possession of class-books, has published the present volume as a foundation for future lectures.

The author divides treatment into-1. Cura causalis, referring, not to what earlier writers designated causa proxima—the essence of the disease-but to the occasional or predisposing causes. 2. Cura radicalis, which may be based indifferently on theory and on experience, may be both Cura rationalis and empirica. 3. Cura symptomatica, palliativa: this is often as important as the foregoing; it is employed to remove dangerous or painful symptoms, and those conditions which might interfere with the efforts of nature; it is frequently adopted when we do not recognise the disease, but where active interference is nevertheless required. To these may be added two others—Prophylaxis, whose aim is to prevent the disease; and, lastly, which makes the malady or death easier to bear,-Eupathia and Euthanasia.

With reference to the treatment of the different diseases, the methods of cure may be divided into two classes, of which one has no subdivison, while the other has many subdivisons,-the expectant and the active.

Professor Bang calls especial attention, in limine, to the remarkable fact that

"Many a remedy, inactive in the dose hitherto recommended, becomes of great value when it is given in much larger doses; for example, in one which would prove fatal to a person in health, in whom its action must of course be different. We must not forget that the medicine, as an unusual stimulus, may, in a healthy person, produce an anomaly, a disease of greater or less gravity, while in a patient it loses its injurious action in the conflict with the disease; indeed, the fewer the symptoms are attending its administration in health, which manifest themselves on its employment in disease, the more the remedy is probably indicated. The large doses of opium, for example, and of mercury which a patient can bear without detriment, and seems to require, would, in a short time, kill or greatly injure a person in health."

The large doses of opium found beneficial in peritonitis from perforation, delirium tremens, &c., and the vast quantities of stimulants taken with advantage in certain morbid conditions, at once suggest themselves as familiar illustrations of the author's remarks.

Having made some observations upon the expectant, Professor Bang proceeds to consider the active method of treatment. This in general commences with the Cura causalis.

The cause having been removed, the direct means of cure come under consideration. These may be divided into two classes; one including those means which act upon the strength, the other comprising those which seem chiefly to have influence upon the material of the body.

Of these classes the former again includes remedies of two kinds :— 1, those which promote; and 2, those which diminish reaction.

The remedies belonging to the first of these subdivisions may be further divided into stimulants, tonics, and astringents. Those belonging to the second may be enumerated as sedatives, comprising refrigerants and antiphlogistics, anæsthetics, hypnotics, anodynes, antispasmodics, &c.

The remedies comprised in the second class-i.e. those which act upon the proper secreting and excreting organs, are considered under the heads of errhines, sialogogues, expectorants, emetics, cathartics, diuretics, diaphoretics, emmenagogues, derivants, escharotics, &c.

Of an elementary class-book, such as the above, a detailed analysis would of course here be quite out of place; we have therefore contented ourselves with endeavouring to give our readers a general idea of the arrangement of Dr. Bang's useful manual.

ART. XVI.-Proceedings of the International Temperance and Prohibition Convention, held in London, September 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 1862. Edited by Rev. J. C. STREET, Dr. F. R. LEES, and Rev. D. BURNS.-London, 1862. pp. 518.

ONE of the marked features of the present time is the great effort which is now in progress in the cause of temperance—an effort having its origin in the conviction of the vast evils produced by intemperance. Had we any doubts on this subject, the work the title of which we have given above would carry conviction to our minds that excess in intoxicating drinks is at the root of much of the poverty, much of the vice and crime of society in every country in which such drinks are abused; and that poverty, vice, and crime have ever been in a close relation, though not in any exact ratio, to the degree of the abuse.

The attempt to arrest the evil is meritorious, and has our very best wishes; and when we consider the scale on which it is made, the distinguished men by whom it is encouraged and aided, and the ability and energy displayed in carrying it out, we become very hopeful of a certain amount of success. The great object of the Convention, as put forth in its Proceedings and insisted on in various detail, is not only to put a stop to drunkenness, but to drinking; not to the abuse of intoxicating drinks, but to their use. Now, when we reflect on the history of these beverages, especially in those countries most advanced in civilization-measuring it by the intellectual and moral progress of the people, taken as a whole, we cannot be so sanguine as to expect that this its object will be accomplished; and, indeed, do not think, were it attainable, that it would be desirable.

What is there that is not liable to abuse? Intemperance in eating -gluttony-though not so injurious to society as the vice of drunkenness, is hardly less so to the individual who gives way to it. The golden rule of conduct is to be temperate in all things. This cannot be too strongly insisted on; and sure we are, that as it is an established and universally-admitted truth, in accordance with reason and the experience of every one, the inculcation of it would have full approval and encounter no opposition, such as the prohibitive system of the Convention has met with.

It is not our intention to notice entirely the "Proceedings" of the "Convention;" our remarks must be limited to but a few of them. The great subject of the work, the evils of intemperance, is discussed

in an almost exhaustive manner, under a variety of points of view, "Historical and Biographical," "Educational and Religious," "Social and Sanitary," "Economical and Statistical," "Political and Legislative." In each of these sections, much interesting and valuable information is given, accompanied by summaries, to aid those readers who may not have perseverance or patience enough to peruse the whole,

The scientific and medical section is that which has had most our attention. We cannot express approval of all therein stated, whether theoretically or practically considered. Alcohol is denounced as a poison throughout; nor is it allowed, like other poisons, to have any medicinal virtues; it is condemned without qualification, and pronounced to be worse than useless in medical practice. Mr. Higginbottom is especially severe on it. In one place he states:

"I have not known a single disease cured by alcohol. On the contrary, it is the most fertile producer of diseases, and may be truly considered the bane of medicine and the seed of diseases. It is entirely destitute of any medicinal principle implanted by the Creator in genuine medicines such as emetia (sic), in ipecacuanha; rhein, in rhubarb; jalapin, in jalap; quinine, in Peruvian bark, &c. Alcohol is the invention of man, in the forms we use it, by the destruction of the good food which God has given us."

Further on, he says:

"I have discovered a great truth and have made a great discovery-that alcohol in every form may be dispensed with in medical and surgical practice, and is not required in a single disorder or disease."

The italics are his. He adds:

"What evidence can be clearer or more satisfactory? My practice has been open to hourly inspection and observation for thirty years, in the centre of a large, populous town, surrounded by more than forty surgeons, most of them intelligent, discerning men. Surely some of them would have informed me of my insufficiency or mal-practice, had I been in error; but I have heard of no such remark from a single individual, although in daily communication with them." We shall not comment on this experience, or on the style in which it is expressed.

Professor John Kirk, Edinburgh (sic), is equally decided in his opposition to alcohol, and condemnatory of its use, even as a medicine. Here is an example of his style, experience, and reasoning. He

states:

"A case came lately under our observation. A man advanced in years, but originally of a strong constitution, was dying of pressure on the respiratory nerves, and had been for above a week in great suffering from difficulty of breathing. The heart's action had been irregular and weak all that time. The pulse such as seemed to threaten sudden death at any moment. This continued until mortification of the extremities had visibly set in. Then, without anything whatever having been administered, both his pulse and breathing became regular and comparatively strong. The heart and lungs seemed to recover nearly full and healthy action. This is no uncommon case, as every one at all acquainted with the experience of the dying must know. Nor do we think it difficult of explanation. But place it over against the recovery of pulse by the action of alcohol, and it will be very difficult to adhere to the idea that the liquor

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is a stimulant merely because its administration is followed by the same recovery of pulsation which is the effect of partial death of the animal frame." He further remarks:

"In those cases in which there is an apparent rally of the vital powers on the near approach of death, no explanation is required further than that which is found in all struggles in which a combatant feels relief and a partial recovery of vigour when he has given up the conflict. The heart and lungs have perhaps been for months labouring to keep up the vital circulation in defiance of growing obstacles in other parts of the frame of which they form so important a centre. The duty devolving on the circulating organs is almost all at once lessened in a very high degree by death at the members, and, consequently, the former feel relieved and rally, till the relentless agency of dissolution reaches their proper substance, and total death ensues. This would rather lead us to believe that partial and temporary suspension of life in the finer portions of the nervous system is the true effect of alcohol, and not stimulus. The analogy places the action of the liquor in the came category with death's power."

On such loose kind of writing and illogical reasoning we need not comment: we feel as if an apology were due to our readers for making the quotation; the place where we found it must be our excuse, and the title of its author. We regret that the cause of temperance should have been pleaded in this special, partial, and irrational manner; and that the Convocation has not found professional men of higher authority than those, the five in number, whose services it has engaged.

Granted that alcohol neither nourishes nor warms, neither administers to the formation of tissue nor to the production of animal heat, does it follow that it possesses no medicinal quality? The same question might be asked respecting calomel, corrosive sublimate, iodine, nitrate of silver, and other medicines innumerable, which, like alcohol, we owe to chemical science. We apprehend we might give offence to our readers were we to enter into any prolonged arguments on the subject, nor indeed is this the occasion for such a discussion. We prefer stating a case, one which came under our own observation, in which we were satisfied that recovery was due to wine. A robust man, labouring under severe remittent fever, had been copiously blooded; there was a daily aggravation of symptoms until he appeared to be moribund: so he was reported to us by two medical men who were attending him; they left him, they said, dying. We found him as they had described, hardly conscious, his pulse barely perceptible, his surface wet with cold sweat. Having some faith in wine as a stimulus, we had immediate recourse to it; with some difficulty we got him to swallow a teaspoonful of Madeira, and presently another and another, his pulse strengthening, the skin becoming warmer and drier; and before we left him all the worst symptoms had disappeared, and in less than a fortnight, without any reverse, he was convalescent.

That alcohol, like almost every other medicine, has been too often injudiciously prescribed we do not doubt; but it does not therefore follow that it can be of no use medicinally given, only noxious and poisonous. Extreme views are seldom correct, and one-sided views never. Throughout this book we are sorry to see too much of this

tendency, as if there were no other influences than intemperance conducing to vice and crime, to poverty and disease. Great and widely spread as are the evils resulting from drunkenness, there are others, from unchecked passions and abused instincts, as much to be deplored and even more degrading. The sobriety of a people affords no just and exact criterion of their morality. Of this, without referring to history, especially biblical history, have we not sufficient proof in the deterioration of races, which must impress every intelligent traveller who proceeds from the north to the south, from the west to the east? Is it not a fact that in those countries where wine is so little used, as in Turkey, Hindostan-in brief, in the whole of Asia-there the brutal passions are in the ascendancy, morality, especially amongst the Hindoos, is at a low ebb, and the higher faculties are but little cultivated? What would be the effect on our northern races of the total disuse of intoxicating drinks-drinks which from time immemorial they have been accustomed to-we cannot pretend to say, except to express our opinion that it would not be a pure good: probably opium would be more used and abused, and also tobacco, and gluttony amongst the well-to-do would be more prevalent. But that these drinks will be given up in toto, whatever eloquence is employed, whatever arguments are used, or that the legislature will ever assent to prohibit their use, seems to us the most chimerical of ideas.

Would that the Convention had mainly exerted itself to accomplish what we would hope is less impracticable-viz., the putting a stop, as much as possible, to the sale of ardent spirits of all denominations. It is the use and abuse of these—the use too often leading to the abusewhich does so much harm. In excess, they are the poisons productive so often of delirium tremens, and of insanity, and of chronic organic disease. Even drunkenness produced by wine and malt liquors, however much to be deprecated, is comparatively less injurious, whether we consider the immediate effect or its consequences.

We express our opinion in this decided manner respecting ardent spirits, believing as we do that if their sale be permitted, as at present, they will always be abused, the temptation to indulge in them is so strong. Could we think the danger less, we would say no interference would be necessary, inasmuch as even ardent spirits, if properly used, indulged in to no excess, may be safe, and, under certain circumstances, even beneficial.