could be borne.

skin was tough as leather, the constant application of the remainder of the fluid upon the lint, and was soon potassa and glycerine for a week restored comparative completely unconscious. About half an hour after comsoftness to the skin and considerable motion to the fin-mencing the inhalation I found myself sitting up crossgers; and in three weeks the flexibility was perfect. legged on the sofa, having suddenly become conscious, Reasoning from the effect of potassa in exciting to ac- feeling perfectly well and in a fit state to attend to my tive vibration the cilia of epithelial cells, after their ap-ordinary occupations. I suffered no nausea, oppression, parent death, Dr. W. thought it might act. in these or other unpleasant feelings, save a somewhat disagreecases, by spurring the dormant cell-elements of the der- able flavor in my mouth and throat, which alone rema and hypoderma into functional activity. He wished minded me that I had been the subject of experiment. to mention the almost magical relief often given by the On the 7th of January I operated on a young man, application, for two or three hours, of water as hot as of twenty-six years, for necrosis of the humerus. Having consented to the administration of the bichloride, at ten minutes past one o'clock, about two drachms were poured on a napkin, folded as a mouthpiece, and covered with oil-silk, as is customary in the administration of ether, and inhalation was commenced. Four minutes afterward another drachm was added, and in three minutes more the patient was fully narcotized, being perfectly passive and insensible to pain, and not having evinced any feeling of suffocation. The operation was proceeded with, occupying nearly three-quarters of an hour, during which time somewhat more than an ounce and a half of the anaesthetic was used. The patient remained perfectly passive for about ten minutes after the removal of the napkin, and then, suddenly opening his eyes, rose up, said he felt "all right," complaining only of stiffness of his arm, and walked by himself into an adjoining room. There were no subsequent unpleasant effects.

DR. PIFFARD would speak of one or two remedies, not yet mentioned, which had given brilliant results, In those cases where the eruption is obstinate, with much serous or sero-plastic effusion, especially in children, Hebra and others recommend the ammoniochloride of mercury. This has certainly proved of great efficacy in the mass of cases in dispensary practice. It may be employed freely, with little risk of salivation. In one case, however, of eczema rubrum covering the whole body, its use for three days slightly touched the gums, and it was ordered discontinued. By mistake this was not done, and the patient was severely ptyalized; but the eruption disappeared. Another remedy, whose value he had discovered by accident, was opium. Using it to relieve the pain of a severe eczema rubrum, he was surprised to see the eruption decidedly improve within twenty-four hours. He had since employed it in other cases with good effect, giving gtt. xv-xx of the tincture thrice daily, with a purgative every fourth or fifth day. Its modus operandi here might be similar to that in indolent ulcers, as pointed out by Skey. It might also act as an antiphlogistic in the cutaneous inflammation, as we have lately come to consider it in serous, mucous, and parenchymatous inflammations.

NEW LARYNGOSCOPIC, ILLUMINATOR.

DR. BURRALL presented an apparatus of his own devising for laryngoscopic illumination, which he thought possessed advantages in convenience, simplicity, and cheapness, over those commonly in use.

Correspondence.

BICHLORIDE OF METHYLENE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MEDICAL RECORD.

SIR-Not having seen any report of experiments made on this side of the Atlantic with Dr. Richardson's new anaesthetic, bichloride of methylene, I beg to mit to you, for publication in the RECORD, the following notes, which may serve to bring more prominently before the profession in New York this new agent, which, from all accounts, seems to merit a close experimental examination.

On the 12th of January I attended a lady in her second confinement, who had taken chloroform at her previous one, and consented, at my request, to take "chloromethyl" as an anaesthetic. Active labor pain came, and about seven o'clock a drachm and a half of the anaesthetic was given. As in the preceding cases within three minutes she was unconscious, much to the astonishment of a lady friend who was present, having dropped quietly to sleep, without any excitement, child was born five minutes past eight o'clock, she havmerely making the remark, "How very pleasant." Her ing been for the greater part of the time completely under the anaesthetic influence; and when she awoke,

which she did suddenly, she said that she felt none of the unpleasant head symptoms which she had experienced after taking chloroforin, and that her sensations whilst passing under its influence were very agreeable, averring that were she again to use an anesthetic she would have no hesitancy in choosing "chloromethyl" in preference to chloroform.

As Dr. Richardson truly remarks, "When twenty thousand persons have slept away pain under the insub-fluence of chloromethyl,' and those who have slept too deeply shall be counted as fewer than ten, an advance over chloroform will have been proved, but not sooner, nor with less of that tribulation through which we must ever attain to the good that is great and persistently beneficent." But if "chloromethyl" is an agent better than ether or chloroform as an anaesthetic, the sooner it is proved the better. A. RUSSELL STRACHAN, M.D.

47 EAST 28D ST. February 10th, 1868.

Having received a sample of bichloride of methylene from London, England, I proceeded first to test the anesthetic properties of the agent upon myself. Pouring about half an ounce of the fluid into a small bottle, and taking a piece of lint covered on one side with oil-silk, I extended myself on a sofa, and then pour- DILATATION ing about a drachm of "chloromethyl," as Mr. Spencer Wells has named it, on the lint, commenced inhalation. The sensations I at once experienced were pleasant and extremely composing, and soon I felt stealing over me an irresistible tendency to somnolence, without any of the unpleasant sensations in the head usually attendant upon the inhalation of chloroform or ether. I gradually added more of the anaesthetic, until feeling that I would soon lose the power of voluntary movement, I poured

OF THE URETHRA FOR
INJECTIONS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MEDICAL RECord.

SIR -On reading Dr. Buttle's description of his new syringe, and its effect in dilating the urethra, it recalled to mind a simple mode of accomplishing the same result, which I have been accustomed to recommend to patients. One or two fingers of the left hand of the patient are placed on the urethra, directly under the

pubes, making pressure sufficient to prevent the injected fluid from passing beyond; this, however, is not essential, as it is difficult to force an injection into the bladder. There is this consideration in its favor: that portion of the urethra in front of the pubes will admit of freer dilation, without inconvenience, than the parts beyond. The essential point is, to prevent the regurgitation of the fluid by the side of the injecting pipe. This is effected by the patient's pressing the thumb upon one side of the penis, back of the gland, and the second finger opposite, and holding the parts with firmness sufficient to counteract the pressure made by the forefinger of the same hand used to force in the contents of the syringe. The conical portion of the pipe of the common metal or glass syringe, is pressed into the orifice of the urethra with force sufficient to prevent the fluid from escaping, although injected until the distension of the urethra by the fluid becomes painful.

By this process the urethra is equally throughout, for the moment, dilated to its fullest capacity.

100 EAST TWENTY-THIRD STREET.

Medical Items and News.

SIR DAVID BREWSTER, the celebrated English physician and distinguished scientific discoverer and author, died on the 10th ultimo, at the advanced age of eightyseven.

in a

He was educated for the Church of Scotland, of which he became licentiate, and in 1800 he received from the University of Edinburgh the honorary degree of A.M. While studying there he enjoyed the intimate friendship of Robinson, Playfair, and Dugald Stewart. In 1808 he undertook the editorship of the Edinburgh Encyclopædia, which was only finished in 1830. In 1807 he received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Aberdeen, and subsequently from Cambridge the degree of A.M., and that of D.C.L. from Oxford. In 1808 he was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and afterward filled the offices of Secretary and Vice-President. Between 1801 and 1812 he devoted his attention to the study of optics, and the results were embodied "Treatise on New Philosophical Instruments" in We have in this proceeding a counterpart of the hy- 1813, when he announced his discovery in regard to draulic press, an engine of immense power. This the polarization of light, which was also made by Malus plan is not mentioned so much for its superiority over and Arago. From this time his contributions to the Dr. Buttle's syringe, as for its simplicity. By it every Edinburgh and London Philosophical Transactions consurgeon is able to accomplish the object with the in-tain the record of many brilliant discoveries in optics in struments already in his possession. regard to the polarization of light, and also to the abHENRY G. DAVIS, M.D. sorption of light in passing through various media. While writing the article on "Burning Instruments in the Edinburgh Encyclopædia, he was led, by a proposal of Buffon, to suggest the construction of a new illuminating apparatus for lighthouses, to consist of lenses made out of zones of glass, to be built up of several circular segments, and thus increase the illuminating power to an extraordinary degree. This beautiful and valuable invention was claimed by the French savant Fresnel, and it now bears his name. In 1816 Dr. Brewster invented the kaleidoscope, an instrument which has had immense sales, but which resulted in no pecuniary benefit to the inventor. In 1819, in conjunction with Professor Jameson, he established the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, and subsequently the Edinburgh Journal of Science. In 1825 the Institute of France elected Dr. Brewster a corresponding member, and he has since received the same honors from the Royal Academies of Russia, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, Denmark. In 1831 he proposed the meeting at York, out of which grew the British Association for the Advancement of Science; and in the same year he received the decoration of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, and the next year the honor of knighthood from King William IV. In 1838 he was appointed Princi pal of the University of St. Andrew, being the first layman who ever held that office. In 1850 he was unMEDICAL SOCIETY OF THE COUNTY OF NEW YORK.-animously elected Principal of the University of EdinAt the meeting to be held March 2, Dr. O. G. Smith will read a paper on General Paralysis of the Insane, and Dr. James R. Leaming will make some remarks on cardiac diseases.

PERSONAL.-Prof. Charles A. Budd has been appointed one of the Consulting Physicians to the New York State Woman's Hospital.

M. CLAUDE BERNARD has recently been elected President of the Society of Biology of Paris.

THE Wisconsin State Hospital for the Insane has been enlarged, at an expense of $98,000, by the addition of one longitudinal and one transverse wing on each side of the main building-thus doubling the capacity of the Hospital, and furnishing accommodations for three hundred and fifty patients.

THE NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL, passed by Congress, allows $82,000 to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION COLLEGE PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS.-The next meeting of this Association will be held March 4. Dr. Gurdon Buck will deliver the

address.

THE Second International Medical Congress is to be held in Italy in 1869.

THE BOSTON MEDICAL AND SURGICAL JOURNAL.-Dr. J. Abbot and Luther Parks, Jr., have relinquished the editorial charge of this journal, and it is to be conducted hereafter by Dr. DAVID W. CHEEVER, of Boston.

HIPPOPHAGY IN NEW YORK.-A well-known French restaurant of this city, it is said, will shortly introduce to our citizens sundry dishes of "cooked horse."

THE bill to incorporate a Presbyterian Hospital in New York City has advanced to its third reading before the State Legislature.

burgh. In 1849 he was elected one of the eight foreign members of the National Institute of France, the distinguished philosopher Arago being the Chairman of the Committee on Selection of Candidates. Sir David received also the Prussian Order of Merit, and in 1855

the Emperor Napoleon made him Officer of the Legion

of Honor. Sir David has edited and written various
works, besides contributing largely to the Edinburgh
and Quarterly Reviews, and the Transactions of all the
prominent scientific associations in Great Britain. His
most popular works are a "Treatise on the Kaleido-
Treatise
scope," a "Treatise on the Stereoscope," a
on Optics," "Letters on Natural Magic," "The Martyrs
of Science," "Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Sir
Isaac Newton," "More Worlds than One," and others
that we have not space to mention. It is impossible
to recall here in our limited space all the facts with
which Sir David has enriched the most delicate

or complicated by, parasitic beings, lice, fungi, etc. It THE DIAGNOSIS, PATHOLOGY, AND TREATMENT OF DISEASES

Original Communications.

REFLECTIONS ON UTERINE PATHOLOGY,
AND THEIR APPLICATION TO THE TREAT-

extremes will not only lead us into grave errors, but tempt us to ignore certain pathological facts and physiological phenomena, concerning which there is, or at least ought to be, a fixed and unanimous opinion.

When it is borne in mind, however, that the birthday of uterine pathology as a distinct and special study is but of recent date; that even at the present day our

MENT OF ULCERATION OF THE OS AND CERVIX: profession numbers among its active members many

BEING A PAPER READ BEFORE THE KINGS CO. MEDICAL

SOCIETY,

By J. BYRNE, M.D., ETC.

THERE is, perhaps, no subject connected with the study of uterine pathology, which, during the last thirty or forty years, has so engaged the attention of those more directly devoted to this branch of medical science as that of ulceration of the os and cervix uteri. Indeed, so much has already been said and written on this lesion by authors of acknowledged ability, deep research, and almost unlimited opportunities for practical observation, that, even to the specialist, it might seem as if but little of value could be added to our present stock of information. That the subject is by no means exhausted, however, but rather the patience of any one who honestly endeavors to glean some practical knowledge from most of the contributions to this branch of uterine pathology, a mere passing glance at the great diversity of opinion existing among those who are generally, and in many respects deservedly, looked upon as authorities and guides, will suffice to prove. Because, if authors of the most undoubted ability are found to be totally at variance in their estimate of plain pathological facts, and differing widely on some of the most vital points, how is it possible for us to decide upon any fixed principles of treatment?

who have witnessed its advent; it is not to be so much wondered at, that, in its infant-like attempts to strike out and walk erect and on sure footing, numerous have been its ups and downs, its rapid strides and inglorious retreats. For, no sooner did Recamier, by his speculum, reveal pathological treasures heretofore hidden, and thereby usher into the world of research this scientific bantling, than almost every country in Europe, I might say every city and town, had its one or more ambitious candidates for the position of foster-father. Is it, then, any wonder that uterine pathology, like some hapless infant, with a numerous retinue of maiden aunts, and more grandmothers than the law allows, should be doomed to have its growth and progressive development occasionally checked and retarded by colics and indigestions? However, though such difficulties are inseparable from the rise and progress of every branch of medical science, whether new or resuscitated, it is, nevertheless, consoling in some measure to reflect that they oftentimes serve to promote both knowledge and truth, by constantly teaching us how to avoid past mistakes, and stimulating us to renewed efforts in the future. And here permit me to remark that there is no branch of science or learning, in the honest pursuit of which the strictest adherence to facts, carefully and closely observed, is more demanded than in that of our own noble and holy calling, where every effort, and For instance, when we see, on the one hand, men all our exertions, are directed towards the alleviation of endowed with every prerequisite for close, careful, and human suffering, and to the end that, aided by, or profitable investigation, and laboring zealously for rather by aiding, that wonderful and ever active years amid abundance of material for the fullest devel- "vis medicatrix naturæ," we may be enabled to restore opment of these faculties, declaring that ulceration of to our poor afflicted fellow-beings, that without which the os and cervix uteri, pathologically and therapeuti-wealth, exalted position, and every earthly means of cally considered, is purely local in its origin; that pains, enjoyment offer no charms, even for life itself—namely, aches, and general ill health coexisting with such con- mens sana in corpore sano." dition, are remediable only by means of topical applications to this "fons et origo mali" and, on the other hand, no less high authorities boldly asserting that such a disease has been carefully looked for in the deadhouse as well as at the bed-side, without resulting in its discovery; that, in fact, non-specific and nonmalignant ulceration of these parts has no existence outside the brain of him who looks for the lesion with a determination to find it-how, I repeat, is it possible, for physicians of limited practical experience, however well qualified for the task in other respects, to steer clear of this gulf of doubt and perplexity, while each such beacon-light, with speculum in hand, sits perched upon his favorite Scylla or Charybdis?

Fortunately, however, for a large class of afflicted humanity, much has also been written and said by various observers, representing what may be called the conservative section of uterine pathologists, with a view, if possible, of correcting or neutralizing the evil tendencies of what they deem to be unwarrantable conclusions.

These erroneous doctrines, they assert, are based, on the one hand, upon the folly of totally ignoring the pathological importance, if not the very existence, of this lesion; and, on the other, the attributing to it undue consequence, almost to the complete exclusion of what they believe to be more correct principles and safer practice.

In a word, that strict adherence to either of these

If we take up almost any volume of the older writers on obstetrics, from the beginning to the middle of the last half century, and, indeed, in many cases even up to a very late period, we look in vain for any pathological facts worthy the name, touching many diseases of the uterus and its appendages, now becoming tolerably well understood; and, as for explanations of some of the most important phenomena of uterine life, there is such an evident attempt to gloss over ignorance by mysticism and a want of exact knowledge by false hypothesis, that the sooner our pursuit for information in this quarter is abandoned, the better. Dr. West says,* "So recently, indeed, as thirty years ago, neither was the structure, nor even the functions of the sexual organs at all correctly understood. The uterus, it is true, was known to be muscular; but neither the process by which its muscularity becomes so marked during pregnancy, while it ceases to be clearly apparent soon after delivery, nor the intimate nature of its structure in the virgin state, had been the subject of inquiry. . .

Though the structure of the ovaries was in the main understood, yet the ovarian ovule had not been discovered, and the function of the ovaries was supposed to be called into exercise only during the stimulus of sexual congress. Hence it resulted that the import of menstruation continued to be a riddle unread; all that was

certainly known about it being, that it was a functioning as it was unprofitable. In a word, the frequent which bore an important, though undefined, relation to the generative process."

existence of a certain palpable fact could not be denied; and, after all, it turned out that what Dr. Bennet chose to designate inflammatory ulceration, Dr. Robert Lee refused to honor by a name of greater pathological import than simple epithelial excoriation.

A lengthy review of the rise and progress of uterine pathology, bearing upon the subject of this paper, though highly instructive as well as interesting, would take up more space and time than would seem consistent with But it must not be forgotten that there was still my present purpose, and might serve only to detract another, and, I hope and sincerely believe, a more from the few remarks I purpose to make, some of their numerous and no less able, but distinct, class of contestpractical value, if any they possess. Nevertheless, a ants, who were with truth looked upon as more conbrief allusion to some of the fierce and acrimonious dis-servative, and who, though by no means unwilling to cussions growing out of the investigation of this lesion, accept any and every ray of light compatible with will serve to show, not only the great diversity of honest convictions deduced from experience, yet, amid opinion existing on points of the utmost importance, the mass of doubt and confusion thus arising from so but also that, with regard to some of the most palpable great a revolution, still hesitated to lose sight of old and pathological facts, diametrically opposite conclusions well-tried landmarks, firmly established, as they behave been arrived at. lieved, by physiology, and supported by therapeutics. Foremost, and by far the most prominent among the promoters and powerful advocates of this third party, was, and is to this day, the gifted and scholarly Dr. West, whose sound and lucid arguments, supported by an amount of practical experience that falls to the lot of but few, have accomplished more towards checking the too rapid strides of our young pathological giant, than all other British writers before and since the publication of his Croonian Lectures in 1854. After this cursory but somewhat discouraging retrospect of the last twenty-five or thirty years, it cannot be surprising to find at the present day the greatest possible variety of opinion as to the causes and nature of uterine ulceration, and, as a consequence, a total absence of any fixed principles to guide us in its treatment.

It was not long after Recamier gave the grand impetus to a rational method of investigating uterine diseases that at least two distinct schools sprang up in France. One advocated what has been called the "displacement theory," and insisted that abrasions and ulceration of the uterus were principally, if not wholly, the results of mechanical action. To this party belonged Velpeau, Malgaigne, Huguier, and many other celebrated surgeons. The other numbered among its most noteworthy advocates men like Lisfranc, Dubois, and Cazeau, and taught that these affections had their origin in simple idiopathic inflammation.

France, however, did not long enjoy a monopoly of the quarrel thus inaugurated, for, as I have said before, almost every city and town throughout continental Europe could boast of its champion in support of one or other theory. Those of the older writers on obstetrics then living, and teachers whose dicta on the subject of uterine diseases it were almost blasphemy to doubt, pricked up their ears, and stood aghast at the boldness with which these new aspirants for scientific honors and distinction ventured to doubt old dogmas so long inculcated and complacently accepted, and with the facility with which these new and improved munitions of pathological warf re made fearful breaches in their time-honored stronghold of doubt and hypothesis. It was, then, about this period that an English physician of great ability and unwearying industry, a pupil of the celebrated Velpeau, and thoroughly imbued with that praiseworthy spirit of ambition which should characterize every candidate for scientific fame, saw fit to launch into the arena by espousing the cause of the inflammation theorists. I refer to Dr. James Henry Bennet, whose inestimable contributions to uterine pathology might with truth be styled "monumentum ære perennius," though very many able writers, and, in addition, the humble author of this paper, have seen fit from time to time to differ widely from him, and to record their honest and conscientious distrust of conclusions which seem to them wholly unwarranted by facts.

The gauntlet thus cast down was at once eagerly clutched by several opponents, most prominent amongst whom, as refusing to acknowledge even the existence of ulceration of the os and cervix uteri, was Dr. Robert Lee; while, between these two extremes, there arose advocates of every shade of opinion, but most of whom pinned their faith more or less to one or other horn of this literary dilemma.

The main question, however, could not long remain unsettled, and very soon it became evident to every impartial observer, that much time had been spent, no little bad feeling manifested, and many columns of the London Lancet, that might have been put to better use, had been devoted to a mere war of words, as aggravat

In a merely scientific sense, this state of things is deeply to be deplored; but, forgetting for the moment the interests and advancement of science alone, let us reflect on the feelings, bodily and mental, of the victims to these infirmities, for which we are expected, and ought to be able, to provide relief, if not a remedy. If abrasions and ulceration of the os and cervix uteri produce the almost endless train of painful sensations, and an amount of constitutional disturbance wholly incompatible with vigorous health and usefulness, that some writers assert and insist they do; if the seductive arguments brought forward by Dr. Bennet, for instance, and his conclusions regarding the nature, causes, and treatment of these ailments, bear the test of practical scrutiny, we have, at once, not only a system of uterine pathology, as bearing upon these lesions, made easy and much simplified in its application to treatment, but we are bound in duty to shape our practice accordingly. If, however, on the other hand, a denuded and patulous os uteri has little or no pathological import in its entity, is a very common occurrence, and not necessarily accompanied by symptoms of sufficient gravity to require any special attention, to what a frightful amount of criminal torture, mental certainly not less than physical, do we not subject our poor victims of false pathology and conceited ignorance!

Who of us can have noticed unmoved the nervous agitation, sometimes little short of mental anguish, of a pure-minded woman, and especially if unmarried, when the announcement is first made that a speculum examination in her case will be unavoidable? Are we not warned by her rapidly changing flushed or pallid cheek and anxious look of foreboding evil, that nothing short of the direst necessity can justify even the very suggestion?

Does she, only from a keen sense of the duty she owes to herself, her family, and to society, reluctantly submit to that ordeal, the very thought of which shocks every modest impulse of her heart and body, and makes her very blood run cold, and all to no other purpose than to