more recently observed, he is most sanguine that, even in the latter stages of the disease, a restoration of health may generally be calculated upon. "The progress of improvement in the physical signs, when sufficiently marked, invariably commenced with an amendment of the sounds arising from percussion. In no case did they appear to begin by those of auscultation; consequently I am induced to form the opinion that, as diagnostic signs, those derived from auscultation take precedence of those from percussion, or, in other words, that changes such as prolonged expiration, and very slight feeble and harsh respiration, may be detected by auscultation, when the sound elicited by percussion is not sufficiently appreciable to lead to any useful conclusion considered apart from auscultation." Many cases are narrated in which the naphtha was employed. IF experience proves the correctness of these statements, Dr. Hastings will, no doubt, be considered a benefactor to the human race. ON THE ARRANGEMENT AND NOMENCLATURE OF MENTAL DISORDERS. By Henry Johnson, M.D. This Essay obtained the premium offered, in 1842, by the Society for the Improvement of the Condition of the Insane, for the best Treatise "On the Arrangement and Nomenclature of Mental Disorders." The arrangement adopted by Dr. H. Johnson is a pathological one, and is as follows: Hypophrenitis is the delirium tremens of other authors. Dr. H. Johnson, however, considers this term as more expressive of its peculiar nature than the old; delirium tremens being, in his opinion, neither more nor less than phrenitis, but occurring from a peculiar debilitating cause, and in a constitution weakened by excess. Insanity.-Dr. H. Johnson remarks, that proofs of inflammation have been discovered in protracted cases of insanity. And, if the effects of inflamma 66 "1st.-A little naphtha having been put into a bent tube, resembling the capital U, some expectorated matter was poured upon it, which had been determined with the microscope to be rich in globules of tubercle. Gentle heat was then applied, and the naphtha driven off, when the super-imposed secretion presented a mere shapeless mass of animal matter, the globules having entirely disappeared. "2nd. Some tuberculous secretion, highly charged with globules of tubercle, was placed under the field of the microscope, and a drop of naphtha added, when an immediate disappearance of the globules ensued, leaving behind a mass of the same character as on the former case. The frequent repetition of this experiment, invariably led to the same result. 3rd.-Some tuberculous secretion of the lungs was put into a portion of the intestine of a child, and placed over a wide-mouthed bottle, which contained a small quantity of naphtha, between which and the intestine a clear space of three inches remained. A spirit lamp was then placed under the bottle, and a very gentle heat applied until slight ebullition took place, which was continued for an hour. The contents, when removed from the intestine and examined with the microscope, presented the same appearance as described in the previous experiments. "Considerable benefit resulted from the inhalation of naphtha, in lessening the difficulty of breathing in the most advanced cases, in rendering muscular efforts less painful and fatiguing, and in a general alleviation of all those symptoms which distress the consumptive patient. The expectoration is not unfre quently rather increased immediately after the inhalation of naphtha, but the cough has changed for one of a milder character. Improvement was generally observed to follow that kind of inhalation which was performed with little exertion. It may be employed several times in the day, unless it produces nausea and sickness, when its use should be suspended; and on its being resumed, in such cases, it should be applied for a shorter period. When there is spitting of blood, its use is not admissible." "Almost immediately after naphtha has been administered, an occasional rising of the medicine is perceptible in the mouth and throat, similar to that which occurs after a dose of castor oil. This is sometimes followed by nausea, and now and then vomiting supervenes. At other times it acts, but much more rarely, as an aperient. But when these effects occur, they usually subside in a day or two. It not unfrequently produces a glow in the region of the stomach, which extends over the chest and creates a sensation of cheerfulness and a greater freedom of breathing. It appears deserving a high rank among tonics; for in most of the cases in which it has been employed, a natural appetite was in a short time established. No remedial agent that I am acquainted with possesses such power over the colliquative perspirations of pulmonary consumption; as a few doses, in most instances, appeared sufficient to effect their removal. Another fact worthy of remark, is the absence of diarrhoea in all cases, which may be accounted for upon the supposition that tubercular deposit ceases to take place in the mucous track of the intestines. And even in those cases where diarrhoea, in the first instance, existed, it readily yielded to the naphtha treatment. The thirty-third case is a good example of this remark. Headache, particularly when the bowels are confined, is sometimes the effect of the naphtha treatment, and if aperients fail to give relief, a mustard poultice should be applied to the back of the neck, or a few leeches to the temples, or behind the It will, however, be very seldom necessary to suspend the employment of the naphtha from this cause.' ears. According to Dr. Hastings, from the very first moment he employed Naphtha in Pulmonary Consumption, up to the present time, it has been so successful in his hands, that he has no doubt it will be found, if used judiciously, to be little less than a specific in the earlier stages of the disease. And, from what he has more recently observed, he is most sanguine that, even in the latter stages of the disease, a restoration of health may generally be calculated upon. "The progress of improvement in the physical signs, when sufficiently marked, invariably commenced with an amendment of the sounds arising from percussion. In no case did they appear to begin by those of auscultation; consequently I am induced to form the opinion that, as diagnostic signs, those derived from auscultation take precedence of those from percussion, or, in other words, that changes such as prolonged expiration, and very slight feeble and harsh respiration, may be detected by auscultation, when the sound elicited by percussion is not sufficiently appreciable to lead to any useful conclusion considered apart from auscultation." Many cases are narrated in which the naphtha was employed. IF experience proves the correctness of these statements, Dr. Hastings will, no doubt, be considered a benefactor to the human race. ON THE ARRANGEMENT AND NOMENCLATURE of Mental Disorders. By Henry Johnson, M.D. This Essay obtained the premium offered, in 1842, by the Society for the Improvement of the Condition of the Insane, for the best Treatise "On the Arrangement and Nomenclature of Mental Disorders." The arrangement adopted by Dr. H. Johnson is a pathological one, and is as follows: Hypophrenitis is the delirium tremens of other authors. Dr. H. Johnson, however, considers this term as more expressive of its peculiar nature than the old; delirium tremens being, in his opinion, neither more nor less than phrenitis, but occurring from a peculiar debilitating cause, and in a constitution weakened by excess. Insanity.-Dr. H. Johnson remarks, that proofs of inflammation have been discovered in protracted cases of insanity. And, if the effects of inflamma tion be discovered in the brains of the Insane, surely Insanity, if not identical with, must be nearly allied to inflammation? I conclude, therefore, that the proximate cause of Insanity, is a chronic inflammation of the brain, and hence my reason for placing it in its present position in my arrangement.” Moral Insanity is the Pathomania of Dr. Prichard. It consists essentially, in a perversion of the usual habits and feelings, without delusion. The patient is wayward, eccentric, and extravagant in his conduct, but has no proper mental delusion or hallucination. 66 Hypomania. This term Dr. H. Johnson proposes to substitute for monomania, as signifying a slighter form or lower grade of mania. In this there is delusion, on one or more subjects, connected or unconnected. Sometimes the delusion is very persistent, sometimes it changes from day to day. The patient is, however, not violent, nor unmanageable. He has not the furious look of a maniac, but has more the appearance of a person in ordinary health.” Dementia.-This, in its last stage, fatuity, is characterised by the annihilation of the mental powers: it is to be distinguished from idiotism, by its not being congenital. It is usually the termination of mania. Dr. H. Johnson thinks that a new name, to be derived from the Greek language, might be advantageously substituted for the present one; he is, however, unwilling to suggest any unnecessary innovations of this kind. Delirium. This is classed amongst the non-inflammatory affections. The author looks upon delirium as always a symptomatic affection, depending upon some disease going on at the same time in the system. It appears to depend on an anormal condition of the circulation within the brain. Hypochondriasis.-"This is chronic dyspepsia, attended with peculiar lowness of spirits, desponding habits of mind and undue attention to every uneasy bodily feeling. It is easily distinguishable from Insanity by the absence of any delusions, and by the prominence of the dyspeptic symptoms. It is said sometimes to lapse into Insanity, but this is not a frequent occurrence. The disease seems to commence with irritation of the organic or ganglial system of nerves, and the irritation is propagated by a species of reflex operation, first to the brain, producing the morbid state of the feelings, so characteristic of the disease, and from the centre of the nervous system, towards its extreme branches, in various parts of the body. "I have no doubt that the tendency of the disease is hereditary; and, from what I have been able to observe, it appears to me, that the descendants of the ancient Cymri are peculiarly liable to it." We see much, very much, to condemn, little, if anything, to approve of, in this proposed "arrangement and nomenclature of mental disorders." THE IODATED WATERS OF HEILBRUNN IN BAVARIA, CONSIDERED WITH Duo This little volume consists chiefly of condensed extracts from a large work, (the 4th edition, of Dr. Wetzler,) on the same subject, by the learned German author who resides in the vicinity of a Spa which will probably take rank with Kissengen, Marienbad, or even Carlsbad, before many years. The village of Heilbrunn is situated in a romantic spot in Upper Bavaria, between Flecken-Tölz, and Benedictbeuren, eight German miles from Munich. The Quelle of Heilbrunn rises between two eminences, and is said to be the oldest of all the Bavarian Spas. In 1659, it experienced a piece of good fortune, by contributing to the increase of the Elector's family, and its prolific virtues were speedily bruited about among the ladies, so as to establish its reputation. The neighbouring monks, however, became jealous of the Spa, and nearly ruined it, till, after nearly two centuries, (1805,) its renown was again revived by a German physician, (Graff,) who wrote a book on the waters. In 1825, Professor Vogel was employed to analyse the water, and he discovered the existence of iodine in the spring. This was afterwards corroborated by Wetzler. In compliment to the Queen of Bavaria, it now received the name of " ADELHEID QUELLE." The following formula employed by Struve at Berlin, is supposed by Sir A. Downie, to be as nearly as possible, the analysis of the Spa in question. (In the pint.) The taste is decidedly saline, with an après gout of sulphur. The whole resembles a mixture of sea-water with that of Harrogate. It is perfectly clear, and suffers little by transportation. The spring does not throw up more than seven or eight hogsheads per diem, and therefore little can be spared for baths. The whole supply is nearly expended in bottling for exportation. "The usual dose for children is from two to six ounces a day, and for adults as much as three quart bottles per diem have been ordered." 38. "According to Geiger the Adelheid's Quelle may be prescribed with advantage in the following diseases. 1st. Loss of Appetite and Indigestion. "2nd. Chronic affections of the Liver and Spleen. "3rd. In Ague and Jaundice. "4th. In disease of the Kidneys from Calculous deposits. "5th. In Chlorosis, Affections of the Womb and Sterility. "6th. In Hypochondriasis and Melancholy. "7th. In chronic Erysipelas, cutaneous diseases, as Psora, Porrigo, &c. "8th. In gouty affections, stiff and enlarged joints, Palsy, &c." 46. Cases, in illustration, are selected by the author from various German writers, and with these the little work concludes. |