Boylston Medical Prize Questions.-The Boylston Medical Committee, appointed by the President and Fellows of the Harvard University, consists of the following physicians, viz.: JOHN C. WARREN, M. D. JACOB BIGELOW, M. D. JOHN RANDALL, M. D. At the annual meeting of the committee on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 1839, the premium of fifty dollars, or a gold medal of that value, was awarded to the author of a dissertation on 66 the Pathology and Treatment of Rheumatism," with the motto "Frustra fatigamus remediis ægros ;" and a premium of the same value to the author of a dissertation on Scrofula, with the motto "Kunst macht Gunst." On opening the accompanying sealed packets, Edward Warren, M. D., of Boston, was found to be the author of both dissertations. The following prize questions for the year 1840 are already before the public, viz.: 1st. "The pathology and treatment of Typhus, and Typhoid Fever." 2d. "The pathology and treatment of Medullary Sarcoma." Dissertations on these subjects must be transmitted, post paid, to John C. Warren, M. D., Boston, on or before the first Wednesday of April, 1840. The following questions are now offered for the year 1841, viz.: 1st. "To what extent is disease the effect of changes in the chemical or vital properties of the blood?" 2d." The structure and diseases of the teeth; with a numerical solution of the question, can caries of the teeth be retarded by mechanical processes ?" Dissertations on these subjects must be transmitted as above, on or before the first Wednesday of April, 1841. The author of the best dissertation on either of the above subjects will be entitled to a premium of fifty dollars, or a gold medal of that value, at his option. Each dissertation must be accompanied by a sealed packet, on which shall be written some device or sentence, and within shall be enclosed the author's name and place of residence. The same device or sentence is to be written on the dissertation to which the packet is attached. All unsuccessful dissertations are deposited with the secretary, from whom they may be obtained, if called for within one year after they have been received. By an order adopted in the year 1826, the secretary was directed to publish annually the following votes, viz.: 1st. That the board do not consider themselves as approving the doctrines contained in any of the dissertations to which the premiums may be adjudged. 2d. That in case of the publication of a successful dissertation, the author be considered as bound to print the above vote in connection therewith. ENOCH HALE, Secretary. Boston, August 7, 1839. ALBANY MEDICAL COLLEGE. [We take pleasure in inserting the following official communication as soon as practicable after its reception.-Ed.] R. Dunglison, M. D. Albany, August 19th, 1839, Sir,-A notice appeared in your journal for July 1, 1839, headed "Albany Medical College and the Thompsonians," which would lead to the idea that some especial connection existed between this college and the Thompsonian doctors. As your notice is calculated to lead the public into error, (uninten tionally, without doubt, on your part,) we appeal to your fairness to publish in your next number the following explanation of the matter. The Thompsonians, during their meeting in Albany, requested permission to visit the Albany Medical College, which was granted to them as to other persons who apply for the same favour. While there, they expressed to Dr. March their intention to recommend to their students to acquire a more thorough knowledge of "Anatomy, Physiology, Surgery, and Chemistry," and asked on what terms they would be received into the institution. Dr. March replied that they would be received on the same terms as any other persons. It was neither intended by Dr. M. nor supposed by those who made the enquiry, that the Thompsonian students would be admitted to graduate, or be allowed any privileges which they would not enjoy in any other medical institution. For we suppose that no institution would refuse to admit an applicant to attend the lectures simply because he might be a student of a Thompsonian doctor. The charter of the Albany Medical College expressly enjoins, among other requisites for graduation, "that the student shall have pursued the study of medical science for at least three years, after the age of sixteen, with some physician and surgeon duly authorised by law to practice the profession," so that it would be out of the power of the faculty and trustees to grant degrees to Thompsonian students, even if they were disposed to form an alliance with them, such as, from your remarks, you would seem to suppose exists. Any other privilege but that of graduation they would enjoy in common with other students in the Albany Medical College as in other medical colleges in this country. This explanation would have been made on the first appearance of the "Resolutions in the Albany Evening Journal," but it was then supposed that the publication would not be noticed out of the city of Albany, where the whole matter was sufficiently understood. But since it has made its way into two of the most respectable journals in this country, the trustees deem it proper to correct the erroneous impression to which it might give rise. JARED S. RATHBONE, President. On Pathological Secretions in General. By Dr. R. MARCHAND.'—In regard to the inorganic constituents of pathological secretions, these are always the same, unless a peculiar variation in them has been produced by some accidental external influence. Iron exists in all, but I have sought for copper, manganese, and titanium, in vain. I have universally found the idea, that titanium forms a constituent of the blood and of the renal capsules, to be ungrounded. Potash is present in greater quantity than soda; ammonia is never absent. Among the acids the phosphoric is very frequent; and I have in two cases found fluoric acid, once in ascites, and once in hydrops ovarii. There is no general rule, and, as might be expected, the relation of the urinary and cutaneous secretions has a remarkable influence. Lactic acid, whose formation appears to be almost primary in the animal organisation, seems to be always combined with the basis. The separation and distinction of the organic constituents of pathological secretions, is much more difficult than those of the inorganic. The constituents are tolerably constant, but they vary very much in quantity. Thus, in the fluid of ascites, I find the proportion of albumen varying from 1 to 14 per cent.; but the latter is a very large and very rare proportion, and whenever it is present there is great difficulty in completely separating any other principles. I have closely examined the combination which is produced by corrosive sublimate and albumen. It is never composed of calomel and albumen, neither does it contain deuto-chloride, but oxide of mercury. The free acid I Lond. Med. Gaz. June 22, 1839, p. 477. which is found in the filtered fluid, and which appears to indicate the presence of calomel, is thus much more simply explained. I have never found fibrin. Among the unquestionable substances one may enumerate various kinds of fat. I have demonstrated the existence of the Couerbian cerebral fat, and have found the views of that chemist for the most part correct. Are these kinds of fat found in the spinal cord, or in the nervous substance? I cannot yet convince myself. Most of them have no definite distribution, though in encephaloid tumour, which I have twice analysed, fat containing phosphorus was found. The part which the phosphorus plays is very remarkable, but as yet unexplained. Cholesterine is more generally found. than the phosphorised fat. I have demonstrated it in gall-stones of the most varied kind, in a hydrocele, in a human brain, in hydrocephalus, in encephaloid tumour, and in ox's bile. I believe we must assume that it exists previously in the blood. Salivary matter is very rare. Colouring matters are very frequent: that of the bile is rare; those similar to that of the blood are most common; and without doubt real blood not unfrequently occurs.Müller's Archiv. 1839, Hft. 1. Empyema, and Remarkable Fistula of the Chest. Reported by Dr. REDERLE, Valée de Munster.-Frederick Weitzel, aged 19 years, a miner in the Black Forest, Germany, since his tenth year had always been well, excepting that he had frequent epistaxis. On the 25th of April, 1824, he was attacked by pleuripneumonia, for which local and general bleedings were employed, blisters, nitre, calomel, and, finally, acetate of ammonia and tartarised antimony. The symptoms diminished, but after some days the breathing became more difficult, the pains returned in the left side of the chest from time to time, the cough recurred, the expectoration was purulent, his strength fell, he had hectic fever, night sweats, frequent shiverings, a dull weight on the left side, deep respiration, excited cough, and decubitus on the right side produced access of suffocation. Infusion of senega root, digitalis, quinine, decoction of Iceland moss, yellow sulphuret of antimony, Dover's powder, and Seidlitz water did not ameliorate the condition of the patient. In about eight days more the right cavity of the chest was considerably prominent, ægophony was manifested, the respiratory bruit was null, and percussion elicited a dull sound. The cellular tissue of that side of the chest became edematous, as also did the left foot. On the 21st of June, between the fifth and seventh ribs, there appeared a tumour of the size of a man's fist, adherent, and completely fluctuating. An opening made in it with a lancet produced two pints and a half of a thick and fetid pus. The patient, previously threatened with suffocation, was immediately relieved. At each dressing, which was renewed daily, there issued about a pound of pus. The quantity diminished, little by little, as the pus could not flow freely, while it became yet more fetid. Some weeks after this a fresh fluctuation appeared, between the seventh and eighth ribs, and a new opening was made sufficiently large to liberate the pus freely. A sound introduced into the cavity formed by a pseudomembrane passed inwards and from before backwards, to a depth of six inches. The sac was abundantly capacious. Care was taken to sustain the patient by tonics, and to evacuate the cavity always by means of lukewarm injections of camomile tea. In 1835 and 1836 it was sought in vain to heal the opening by tincture of myrrh, decoction of quinine, salicine, oakbark, and madder-root. During the three years that the fistula remained open, it was impossible to prevent the entrance of air, which, however, had no other inconvenient effect than that of rendering the respiration more London Lancet, July 27, 1839, p. 671. difficult. The pus which issued at this time seldom exceeded two tablespoonfuls in quantity. Very serious hemorrhages within the purulent cavity threatened life on many occasions in August and December, 1836, and June, September, and December, 1837. These appeared to have supplanted the epistaxis to which the patient had been subject. The quantity of blackish fluid and coagulated blood sometimes reached a pint and a half. On stopping the mouth of the fistula, the blood occasioned severe oppression, and even cough, with sanguineous expectoration. As soon as the issue was re-established these symptoms ceased. From time to time the patient is troubled with abdominal symptoms, which a purgative removes. He has often, also, palpitations of the heart; the urine is then diminished, and the hands and feet are ædematous. Digitalis always disperses these symptoms. At present, as during the preceding summer, the patient feels very well, attends to his domestic duties, and even walks nearly three quarters of a mile at a time.—Medicinische Annalen, P. 4, Vol. IV. Living Worms under the Conjunctiva of the Negro.-Blot, of Martinique, has, like Bajon, of Cayenne, and Mongin, of St. Domingo, seen two worms in active motion under the conjunctiva, which he removed by incision. One of these, which was sent to M. Blainville, was thread-shaped, thirty-eight millimetres long, with a black protuberance adapted for suction. Bajon remarked (1768) a serpentine motion of a worm in the eye of a negress, which, without giving pain, caused constant epiphora. When an incision was made, the worm went to another part, and was obliged to be secured with a small forceps. In a second case (1771), the conjunctiva was more inflamed; the patient refused to submit to operation. In Blot's case (1828), the worm lay on the outside of the eye, and sometimes turned round a portion of the corner, causing stinging pains and nervous symptoms, arising probably from fear. The patient, an African negress, was unable to tell where she came from, or whether her fellow-country people were subject to this disease. A surgeon at Mompox (New Grenada) offered to extract this worm, but his services were refused. The worms found by M. Guyon were not of the species termed Filaria Medinensis, which are found in abundance amongst Africans, and could not be secured by the forceps. BOOKS RECEIVED. From the Author.-Address of L. P. Hildreth, M. D., President of the third Medical Convention of Ohio, delivered at Cleveland, May 14, 1839. 8vo. pp. 33. Cleveland, 1839. [This address has already been referred to in terms of commendation-"Intelligencer," July 15th, 1839, p. 126.] From Professor Silliman.-Annual Circular of the Medical Institution of Yale College for the Lecture Term of 1839-40. 8vo. pp. 8. New Haven, 1839. From Messrs. Haswell, Barrington & Haswell, the Publishers-The Lectures of Sir Astley Cooper, Bart., F. R. S., Surgeon to the King, &c., on the Principles and Practice of Surgery, with additional Notes and Cases. By Frederick Tyrrel, Esq., Surgeon to St. Thomas's Hospital, and to the London Ophthalmic Infirmary. First American from the last London edition. Complete in one volume. 8vo. pp. 580, with four lithographs. Philad. 1839. 1 Zeitschrift für die gesammte Medicin, Feb. 1839. THE AMERICAN MEDICAL INTELLIGENCER. Vol. III. September 16, 1839. No. 12. For the American Medical Intelligencer. ART. I.-PHILADELPHIA HOSPITAL, (BLOCKLEY.) Cases of Epilepsy. Reported by WILLIAM H. MCKEE, M. D., of Raleigh, N. C. Senior Resident Physician. The following cases are selected out of twenty-five, treated in the epileptic ward, to show the result of some of the remedies, which have been published heretofore as nearly specifics in the treatment of Epilepsy. CASE NO. I.-Ann L., æt. 36. Born in Philadelphia: single. Habits temperate. Occupation that of house work. Has auburn hair, gray eyes, long neck, of tall stature, and lymphatic temperament. She had always enjoyed good health up to the time of the attack of the first fit. Cannot trace it to any hereditary predisposition. Her situation has always been very comfortable, having but few cares to molest her mind. The first paroxysm she had was about three years since. During the time of her catamenial discharge, she was employed in scouring the floor; her feet became very wet and they disappeared. Previous to this time she had always been regular. On that night she was taken with a violent pain in the head, which extended down the spine, and was attended with fever. No physician being called in, she remained in this situation until the next morning, at which time she had the first fit. A physician was now sent for, who prescribed a warm foot bath and a purgative. This gave relief, and soon enabled her to enter upon the duties of the house. They have continued to occur periodically every four weeks for nearly two years. She entered the epileptic ward twelve months since. At the time of her entrance, her general health had become much impaired. But little or nothing was done for her during the first three months. Nine months since, she was ordered the following prescription. . pulv. aloes, gr. iii. pulv. ferri sulph. exsiccat. gr. ter die: and a sinapised pediluvium at night. She continued to follow the above treatment for three weeks, at the expiration of which time her catamenial courses were again restored. The pills being discontinued, she was put upon the use of the cuprum ammoniatum, commencing with one fourth of a grain three times a day, increasing it as high as one grain three times during the day, until it produced vomiting and the other slight effects of copper upon the system. It was then suspended. During this time she continued to be regular, but had several very violent fits. When seen in one of them, the cold douche was freely used, and it acted most promptly in shortening their duration and violence. The cuprum ammoniatum was commenced again in two weeks-at the minimum dose, and used as before. It was thus continued to be used and suspended alternately for six months, with but little benefit, except that the fits had ceased to be so periodical. She was then ordered the nitras argenti, |