luminous with which it comes into contact. Reaumur also found that it was diffusible in water, or any other fluid in which the animal might be immersed.* The shining of the scolopendra electrica, I have always observed to be accompanied by the appearance of an effusion of a luminous fluid upon the surface of the animal, more particularly about the head, which may be received upon the hand, or other bodies brought into contact with the insect at the moment, and these exhibit a phosphoric light for a few seconds afterwards. This fluid, however, I never could discover in the form of moisture, even upon the clearest glass, although examined immediately with the most scrupulous attention by a lens: it must therefore be extremely attenuated. The same appearance has been observed during the illumination of the nereis noctiluca by Fougeroux de Bondaroy.+ The animal discovered by Riville shed a blue liquor, which illuminated the water for a distance of two or three lines. Spallanzani relates, that the medusa which he examined communicated the property of shining to water, milk, and g other fluids, on being rubbed or squeezed in them. § The luminous fluid is in some instances confined to parti cular parts of the body, and in others is diffused throughout the whole substance of the animal. In the scolopendra electrica, it appears to reside immediately under the integuments. In the lynceus discovered by Riville, it is contained in the ovary. If I may judge from my own observations, every part of the body of the medusa is furnished with this fluid, as there is no part I have not seen illuminated under different circumstances; but Spallanzani affirms that it is only found in the large tentacula, the edges of the umbella, and the purse or central mass; which he proved, he says, by detaching these parts successively, when they shone vividly, while the rest of the body neither gave light or communicated any luminous appearance to water. Spallanzani discovered a mucous Tuminous fluid in the plumule of the pennatula phosphorea. T vii. (To be continued.) *Mem. de l'Acad. des. Sc. 1712. Mem. Etrang de l'Acad. des Sc. Tom. iii. || Memoria sopra le meduse fosforiche. Mem. della Soc. Ital. Tomo Mem. della Soc. Ital. Tomo ii. 425 CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS ; IN THE DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF PHYSIC, SURGERY, AND MEDICAL PHILOSOPHY, Observations on the Natural History, Climate, and Diseases of Madeira, during a period of eighteen years. By William Gourlay, M.D. Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh; and Physician to the Factory at Madeira. 8vo. pp. 158. Callow, 1811. FROM the opportunities for observation and practice which the author's long residence in Madeira has procured him, we anticipated copious and valuable information respecting an island of which we hear much and know little. When chagrined with want of success, and wearied with the progressive increase of all the patients' symptoms, we propose a voyage to Madeira as a last hope, although we are no further acquainted with the country, than having some confused notion that the climate is mild. The first part of this volume treats of the discovery, situation, aspect, and soil of the island; of its vegetable and animal productions and of the constitution, customs, and manners of the inhabitants. 翼 Madeira is situated in 32 degrees, 37 minutes, 30 seconds, north latitude, and in 17 deg. 5 min. longitude, west of Greenwich, about 80 leagues N. by E. from Teneriffe, 120 leagues from Cape Cantin, on the coast of Africa, nearly 100 leagues from the Isle of Terno, and about 17 leagues S. W. from Porto Santo. It is about 120 miles in circumference, its greatest length from E. to W being 45 miles, its greatest breadth from S. to N. 15 miles, and its least breadth 84 miles. It is formed of lofty mountains, of hills, and fruitful vallies, and in figure makes an oblong irregular quadrangle. its capital is Fuschal, which is situated on the south side of the island at the bottom of a spacious valley, open to the sea, and surrounded by lofty mountains having all the appearance of an amphitheatre, gradually ascending to a great height ts mountains and hills generally rise with a slow ascent, the highest points of land being about 8250 feet, or one mile and a half, above the level of the sea. The situation of Madeira, in some places, presents a most picturesque and enchanting appearance, while others, huge perpendicular rocks, lofty precipices, prominent ridges, deep excavations and chasms, innumerable cascades liberally supplied with rivulets, beautiful vallies, deep gullies and ravines, containing immense tor (No. 147.) 3 I rents rents of water, afford a highly varied, sublime, and no less alarming picture of nature." P. 5-6. This island was formerly extremely fertile, and though the soil has been exhausted by a succession of crops for nearly four hundred years, without much assistance from culture, it still nourishes a variety of vegetable productions; all sorts of tropical, as well as European fruits, will flourish on this favoured spot, and every kind of grape grows there. Cattle, poultry, fish, &c. &c. are very plentiful; and various species of small birds are seen. We wish that Dr. Gourlay had enabled us to detail more particulars of the natural history of Madeira; his information on this head is very scanty, although many rich and curious productions of nature are to be met with in the island. His account of the inhabitants is interesting. "The natives of Madeira, particularly the peasantry, (he observes) are distinguished by an olive or tawny colour of skin, and a swarthy complexion; nor is it improbable that they are of a Mulatto or Moorish origin. Indeed only a few of the first families at all resemble in complexion the fair inhabitants of northern Europe, and these are unequivocally of Portuguese extraction. The people of Madeira are, in general, athletic, well made, active, and of a middle stature. Those of the lower class, or the country people, are sober, inoffensive, economical, and capable of induring much hard labour; in the prosecution of which they are often reduced to great emaciation of body, and debility of constitution, and thus a premature old age is brought on. The higher classes, on the contrary, are inclined to corpulence, and at the same time more disposed to indolence, attended with a moroseness of temper, and disposition to melancholy though sober in respect to drinking, they are apt too often to indulge in eating to excess; from this circumstance, joined to the sedentary life they lead, they become subject to a variety of chronic disorders, and also early arrive at a premature old age; nor is it to be concealed that of late years the use of spirituous liquors has become common here among all ranks, which bas opened a new field for the production of a long train of maladies." P. 27-28. The women marry early, are very prolific, and soon lose the charms of youth. Their habits are adverse to health, leading very sedentary lives, seldom going out but to church, and performing many religious exercises. The younger branches of the first families are immured within convents, from which, after taking the veil, they never issue. The climate of Madeira forms the subject of the second part of this work, and extracts from a Meteorological Re gister, kept during a period of sixteen years, are inserted. The temperature appears to be pretty uniform, the hottest months being rendered pleasant by a succession of land and sea breezes. The following table from Kirwan's "Tempera ture ture of different latitudes," presents the average temperature of every month in the year. A "Madeira, Funchal, lat 32° 37', long. 17°, mean height of the thermometer for every month, taken from an average of four years observa tions. The following is the average temperature of Madeira, compared with that of London, for the whole year, as well as during the coldest and warmest months, which are January and July. Taking the average temperature of London at 1000, the heat of Madeira is 1319. In January 0559, July 1128." The third part treats of the diseases of Madeira; these the author arranges under the heads, endemic and epidemic, The first division comprehends various affections of the skin, complaints of the chest, rheumatism, colic, tetanus, dropsy, &c. Dr. Gourlay begins with describing elephantiasis, or Arabian leprosy, which is very common among the lower classes -oof people in Madeira, The disease is hereditary, and may b locommuniqated from one person to another, although it does not appear to be of a very contagious nature, 150 7 be "It generally shews itself by tubercles upon the face and upper extremities, and sometimes upon the trunk of the body and penis. Illconditioned ulcers of the legs also take place, in some instances, attended with acute pain; large indolent glandular tumours occupy the upper and anterior part of the thigh. The fingers become contracted, and the feet hard and swelled. The fingers also, and toes, are occasionally destroyed by ulceration; the same disposition to irregular tumours and ulceration attacks the throat. " In those affected by the disease, previous to the age of puberty, the usual signs that mark this period of life do not appear. The beard, the usual sign of virility, is wanting; the hair is deficient on the pubis and scrotum, as well as, on the axilla and breast. No desire prevails for the venereal passion: the voice preserves its puerile tone, and does not acquire the real strength and masculine expression. Even the testicles, not called upon for the exercise of their functions, gradually waste? P. 68-9. Young females affected with this disease experience no increase or fulness of the breasts, no growth of the external parts of generation, no appearance of the menses, have no hair on the pubis or axilla, and feel no disposition to venery. "Even where the disease makes its first attack, at a much later period, the marks of sexual maturity, which are already established, gra 312 dually dually disappear, and are attended with impotence or very impaired powers of generation. These circumstances denote that the elephantiasis of Madeira differs from the same complaint in other countries: for almost every writer on the subject has described the unhappy victims of this disease, raging with insatiable irresistible desire for venery; rabiosa inest libido. In support of the contagious nature of this disease, Dr. Gourlay states, that "About thirty years ago, in the village Ponta de Sol, fourteen miles distant from Funchal, the capital of the island, (Madeira) it raged with all the violence of an infectious malady, passing from one family to another, and threatening to extend its ravages into the neighbouring country, till the governor took this (the) prudent and wise step of separating the healthy from the diseased, and preventing their interference with each other." 72. Some cases also under the author's immediate notice are cited in favour of this opinion. Where it affects people who have previously been healthy, the mode of attack resembles that which distinguishes contagious diseases. "It is ushered in with rigors and other symptoms of pyrexia, while at the same time there is no evidence of the presence of any other existing morbid cause." We have hitherto regarded this disorder as an incurable one, Dr. Gourlay however has occasionally succeeded in affording relief. In the incipient state, he has in a few instances suspended the progress of the disease by the use of calomel. In other cases he found great benefit follow the internal administration of the lacerta (agilis) or common lizard. "As a medicine, this reptile acts as a powerful stimulant on the liv ing solid, opening the several excretions, and producing large evacuations, particularly by the skin and urine, which are at the same time not attended with any debilitating effect. By this mode of operation, it will be found to have the certain influence of arresting the progress of the worst symptoms of elephantiasis, if not the whole, and in many cases to have surprisingly restored parts, which for years had been morbidly enlarged, to their natural size, and even sensibility; though for that period they had continued in a torpid state. Its operation also seems to vary somewhat in different cases; at times the different secretions seem increased by it all at once, viz. the perspiration, urine, and saliva; at Other times, merely an increase of saliva takes place." P. 74. Diarrhoea sometimes followed the use of this remedy, and it occasionally produced vertigo. Some successful cases are subjoined from which we are convinced that this reptile possesses considerable efficacy in the cure of elephantiasis: It has also been administered with advantage, in herpes, chronic rheumatism, dropsy, and scrofula. As most of the diseases in Madeira are similar to those of this country, we shall confine our extracts to such as present unusual appearances, |