for him to undertake the task without assistance. In his preface he

says:

"I was, therefore, glad to be able to commit the work of revision to my friend, and former pupil, Mr. Turner, whom I know to be not only very conversant with the progress of medical science, but able to test others' observations by his own. It is not for me to say how well he has done the work, for I have so worked with him as to be equally with him responsible.”

In comparing the old and the new edition, we find that the general arrangement of the work is much the same as before. Indeed, the only change that we have observed in this respect is, that the "recurrent tumours," including the "fibroïd" and "fibro-nucleated," have been classed after instead of before the myeloid, osseous, glandular, and erectile tumours, so that they now stand immediately before the cancers, and form the link between the (so-called) benign and malignant growths. In consequence of this alteration, the early part of the chapter on recurrent tumours has been re-written.

The minor changes that have been made are more numerous. Every page, almost every paragraph, bespeaks the careful revision which the whole work has undergone. Here and there a sentence has been added, and here and there one has been omitted. Anything which seemed superfluous has been left out, while some subjects have been made clearer by a little further explanation. In some instances, the history of patients has been brought down to a recent date; and the author has given us the benefit of his enlarged experience by introducing new cases, and by adding to the numbers used in the statistical tables, on which some of his conclusions are founded. In a few instances, the terms employed have been altered in conformity with the scientific language of the day. For example, instead of "cellular tissue," we read now "connective tissue;" and instead of "elastic tissue," we read "the elastic form of connective tissue."

But it is in the notes that we find the most valuable additions have been made. Many fresh authorities have been quoted; and the most recent professional literature has been laid under contribution. A number of new references have been added, and among these we notice many to the Edinburgh medical journals, and to the museum of the Edinburgh University, which will perhaps have the advantage of making the lectures both more interesting and more useful to our brethren north of the Tweed. Besides this, several of the questions which now occupy the attention of physiologists and pathologists— such as the development of connective tissue, amyloid degeneration, wasting palsy, &c., are discussed at length; and the views of Virchow, Rokitansky, and other distinguished foreigners, considered and criticized.

If we are not mistaken, the author's hand may be traced in the revision of the text; while the editor's labours have been chiefly confined to the notes. Mr. Paget needs no praise from us; his merits are recognised by the whole profession. To Mr. Turner we can offer no higher compliment than to say that the editor of the volume before us appears to be well worthy of the author.

In the present edition, the work has beeu printed in smaller type, and compressed into one volume; and though it may not be so agreeable or convenient to read as in its original form, it has the advantage of being less expensive-an advantage not to be overlooked in these days of cheap literature.

ART. II. On the Origin of Vaccine Inoculation. By EDWARD JENNER, M.D., F.R.S., &c.-London, 1801; reprinted, London, 1863.

pp. 8.

Mr. J. BRENDON CURGENVEN has, by the opportune republication of this tract, brought us, as it were, face to face with the illustrious Jenner, that we may receive from him a mild, but only too wellmerited rebuke, for the want of care that we, his successors, have given to the performance of vaccination. Had the cautions of the immortal discoverer been borne in mind by past and present generations of vaccinators, we should not have needed Mr. Curgenven's reminder, nor should we have witnessed what we have witnessed in this metropolis within the last twelve months-a panic of small-pox, and cries for admission into the Small.pox Hospital beyond its capability to meet. It would not have happened that nearly as many cases were admitted into that institution within six months as have ever been admitted in any previous twelve months since its establishment. In the year

1859, 1185 cases were admitted, and in the first half of this year the admissions were 838. It would not have been known that parishes in all directions should have been bewildered to know what to do with their small-pox cases! Neither should we from time to time have heard of fearful outbreaks of small-pox ravaging English towns and rural districts.

With the sons of Jacob, we must confess "we are verily guilty concerning our brother. . . . therefore hath this distress come upon us.' It cannot be concealed that we have been too often careless in the manner of doing this small, but certainly not trifling, operation. Contenting ourselves with having inserted the lymph from a vaccine vesicle into an arm, the bare fact has been let pass for a complete protection against small-pox, while due care has not been had that the lymph has been taken from a vesicle of proper age, size, &c., and that it has gone through its own proper course; and so it has happened that in after life the supposed protection has failed, not only to preserve the skin, but also to save lives, fearfully swelling the amount of human misery, and adding to the number of our pauper people.

It cannot be unprofitable to reflect upon the words of the wise, and to learn from their experience; let us, therefore, compare the history of the errors and wrong inferences that attended the origin of vaccine inoculation, as related by Jenner himself, with what we may daily see for ourselves :

"In the course of the investigation of this subject, which, like all others of a complex and intricate nature, presented many difficulties, I found that some

of those who seemed to have undergone the cow-pox, nevertheless, on inoculation with the small-pox, felt its influence just the same as if no disease had been communicated to them by the cow. This occurrence led me to inquire among the medical practitioners in the country around me, who all agreed in this sentiment, that the cow-pox was not to be relied upon as a certain preventive of the small-pox. This for a while damped, but did not extinguish, my ardour; for as I proceeded, I had the satisfaction to learn that the cow was subject to some varieties of spontaneous eruptions upon her teats; that they were all capable of communicating sores to the hands of the milkers; and that whatever sore was derived from the animal was called in the dairy the cow-pox. Thus I surmounted a great obstacle, and, in consequence, was led to form a distinction between these diseases, one of which only I have denominated the true, the others the spurious cow-pox, as they (the latter) possess no specific power over the constitution."

Do we not daily witness the failures thus graphically depicted by Jenner? We can picture to ourselves the patient labour with which the pupil of John Hunter and the never-flagging student of nature, quietly, and amid professional work, pursued in Berkeley meadows those researches, seemingly insignificant, but teeming with incalculable blessings to humanity, by which he "surmounted a great obstacle." Here was no inspiration of genius, but a simple fact followed up, and as a life-work industriously reasoned out-an induction traced to its legitimate results, until confirmed beyond doubt, if not beyond cavil. Interesting, indeed, beyond the ordinary interest that invests the pregnant hints of brilliant discoveries has become the apparently simple incident occurring to the apothecary's apprentice of Sodbury, thus simply told by Dr. Barron, in his "Life of Jenner:"

"A young country woman came to seek advice; the subject of small-pox was mentioned in her presence; she immediately observed, I cannot take that disease, for I have had cow-pox!' This incident riveted the attention of Jenner. It was the first time that the popular notion, which was not at all uncommon in the district, had been brought home to him with force and influence. Most happily, the impression which was then made was never effaced. Young as he was, and insufficiently acquainted with any of the laws of physi ology or pathology, he dwelt with deep interest on the communication which had been casually made known to him by a peasant, and partly foresaw the vast consequences which were involved in so remarkable a phenomenon."

Through observations, experiments, examinations-through evil report and through good report-he judiciously, perseveringly, and successfully fulfilled his early resolution to let no opportunity escape of acquiring knowledge on so important a subject; and we his descendants may reap a full harvest from his labours, if we will but follow in his footsteps, and, like him, feel the full sense of our responsibility as standing between the living and the dead.

A homely illustration of the vast importance of care in the selection of vesicles whence to vaccinate, and of the character of the disease, as well as of the individual constitution of the vaccinifer, may be gathered from another "obstacle" which Jenner's industry surmounted:

1 Vol. i. p. 121.

"It became evident that a person might milk a cow one day, and, having caught the disease, be for ever secure; while another person, milking the same cow the next day, might feel the influence of the virus in such a way as to produce a sore or sores, and in consequence of this might experience an indisposition to a considerable extent; yet, the specific quality being lost, the constitution would receive no peculiar impression.'

"

The disregard of the progressive changes which the vaccine virus undergoes has, doubtless, been the chief among other causes of the many failures in the protective power of vaccination. We cannot,

therefore, but protest against the practice of using lymph for vaccination, that has been taken without due attention to the character and age of the vesicle. We have known it to have been taken as early as the fifth day, and as late as the eleventh day, from the same arm! Can other than failure, with its attendant bitter disappointment and unavailing regrets in after life, be looked for from such violations of the instructions laid down by Jenner? Were those instructions followed more generally, and were the example of him who enjoined them more closely imitated as to the investigation of all the phenomena attendant on vaccination, no human voice would be heard to gainsay Jenner's proposition-"It now becomes too manifest to admit of contradiction, that the ANNIHILATION OF THE SMALL-POX, the most dreadful scourge of the human species, MUST BE THE FINAL RESULT OF THE PRACTICE. We have emphatically marked these few last words of Jenner's tract, to indicate our adhesion thereto, and by implication, therefore, to cast a deliberate censure upon all who, wittingly or unwittingly, hinder the bringing about a "consummation so devoutly to be wished," and who have consequently involved us in the disgraceful stigma that, of all civilized nations, that which owns Jenner is the worst vaccinated of all nations!!

ART. III.-On the Question, Is Oxide of Arsenic, long used in a very small quantity, injurious to Man? By JOHN DAVY, M.D. (Reprinted from the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal,' July, 1863.)

DR. DAVY has visited the Whitbeck stream, near Whitehaven, has inspected the vegetation, and has carefully investigated the conditions of animal life on its banks, without finding any ill effects traceable to the arsenic contained in the water of this stream, which, issuing from the Black Combe mountain, flows over arsenical pyrites existing among the minerals abounding in the hill-side. The question Dr. Davy proposes is answered in the negative-a result which need excite little wonder when the author informs us that, from many analyses, he finds the quantity of arsenic contained in a pint of the water to be 008 of a grain !

66-XXXIII.

•10

ART. IV. On the Investigation of Instinctive Movements.

By

WILLIAM MURRAY, M.D., &c. (Read at the Physiological Section, British Association, 1863.) pp. 13.

THIS is an ingenious attempt to account for instincts by resolving all instinctive actions into volitional, emotional, and nervous actions, with a source in special nervous centres. The author holds as a principle that life is not an entity, but the result of physical and chemical forces only.

Further, he holds, as regards instinctive movements, that those of lower animals do not differ from those of man in kind, but in degree. At the same time, he allows that "in man the volitional, as representing reason, abstract deduction and experience, is immensely superior to the others."

He asks the question-" Is there in animals an intelligence?" And answers it" We strongly incline to the belief that there is, and that it varies in its power with the kind of animal, and manifests its existence by the extent to which it controls the emotional, or purely instinctive part of his actions." We take it for granted that he considers vital force the correlative of the other forces.

ART. V.-On Human Entozoa: comprising the description of the dif ferent Species of Worms found in the Intestines and other parts of the Human Body, and the Pathology and Treatment of the various Affections produced by their presence. By WILLIAM ABBOTTS SMITH, M.D., M.R.C.P. Lond.-London, 1863. pp. 251.

WE learn from the preface to this work, that its author, in the arrangements of his materials, has followed the plan adopted by Dr. Davaine, in his more extensive treatise on the same subjects, and that much of the information he offers is derived from the same source, of which the numerous quotations afford ample proof. But as Dr. Abbotts Smith's acknowledgments are commensurate and well expressed, this indebtedness no wise detracts from his credit, and we are sure that it enhances much the value of the book.

The subject-entozoa-we need hardly say, has its special interests; how remarkable that there should be animals, and these so numerous, the choice, and indeed the only habitats of which are the organs of other animals, higher in the scale of organization; how remarkable further, the many kinds of these parasites, including in their number some of the lowest forms of life, such as the microscopic protozoa, the vibriones and bacteria, with others as conspicuous for their magnitude and welldefined structure, such as the tenia and many of the nematoïdea; and further still, how remarkable are they for the mystery in which their origin is enveloped, and for the metamorphoses and changes of abode to which they are subject.

If interesting zoologically considered, how much more so are they in relation to pathology in the maladies they occasion, and these in no