were such as to prevent evaporation, or year; whereas, in England, it is two there is still that state of things that or three inches; and there a variation may be unfavourable to the bealthy con- takes place on a slight change of wea. dition of the body, wbich, according as ther. We can find no connexion with the sweat becomes abundant, it spreads any change in this condition of the over the body, and forms an external atmosphere, and the occurrence of ophlayer, which, intercepting the contact thalmia. of'air with the skin, prevents evaporation On the quantity of rain. We have from the body,and admits that only which other means than the number of rainy takes place at the expense of the layer days to ascertain the quantity of rain of sweat always supplied by transuda- that falls in the year. It will be seen tion. However, we can perceive that from the tables that, ou the average of during this wind, admitting the humidity three years and a ball, the greatest num. of the air then, a sudden refrigeration ber of rainy days occurred in the months may be produced when the wind rises of January, February, March, April, Ocand sun sets, or when the thermometer tober, November, and December ; and falls, constitusing a damp cold ; to the the least in June, July, and August. In extent as to diminish the perspiration the two former of these last named by transudation, we cannot establish *. months, as indicated by the tables, oph Seeing that we cannot satisfactorily thalmia does not appear to bave prevailed prove any sudden derangement in the much, but in the latter it begius to show function of perspiration, by influence of its ravages with some influence, and conthe physical agents, we should rather tinues its effects with greater vehemence say, therefore, that, when the circum. during the next month, September, when stance is favoured, after exposure to but little rain falls. From this state of relative cold and moisture of the night, events a new agent incidentally presents especially during sleep, when the power itself, viz. the minute particles of dust of generating heat is least strong, and that are blown thickly through the air that, upon the re-establishment of the during the summer months, when, as we inactive circulation in the capillaries, bave before observed, the westerly and the vessels of the conjunctiva may un- northerly winds blow occasionally with dergo some comparative increase of in- great force. From the want of rain to jection in its vessels as to amount to the keep down this dust, it may be presumed proximate cause of ophthalmia ; and thai it comes into operation as a mechamore especially when the westerly and nical agent in producing the disease. northerly winds prevail, which they do Although the circumstances of the occuras well in summer as winter: it blows rence of ophthalmia, and the blowing frequently a very strong breeze, which, about of this dust, do not always corcoining in a continued stream, may respond, which goes only to strengthen affect the eye in nearly a similar man. the opinion, which we shall more partiner; by irritating the conjunctiva, in- cularly notice in our concluding remarks, crease the circulation of," distend its that ophthalnia inasmuch as we adopt vessels, and produce a catarrb thereof. this as a plausible but not exclusive cause On the indications of the Barometer. of the same) is not propagated so much - It seems, by the tables, that more by the endemic influence which origichanges take place in the elasticity and nally produces it, as it is by other means. excitement of the almosphere in the Night dew's have been mentioned as a winter and spring months, and that it frequent cause of ophthalmia. As no preserves a comparative uniformity of dew is ever found on the body, by reason pressure during the rest of the year. of its high internal temperature, it is In no instance does the difference probable ibat this notion has continued amount to one inch either in the month to be entertained by authors, as handed down to them by writers of old, who • We must explain that, although the calorific function is intimately connected with the vilas supposed dew to fall, and to act; which process of pers iration, and that the effect of it would, if it fell, as a refrigerating agent. cold may be to benumb the function of regerera. May not such radiation of heat take tion of heat, it is not supposed that perspiration: place from the surface of our bodies, and taking both the physical and vital rocesser connectedly, suffer any obstruction ; for if the one is especially from those parts uncovered, arrested, it will be observed that there is scarcely such as the face, during the starry and any possible case when the other is not increased, and so u due balance preserved ; and therefore moon-light nights, with a cloudless sky, ophthalmia is not likely to be the cffect of 0... as to produce an injurious refrigeration ? structed perspiration. as On the influence of the sciroc wind.- its powers more generally ; in fact, that The scirocco, or south-east winds, it will it is propagated by contagion. In favour be seen, prevail mostly in the spring, of this argument many facts may be adautumn, and winter; but most constantly duced. In different regiments, stationed in the autumn, and the beginning of here from time to time, it was observed winter: occurring, however, more or less to become epidemic amongst the men, througbout the year. Dr. Hennen con- and to continue so for an indefinite pesidered these winds" one of the riod, without reference to the seasons, causes of the frequency of ophthalmia,” but with, it is said, some diminished and “ that they operated most powerfully vehemence of character; while no such in the production of relapses.” Besides phenomena were observed among the predisposing the body to take on, in con- other regiments at the same time in the nection with and when exposed to ex• same garrison. The propagation of ophciting causes, this action in the eye, we thalmia by actual contact, and by its have seen that an injurious refrigeration miasma floating in the air, is peculiarly may take place wben the thermometer favoured in a community like a regiment, falls, which, however, is not often the where the men are necessarily obliged case when this wind prevails. As their to live in crowded rooms, furnished prevalence does not always coincide with with articles fabricated from wool, and ibe presence of this evidence, or is it supplied at best with but confined masses greatest when they prevail the most, it of atmospheric air, both wbich are known would thus appear to want that universal to retain such poison long. Considering influence, and which we should expect the long time the men are confined to to be exerted more generally, and affect their barrack-rooms, often constructed in all classes, which it does not appear to bomb-proof buildings not permitting the do. The wind is hot and moist, and its advantages of ventilation, it is but a na. physical action on the surface of our bo- tural consequence that such a disease dies would probably be the same as mois. should spread so widely, without proper ture, and a high external temperature segregation and strict medical police, (which more generally prevails than cold which alone will arrest the progress of when these winds blow) at all times. It it, when it once attacks a body of men has also a decidedly depressing influence, like a regiment of soldiers. probably by the sweat, supplied so freely A native practitioner, belonging to a by transudation at tbis time, intercepting public institution, tells me, that when the contact of air with the skin, and pre. ophthalmia occurs in one member of a veuting the vivifying influence of evapo. family, it is frequently observed to extend ration from the body; rendering it less itself to the oihers; in wbich, be supfortified against the cause of the disease poses, it is favoured by the careless and • too. filthy habits the native poor are prone to: Having thus shown how far these se- and its appearance and great prevalence veral agents may probably operate, and in children, and its limitation so much to failed to establish any facts further than the poor and military population, would wbat is already known, and as we can incline to the conclusion, that it was protrace no decided connection between any pagated by contagion, wbatever its mode particular constitution of the atmosphere of operation. The circumstance of its and the co-existence of ophthalmia, we occurring so much in children of a very must then look what other causes there tender age, likewise leads us to doubt that may be: for example, we must observe night air bas much to do with its prowhether there is any peculiar habit duction, as we should scarcely expect among the people, or whether they are that they would be much, or at all, exexposed to any particular mechanical or posed in that way. other cause, which may originally pro- In our own corps we had, last year, duce the disease, but which may be pro- the opportunity of observing, that the pagated by another. disease commenced among the children, In the history of the disease, certain extended itself to the women, then the phenomena present themselves which married men, and, lastly, the single men strongly incline us to consider that it is of the regiment. In giving this course propagated by some other cause than a of the disease, we do not mean to assert universal endemic influence, if we may so that it preserved it so true as to be withexpress ourselves, which should exercise out exception to this order of succession ; a 1 hut it certainly preserved this order as to Table, showing the Admissions for the last be very conspicuous. Six Months in each Year among the The history of the disease affords evi. Troops. dence likewise that the preponderance of 1836. 1837. 1838. 1839. July.... 15 11 cases were in females, and it is presumed 9 August... ..... 14 1 22 11 to be so in children; which may be ac September... 9 1 25 14 counted for by its spreading by contagion October, 9 2 29 24 by reason of the close intercourse exist. November ... 5 7 16 10 ing between them. December ... Il 7 25 6 The ancient custom of treading out Total.... 63 19 128 74 corn with cattle, still in use in this island, and winnowing in the open air, whereby The cases in the tables were nearly all the broken busks get into the eye, have acute. Indeed, there are scarcely any been mentioned to me as accidental me chronic; all those that were written so chanical causes of opbthalmia among the in the books were copied into our tables, peasants. and mixed up with the rest. No cases These incidents may, then, throw some of palpebral ophthalmia were entered doubt upon what is the exact period of into the tables. prevalence, depending on periodical and We consider the tables showing the endemic influence, of the disease; and admissions among the civil population renders it more difficult to determine this but an uncertain test of the ratio of preperiod, and consequently the cause of the valence of the disease in the population, disease. which amounts to 30,000 in Valetta, and We may incidentally mention, that that of Malta, exclusive of Gozo, to the character of the disease is conjuncti- 120,000; as, of course, there are many val inflammation, with muco-purulent who never seek relief at all for the secretion, attended with a sensation of disease: therefore all the cases that occur roughness of conjunctiva, with circum- do not come to the knowledge of the sur. orbital and supraorbital pains, as well as geon, much less registered in public dopain in the ball of the eye; becomes oc- cuments. But we may fairly presume it casionally deeper seated, and involves to be so; as, according to the common tbe iris and sclerotica. It is much mo- course of things, the greater number dified at times, without any apparent would seek relief when the disease was reason; being much less violent one most prevalent. year than another, and much less preva It is among the military population, lent also. It is remarkable, that, in the which on an average amounis to 2,500 year 1837, as is shown in the table below, men, among whom every case that hapboth the troops and natives were more pens is registered, that we must look for exempt from it than usual. It will be a more correct standard of prevalence ; recollected, that this was the year the which we see fairly corresponds with cholera prevailed in Malta. This inci. that, whatever its correctness, among the dent must be considered, as has been ob- civil population. served both by ancients and moderns, The following Table gives the ratio per 1000 that“ while the tyrant disease prevailed among the 'Troops : it usurped complete dominion, and suf- Ratio per 1836. 1837. 1839. 1839. fered no other disease to appear of an 1000... 25 20$ 683 epidemic character." 683 The admissions in 1836 are only for PRESENCE OF FREE MURIATIC ACID IN THE STOMACH, 66 64 During Digestion. By ROBERT Dundas THOMSON, M.D. 40 63 Physician to the Blenheim Strect Free DispegDecember 28 13 41 33 sary and lofirmary. ON THE PROOFS OF THB Total.... 171 87 380 415 'This constituted the substance of a communication made by the author to the chemical section of the British As- muriatic acid are disengaged, and carbosociation for the Advancement of Sci- nate of soda, in a proportion relative to ence, at Birmingham, in August last. the quantity of muriatic acid evolved, The object which the author bad in remains behind. Tartaric acid also view in this paper, was to shew that the gives origin to a similar decomposition : modes bitherto adopted of determining with citric acid, copious fumes are disthe quantity of free acid were liable to engaged, possessing all the characters objection, from the circumstance that a of muriatic acid gas, and leaving a resimaterial action in the process adopted duum of a black colour, which effer. takes place, of which he has been the first vesces strongly with dilute acids. to point out the source. It is possible even Many other substances exhibited simi. that the facts he has ascertained may in- lar phenomena when exposed to the same validate altogether the experiments from action in contact with common salt. which the inference has been drawn, Saliva appeared to produce some evoluthat free muriatic acid exists in the slo- tion. But with animal substances, the mach. The method which Dr. Prout, fumes of decomposed matter are so dense and Tiedemann and Gmelin adopted, and carbonaceous, that the determinafor ascertaining the quantity of free tion of the point is involved in much acid, was to filter the contents of that difficulty. Ii is quite obvious, however, viscus—to precipitate a portion of the that the presence of vegetable matter in Apd which passed through the filter, the stomach cannot fail to interfere with by means of nitrate of silver. This the determination of the amount of free afforded an index of the total quantity of acid in the stomach, according to the chlorine, both free and united. A process bitherto adopted, if it does not second portion of Auid was then taken, prove altogether erroneous. and beated to redness. The residue There is still another objection to the was dissolved in distilled water, and experiments of Prout-viz. that nitrate precipitated also with nitrate of silver. of silver will throw down some animal The difference between the quantities of matter from the filtered contents of the chlorine contained in these iwo precipi. stomach, which will certainly interfere tates of the silver salt was taken as indi- with the true weight of the chlorine decaling the amount of free acid existing duced from the precipitation of the sil. in the fluid contents. Now tbis mode ver salt. of determining the question in view The probable deduction from these appears to be correct, if it were not experiments would appear to agree with Jiable to one objection-viz. may not the results of the researches of Schultz, the loss be occasioned by the decompo- who asserts that there is no other acid sition of the common salt during the in the stomach, existing in a free state, process of ignition? It is well known except lactic acid. For the presence of ibat common salt, when exposed to a this acid, the recent experiments of strong heat, sublimes. It is also known Fremy seem to afford an explanation. that when steam is passed slowly over He has found that the internal memcommon salt in a state of ignition, brane of the stomach of the calf is camuriatic acid fumes are disengaged. pable of transforming any aqueous soFurther, it has been ascertained, that if lution of sugar into lactic acid. Gay anhydrous sulphuric acid be heated in Lussac, however, is not of opinion that contact with common salt, a portion of this change is an organic one, since it the sulphuric acid is deoxydized, and is possible that the transformation may gives origin to sulpburous acid ; the free be due to an action purely chemical be. oxygen passes to the sodium, and forms tween the saccharine and organic matsoda, while the chlorine and sulphu- ter. Indeed we know several instances rous acid are disengaged ; the remaining in which lactic acid is produced by the ! sulphuric acid, combining with the soda, contact of animal with vegetable subgives orign to Glauber salt. stances. It is not so easy to account for Dr. Thomson bas pursued the inves, the produetion of free muriatic acid in tigation of these decompositions, and the healthy state, although there is has ascertained, that when oxalic acid is strong evidence of its being secreted on beated in contact with common salt, mucous membranes in the inflammatory even at a temperature much below ig- state of these textures, as has been nition, a very considerable decomposition shewn by the author. The investigais the consequence; copious sümes of tion of this subject is pregnant with the to ON SOME OY THE CHANGES WHICH ARE PRODUCED IN OF THE highest interest to science, since it must to the original point of their departure, be obvious to the most superficial ob. and thus to bring, as it were, the whole server, that the solution of the grand power of our therapeutical means question of the nature of the process of bear upon the primitive source of the digestion can alone afford the key to the disorder, to effect the cure of which nature of most of the diseases to which constitutes the principal aim of our the buman body is subject. labours. When we consider, indeed, even though it be for a single moment, how OBSERVATIONS difficult it frequently proves to be for the best educated and most experienced of the members of our profession to recognise, with certainty and exactness, structural disorder while it is as yet in INFERIOR PART OF THE ABDO. its commencement, and wben the disMINAL PARIETES, tinctive characteristics of the disease are By Inguinal and Femoral Hernia *. but faintly expressed, on account of the By Thomas Morton, Esq. little progress that the morbid action has made; and if, moreover, we add to Formerly one of the House Surgeons of Univer- this consideration another, viz., that it sity College. is principally in the earlier stages of structural alteration that we are able to Tuat an accurate and minute acquaint- entertain the most sanguine expectaance with the anatomy of the numerous tions of a beneficial result to be obiained and varied structures which compose from the judicious administration of such the human body, in their normal and remedies as the history of our art places healthy condition, is essentially requisite within our reach, it must be allowed to the perfect education of every mem. that there exist well-grounded molives ber of the medical profession-no matter which ought to be regarded as suffiwbat particular department of the scie ciently strong to impel us to pursue, ence be may afterwards select as the with ardour and perseverance, that principal object towards which he shall course which a firm conviction of the iurn bis attention, or to the practice of truth of the precept above referred to which he may propose to confine bim- would incline us to adopt. self-I believe no one will be inclined to It cannot, then, be disputed that he deny, since we have the authority of who has neglected to obtain a correct the most eminent and distinguished pro- knowledge of anatomy deserves to be fessors of the art, in every age and estimated as one who is, in no small decountry, united upon this question, and gree, unfitted for and incapable of enall bearing their strongest and most un- gaging in the practice of our profession; reserved testimony to the truth and cor. and, although it may be urged in favour rectness of this opinion. Many, indeed, of the opposite opinion that many in. go still farther, and endeavour to show, stances can be adduced of men, the and not without strong reason too, most ignorant of anatomy, succeeding that the greater number of the most in the lucrative exercise of their profes. striking, and valuable improvements sion, yet, when we institute more closely which, in modern times, have been in an examination into the history of their troduced into the practice of our art, success, we shall almost invariably have followed, as the certain result, a be able to show that the individuals in more careful and correct inquiry into the question have been successful oply from anatomy of the human frame than had a combination of fortuitous circumbeen previously insisted upon; and that stances, and not from any real and init is by establishing strict comparisons trinsic merits of their own; that they between the bealthy condition of the have frequently obtained credit when various parts of the body and the changes they ought to have been disgraced, and, of form and structure which have been that were we to strike a balance beinduced in them by disease, that we tween the number of cases in which have been enabled to trace back the they have either done nothing at all, successive steps of the morbid alterations when much good might have been * Read before the Medical Society of Univer. effected by one more competent than sity College, London, themselves, or, where they bave been |