ment.

The homeopathic treatment has been during the last eight years of occasional benefit to her. But the magnetism of the hand has done her more good than anything else. It has soothed her, when other means failed to do so. She has continued it for several years, with some occasional intermission. She is, naturally, a woman of great nobility of character, with a fine mind that was well cultivated. Her present condition is rather better than worse, when compared with what it was several years ugo. She can walk as well, if not better. When the gravity of her symptoms are considered, it will be conceded that the means employed have been of use in arresting the progress of disease, and prolonging the mortal life, though she is not cured, and indeed no cure was expected for her.

CASE 17.-Mr. æt. 47. Five years ago the writer was consulted by this gentleman. He had just seen two of the most eminent surgeons of London, who told him that nothing could be done for him. He had unmistakeable cancer of the tongue, the whole of which was involved in the disease. The greater part of the tongue was hard, but the sides were ulcerated. He could only swallow a spoonful or two of liquid, and that with difficulty. He had consequently wasted a good deal. The disease had been discerned about eighteen months before, and had been treated by one of our best practical homœopathists.

Manual magnetism was recommended to him, in conjunction with homœopathic treatment. He pursued it steadily for a year, with the greatest benefit. He recovered the power of deglutition, and consequently his flesh, as he could take a liberal allowance of a bland and nutritious diet. The tongue was healed, and only the cicatrices of the parts that had been ulcerated marked the character of the discase he had suffered from. His articulation, which had been very thick and indistinct, became clearer. After a year he left London, and discontined the magnetism. He went on with homœopathic eatment. He was seen by the writer last year. He had then ma of the feet, and though the tongue had not become

worse, his countenance had the peculiar appearance which is characteristic of a malignant disease. His appetite was tolerably good. He could not be induced, at that time, to try the manual magnetism again. Early in April this year (1856) he again paid a visit to town to see the writer, who at once saw that he was dropsical. There was considerable effusion into the cavity of the abdomen. The urine was analysed, and was found to contain pus. He left London in a few days, but returned on the 14th of June. He had been in the interval tapped; he bore the operation well, and made a rally. He died on the 29th of June. The abdomen had re-filled, and there was general anasarca. A post-mortem examination was asked for but refused, as he had, in life, expressed a repugnance to it. There is no doubt he was a mass of cancerous disease.

The case is interesting as it shows, at least to the writer's conviction, the real efficacy of manual magnetism in soothing irritation. The eminent surgeons who saw him five years ago expected he would die in a month or two. If no cure could have been ultimately effected, the writer has no doubt that if he had been continuously magnetised, his life would have been much longer prolonged.

The writer has several patients at this time under treatment for scirrhus of the breast. In one case a considerable reduction has taken place in the size of the tumour, and the stony hardness is being resolved; in another there is a considerable diminution of the tumour.

A lady died a few months ago, who was under his care, with cancer of the breast. There was infiltration into the lung; and œdema of the arm. She suffered very little, considering the nature of the disease, and passed away into the other life calmly and without suffering. She did not take any narcotic, and was much the better for the prohibition.

In these cases he used manual magnetism as well as the homœopathic remedies.

CASE 18.-Mr., æt. 26, consulted the writer six years ago. He was very tall, and almost a skeleton. His vitality

was depressed: his pulse thread-like. He suffered from spermatorrhoea. He was a person of no strength of purpose -"to one thing constant never." He had been in the hands of many physicians and surgeons. He was persuaded by the writer to try manual magnetism concurrently with his homœopathic treatment. The effect was excellent. He gained flesh and spirits: but after a few months, he went into the country, then went abroad, and gave up all regular treatment. He still lives, a spectral apparition suddenly appearing here or there among his friends. It is believed that he could have been cured, had he persisted in the homœopathic treatment combined with the employment of the manual magnetism. It is noticeable that infirmity of purpose, instability, restlessness alternating with profound gloom, characterise those who suffer from the injurious consequences of masturbation. Such persons lose their self respect, and in losing that, generally lose their confidence in others, and except the vitality be restored, they pass from bad to worse. It is supposed that the lethal habit has been abandoned, for of course as long as it is persisted in, no kind of treatment can be of any use.

CASE 19.-Mrs. P—, aged 34, a widow; she never had a child. She consulted the writer five years ago. She was hysterical; of variable temper and spirits; she wept often, and had a settled notion that she would not recover. She felt frequently faint, but never fainted. She had scarcely any walking power: was not only easily fatigued, but was obliged to stand still, if walking only a short distance, with a feeling that she could not take another step. She had at such times palpitations of the heart, with great nervous distress. Her appetite and sleep were good; the bowels constipated; catamenia regular, but scanty, and of short duration. She had a sense of great weakness of the back, which was at several points very sensitive to the touch. Manual magnetism was employed for her as well as the homœopathic treatment. In four months she returned to the country, has been quite well ever since, and is about to be married again.

She was always soothed by the hand, and felt stronger day by day while she was under the manual magnetism.

CASE 20.-Miss-, aged 28, came under the writer's treatment in 1849. Her lungs were greatly congested, and she was often threatened with instant pulmonary apoplexy; her face, always dark, was sometimes livid; the heart oppressed; she was sometimes gasping for breath; at times there was great constriction of the chest; she could not take a deep inspiration; there was occasionally slight hæmoptysis. She derived the greatest benefit from manual magnetism, pursued daily for a year. When she had acute attacks she was treated homoeopathically. She discontinued the magnetism at the end of a year, and still lives with much occasional suffering. Had she persisted steadily with the magnetism and the homœopathic treatment, it is believed she might have been cured.

CASE 21.-Master in his 5th year. The writer saw this boy last January. He had at the time diarrhœa; but had been ill for two years. He had fits in infancy while teething; he began to speak at the usual time, and was a promising child: but when he was about two years and a half old, his parents noticed that his mind seemed to be more feeble. He became passionate, would scream without any apparent cause. For eighteen months he had been in one or other of two conditions: he was either frantically excited, striking at or attempting to bite any one that went near him, or in a state of lethargic stupidity. He had ceased to speak. He did not seem to recognise his parents or his nurse; when he was in his quiet state he seemed to notice nothing; he had a fixed look of vacancy; there was no speculation in his He would fall off his low chair. His head was someeye. what large. He had never squinted. The medical men who had seen him had pronounced it a case of hydrocephalus. He was clearly in a state of imbecility. He passed his evacuations unconsciously, or at least without giving any notice of his needs. His appetite was capricious: sometimes he

would take no food, at other times he had excessive appetite. He had never passed ascarides.

His mother's family have all musical genius, and she particularly; his father also is very musical.

The diarrhoea was soon relieved. His parents were then advised to have him magnetised by the nurse, a very suitable person, young and benevolent, and fond of children, with a soft hand. She was instructed how to do it. The mother was also told to play soft airs only, for an hour at a time, for the child, avoiding all music with crashing sounds—to play the soft Scotch, Welch, and Irish airs—and not any difficult music. The medicines chosen for him were Hyoscyamus, Calcarea, and Cuprum aceticum. The child in a week shewed signs of intelligence; in three or four weeks he began to speak again; he has never looked back. At this time he is as intelligent as any boy of his age. He has had no outbreak of temper; there has been no recurrence of lethargy; his countenance, instead of being vacant, is animated. He has not, for long, passed his evacuations unconsciously. The boy has been awakened up to full consciousness, full life. The music and the manual magnetism are still continued. This is one of the most gratifying cases that has fallen under the writer's observation.

OBSERVATIONS ON MELÆNA.

BY DR. HITCHMAN.

MELENA (péλaiva vócos, morbus niger), the black disease, hence the name of the black jaundice-a term adopted by Sauvages, from the writings of Hippocrates, to denote the occurrence of dark-coloured, grumous, and pitchy evacuations, generally accompanied by sanguineous vomiting. The adjective is here used singly, the substantive being understood. By Hoffmann, the disease is called secessus niger. According to most authors, this malady is seldom idiopathic, or primary; but is generally the consequence of some pre-existing changes, sometimes chiefly seated in the stomach, at other times in the adjoining viscera, as the