THE LONDON MEDICAL AND PHYSICAL JOURNAL. CONTAINING ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE OF EMINENT PRACTITIONERS, AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF NEW WORKS RELATING TO MEDICINE, SURGERY, MIDWIFERY, CHEMISTRY, PHARMACY, EDITED BY RODERICK MACLEOD, M.D. LICENTIATE OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF LONDON; PHYSICIAN TO THE WESTMINSTER GENERAL DISPENSARY; AND JOHN BACOT, Esq. MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS; AND LATELY SURGEON TO HIS MAJESTY'S GRENADIER REGIMENT PRINTED FOR THE PROPRIETORS, PUBLISHED BY J. SOUTER, 73, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD; THE LONDON Medical and Physical Journal. 1 OF VOL. XLIX.] JANUARY, 1823. [NO. 287. For many fortunate discoveries in medicine, and for the detection of numerous errors, the world is indebted to the rapid circulation of Monthly Journals; and there never existed any work, to which the Faculty, in Europe and America, were under deeper obligations, than to the Medical and Physical Journal of London, now forming a long, but an invaluable, series.-RUSH. AN HISTORICAL ESSAY ON THE STATE OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES DURING THE LAST SIX MONTHS. ON presenting our readers with a Retrospect of the Progress of Medicine and the collateral Sciences, during the last six months, it may not be irrelevant to say a few words regarding the view we have taken of the manner in which this may be best effected. An attempt to notice every thing that has been published within this period, would be to reduce the essay to a mere catalogue of the papers contained in the various foreign and domestic Journals, and a reference to the very limited number of more extended works which have appeared. On this account, we have judged it more expedient to fix upon some of the most important subjects to which attention has been directed, and to concentrate, as much as possible, any new light which has been thrown upon them, so as to assist the memories of those who may have been progressively following us in our monthly career; and, at the same time, to point out some of the most interesting cases and occurrences of the last few months to any others who may be desirous to avail themselves of this Sketch, which may be considered as a brief medical chronicle of the times. We therefore request our readers to observe, that we do not now, nor do we intend hereafter, to attempt more than to select from the general mass of medical writings such parts as appear to us to merit, in an especial manner, the attention of our professional brethren; and we feel convinced that those best acquainted with the labour and difficulty of the task will be the most disposed to view with indulgence the deficiencies in its execution. In pursuance of this plan, we purpose adopting the following divisions, both for the sake of perspicuity and facilitating the means of reference:-viz. ANATOMY, natural, comparative, and morbid; PHYSIOLOGY, PATHOLOGY, MEDICINE, THERAPEUTICS and NO. 287. B |