1847] Induced Contractions. 517 frog and many other animals, the gastrocnemius has this character: in birds, the pectoral muscle presents this arrangement. When we form a pile with these muscles, we find that a current circulates in the muscle, from the tendinous extremity to the muscular surface. "In arranging this pile, we must carefully avoid exposing the internal part of the muscle, and we must especially place one element in contact with another, in such a manner that the tendinous extremity touches the surface of the muscle, and never the interior: indeed, the latter ought to be as far as possible from the tendon. Without this precaution, there will be, in the circuit, the muscular current, which, being directed from the interior to the surface, would have a direction precisely the reverse of that of the proper current. Having thus ascertained the conditions on which the proper current depends, I think that I may generalise its origin and connect it with the muscular current. This community of origin is principally demonstrated by the identity of action which the different circumstances that modify the organism and the life of animals exercise upon the muscular current. In fact, whether the current be muscular or proper, the action exercised on it by heat, narcotics, sulphuretted hydrogen, and the degree of integrity of the nervous system is the same. "Anatomists have lately demonstrated that the elementary muscular fibres are immediately continuous with the tendinous fibres, and that the sarcolemma which invests the muscle, ceases abruptly where the tendon begins. We may, therefore, with some probability, consider the tendon as being in the same electric condition as the interior of the muscle; and, therefore, when we form, by means of a good conductor, a circuit or communication between the tendon and the sarcolemma, we put into circulation a portion of the muscular current." On Induced Contractions.-In our review, before referred to, of Matteucci's Traité, we noticed the physiological phenomenon produced by a muscle in contracting, and proposed to call it electric sympathy, Matteucci now terms it induced contraction, or muscular induction. The subject, though important to the physiologist, is very obscure. In his later memoir on it, inserted in the Philosophical Transactions, Matteucci first examines the question whether electricity is evolved during the contraction of a muscle; and concludes that it is not. After examining various physical theories of induced contraction, he concludes by admitting that "we cannot give a satisfactory explanation of the phenomenon of induced contraction by recurring to electricity or any other known causes," and infers that "induced contraction is only a new phenomenon of nervous force." We must now conclude our account of Matteucci's Lectures and Memoirs. In noticing the former we have been obliged to limit our extracts and observations to a few only of the subjects treated of. But, as we have enumerated the various topics which the author successively considers, our readers will be able to form a very fair idea of the extent and scope of this most interesting and instructive work; and we trust that the extracts which we have made from it will justify our opinion of its highly meritorious character. It is alike valuable and interesting to the general reader and the professional man,-to the natural historian and natural philosopher, to the physiologist and the practical physician. With the exception of Magendie's Lectures (published in Paris in 1842 in 4 volumes 8vo.), we are unacquainted with any other modern work, besides that of Matteucci, which is expressly devoted to the physical phenomena of living beings, yet the subject is of growing importance, and loudly calls for further investigation. One reason why its literature is so scanty is, perhaps, the paucity of persons who combine, in one individual, a sufficient acquaintance with both physical and physiological sciences, to qualify him for the investigation: physics and physiology being usually regarded as entirely different branches of study. In the case of Magendie we have an instance of a physiologist successfully pursuing physical researches with the view of applying physical agencies to the explanation of physiological phenomena. Matteucci, on the other hand, is a natural philosopher, a professor of the physical sciences, who has extended his investigations to organized bodies, in order to ascertain whether many of the phenomena presented by living beings, and called vital, may not be, in reality, due to physical influences. The subject, therefore, has been regarded by those two eminent philosophers from opposite points of view; and the work of the one is consequently not a substitute for that of the other. Some of our readers may perhaps be glad to learn that an English translation of this work, made under the superintendence of, and annotated by, Dr. Pereira, has been announced, by Messrs. Longman and Co., for immediate publication. I. A MANUAL OF THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF ОPHTHALMIC MEDICINE AND SURGERY. By T. Wharton Jones, F.R.S. Small 8vo, pp. 570. Churchill, 1847. II. ON CATARACT, ARTIFICIAL By PUPIL, AND STRABISMUS. 8vo. pp. 89. Churchill, 1847. III. ANNALES D'OCULISTIQE. Tom. XVI. XVII. 1846-7. IV. REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF OPHTHALMIC SURGERY FOR 1846, with Original Cases and Illustrations. By W. R. Wilde, M.R.I.A. V. PAPERS ON INFLAMMATIONS OF THE EYE. By A. Jacob, M.D. F.R.C.S.I. (Dublin Medical Press, 1846). WE had hoped to have had M. Desmarres' work upon ophthalmic medicine in our hands before this; but the publications above cited will, in the mean time, furnish us with some interesting information to place before our readers. Mr. Jones' " Manual" is a very elaborate compilation, and will, in this age of condensing, epitomising, and manualizing, doubtless occupy the foremost place. To our own taste it is, however, needlessly extended in its earlier portions. The directions for examining the eye are frequently too anticipatory of the descriptions of its diseases, and are minuter than necessary for those, as we hope all do, who avail themselves of opportunities of practically studying this important subject, which, perhaps less than any other, is to be managed by books. Here the student has the opportunity, which so few other perverted conditions of the economy furnish him with, of seeing disease at its onset, during its various stages of pro 1847] Examination of the Eyes of Children. 519 gress, and in its different effects. This facility of inspection has, however, been disadvantageous in one respect, that of encouraging a disposition to minute and fanciful division and subdivision of the various morbid appearances, which, conjoined with the jargonic vocabulary that has been invented for the purpose of indicating these, has well nigh converted into a difficult and repulsive study, that which is really in its natural simplicity very easy, and should be attractive. Mr. Jones has farther unnecessarily enlarged his book by a long description of the various phenomena of inflammation in general. Ably as we allow this is written, it is surely time a stop were put to the practice of writers upon special subjects, taking it for granted that their readers are unacquainted with the most general principles of disease, and occupying space which should be otherwise filled, or better still spared altogether, with dissertations which find their proper place elsewhere. Among Mr. Jones' directions for examining the eye, that applicable to children seems to us a useful one. "For the examination of the eyes in children, especially when affected with intolerance of light and blepharopasmus, considerable management is required, and even some degree of gentle force. The surgeon is to seat himself on a chair with a towel, folded long ways, laid across his knees. On another chair, on the surgeon's left hand, and a little in front of him, the nurse, with the child, sits in such a way that when she lays the child scross her lap, its head may be received on the towel, and between the knees of the surgeon, and thus held steadily. The nurse now confines the arms and hands of the child, whilst the surgeon, having dried the eyelids with a soft linen cloth, proceeds to separate them by applying the point of the forefinger of one hand to the border of the upper eyelid, and the point of the thumb of the other hand to the border of the lower, and then sliding them against the eyeball, but without pressing on it, towards their respective orbital edges. This mode of proceeding obviates the eversion of the eyelids, which is so apt to take place under these circumstances. The eyelids being thus opened, they are readily kept so during the examination, by the command, which the points of the finger and thumb, resting against the edges of the orbit, have of their borders. By this means the whole front of the eyeball is exposed, but it often happens that, to avoid the light, the eye is spasmodically turned up, so that the cornea is in a great measure concealed. By waiting a few seconds, however, enough of it will in general come into view to enable the surgeon to judge of the state in which the eye is. Having completed this portion of the exploration, there is not much difficulty in so everting the eyelids as to ascertain the state of the palpebral conjunctiva." P. 14. We may commence with some account of The Ophthalmiæ. These Mr. Jones divides into four orders. O. Externa, Interna anterior, Interna posterior, and Panophthalmitis. The first of these is subdivided into Conjunctivitis, Sclerotitis, and Corneitis; the second, into Aquo-capsulitis, Iritis, and Crystallino-capsulitis anterior; the third, into Choroiditis, Retinitis, Vitreo-capsulitis, and Crystallino-capsulitis posterior; while the fourth (inflammation of the whole eye) is fortunate in constituting but the one order and genus. That inflammation may affect any of these textures is certain, but the practice among Ophthalmologists of describing its agency as so many isolated or separate discases, has long seemed to us a most faulty one. This, joined to the innumerable modifications induced by diathesis detailed by other observers, renders the study of the subject unnecessarily complex, and often directs too exclusive attention to some particular structure. We are much pleased in finding so experienced an observer as Dr. Jacob, in the papers quoted at the head of this article, frequently inculcating these views. Speaking of Iritis, he objects to the term, inasmuch as other textures are as much affected, especially the retina, as is the iris, and observes : “The attempt to insulate or confine the inflammations of the eye to particular structures, under the names of iritis, choroiditis, retinitis, corneitis, sclerotitis, and aqua-capsulitis, hyaloiditis, &c. has not proved serviceable in practice. It looks very methodical, it appears plausible in books and lectures; but, when we come to test the matter by observation, we find many of these apparent distinctions vanish, and discover it is only a progressive inflammation of the whole organ, more conspicuous at the commencement in some particular part." We are likewise disposed to agree with Dr. Jacob in his opinion that simple, uncomplicated, inflammation of the eye is of more frequent comparative occurrence among the lower orders than that dependent on scrofula, rheumatism, arthritis, &c., than is generally believed. Such is however not the general opinion, and certainly not that of our German brethren, who seem to revel in their multiplied subdivisions. Thus M. Cunier, in a report in the "Annales d'Oculistique," upon the diseases of the Eye observed in the province of Brabant, not content with the ordinary designations of scrofulous, catarrhal, rheumatic, syphilitic, &c., ophthalmia, combines these in every variety, so that we have the scrofulosocatarrhal, &c. ad infinitum; and he is much surprised that writers, so experienced as Lawrence and Mackenzie, in noting the catarrho-rheumatismal ophthalmias, should have neglected indicating the rheumato-catarrhal. Although it is certain that, under the specific influence of these diseases, certain structures of the eye are occasionally more especially influenced than others, these are not so exclusively, nor to anything like the extent usually believed; and, moreover, the existence of any such predisposition is too hastily assumed in many cases. Still we believe that the designation of inflammations of the eye under some general appellation, derived from constitutional peculiarities, is often a very useful procedure, providing the attempt be not made to localize such classes in some one or other of the structures of the eye under the appellations corneitis, conjunctivitis, iritis, &c. Scrofulous Ophthalmia.-This, Mr. Jones describes as essentially a species of corneitis-with what justice let those judge who are familiar with its various symptoms referable to the implication of other structures. It seems to be very prevalent at Brussels, for of 641 cases of eye-disease, reported by M. Cunier, 107 consisted of scrofulous ophthalmia; in 42 others the scrofulous element existed, although not predominantly, while 107 cases exhibited the consequences of prior attacks-giving a total of 256. In 103 cases, in which the ages were noted, these were less than 12 in 96, and more only in 17. Of 1782 cases of eye-disease throughout Brabant, 640 were examples of scrofulous ophthalmia or its effects. We believe the writers upon disease of the eye in all countries bear witness to a nearly similar preponderance. M. Cunier had frequent opportunities of tracing the hereditary influence in the production of the disease, in most 1847] Scrofulous and Rheumatic Ophthalmia. 521 cases the parents having already suffered from this or other scrofulous diseases, or other branches of the family continuing to do so. He agrees with Lugol, that the endemic prevalence of the disease is due rather to the life of wretched privation, mixed with intemperance, the families in which it prevails lead, than to the effect of vitiated air and crowded localities; and laborious enquiries have convinced him, that the majority of the occasional causes of authors have no necessary effect, scrofula only shewing itself under their influence when individual predisposition exists. Such causes, however, are very injurious to health when persistent, and no population exposed to them can rear healthy offspring. M. Cunier, after Sichel, describes two forms of the disease; the one irritable, erethitic; the other indolent, phlegmatic, or torpid: both manifesting that predominance of the lymphatic system and irregularity of the digestive functions, so characteristic of scrofula. There were about 54 per cent. irritable, and 46 torpid, in the towns; and 33 irritable, and 67 torpid, in the rural districts of Brabant. Mr. Jones' directions for the treatment of this disease are judicious. He commences with an emetic and purge, keeping up some action of the skin, if feverishness is present, by means of antimonial wine, and afterwards regulating the condition of the digestive organs by hydr. c creta and hyoscyamus, with occasional doses of calomel and rhubarb or scammony. This accomplished and fever subdued, a grain or two of quinine ter. will, in most cases, seem to exert almost a specific effect, while in others iron, sulphuric acid, or rhubarb and soda, will be found useful. He recommends the occasional application of a few leeches around the eye, a measure from which, in these cases, we have seldom derived benefit, while from the practice of counter-irritation behind the ears, highly approved by him, we have seen the best results follow. As local applications he employs a belladonna lotion, or steaming the eyes with vapour impregnated with belladonna, as effectual means of relieving the intolerance of light. No mention is made of the painting the eyelid and eyebrow with iodine for this purpose-a practice frequently very successful. Due attention to the purity of the air, condition of the clothing, diet, and other hygienic circumstances, is all-important. Where the disease proves very obstinate, evacuation of the aqueous humour, repeated leechings and blisterings, a mercurial course, in conjunction with the quinine, and the continuous dilatation of the pupil by belladonna, are indicated. Rheumatic Ophthalmia.-Dr. Cunier represents this as of extremely frequent occurrence among the working-classes of Brussels. Scrofula is the most ordinary combination, and catarrhal ophthalmia a very frequent one. Sudden atmospheric changes, ill-ventilated, heated workshops, and the sudden change of temperature in passing from these to the air, and travelling in exposed carriages on railways, are among the causes assigned for the production of the disease. Dr. Jacob well observes, that the information, respecting rheumatic inflammation of the eye, to be found in ophthalmic writers is anything but precise. "It seems to be assumed that rheumatic inflammation of the eye has its seat more especially in the sclerotic coat, apparently from a belief that rheumatism |