of the Advances made in the Detection and Treatment not administered one drop of laudanum to a child of some of the Principal Diseases of the Chest; with under two years of age. a glance at the Changes observed in the Secretions during their Course." The Address was illustrated with numerous drawings and diagrams, and was read by Mr. Charles James Shearman, A.B., the son of the writer. Dr. ROBERTSON, at the conclusion of the Address, said that it was a paper of great practical value, as forming a real synopsis of some of the most dangerous diseases of the chest. He had, therefore, great pleasure in moving a vote of thanks to Dr. Shearman for his Address, with a request that he allow the same to be printed. Eloquent it really was, but the attention it deserved on that ground had been swallowed up in the importance of the matter it contained. Having read the motion before the meeting, Dr. Robertson resumed his seat. Dr. RANKING, of Norwich, seconded the motion, and said, that having occupied the same situation as Dr. Shearman on a former occasion, he knew the care and attention requisite in producing such papers, He accorded with all that had been said of the value of the Address, and hoped that Dr. Shearman would allow it to be published. Dr. SHEARMAN said it was, they must know, almost impossible to write a treatise upon any disease without being a little prosy, but he feared his paper had been very much so. He thanked them for the kind expressions of their feeling, and felt honoured by having been asked to allow it to be printed, to which he would consent. Mr. PAGET, of Leicester, in reference to one of the subjects referred to in the address of Dr. Shearman, (laringysmus stridulus,) said he agreed to a great extent with Dr. Marshall Hall. He had treated this disease in children where the great object was to allay the irritation of the nervous system, by the administering of opium, and the practice had been attended with very successful results. They knew that the constitutions of children were diversified, so much so that some children could take five minims of Tincture of Opium with less effect than would be produced in others by one minim. His usual habit was to try them with two minims at night first, and if that did not do, then two minims night and morning, increased up to five minims if necessary, and he could assure the Association that such a course had been attended with much benefit. He hoped to hear that some other members of the profession present had known and acted upon the same principle. COMMUNICATIONS, &C. Mr. SIBSON, of Nottingham, produced and exhibited | a newly-invented instrument, for the purpose of ascertaining the comparative movements of the chest in respiration. The instrument, which was of simple construction, consisted of a dial-plate, on which were indicated degrees of the one-hundredth part of an inch, attached to which was a rack and pinion; as the rack rose, by the expansion of the chest, the pinion, which ran through, communicated with the indicator, which showed upon the dial-plate the number of degrees the chest rose, and the rack was returned by means of a spring. If the instrument was held steadily on the chest, it would show the precise amount of its expansion. Where he had the privilege, as he had at the hospital to which he was attached, he preferred his patients should be in bed to test the chest, though it could be done without, as the instrument would show the workings of the chest when a person was either sitting or standing. If he had any of the gentlemen he was then addressing with him at the bedside of a patient they would delight in the accuracy of the working of the instrument. He was first assisted in the design of it by an operative, who was a patient in the hospital at Nottingham; but the perfect instrument which he was then shewing them, was made by Mr. Simmonds, an eminent watchmaker of London, to whom great credit was due for the accuracy of its construction. With regard to the movements of the chest in health and disease, he would remark that out of ten patients who supposed themselves to be suffering from disease in the chest, in nine of them perhaps it was nothing of the sort, and with the assistance of that little instrument, or the spirometer of Dr. Hutchinson, which had been exhibited to them by Dr. Shearman, they could send their patients home with the pleasing fact upon their minds that they were healthy men. Mr. Sibson then went on to show that, by the instrument before the meeting, he could more accurately trace the seat of the disease in the chest, and ascertain whether the disease was seated in the upper or lower lobe of the lungs, or any part of them, as the instrument indicated the contraction and expansion caused by expiration and inspiration, and would also show the movement of the abdomen. In healthy subjects the times of inspiration and expiration were generally the same, though in many subjects there would be a pause at the conclusion of inspiration. Dr. CHAMBERS spoke of the use of opium in Mr. Sibson then exemplified the working of the instruallaying irritability of the nervous system. Mr. S. SMITH, of Leeds, thought one or two drops of laudanum administered to a child of tender age might prove fatal. The first example he had had of its operation on children was in a case where in a twoounce mixture there was one drachm of laudanum contained, one drachm of which mixture was to be administered in gruel, for the relief of stone in the bladder; but though the laudanum was taken in that small quantity, coma was produced, and for several hours there was great danger, and since then he had ment, the accuracy of which was fully acknowledged, on his own chest, and explained that a difference of three degrees in the movement of one side of the chest as compared with the other, when indicated by the instrument, was sufficient to cause attention to be turned towards it, though it did not necessarily follow that where there was such difference, the lungs might be diseased, as abscess of the ribs, or any disease or injury of them, might cause one side of the chest to move less liberally than the other; so that they must not always conclude that the lungs were affected when they discovered this difference, as in one instance be knew, it had been caused by a diseased shoulder. He compared the instrument to a pigmy spirometer, capable of being carried in the pocket of a medical man, who, when he had to travel upon horseback, could not carry with him the valuable instrument of Mr. Hutchinson. Mr. HARE then gave the history of the case of a young man, aged twenty, who had laboured under extreme excurvation of the spine from childhood, which appeared to date from a severe attack of measles. The deformity was so extensive as to include all but the two first cervical and the three lower lumbar vertebræ; it projected backwards so much, that the diameter from the sternum to the most prominent part of the deformity, amounted to 114 inches, while the diameter from the right scapula to the sternum, was only 6 inches. The spine was so twisted, likewise, that the bodies of the dorsal vertebræ looked outwards to the left, and their spinous processes An improved tube, used in laryngotomy, was also exhibited by Mr. Sibson; and a simple and novel construction to supersede artificial inspiration by means of bellows, in cases of drowning, &c. The latter consisted of a piece of flat flexible metal, with a handle at the back, and covered on the face of it with a newly-inclined inwards to the right; the ribs of the left side, discovered adhesive composition; this being placed on the chest and gently drawn upwards, and compressed downwards, so as to carry the walls of the chest with it, would, he thought, supersede the use of the bellows in many cases. At the same time he must deprecate the pressure upon the bowels used in cases of drowning or poisoning sometimes, as he had frequently found from post-mortem examinations such pressure was highly injurious. Mr. YELVERTON BOSQUET sent for exhibition specimens of his Hydroid Alkalies, some of which had been made for three years. Mr. WRIGHT, of Derby, introduced a man who had been cured of a compound dislocation of the ankle joint, and who stated that he had lately walked forty miles in one day, and found no inconvenience from the ankle that had been fractured. The cure was pronounced to have been most perfectly effected. Dr. PAXTON read an interesting paper on the Existence of free Carbon in the Human Body, and illustrated his subject by a series of specimens and drawings. Dr. GILL, of Nottingham, read a paper on a new and successful mode of Treatment in cases of Fever. Mr. JOHN JONES, of Derby, read a paper on Placenta Prævia. Mr. HARE, of London, laid before the meeting a quantity of spiculæ of carious bone, thirty-two in number, from the spine, which had been expectorated through the medium of the lungs. The case was that of a young lady, aged thirteen years and a half, who came under his treatment for caries, and very considerable angular projection of the spine the disease affecting the whole of the dorsal vertebræ, but especially the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth. She had expectorated similar spiculæ at intervals of a few days or a week for nearly two years, their discharge being accompanied with a severe irritating cough. The patient had returned home quite cured, ber general health being excellent, and the deformity exceedingly improved by treatment. She has not expectorated any more portions of carious bone since June, 1846. Two drawings of the case were exhibited, and it was likewise illustrated by a specimen of caries of the vertebræ, in which the diseased portion was surrounded by the coats of an abscess, which had contained a quantity of puriform matter. therefore, were attached to the vertebræ, at what, in their altered position, was their posterior surface, so that they assisted very materially to increase the size of the projection, forming, indeed, by the acute bend at their angles, a ridge which projected farther back than the vertebra themselves, and for which, on a hasty inspection, this ridge might have been mistaken. The length, from the nape of the neck to the lower lumbar vertebræ, was only 11 inches. Two casts were exhibtted, the one representing the case as it was when first seen; the other showing the effects of treatment. Mr. LLOYD, of Llangefin, was about to read a paper on placenta prævia, but would not do so after the elaborate communication of Mr. Jones,; be, however, mentioned a case in which life had been lost by the ignorant treatment pursued by a non-professional man, the particulars of which will be given on another occasion. Mr. W. JACKSON, of Sheffield, regretted that midwifery was more neglected than any other branch of their professional practice, but he hoped that the time was coming when more attention would be paid to it. It was, he considered, a disgrace to this country, that a case like that mentioned to them by Mr. Lloyd should have occurred. With respect to the paper read by Mr. Jones, he thought they had not yet had sufficient experience of Dr. Simpson's plan to pronounce correctly an opinion of whether it was right or wrong, and thought at the present moment they could not decide upon that point of practice. They must wait to see the effect patiently, and if every gentleman present would but record the cases in which a failure occurred by the adoption of the plan proposed, it would enable them to form a good judgment of the propriety of bringing Dr. Simpson's plan into general use. Mr. FEARN, of Derby, read a case of Wound of the Internal Carotid Artery, and Division of the Par Vagum, in which the Common Carotid was tried. Dr. HASTINGS, at the conclusion of Mr. Fearn's paper said he was struck with the similarity of the appearances presented on a post-mortem examination of that gentleman's patient, with the results of his own experiments on rabbits, in which he had divided the par vagum, as was the case in Mr. Fearn's patient, and noticed the same peculiarity. A series of beautiful drawings, illustrative of the human eye in health and disease, was presented for this meeting be given to those gentlemen who have examination by Mr. W. W. Cooper, of London. Mr. DOUGLAS Fox, of Derby, detailed to the Association the advantages of the elastic vulcanized India rubber plaster, spread with the prepared caoutchouc, which would be found to be of great service in cases where the parties had had to lay in bed for a considerable period; this plaster being elastic, would not be found so inconvenient for the patient as that commonly in use. Mr. Fox also recommended the “lunar caustic” matches which might be prepared in a moment by a medical man from the material, and always kept clean. The following communications were also announced to the meeting: furnished papers and communications at this meeting." Mr. W. JACKSON seconded the motion, and alluded to the admirable preparations and plates with which Dr. Paxton had illustrated his address. Dr. ROBERTSON then proposed a vote of thanks to was sure that all who had attended the present meeting the President, whom he had known for some years, and must have been impressed with the ability, urbarnity, and zeal, displayed by Dr. Heygate in the discharge of his onerous duties as President. Dr. BRANSON seconded the motion, whch was carried by acclamation. The President, Dr. HEYGATE, returned thanks, assuring the Members of the Association that he had "Cases of Malignant Puerperal Fever with Observa- great pleasure in rendering the feeble assistance tions," by Dr. G. B. Clarke, of Colchester. "A Severe Case of Spasm, probably arising from breathing and swallowing the dried particles of the Pea-Blight," by Mr. Daniell, of Newport Pagnell. Dr. HASTINGS then rose and said-Mr. President and Gentlemen,-As this deliberative and instructive session is now drawing to a close, it would be a sad mistake if we did not make some provision for a similar happy meeting next year, of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association. I may mention that we have been asked to meet in a locality singularly adapted for us, as it is near the line of the Great Western Railway, and in a beautiful part of the country, well calculated in many respects for enabling us to pass a happy session, I therefore beg to move "That the Anniversary Meeting for 1848, take place at Taunton, and that Stephen H. Macmullen, M.D., be appointed President Elect." I should tell you that we have a very flourishing branch of the Association at Taunton, and that it was established under the impression that we should pay them a visit; they are anxious to see us, and I am sure will do everything in their power to make the meeting a happy and successful one. He regretted that Dr. Macmullen was not present, but he had received a letter from him on the previous day accounting for his absence, which was unavoidable. Mr. GISBORNE, of Derby, seconded the motion, and hoped they should have the same kind and good feeling shewn at Taunton as they had experienced at Derby, and that the papers read might be as valuable and as instructive as those read on the present occasion. Dr. CONOLLY, of Hanwell, said,-I am sure that every gentleman who has attended this meeting must have felt convinced of, the great value of the communications presented to it, and at no former meeting have I ever heard papers read so interesting and so numerous. I do not wish to make individual observations, but I cannot pass over in silence the great improvements in the instruments of Mr. Sibson, which we certainly might have expected after his valuable communications to us at Leeds. had done nothing else, we have done a great deal in causing such valuable information to be made public. I shall content myself by moving "that the thanks of If we which he had done, and must tell them that his presence among them had contributed to some of the happiest moments of his life. Dr. CONOLLY, of Cheltenham, proposed that the thanks of the Association be given to the Mayor and Corporation of the Borough of Derby, for their kindness in granting the use of the Town Hall. It must be obvious to them all that a great deal of the success attendant upon these meetings depended on the treatment received from the gentlemen of the towns they visited, and the conduct of the medical profession towards them at Derby had been characterized by the utmost kindness and hospitality. To the authorities of the town they ought to feel much obliged and grateful for giving them the use of the building in which their meetings had been held, and the way they had been treated in every respect. Dr. RADFORD seconded the motion, which having been carried unanimously, Mr. DOUGLAS Fox acknowledged the compliment on behalf of the Mayor and Corporation. The President then vacated his seat, and the business of the meeting closed. THE DINNER. At six o'clock on Thursday evening the members of the Association, to the number of 120, dined together in the Assembly Room of the Royal Hotel, Derby. The President of the Society, Dr. Heygate, was in the chair, and was supported by the Mayor of Derby (W. E. Mouseley, Esq.,) Mr. Crosse, the retiring President of the Association, Rev. Mr. Latham, Dr. Hastings, Dr. Boisragon, Dr. Robertson, Dr. Shearman, Dr. Streeten, &c. &c. The Vice-chair was occupied by Mr. Wright, of Derby. An efficient band was stationed in the orchestra, and played several popular pieces of music during the evening. The PRESIDENT rose and said-Mr. vice-President and Gentlemen,-The first toast of the evening which I am about to propose to you, will at once eall up your loyalty and your gallantry; and I am sure it does not require my feeble voice to enlarge upon it. It is the health of the first lady in our land, and the best of mothers-the Queen, and may she be prosperous in her intended journey to that romantic and health-breathing part of her dominions, the table who will agree with me—that we are not less Highlands of Scotland. indebted to the medical profession for the assistance The toast was drunk with three times three, the we derive from them. I do feel it a happy circumband playing "God save the Queen." The PRESIDENT next gave the health of the Queen Dowager, whose benevolence and liberality, more especially to the Church of England, they must all appreciate. The toast was drunk with great applause. The PRESIDENT next proposed the health of Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, and the Royal family, which, having been duly honoured, was followed by the toast of "The Army and Navy, as alike the protectors of our common rights and our liberties." The toast was responded to with great applause, "Rule Britannia" being played by the band. Mr. NEWNHAM, of Farnham, proposed the next toast, and in so doing said—Mr. President and Gentlemen, it will require very little on my part to recommend to you the toast I am about to propose. It has often been stated that medical men are in general opposed to religion; that they are, in fact, practical atheists. I am quite sure, however, from my own experience, that if we look at the profession of the present time, or of the days immediately preceding it-and I will not go back to the days of our forefathers—that there is no body of men more decidedly favourable to religion than we are; and I am quite sure, whether in common or private life, we are more desirous of promoting the doctrines and practice of religion than the members of any other profession or any other body of men that can be met with in society. I am sure, then, you will all agree with me, that if the accusation I have spoken of be now made it is untrue, and that, on the contrary, we are always glad to call to our assistance those who will comfort-who will aid the souls, and succour the dying when we cannot do it. I am sure it gives us pleasure to know that we can always call in the aid of the clergymen residing in our neighbourhood, and we have felt the benefit of that assistance in contributing to wants we could not supply, for our province is to relieve the body, that of the clergyman to relieve the mind. We have ever felt great comfort in knowing that in such cases we can fall back upon the clergy to distribute that aid, that comfort we cannot give; and if there is one body of men to whom we are indebted, to whom we are nearly united, it is the clergy. I beg, therefore, to propose as a toast, "The Bishop and Clergy of the diocese," coupling with it the name of Mr. Latham. The toast having been responded to that account. The Rev. Mr. LATHAM, of Derby, rose and said, Mr. President and gentlemen, although I am taken by surprise at the compliment just paid me by uniting my name with the toast, I am not the less grateful on I have listened with great interest to the remarks of Mr. Newnham, and my heart does indeed respond to many of those observations he has uttered, and I hardly know whether to thank him more for the compliment bestowed upon the Clergy, than honour him for his sentiments. If he has found that his profession is at all indebted to the Clergy, I am truly glad in being able to say-and I see one at the stance, a high compliment, when the intelligent important, and beneficial class of society represented by this assembly thus speak of the Clergy to which I belong. It has often happened to me in the daily exercise of my profession that I have had to test the kindness-the charity-the benevolence of the medical gentlemen in this town, and I can bear testimony to the readiness at all times to meet the wishes of myseif and my clerical brethren, without any inquiry as to fee or reward for their services. They are always, I have found, ready to attend to the wants of the poor, and I see at this table a medical gentleman to whom I have often sent pauper patients, and in no instance has assistance been refused because there was no pecuniary reward; on the contrary, they have been treated with the same promptitude and kindness as if they had belonged to the upper walks of life. I can hardly resist the impulse of my feelings, when speaking of the kindness of medical men, when I look to the treatment I have received from them when I was in India, or since my return to this country, and I can assure you that kindness will never be overlooked by me. I delight to look at the connection between your profession and mine, for it is your duty to look to the maladies of the body, it is ours to look to, and endeavour to alleviate, the spiritual miseries of our fellow creatures, and I regret to say that there are much less urgent appeals made to us than there are to you. Often have I been sent to visit the sick and dying, not so much at their own request, as from the fact of the subject having been brought before them by their medical attendant. I regard this with much gratification, and I can assure you that the sentiments uttered by my friend-if I may call him so—in proposing the last toast are sentiments very general among the medical profession in this town, and I hope in other places; and I do trust that we shall always recognize each other as fellow workers in acts of benevolence. The Rev. gentlemen then resumed his seat amidst loud marks of applause. Dr. ROBERTSON, at the request of the President, proposed the next toast as follows:-Mr. President, Mr. Vice-President, and Gentlemen,—the kindness of the President has confided to my hands a toast which I should be extremely sorry to relinquish, though I feel my utter inability to do it that justice which it is well worthy of. It is, gentlemen, "The health of our distinguished friend and founder of this Association, Dr. Hastings." I suspect gentlemen there are not many among you who have known Dr. Hastings the number of years that I have had the privilege of knowing him, and I am certain there is not one of you who can estimate more than I do his intellectual gifts, or esteem him more as a private friend, and therefore it is that I should be sorry, as I said before, to relinquish the proposing of this toast. I was one of the first to whom was communicated the design of the formation of this Society, and when the project was named to me, I thought Dr. Hastings was about to commence an Herculean task that he would not be THE DINNER. able to accomplish, but the result has shewn us what great energy, combined with great ability, may do, the Association now numbering near two thousand members of the profession, scattered throughout the provinces. I must then give my friend great credit for bis energy and perseverance, and the dexterity with which he has managed the affairs of this Association, especially when it is considered that, like the muses, we are supposed to be of the genus irritabile, descended as we are told, from Apollo, and noted as we have been in times past for a want of unity, and for squabbling together. But Dr. Hastings bas shewn great management in keeping us together, and in that respect this Association has been of great service in bringing into contact the medical gentlemen of the provinces, in renewing the intimacies of former years, as in my case, and enabling us to make many new and valuable acquaintances which we should not have done but for this Society. Independently of this, the Association has been of great service in the advancing of Medical Science, and I hope it will go on prospering and prospering, and that, it will remain the best of all monuments to our esteemed frieud. I will not detain yon long as many other gentlemen have to address you, but I will say, speaking of the Society without reference to the "Journal," or the publication of our Trans actions," that our meetings are replete with, and are remarkable for the addition of much valuable and original information, and though I have been at many of our meetings before, I have never been so delighted as at the present meeting, in consequence of the quantity of valuable and original information I have derived from it, and which I should not have known where to obtain from any other source, I feel I shall in all respects return home a better man than when I left there, and shall carry away with me many useful ideas which I should not have done had I not attended this meeting. I have now gentlemen to propose to the health of Dr. Hastings, as the founder of this Association, and though I know that some of you don't like noise, I must ask for three times three to this toast. The toast was drunk with enthusiastic cheering. . Dr. HASTINGS, in rising to acknowledge the toast, was received with loud applause; on its subsiding he said Mr. President, Mr. Vice-President, Dr Robertson, and friends and fellow members,-Although I rise for the fifteenth time to thank you for your kindness to me, I do not yet find that I have learned my lesson, or that I am adequate to express to you my gratitude for the manner in which you have at all times acknowledged my services. It is now fifteen years since we commenced our experiment, which it was considered, by a majority of our friends, would not progress as it has done, and that I was too sanguine. They were of opinion that some good might be done by the Association, but they never considered that at the end of fifteen years we should stand in a position which no Society of medical men in England ever before occupied. I say not this to disparage other Societies, but that I may give full vent to the feelings of gratitude I always feel, when I contemplate the labours and objects of the Association, and the members 443 connected with it. I can assure you it is no small gratification to have combined together all the medical energy and intelligence of the provinces of England. Before the existence of this Society, we did not at all exist as a body of men, but now we are recognized as a great body of medical practitioners, meeting together for the advancement of medical science, and for promoting the happiness of mankind. I always look upon our meetings as assemblies of a deliberative character, where we have "the feast of reason and the flow of soul," the conjunction of social and intellectual enjoyment. We are united together by the ties of human kindness, and each endeavours to stimulate the other to renewed exertions for the benefit of mankind. We have inscribed upon our banner "The advancement of medical science," and that has been unfurled at every meeting; aud upon no occasion have we lost sight of that principle, but on the contrary, we have always endeavoured to carry it out. The present meeting will be distinguished by efforts for that purpose, and I can point to what has been done here, and which is likely to fructify and produce noble results to our profession. We cultivate a noble art, and it is no common privilege to meet together and to dedicate our faculties to the furthering of its purposes. Gentlemen, I trust that each succeeding year will find this Association cultivating the noble object to which I have alluded, and then I have no doubt we shall continue to increase in numbers, to secure the approbation of the public, and assist more and more in alleviating the miseries to which human nature is subject. I say, gentlemen, that we are called upon to encourage each other in our great work, and that we are met for the promotion of objects of the most noble character-that is the culti vation of medical science, and by that means to promote the alleviation of human misery, and that in so doing we should cultivate those feelings of charity, love, and kindness, that should at all times distinguish the members of the medical profession. Whatever may be said, gentlemen, of past times, of those bickerings which we have been accused of indulging in, we can speak of the present-we can look forward to the future with confidence that they are at an end. We can find in these meetings a pledge that we are getting rid of all those pretty squabbles that have formerly arisen. We take our Polar star to be the alleviation of human misery, and the alleviation of human suffering, by means of medical science, to be the only object of our attention, Gentlemen, I will say for myself, that I have always felt the most unbounded delight in meeting this Association, and I have never returned home without, I hope, being a wiser and a better man than when I came away. There is a rising desire, as testified in this meeting, to cultivate the right feelings of human nature, and I shall return to my native city full of delight at the result of our anniversary. I shall tell my friends at home that you contemplate paying them a visit, and holding another anniversary in the ancient and faithful city of Worcester, and I doubt not when I make the announcement there will be great joy in that city, and that it will be carried throughout the hills of that fertile county. I can only say, in conclusion, |