horses, and carry upon their backs men who never of medicine are commencing their annual course of have allowed merit to be the pass-word to the seats of lectures nearly at the same time, it is quite impossible honor, and a professor's choice is considered to be one, to keep pace with their opening ceremonies for the why no one has a right to complain when they tamely submit to their fate. season. Possibly, in the course of human events, the people Although furnished last week with a synopsis of the may look into the organization of the medical schools, salutatory exercises of this college, the accumulations as they do into other institutions for instruction. There of manuscript of all sorts and kinds, partly in type on would be a stampede, directly, were legislative inquir- the form, it was crowded out. ies instituted occasionally for the purpose of ascertaining how some of the faculty were planted in their comfortable places, especially if it were decreed that those only who sustained themselves meritoriously by the ordeal of public concours, could be confirmed in the possession of their chairs. UNRESTRAINED SALE OF POISONS.-Horrible crimes are continually being perpetrated in the United States by strychnine, arsenic, prussic acid, and other poisons which are on sale at all the drug stores; and whoever calls for either, as a general thing, obtains the article he asks for, without being very minutely questioned. This is doing the whole community a great wrong. It is putting it within the power of a wicked wretch to murder any man, woman or child against whom he has a grudge, by the most subtle of all lifedestroying agents known to science. There should be immediate legislation upon this important subject. Dreadful, indeed, have been the developments in England, of late, in regard to the criminal use of strychnine; and if it has not already come to light here that the same means have been employed with murderous designs, every individual is equally exposed to the dark, insidious approach of those who have no fear of God before their eyes. An attempt was made in the Legislature of Massachusetts in the session of 1848, for the enactment of a law to oblige druggists and apothecaries to register the names of all persons to whom poisons were sold, their places of residence, and the intended use of them. If the applicants were unknown to them, unless a certificate of some well known, responsible citizen accompanied the application, the poison should be withheld. Singular as it may appear, this very proper, and certainly judicious precaution, was made unpopular in the House, and voted down. Wiser action, it is to be hoped, will characterize the doings of a future Legislature, since the danger is becoming more imminent from an increase of crime, and the impunity with which it is perpetrated. Druggists themselves, we doubt not, for their own protection, would prefer to be licensed by the civil authorities to sell these terrible poisons. That it is an old institution, there is no room for doubt, on recollecting that this is the commencement of its fifty-first session. Any thing is old that has stood the friction of half a century in the United States, and quite venerable in the estimation of antiquarians. All the preliminary exercises were excellent. Ladies graced the occasion, as they always should, and at the fitting stage, the President proclaimed that the following gentlemen had been admitted to the degree of M. D., viz. : James Morrill Allen, Jr., A. B., of Brooklyn, N. Y. . Cornelius Van Allen Anderson, A. M., of NewYork City. George Martin Bates, of Sandwich Islands. John James Campbell, of Brooklyn, N. Y. Robert Charles McEwen, A. B., of Connecticut. Prof. Gilman delivered an introductory discourse, abounding in fine thoughts and terse sayings, which was received by a discriminating audience with manifest satisfaction. Hoping for an opportunity to publish in full, the whole lecture, hereafter, we refrain from an attempt to do him that justice at present, which is due to real medico-literary merit. MARRIAGES. Nicholas Francis Cook, M. D., of Chicago, Illinois, to Miss Laura Abbott, of Warren, R. I. Joel Seaverns, West Roxbury, Mass., to Miss J. W. Swan. Dr. A. B. Whiting, of New York, to Miss M. A. Church, of Fort Hamilton. I. Howard, Jr., Esq., of New York, to Miss A. S. daughter of Samuel Gregg, M. D., of Boston. Dr. J. M. Rhodes, of Ontanagon, Lake Superior, to Miss L. M. Sprague, of Boston. In Brooklyn, N. Y., James R. Greacen, M. D., to Miss H. A. Hertzel. A. B. Whiting, M. D., of New York, to Miss M. A. Church. John F. Brinton, Esq., of Philadelphia, to Miss A., daughter of the late Dr. Amos Binney, of Boston. In Boston, G. G. Hammond, to Miss E. C., daughter of Dr. Charles Miflin. NEW-YORK COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS. Among the prominent leading medical institutions of the country, the reputation of this school of science has maintained a high reputation, and it will exercise an influence while the regents fill its Dr. I. T. Talbot, of Boston, to Miss E. F. Fairchairs with men instead of manikins. So many schools banks. THE MEDICAL WORLD. VOLUME I. NOVEMBER 12, 1856. NUMBER 7. RESOURCES OF NATURE IN SAV. however, on probing the wound, I felt what I ING LIFE. first thought was the edge of the scapula, but, on more minute examination, something black Surgeons, in the course of their practice, and shining was seen in the wound. On the are occasionally called upon to extract articles 24th, it being evident that there was some of a very extraordinary nature, from the hu- foreign body in the wound, the opening was man body. Needles and pins, for instance, enlarged directly upwards, and a piece of are often inadvertently swallowed, and go into steel about the thickness of a common ramrod, the stomach, from which they perhaps work presented itself, but resisted strongly any their way to the surface of the body, and are efforts to extract it. Being unwilling to put extracted by surgical aid. Sharp or pointed him to further pain, while there was a chance pieces of bone, which have been swallowed in of its coming away by poulticing, and pulling eating, are known to have been obtruded it with the forceps daily, this gentler course through the body in the same manner. Na was agreed on in preference to making a ture, it is well known, is most energetic in its further enlargement of the wound. Being struggles to expel foreign substances from the questioned as to the nature of the piece of steel, body; and if it fails in this its first object, it he expressed himself as much astonished as we generally adopts the next best course-en- were at its presence, and said he should not deavors to seclude the substance by surround- have known it if we had not told him, and he ing it with a sack: thus, if possible, keeping it had not felt pain from our pulling it with the from doing harm to the system. Every effort, forceps. He had never been in action, having however, which nature makes, is frequently been only two years in the king's service, nor baffled, and art has to be employed to relieve did he recollect having received any wound by the sufferer. which anything of the kind could have been One of the most remarkable instances of introduced. About two inches below the the extraction of a foreign substance from the opening made on the 19th, we observed a body, which ever came within our knowledge, small white speck, or mark, rather resembling was published in the Lancet, (Dec. 2, 1837.) the mark left many years after vaccination, It is the narration of a case in which a steel than a cicatrix of a wound. This was the only table fork was extracted from the back of a vestige of anything like a wound that we common seaman: and being written by the could detect in his back. gentleman who operated-Dr. David Burnes, of 4 Vernon Place, Bloomsbury Square, London-is worthy of all credence. We take the liberty of laying it before our readers. July 2.-The poulticing has been continued, and there is now a free discharge from the wound; the steel has been pulled daily by the forceps, and admits now of further motion, es"Robert Syms, aged twenty-three, was pecially laterally, but is yet forcibly retained entered on the sick list of His Majesty's ship at its upper part. Its direction is nearly parBelvidera, about the middle of June, 1831, allel with the base of the scapula, close to complaining of pain at the inferior angle of which it lies, and in its course upwards it the right scapula, close to the base of which seems to incline deep into the substance of was a small phlegmon, as I then considered it, the muscles. About an inch of it can be seen in the early stage of suppuration. On the when the integuments are retracted. He is 19th of June, I opened the "boil," and averse to further measures; has no pain, exordered poultices to be applied, thinking it cept from the use of the forceps. Continue would heal kindly in a few days. On the 23d, poultices. 16th. Though the poulticing was con- more especially from the knowledge that, durtinued, and the steel pulled daily, there is no ing the previous months while he belonged to material alteration since last report, further the Belvidera, he was never one day off his than that the steel may be moved more freely duty or on the sick list. Your readers are, in every direction, except when pulled di- however, as well able as myself to form conrectly downwards, when it seems to be retained jectures on the subject. as forcibly as at first. The probe can be in troduced into the wound, upwards and inwards, nearly four inches, and can with some difficul ty be made to move round the steel, but no information as to its size or shape can be gained from this method of examination. It occurred to me, at this time, that it was a hook, and that it might be retained by catching on one of the ribs. Having no pain except from the pulling, and being still averse to the use of the knife, the same treatment was pursued. Having already experienced a difficulty in convincing some skeptical individuals of the facts above related, I may in justice to your readers and myself, state that as the case excited great interest, while under treatment, the patient was seen by the Honorable Captain Dundas, Dr. Tweedale, and most of the officers and crew of the ship, and also by Mr. Geddes; Mr. Chartres, and Dr. Jones, Surgeons, Royal Navy; and the fork was extracted in the presence of Dr. Tweedale - who assisted me Mr. Yates and others. August 5th.-The foreign body having become very little loosened, and now causing more The patient continued to serve in the Belvipain on its being moved, I made a deep incision dera till December, 1833, when he joined His of about three inches in length over its course Majesty's Ship Blonde, going to South Ameriupward, using it as a director, when it was ca. Being anxious to trace his future history, easily extracted, and found to be a common in the hope of obtaining some clue as to the inkitchen fork, broken off close to its handle, troduction of the fork, I was enabled through and with one of its two prongs wanting about the kindness of Sir William Burnett, the phyan inch from its point; it was blackened, and sician-general of the navy, on the arrival of in some degree rusted. It seemed to have the Blonde at Portsmouth about a month ago, been retained by a bridle of muscular fibres, to communicate with him by letter. The reembracing its shoulders, for it was immedi- sult was, that he came up to London, and on ately liberated when the part was divided by the 18th of November, called upon me to the knife. The wound was dressed simply, and show himself. He then stated, that about healed so soon that in ten days the man was eighteen months ago, while washing himself, doing duty in the boats and aloft. Strange as he felt a small hard bag on the left side of the it may seem, even after its extraction, the man neck, which he was inclined to believe was persisted in adhering to his original statement part of the fork. On examining the part, I of his being ignorant how and when it had had no doubt myself of its being the portion of been introduced; and during the two months the broken prong, and which I asked permisI remained in the ship I was not able to gain sion to extract. He readily assented; but further information on the matter. He seemed before the operation, I submitted him to the to have no defect of memory in any way, for inspection of Sir W. Burnett, Sir Astley he, without hesitation, gave me every infor- Cooper, Mr. Siston, and other gentlemen, who mation. I asked him as to his former life and corroborated my opinion as to its being a porhabits. He is a native of Topsham, Devon- tion of the fork, and recommended its extracshire, has been at sea since he was twelve tion. On the 28th, in the presence of Mr. C. years of age, and in the merchant service Smith, surgeon, I made an incision over it (its till two years ago, when he joined His Majes- position being just behind the middle part of ty's ship Tweed, at the Isle of France, and the posterior edge of the sternocleido mastoifrom which ship he was paid off immediately deus muscle, where it is crossed by the exterbefore joining the Belvidera in February last. nal jugular vein,) when it was casily removed, Setting aside his own statement altogether, and proved to be the prong, which had the same my own opinion is, that it must have been in bronzed appearance as the fork itself, and was his back for many months, if not for years, coated with rust at its fractured end. It does judging from the indistinct and ill-defined not exactly join with the fork, and I am inclined mark left, taking it for granted that this was to think some very minute splinters may the wound by which it had been introduced, have been broken from it when fractured, or but which is yet problematical, from the little some chemical action whilst in the body may pain he experienced from its presence, and have corroded it. It is singular that he had never suffered pain from it, although it had abdomen-on the left side, a little below the crossed from the right side of the back to the umbilicus. A large amount of intestine and left side of the neck. I was only induced to omentum was protruding, and resting on the extract it from its superficial position, and the floor. It must have been inflicted at least an singularity of the history, yet it is possible it hour and a half before we saw it, and on inquimight, in time, have advanced still further, ry we found that after receiving the wound he and have injured the carotid artery, or jumped into the river, and either swain or trachea. waded ashore, with this amount of intestine and Although cross-questioned by all who saw omentum hanging out (it could not have been him, he still repeats his former story of being less than a hat-full,) and the thermometer innocent as to the introduction of the fork. standing considerably below freezing point. As he felt a little inconvenience from my in- On reaching the shore he laid some time on a cision, he has left town with the intention of join-log, and was then taken into the house by some ing His Majesty's Ship President, for another friends. Being in a state of collapse when I three years' cruise, and, from what I know of examined him, pulse feeble, the extremities him, I am convinced my steel-backed friend cold and clammy, the features contorted and will do credit to the wooden walls of Old Eng- pallid; he was let alone to die, and our attenland." tion directed to Mr. B., whose wounds occupied No rational person can for a moment sup- of an hour in dressing. In the meantime, pose that the ignorance of the man was real. however, S. frequently called for aid, begging The wound caused by such an instrument us to give him morphine and let him die easy, must have been in the highest degree severe, that he knew he was obliged to die, &c. He and an effort to withdraw it appears to have was given large doses, but no brandy-he had been the cause of the forcible fracture near taken quite enough of that before the fight. the handle. The persevering manner in which Dr. Burnes followed up this interesting case is praiseworthy, and does credit to his professional industry. WOUNDS OF THE ABDOMEN. MEMPHIS MEDICAL COLLEGE, TENN. Finally, after becoming a little excited and relieved by the morphine, he began to beg to be dressed, and said no one knew but that he might get well yet. I asked him many questions while still engaged in dressing the wounds of the other patient; among them was, what kind of a pistol he shot his adversary with. He replied, "a d-d good one." mention this fact to show what powerful influence the mind and nerve can exercise in a case of severe wounds of any kind.) In my opinion, nine-tenths of the men in the world would have died of similar wounds and under similar circumstances, in 3 hours. (I I was called, during the coldest weather in December, in consultation with Dr. Peyton, of this place, to visit two men who had been severely wounded in a fight that took place on a Finally, my attention was directed to the Ferry Boat, while crossing Loosa Hatchie, dressing of his wounds, more for decency's about four miles above the city. On our arrival, sake, than with any hope of saving him The we found both the patients in a small log house, intestines, though wounded in various places, occupied by the ferrymen. One, Mr. B., was had only one cut of any considerable size; the lying on the bed, bleeding profusely from vari- others were merely punctured, and completely ous wounds in different parts of the body; the obstructed by the protrusion of the villous most serious of which, however, was one just coat. The distention by flatus was enormous; above the elbow joint in front, which severed strangulation being perfect. The bowel and the whole of the integuments down to the omentum were carefully placed in a basin of bone. The other patient, Mr. S., was lying on warm water, cleansed and softened, (they had the floor before a large fire, apparently in a become completely glazed) the large wound dying condition. He also had received numer- was closed with the Glover's Suture, the ous wounds, inflicted with the same knife, small ones let alone. I then introduced a which, though not seen by us, was supposed to grooved director, and enlarged the wound in be an ordinary large dirk knife, with a blade the abdominal walls about one-half. By genof an inch wide, and six or eight long. The tle manipulation, returned the bowel the wound in this case that was of most impor- reverse of the manner of its escape, and finaltance, and seemed inevitably fatal, was in the ly the large quantity of omentum. The wound was brought together and confined, by means of so respectable a number, we had for the time of two or three interrupted sutures, a compress to abandon the idea. and bandage being applied. I proceeded to The suffering of the patient, however, conexamine various other incised and punctured tinued to increase, and we were constantly injuries in different parts of the body. One importuned to operate in defiance of opposiwas immediately over the liver, and penetra- tion. His general health was also rapidly deted the peritoneal coat; but as there was little clining, and it was evident that without relief, or no hemorrhage, I presume it did not enter a week or ten days more would terminate his that organ. Finally, the patients were given career. Under these circumstances, we deter an additional opiate and allowed to rest. The mined to operate, our diagnosis being a fibrous next morning I called to see those patients, tumor, situated beneath the abdominal fascia, ard to my surprise I found both without a bad muscles, &c., but without the peritoneum, and symptom. Reaction had come on, but not too that suppuration had in all probability taken much. The bowels were kept confined in S.'s place, which, if not discharged, would unques: case; antiphlogistic remedies recommended, tionably burst into the abdominal cavity, and and I saw no more of them, Dr. Peyton tak- carry the patient off with acute peritonitis. ing charge of the cases. Two or three weeks Consequently, without calling in consultation, afterwards I learned that S. was at the the patient was thoroughly chloroformed, a vertiCounty seat, Raleigh, ready for another bout cal incision made about an inch to the left of with any man that crosses his path. the umbilicus; the whole extent of the enlargeThis case is reported to show the extraordi- ment, and a transverse one, commencing in the nary recuperative powers of nature when centre of the first, was carried four inches outbacked by indomitable resolution and a will of ward. (I should have mentioned that the tuiron; and furthermore, that we should never mor was of excessive hardness, and slightly desert a case in Surgery, as long as there is nodulated-no symptoms of fluctuation.) The the evidence of remaining vitality, and there is no vital part mortally wounded. dissection was then carefully carried through the fascia, and aponeurotic expansion of the abdominal muscles, immediately below which was found a large quantity of most offensive, dark, illdigested pus-the patient was immediately turn On introducing the finger, the walls of the sac could be distinctly felt, smooth, hard and thick; warm water injections were thrown in, and the cavity thoroughly washed out. The quantity of pus that was discharged could not be accurately ascertained, but it must have been in the neighborhood of half a pint. The edges of the wound were brought together and retained by means of two or three stitches, and adhesive plaster; an opening being left at the most dependant part, and a tent left in it. Cold cloths were confined over all by means of a bandage. Mr. P., of Arkansas, some six or eight years since, received a gun-shot wound in the abdomen, which passed entirely through and out at the opposite side. He recovered, as he sup-ed upon his side,and the whole allowed to escape. posed, entirely. About two years since, how ever, a tumor about an inch in diameter made its appearance near the umbilicus, a little to the left; which, in a short time, became pain ful and increased rapidly in size. At the expiration of six months, it measured over six inches in diameter, and was elevated about an inch above the surrounding parts; the edges were imperfectly defined, the color of the skin a dark, dusky red. There was at all times, more or less pain, and on pressure it was ex cruciating. In this condition he came to this city for relief. Most of the physicians at various times called and examined the case. About the time the dressing was completed, The diagnosis was not satisfactory, there the patient passed out of the chloroform state, being, as usual, a great diversity of opinion, and asked inploringly, why the operation had both in regard to the nature of the disease, not been commenced; and was inexpressibly and the remedies that were indicated. Near happy to learn that it was all over. He was ly all violently opposed any operative proce- put to bed, and from that moment scarcely dure. The patient, however, insisted so stren experienced a symptom of pain. The wound uously that something should be done for his continued to discharge thick, healthy pus, for relief, that finally, Dr. A. K. Taylor and I or three weeks, and rapidly healed from the agreed to operate, and the time was appointed bottom. for it; but on meeting ten or a dozen physi- through the aid of country air, tonics, &c., was He then went to the country; and cians, the operation was deprecated by so large in six weeks able to return to his home in the a majority, that, through respect for the opinion interior of Arkansas. I learned that, some |