.

New Ecraseurs.-Two new forms of ecraseur are now using in London; one of a curved form, so as to reach cavities; the second, in place of the intermittent motion and unpleasant "click," is furnished with a continuous action of a very slow kind, like the spring of a common watch.-[Ibid.

Vaccination.-J. F. Marston, Esqr., Surgeon to the London Smallpox Hospital, says that he has never seen any evil results traceable to vaccination, with the exception of a single instance, in which measles occurred at the same time, and four or five examples of rather severe sore arms, arising from lymph recently taken from the coy.-[Boston Med. & Surg. Jour.

Dr. Carpenter, oF LONDON.-This distinguished author has resigned the Chair of Physiology, which he has so long adorned. Physiological science has sustained a severe loss in his retirement.-[St. Louis Med. and Surg. Jour.

RATIONALE OF MUSCULAR RIGIDITY AND CONTRACTION IN PARALYSED LIMBS. As the process of contraction shews itself, in general, most in the upper extremity, so also it generally commences there; but now and then it will begin in the lower extremity: not unfrequently it will be met with in the upper extremity only.

The view which I have always taken (and which many of you have heard me express in passing through the wards), of the manner in which this contraction is produced, is this; at the seat of the original lesion, whether it be simply a white softening, or an apoplectic clot, or a red softening, with more or less destruction of the brain-substance, there takes place an attempt at cieatrization, more or less perfect. Attendant on this, there is a gradual shrinking or contraction of the cerebral matter, which acting on the neighboring healthy tissue, keeps up a slow and lingering irritation, which is propagated to the muscles, and excites in them a corresponding gradual contraction,* while at the same time their nutrition becomes seriously impaired by the want of proper exercise and the general depressing influence of the lesion-[Todd's Clinical Lectures on Nervous System, p. 171.

The Italics are all ours.-EDTS. S. M. & S. Jour.

LETTERS FROM SAML. D. HOLT, M. D., UPON SOME POINTS OF GENERAL PATHOLOGY. LETTER NO. 17.

MONTGOMERY, ALA., February 16th, 1857.

Messrs. Editors-My last letter having been devoted chiefly to the consideration of the subject of Yellow fever in its essential character, and an endeavour to show that in that character, and in its first or early stage, it is often, if not generally, a curable or abortable disease,-it is my desire in this, to show the contingencies upon which such an issue depends, and that when, in this or other kindred affections, the typhoid, or necræmic, condition be comes fully formed and established, it is not curable by any known or certain process, except the gradual elimination of the specific poison, and others which may have been generated in the system, and a restoration of the blood to its normal and healthy condition, And as this process necessarily depends upon the sanative efforts of nature, and the recuperative powers and energies of the system, for its accomplishment, requiring a longer or a shorter period, according to the essential type and character of the disease, the most consummate skill and judgment of the physician is generally required to determine, how much it is his duty to perform-how

much he should leave to the efforts of nature, and what aids he may be able to lend, to hasten it.

With respect to Yellow fever, ample experience has shown that when it has passed unchecked into its second stage, it is no longer controllable by potent or heroic remedies; that great caution is necessary in the use of all remedies of an active or perturbating character; that nature requires an absolute state of quietness and repose for her successful operation, and that slight disturbance from officious interference is often sufficient to interrupt and suspend those operations upon which alone the safety, and often the life, of the patient depends. It is not, however, to the second stage of Yellow fever, or to other confirmed typhoid conditions or forms of disease, that these measures of caution, with respect to the use of active remedies, are confined, but they will apply as well to all those zymotic fevers which have their origin in a blood poison, (not necræmic or typhoid,) and which have a definite course to run-such as small-pox, measles, scarlet fever, &c. So far as my experience has gone, in the management of all these diseases, and conditions, the safest and most proper course to pursue, is to observe a "masterly inactivity," and an "armed neutrality;" by which, I do not mean that we should stand idly and indifferently by, and leave everything to the operation of nature, allowing her to struggle through difficulties which art could easily overcome; but I mean, that having placed the patient in the most favorable condition for sustaining the struggle, which we are satisfied, from a knowledge of the disease, its peculiar and characteristic symptoms, and the course which it has to run, according to its essential type and character, that we have not the power to prevent or arrest. Our duty must be confined to the task of endeavoring to conduct it to a favorable termination, (which by judicious means we may sometimes hasten) by carefully watching its progress, and combating such symptoms, and warding off such extrinsic influences as do not belong to the disease in its essential character, and such as threaten to interfere with or interrupt its regular and natural progress. It often happens in these diseases, that no interference on the part of the physician is required by the exigencies of the case, beyond the task of watching their progress-especially have I found it so with respect to typhoid and scarlet fever. Yet, how few of the profession have the moral courage, in the treatment of these or other dangerous diseases, to adopt such a course, and to