very conditions in which the parties found them-made to comprehend that he had committed selves were a sort of guaranty that the demoi- any offence. He supposed he was brought selle Luthi would find in him, more than in there in honor of his courage. When his late any other man, one capable of alleviating her antagonists appeared in court, he was with situation, and that their pecuniary resources difficulty withheld from attacking them, and gave the means to procure all necessary aid in endeavored to explain that he saw two robbers, taking care of their children." The decision who ought to be punished. Notwithstanding of the inferior court was accordingly reversed, the grave nature of the offence, the task of his and the marriage permitted. advocate was not difficult. All minds and hearts were already prepossessed in his favor; and the advocate had no difficulty in persuading the jury that this unfortunate youth was not amenable to laws of which he had and could have no knowledge, that he had only fulfilled the most sacred of duties, and exercised the first of rights in defending his father and his property.-Ibid. In this country, where there is no law against the marriage of deaf-mutes, the scruples of one magistrate or minister need not hinder a ceremony, if the parties can find another more reasonable, or more intelligent. Neither are they restricted, as in some European countries, to have the ceremony performed in their own commune or district. A marriage for which the parties have crossed a State line, or any other line, if celebrated in accordance with the local law, is as valid as if they had been married at home. They have thus a wide field in which to find officers qualified and willing to perform the ceremony. Jour. Insan. MUTES. IRASCIBILITY OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. Deaf mutes, and deaf persons who are not quite dumb, are often suspicious and irritable, from their inability to hear and take part in what is going on around them. They some LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY OF DEAF times take as intentional annoyance and insult, gestures or practical jests, unskilfully made, which were merely intended as friendly pleasThe question how far uneducated deaf-antry. Piroux records the case of Jeanmutes are responsible to the criminal law for Baptist Villemin, a deaf-mute of 29 years, their acts, has often been argued, within the very imperfectly educated, and of feeble capalast thirty years, before the French courts. city. Placed by the wealth of his family above One of the earliest cases we have met is re- the necessity of manual labor, and incapable of corded in Bebian's Journal (1826). An intellectual labor, he fell into dissolute habits, officer, with two assistants, went to the house wandering idle about the fields and frequentof a peasant near Rodey to serve an execu- ing public-houses. One night, in a tavern, he tion. While they were making an inventory met a man named Marchand, who attempted to of the movables they discovered the peasant at amuse himself and the company by making a distance, endeavoring to drive off a cow, signs to the deaf-mute which the latter did not which was the most valuable article of his pro- understand. Villemin indicated by a gesture perty. He was instantly pursued, and soon that he desired to be let alone; but Marchand overtaken, knocked down, trampled on, and the continued to annoy him, seizing his head, makcord by which he led the cow wrested from ing a bite at his nose, and brandishing round him. While one of the officers led the cow in his head a cane, which he then held in the attriumph, and another dragged alone its unfor- titude of firing a gun, saying to the company tunate master by the collar, the son of the lat- that he wished to invite Villemin to go a huntter, returning from his work in the field, saw at ing. Villemin naturally lost his patience; una distance the affray. This was a deaf-mute of able to understand what was meant by Marabout twenty years, tall and vigorous. Furi- chand, or to express his own sentiments, except ous and indignant at the way he saw his father by actions, he seized the aggressor, flung him treated, he seized the first club at hand, fell on the floor, and gave him a kick on the head. upon the aggressors with a savage yell, and, Marchand was only slightly hurt. The comafter a very brief struggle, put all three to pany declared, and he admitted, that he was flight. Complaint was, of course, made against himself to blame; and he said he harbored no father and son for rebellion and violent resist- ill-will to Villemin for what had passed. Reance of the officers of the law. The deaf-mute, turning home, a distance of several leagues on when brought before the tribunal, could not be foot, he fell sick and died of a disease of the chest, which his family choose to ascribe to the the most obtuse among his listeners could not blows which he had received from Villemin- sit for a single hour, without imbibing, to say which, however, was disproved by the medical the least, a vast amount of knowledge. In his witnesses. The deaf-mute was, in the first in- manner Prof. Miller is graceful, easy and postance, sentenced to two months' imprisonment; lite. In his operations, he is cool, skilful and but, on an appeal to the Cour Royale of extremely neat, and he explains to the class, Nancy, in consideration of the unfortunate con- as he proceeds, each step which he makes, the dition of Villemin, and of the brutal and incon- anatomical relations which present themselves siderate conduct of Marchand, the term was and the purpose which he has in view. reduced to six days. Ibid. Next in order is Syme, whose world-wide reputation as a surgeon attracts hosts of students to Edinburgh, and whose clinics are attended PROFESSIONAL NOTABILITIES OF by probably a larger number than any other EDINBURGH. lecturer here. Originality, quickness and dexterity are the characteristics of his operaDr. I. B. Greely, of Nashua, N. H., now in tions. I may note a few of these peculiar to Europe, wrote from Edinburgh late in August himself. In amputating a limb, instead of to his friends, the editors of the New Hamp- transfixing it with a knife, as is commonly recshire Medical Journal, and from that pleasant ommended by our surgeons, he makes his monthly the following extracts were taken. flaps by cutting from the surface down upon The Scotch professors are the medical auto- the bone. By this method, the muscles are crats of their country. Having no competitors not retracted afterwards so far, the flaps are at home, they have none to fear from abroad. always even and unite more readily by the Being excellent men in fine positions, a repu- first insertion. tation and a chair generally come together. In excision of the superior maxillary bone, There are several anatomical museums and instead of making two long incisions through cabinets in that old city, which all Americans the cheek, and thus leaving an ugly cicatrix, going there should examine. But medicine he makes but one in the mesial line of the and surgery are practised in the United States upper lip, which, in recovering, leaves but a quite as successfully as in the capital of Scot land. ine, hardly observable. In excision of the elbow joint, he makes an incision into the joint, "Scarcely a day passes that I do not hear close above the olecranon, extending from some of our first men spoken of in the highest the inner edge of that process to the external terms. It was but yesterday that a distin- tuberosity of the humerus, and at each exguished surgeon, in adjusting a fractured tremity of this cut he makes another incision femur, made use of Prof. E. K. Sanborn's about an inch and a half long, both upward and Splint, which he styled the "great American downward in the long direction of the limb, Splint." In applying at the same time, ad- thus giving the entire external incision a rehesive straps, as a means of extension, he in- semblance to the letter H. He claims as the formed the class that these were "first intro- advantage of this incision over others which duced into practice by an American, Dr. have been recommended, a greater safety to Josiah Crosby, of Manchester, N. H." This the ulna nerve, which lies close upon the inner is only one instance of an almost daily occur- side of the olecranon. rence, and being the only American here at I must not forget to mention among the present, it has gratified me not a little, I celebrities of our profession in Edinburgh, Dr. assure you, to hear so often a public recogni- W. T. Gairdner, Professor of the Practice of tion of the merits of my countrymen. Physic. Though a young man, he has taken I may here say that Wood's Practice of a high position in the practice of Medicine, Medicine is the acknowledged text-book in that and has proved himself worthy to fill it with department. In fact there is no other in gen- honor. His opinions are respected by all, and eral use. his writings are regarded as standard authorProfessor Miller, the surgeon, is a perfect ity. Crowds of students follow him through gentleman and the idol of the students. In his wards, busy with their pencils in noting his lectures he is clear, fluent, and impressive, every word and in recording his concise and dwelling upon the most important points with pertinent suggestions. No one, certainly, such energy that they are indelibly fixed in could possess a more happy faculty of making the mind of the hearer. It seems as though a clinical visit so free from formality, so en couraging to the patient, and so calculated to tion. The next morning we found the patient remove the agitation, feeling of embarrassment, very weak, having lost a large amount of and dislike which the presence of a physician blood. The tumor still protruding through and a large class of students so frequently in the cervix, Dr. S., anticipating danger from spires. As a lecturer Prof. G. is plain, distinct and comprehensive. longer delay, seized it with a pair of strong lithotomy forceps, and twisted it from its attachments. The hemorrhage ceased at once; under a careful tonic course the patient is rapidly recovering health and strength,-a remarkable instance, upon the whole, of the benefit of a sea voyage in getting rid of a polypus uteri. To the American Profession Dr. Simpson needs no introduction. During the last three months, I have been so fortunate as to see much of his private practice in this city, and have been surprised continually, not only at his wonderful success in treatment, and accuracy in diagnosis, but at the marvellous amount Dr. Simpson is attempting the radical cure of labor which he performs. With his house of ovarian dropsy by establishing a fistulous literally crowded with patients from morning communication between the cavity of the cyst till night, no one who was not aware of his and that of the peritoneum. He does this by habits of midnight study could comprehend at puncturing the enlarged ovary with a trocar all how he could command a moment's time to prepare the valuable essays which regularly make their monthly appearance from his penI have had the pleasure several times of seeing him perform his operation of incision of the cervix uteri for obstructive dysmenorrhoea, and always with perfect success. and canula in the ordinary way, but allowing only a small portion of the fluids to escape by the canula. This is then withdrawn, and the union of the external wound promoted. By pressing the tumor gently every day he forces a little of the fluid into the cavity of the peritoneum, and thus keeps the wound in the I have also seen him use his intra uterine tumor open. I have seen several of Dr. S.'s papessaries with marked benefit in many cases, tients who have been subjected to this mode of which have resisted all other treatment, and treatment with apparent success. One of notwithstanding the objections made to their them has been under treatment many months, use by Dr. Robert Lee, of London, a fair trial, the cyst occasionally filling, but easily reduced and care in selecting and applying one of the by gentle pressure, showing that the fissure size adapted to each individual case, will, I am still remains open." sure, convince almost any one of their utility and capability, as a last resort at least, of relieving many patients of this serious trouble. Vegetable Fountain. The island of Fierro Dr. Simpson was so kind as to invite me, is one of the largest in the Canary group, and the other day, to go and visit with him an it has a tree, the leaves of which are long and American lady under his treatment. I have narrow, and continue in constant verdure, winhis permission to detail the case. The patient ter and summer, and the branches are covered is from New York city, and has had a severe with a cloud which is never dispelled, but, remenorrhagia for the last eight years. She solving itself into a moisture, causes to fall has suffered in conjunction with this, a long from its leaves a very clear water, and in such course of Homoeopathic treatment in New abundance that cisterns placed at its foot to York. Her physicians had no clue to her real receive it are never empty. disease, never proposed the Touch or the speculum, and finally in despair recommended Medical Men Industrious. Dr. Robert a sea voyage, which luckily brought her to this Tomes, who assisted greatly in the preparation city. Her husband sent for Dr. Simpson, and of Perry's Japan Expedition, and wrote the judging from the minute history of the case article on the subject in a recent number of and the condition of the patient, he concluded Harpers' Magazine, is preparing a popular that she must have a polypus uteri. An ex- abridgment of the large and expensive work, amination showed the os uteri closed and of which will soon be issued by D. Appleton & normal size, but on the introduction of the uter- Co. ine sound a uterine tumor was distinctly felt. The irritation of the sound brought on labor Direct Tax on Merchants. It is said that pains, and the tumor was soon forced through the Health officer of New York will receive for the cervix. Dr. S., preferring to let nature the three summer months this year, directly remove it if she would, left her in this condi- and indirectly, fees to the amount of $100,000. COMMUNICATIONS. [For the Medical World.] BITE OF A SPIDER. B. S. BRUCE, M. D., OF BOSTON. Seeing in the Boston Evening Traveller a notice of the death of a young man, by a spider's bite, I am induced to give you the particulars of a case that recently fell under my professional care. George W. Morgan, Esq., the celebrated London organist at Trinity Church, New York city, who has occasionally delighted the musical connoisseurs of Boston by his artistic skill, was bitten by a spider, the evening previous to leaving New York to fulfil an engagement at the Tremont Temple, a few weeks since. The evening before, while Mr. Morgan, in the twilight, was walking in the garden of a friend, he felt a sudden bite or sting, and shook from the wrist of his right hand a large spider. been, within our recollection, several fatal instances from the bite of this insect. A man by the name of Barnabas Sanders, of Cambridgeport, Mass., some years since, was bitten by a spider, and expired in agony on the seventh day. nothing could prevent or stay the poison. Several physicians were in attendance, but There is, we believe, more than one species of spider at the North whose bite is poisonous; that, though perhaps not so rapid, is, neverbut one only the venom of which is deadly, and theless, as fatal as that of the rattlesnake. The treatment consisted in the immediate of the puncture, which gave speedy local reapplication of several leeches near the margin lief. A brisk cathartic was also administered, and the arm kept enveloped in wet cloths. In short, the medication was strictly antiphlogistic, and eminently successful. FLOATING FACTS. The wound began to inflame directly, attended by pain so severe, that a poultice of linseed flour was applied, which, contrary to In July, 1817, Jean Campbell, an uneduTrial of a Deaf Mute for Murder. — expectation, seemed to enhance the inflamma-cated deaf and dumb woman, the mother of tion; and it was therefore removed, and a plas- three children by three different fathers, was ter substituted. Mr. By the time of his arrival in Boston the burgh with murdering her child by throwBy the time of his arrival in Boston the charged before the Court of Justiciary in Edinnext day, the hand and arm were so much swollen, that it was with the utmost effort he Robert Kinniburgh, an eminent teacher of the ing it over the old bridge at Glasgow. managed to get through with his engagement deaf and dumb, was called in as an expert. He on the organ. The wound now assumed the understood, from her signs, that she maintained appearance of a hard tumor, blue and shining, that, having the child at her back, held up by about the size of a goose egg. The virus had been so generally diffused through the her hands, and being partially intoxicated, she her cloak which she held across her breast with system on the third day, that the whole gland- had loosened her hold to see to the safety of ular economy appeared to be affected. Sin- some money in her bosom, thus allowing the gular fleshy looking tumefactions appeared on child to fall over the parapet of the bridge, parts of the body. One below the left eye was against which she was resting. She indignantdeveloped as large as the egg of a Canary ly denied having intended to throw it in the bird. His features were distorted, and hag-river. gard. These were omens of no very encouraging "Mr. Kinniburgh being asked whether he character. By two o'clock, on the second thought she could understand the question, morning, there were signs of real convales- whether she was guilty or not guilty of the cence. From that hour he began to improve, in the way in which he put the question, asking crime of which she was accused, answered, that so that on the fifth day of his confinement at her by signs whether she threw the child over the Tremont House, Mr. Morgan, in a very the bridge or not, he thought she could plead weak condition, and against the combined remonstrances of myself and his friends, left for not guilty by signs, and this is the only way in New York. A letter of recent date says that which he could so put the question to her; but his arm is still weak, although decidedly im- that he had no idea, abstractly speaking, that proving. The death of the young man in Cincinnati is regarded as extraordinary; but there have Mr. Kinniburgh, of the Edinburgh Institution for the Deaf she knew what a trial was, but that she knew Thus, though it is established that a deaf-mute she was brought into court about her child. is dolt capax, no means have yet been discovered of bringing him to trial." "John Wood, Esq., auditor of excise (who is deaf and partially dumb), gave in a written statement upon oath, mentioning that he had visited the prisoner in prison, and was of opinion that she was altogether incapable of pleading guilty or not guilty; that she stated the circumstances by signs, in the same manner she had done to the court, when questioned before the court, by Mr. Kinniburgh, and seemed to be sensible that punishment would follow the commission of a crime. "The court were unanimously of opinion that this novel and important question, of which no precedent appeared in the law of this country [Scotland], deserves grave consideration, and every information that the counsel on each side could procure and furnish.” Church and State.-No Medical Faculty in Trinity College. The Medical Faculty of Trinity College, Toronto, Canada West, have resigned their professorships. The reason, as publicly stated in the daily prints of Canada West is, that the Faculty caused an advertisement to be inserted in the local papers, stating that students in medicine henceforth would not be compelled to subscribe to the thirty-nine articles of the Church of England, and that no religious test would be demanded of them. And it was furthermore asserted that pupils could, by following the course of instruction at Trinity, procure, if they pleased, their degrees at any other University. The Council of the College, naturally indignant at this open declaration of rebellion and independence of the "Lord Hermand was of opinion that the Medical Faculty, called upon them to withdraw panel (prisoner) was not a fit object of trial. the obnoxions advertisement from its place of She was deaf and dumb from her infancy; had appearing, and to return to their former terms of had no instruction whatever; was unable to give connection; but the Professors declining to information to her counsel, to communicate the yield, and the difference not being removable names of her exculpatory witnesses, if she had in any other way, the latter were constrained any, and was unable to plead to the indict- to resign their various chairs, which, we believe, ment in any way whatever, except by certain they have filled, during the few years they signs which he considered no pleading what- have lectured, in a distinguished and profitable manner. -Mont. Chronicle. "At a subsequent period the judges delivered their opinion as follows: ever." Chloroform Vapor in Hemorrhoids. - Dr Foerest reports a case in which chloroform vapor was applied for several minutes, by the douche, to an excessively painful hemorrhoidal The pain was The four judges, however, overruled this opinion, referring especially to a case (already mentioned in a former part of this paper) that had occurred in England, in 1773, in which one Jones, who had stolen five guineas, appearing to be deaf and dumb, and being found by the tumor with complete success. jury empannelled on that point to be mute so far allayed as to enable him to return the "from the visitation of God," was arraigned tumor, which before he was unable to do. In by the means of a woman accustomed to con- like cases it may prove a valuable remedy. verse with him by signs, found guilty and transported. And it was also observed that it might Ligature of the Internal Iliac Artery.-We be for the prisoner's own good to have a trial; understand that Prof. Mott has recently tied for if the jury found that her declaration, that this artery for an enormous false aneurism of she did not intend to throw her child in the the gluteal artery. The patient was a healthy river, was true, she would be acquitted and set young woman, and the aneurism arose from a free; whereas, if not found capable of being tried for a crime, she must be confined for life. The woman Campbell was accordingly placed at the bar, and when the question was put, Guilty or not?"her counsel, Mr. McNeil, rose, and stated that he could not allow his client to wound with a penknife through the thick part of the gluteal muscle. This is the second time that this distinguished surgeon has tied this artery; both cases recovered. Hiccough.-Hold up high above your head plead to the indictment, until it was ex- two fingers of your hand; lean back in your plained to her that she was at liberty to seat, open your mouth and throat so as to give plead, guilty or not. Upon it being found that a free passage to your lungs; breathe very this could not be done, the case was dropped, long and softly, and look very steadily at your and she was dismissed from the bar simpliciter. fingers. |