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become more regular, the nutrition is increased, and the strength restored. Congestions, acute and chronic, are dispersed, as also morbid defluxions, whether recent or ancient. The capillary circulation becomes more regular, the respiration and arterial circulation slower. No alteration is observable in the secretions, except the increase of saliva above described, and occasionally a diminished intensity of colour in the urine where that was previously high-coloured."

The remainder of the book is occupied with the history of the treatment of 35 cases of various diseases of the respiratory system, acute and chronic catarrhs, pulmonary emphysema, asthma, hæmoptysis, and pulmonary phthisis. In many of these a permanent cure seems to have been effected, in all relief was obtained, more or less parmanent in its character. The most striking cases are among those of asthma depending on pulmonary emphysema, where the compressed air-bath seems to exert a surprisingly beneficial action. We have not space left to give any of these cases at length, nor is this necessary, for the history of one or two cases would not serve to convince those who are incredulous as to the possible good effects of the treatment recommended, and to those who are inclined on physiological grounds to believe that there may be some good in the system, it will suffice to state, that a great proportion of the cases treated seem to have derived great benefit.

Having met with several persons who have witnessed or themselves experienced the good effects of the treatment, we are, we think, justified in bringing it under the notice of our readers, and the more so as it is highly improbable that a fair and impartial account of this or any other medical novelty will be given in any of the allopathic medical journals.

We do not of course pretend to say that the system of compressed air, as used by Dr. Bertin at Montpelier, is capable of performing all that our author alleges of it. Certain analogies would lead us to believe that it might be of considerable use in the treatment of some pulmonary diseases. Thus we know how frequently the sufferings of asthmatical patients are ameliorated or aggravated by various conditions of atmospheric pressure, how generally they are better when the barometer is high, and

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worse when it is low; what difficulty they often have of breathing in the rarefied atmosphere of mountainous countries, and how much better they are in low situations and near the sea, where the atmospheric pressure is greatest. Again, in the case of patients affected by tubercles in the lungs, we have reason to suppose that the good results attending Dr. Ramadge's peculiar mode of treatment by interrupted expiration through a small tube, may be in a great measure owing to the increased pressure exercised on the minute bronchial ramifications by means of the air thus forcibly retained in the lungs. Finally, our opinion of the good effects of the compressed air-bath is not derived solely from Dr. Bertin's testimony. Besides the allegations of the inventor, M. Tabarié, we have the evidence of Dr. Junod,* and of Dr. Pravaz,† the latter of whom relates the history of several cases of serious disease treated by himself successfully by means of the compressed air-bath.

Common Sense versus Homœopathy, by SAMUEL KNAGGS, M.R.C.S., L.A.C., &c. London-Churchill.

1855.

It has often been our lot to read stupid tirades against homœopathy, written by persons ignorant of the principles of the system they attacked; but this pamphlet beats all that we have ever seen for stupidity. From the title one would naturally expect the author's arguments to be the very quintessence of common sense, whereas the reader will discover only a caput mortuum of uncommon nonsense. We could almost have forgiven Mr. Knaggs had he given us any new and original nonsense, but no! his pamphlet is nothing but a—(rechauffé we were going to say, but that implies something warm, whereas Mr. Knaggs' hash is not warmed by the slightest sparkle of humour or the faintest glow of geniality)-repetition of all the stale fibs, and oft refuted objections of former writers against homœopathy.

Mr. Knaggs announces in his title page that he is the author of "The Plea of Insanity in Criminal Cases." If there be one

* Recherches sur les effets physiologiques et therapeutiques de la compression et de la rarification de l'air.—Arch. gen de med., t. ix, p. 159. 1835. + Bullet de l'acad. royale de med., t. vi, p. 224. 1840.

literary crime greater than another, we think it must be the republication of calumnies and arguments that have been thoroughly exposed and refuted, without an allusion even to their exposure and refutation. This crime Mr. Knaggs has committed on the most extensive scale; we trust he may be able to justify himself by "the plea of insanity." Would it be believed that this "common-sense" writer actually repeats as irrefragable facts, Dr. Glover's apocryphal story of wholesale homœopathic druggists supplying their customers with plain sugar-of-milk globules, labelled with the name of different medicines; Dr. Simpson's ingenious tale of Professor Henderson's conversion to homœopathy, by employing a box of globules that had previously been used as a plaything by Professor Simpson's child, and well mixed together by the infant obstetrician; Dr. Gardiner's imaginary description of Fleischmann's hospital, with its wonderfully salubrious situation, and its rich valetudinarians for patients, &c., &c. To Mr. Knaggs and such as he who seem to think themselves sagacious controversialists, when they only restate exploded calumnies and oftrepeated arguments, we would recommend a passage in Prince Albert's late speech at Birmingham: "Prejudice keeps stubbornly to its position, whether disproved or not, while science is an unarrestable movement towards the fountain of truth."

CLINICAL RECORD.

CASE, BY CHARLES C. TUCKEY, M.B., Canterbury.
Sarcomatous Tumour, reputed Malignant.

T. M., æt. 57 years, tall, spare, of bilious habit, consulted me on the 14th of last October, on account of a painful bleeding tumour growing from and covering his left cheek. The diseased mass looked exceedingly like "fungus hæmatodes," and I was at first inclined to set it down as a genuine case of that frightful and probably incurable malady. The tumour irregularly rounded in shape and lobular, of a purplish hue, with blood oozing from the greater part of its surface,

was attached to the cheek, which presented a lived colour for some extent, by a thick, short pedicle. Frequent lancinating pains, aggravated at night, were felt in the tumour and cheek; and he also complained of a numbing pain extending down his left side. I found, as may be supposed, this poor man's constitution seriously injured-his strength failing; appetite bad; tongue loaded; gastric uneasiness, with thirst; pulse quick and feeble; sleep much impaired. The account which he gave of himself was, that after having been cured by me of lumbago in the spring, he had nothing to complain of till about four months since, when he found a swelling the bulk of a walnut forming on his cheek, but that he did not give much attention to this till it burst, and a painful fungoid growth appeared.

Becoming alarmed, he now became an out-patient of the county hospital. He informed me, that a consultation was held there on his case, and the propriety of an operation discussed, but that the surgeons decided against it, as the disease was malignant and not likely to be extirpated by the knife. Not finding any improvement under hospital treatment, but becoming daily worse, he applied to me for relief. I felt I had got an exceedingly unpromising subject; and though my first impulse was to remove the diseased mass, prudence suggested that I should forbear, after the decided opinion to the contrary of experienced surgeons. I therefore contented myself with trying what might be effected by the appropriate homœopathic remedy, and applied emollient poultices to the tumour.

The medicine I selected was Arsenicum, and this I continued to administer in the 3rd and 4th dilutions for some weeks. The growth of the tumour certainly seemed arrested, and portions of it began to slough off; insomuch, that I had hope the entire might be got rid off in this way if his system could be kept up for a sufficient time. For this purpose I allowed stimulants, such as porter or wine daily, without which, indeed, he must have sunk. However, in spite of all care, the adverse symptoms progressed; frequent bleedings from the tumour occurred, and the irritability of his stomach was distressing. Finally, his strength, exhausted by hectic, loss of sleep, pain, hæmorrhage, and profuse fœtid discharges, failed so entirely, that he was confined to bed, and a few days more seemed likely to close the scene.

On the evening of December 29th, I was summoned in haste to his house, and found that the tumour had been partially torn by the awkwardness of an attendant, the result being an alarming hæmorr

hage. Under the circumstances I had no choice, and immediately applied a ligature, whilst I removed the diseased mass with a scalpel. This, on being divided, presented a fibrous and somewhat glandular structure, somewhat like the cineritious substance of the brain, but more firm. I got my patient rallied by administering wine, and applied bread poultices to the part, under which the ligature came away in a few days, and the wound presented a healthy granulating surface.

At this stage I had nearly lost him through obstruction of the lower bowels, which, however, I removed by Nux vomica and mechanical means. After this he revived rapidly to the astonishment of many, who had looked on him as moribund, the wound healing kindly, and all bad symptoms disappearing. He is now able to pursue his usual employment, and there is not the least indication of a return of the disease.

It becomes a question for consideration whether the constitutional treatment or the operation are entitled to the credit of a cure in this case. I believe it is due to both, and that either without the other would probably have failed to produce a permanent recovery; but "who shall decide when doctors disagree?"

CASE, BY DR. Fearon,

Shewing with how small an amount of Kidney life may be maintained.-Abscess of one Kidney, non-existence of the

other.

THE following case is very interesting, and is also calculated to be consoling to persons labouring under renal affections, from its shewing with how small a remnant of kidney it is possible for life to be maintained: The patient was of dark complexion and eyes, and apparently originally of a mixed bilious, nervous, lymphatic temperament, the bilious predominating; active, I believe, in mind, and fond of lively society, and up to a few weeks of her death accustomed to go about with as much energy as she had done for years. She had worn for some time a plaister down the spine, and had been in the habit of daily using cold spongings and the flesh-brush. The plaister had been ordered by the author of "The Fallacies of the Faculty," who had cautioned her against leaving it off, and it was apparently

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