Chapter 21

"The foregoing statement," Mr. O. remarks, "involves four facts and questions of considerable importance in pathology. 1st. The great quantity of fluids evacuated in so short a space of time: no less than ninety-six quarts in eight months, by four operations; and fifty-nine quarts from August to December, 1824, by three. 2nd. The variety in the nature, consistence and colour of these fluids. 3d. The possibility of curing ascites and dropsy of the ovaria, by exciting inflammation in the abdominal sac, either by the admission of air into it, or mechanical irritation; and 4th. The possibility of a thickening of the parietes of the abdomen by inflammation, or by an exudation of a carcinomatous sort, being mistaken for a tumour rising out of the pelvis."

33. _Artificial Respiration._--Dr. J. WARE of Boston, relates in the New England Jour. for April last, that he was led by the experiments of the justly celebrated physiologist Mr. BRODIE, to employ artificial respiration in the case of an infant 9 weeks old, whose system was prostrated from an over dose of laudanum. "The action of the heart was reduced to an occasional throb; the pulse had entirely ceased, and the efforts at respiration, which for some time had consisted merely in an occasional gasp, became more and more unfrequent." The child had been afflicted for five or six weeks with hooping-cough, and had been very sick and feeble when the laudanum (about 15 drops) was administered.

By means of the stem of a tobacco-pipe, artificial respiration was excited, and continued for several minutes: the action of the heart was immediately renewed, and the pulse could be again felt. At the end of an hour, during which the artificial respiration was repeated at intervals; "the respiration became natural, the pulse distinct and tolerably strong, and the heat began to return." A fit of coughing, preceded by a livid appearance of the forehead and face, arrested the breathing, "which did not return till assisted by the artificial process." The child, assisted by these measures, and by attention to the more usual means of recovery, struggled through the night, but died during a paroxysm of coughing in the morning.

The conclusions of Mr. BRODIE are, that narcotics destroy life through the organs of respiration, and hence, if respiration can be artificially carried on until the effects of the narcotic subside, life may be preserved. Dr. WARE'S case would seem to confirm this idea; for it is _probable_ his patient would have recovered from the effects of the narcotic, if the paroxysms of coughing had not interfered.

34. _Secale Cornutum._--Mr. CHARLES WALLER has lately published (London Medical and Physical Journal, April 1826,) several cases illustrative of the action and efficacy of secale cornutum. We have not room for any of the cases, and content ourselves with transcribing Mr. W.'s inferences. These are: "That the secale cornutum is a remedy which is capable of increasing the force of the uterine contractions in a most remarkable manner, under certain circumstances; but that the effect is doubtful, unless there be some degree of action present. In other words, that, although it will increase the contractions when already present, it will not always renew them when they are suspended.

"That the effect is more certain if the infusion be of greater strength than is usually recommended; two drachms of the secale to six ounces of water being barely sufficient for the purpose.

"That it appears to be a stimulus peculiarly fitted for irritable, and what are generally termed _nervous_ habits.

"That the fears entertained by some practitioners of its proving detrimental to the child, are groundless.

"But, although it is in general necessary, not only that there should be a disposition for labour, but that this process should have actually commenced, before we can expect the secale cornutum to have any effect upon the uterus, still one solitary case has indirectly come to my knowledge (and I will vouch for the authenticity of it,) where this remedy was given for the purpose of producing abortion in a female, about the second month of utero-gestation; and this effect was accomplished in a few hours after its exhibition."

35. _Animal Magnetism._--This strange doctrine begins to acquire considerable vogue in France, and other European countries, from which it seemed to have been expelled, by the contempt and ridicule which it met with, from most of the learned of the latter part of the last century. ANTHONY MESMER, the great choroegus of the magnetic mummers, was born in 1733, and excited a vast deal of attention, by the enormous pretensions which he set forth on the subject of magnetism. MESMER came from Austria to Paris in 1778. He addressed the Academy of Sciences, and that of Medicine, but no attention was paid to him, till a commission was appointed to examine carefully into the merits of the question. This commission in 1784, so fully exposed the fallacy of MESMER'S theories and practice, that he soon afterwards quitted Paris, and retired to England under a feigned name. He subsequently went to Germany, and died in obscurity, in the year 1815.

In December last, M. HUSSON (for himself, and MM. ADELON, BURDIN, MARC, and PARISET,) read a report to the Royal Academy of Medicine, on the question, whether it was fitting for the section to undertake new researches on animal magnetism, as it had been thought to be definitively settled by the decisions of 1784. The report concluded affirmatively, for several reasons; among which the principal seems to be, that magnetism has at present fallen into the hands of the learned, whereas it was formerly under the domain only of quacks and the vulgar.

M. HUSSON'S report was discussed at subsequent sittings of the Academy, for the purpose of ascertaining whether a new commission should be appointed; and as this topic is certainly one of the greatest novelties of the day, we shall give some account of the discussions, making free use of the report of them, contained in the Revue Medicale, Mars. 1826.

M. DESGENETTES, declared against the appointment of a commission, because he considered the magnetism of the present day, quite as much a matter of jugglery as that of 1784; and he informs us, that the publicity given to the report, had already increased the audacity of the magnetisers, who look on it as an approbation of their art.

M. VIREY, regretted that the report had not spoken in strong terms, against the ridiculous practices, and shameful jugglery, which disgrace the cause of magnetism; he wished the committee had announced an intention, to make only physiological, or psychological researches, on the influence, which magnetism really appears to exercise on the nervous system; and gave his voice for the formation of a commission of experiments.

M. BALLY, voted against it for several reasons, and among others, because of the fact announced by all the magnetisers, that the person who magnetises, acquires a sovereign power over the magnetisee; and he inferred from this, all the inconvenient and even dangerous consequences which may result to public morals!--Finally, he voted against it, because magnetism is ridiculed every where, because it is all darkness and confusion, and especially, because it being an inexhaustible mine of empiricism, the section ought not to lay open such a fertile field for those gentry who live by quackery.

M. ORFILA, (eheu!) defended the propositions of the reporters. It is opposed, said he, on the three grounds following: 1st. Because the section has not been invited to the examination now recommended. 2nd. Because magnetism is nothing but juggling. 3d. Because commissions will not commonly do any work. The first ground is not correct: M. FOISSAC, a physician of Paris, has invited our attention to it, and offered to subject a magnetic somnambulist to its exploration; and very reputable physicians, members of the Academy, MM. ROSTAN, (the ramollissement man, is his head soft too?) and GEORGET, have in their recent publications called the attention of the learned to this subject. Secondly, if there be any jugglery, in the magnetic phenomena we are told of; it is nevertheless certain, that the whole of them are not simulated. The testimony of well taught physicians, ought to be received on this head. That the phenomena are extraordinary, is no argument; for those of electricity must have been quite as marvellous, at the period of their discovery, &c. &c.

M. DOUBLE, blamed the report as being nothing more than an apology for magnetism, which is tarred with the same stick as that of 1784, and only modified a little, by the esprit de notre temps, &c. &c. He said he had made magnetism a special subject of study, and _never saw a phenomenon produced by it_.----He thinks the commission could only do injury to science, and compromit the Academy, &c. &c. He would vote against the appointment, and advised the section to wait until some scientific memoirs should be sent to it.

M. LAENNEC, agreed with M. DOUBLE, because after studying the subject for twenty years, he is satisfied, that it is almost nothing but deception and juggling; although, when he commenced the study, he was prejudiced in its favour. According to M. LAENNEC, among the magnetic influences, there are several, attributable to the impressions, which one individual naturally makes on another in correlation with him; and he cited a mistake, which he saw committed by a somnambulist woman. She was magnetised by two persons, one of whom was handsome, but anaphrodisiac, the other ugly, yet possessing in integrity, the genital faculties. She received no impression, except from the first individual; so that the impression which this female had received by the organs of vision, before the experiment, superseded that, which the pretended magnetic sense ought to have made on her. He thinks, the academy ought to _observe_ the magnetisers, but what he has seen, has convinced him, that nine-tenths of the facts in magnetism are supposititious. The phenomena effected by magnetism, and the oracles uttered by the somnambulist, vary with every magnetiser. MESMER excited convulsions; DESLIN effected crises, such as are seen in diseases. The somnambulists of Mr. DELEUZE, a learned man, are much better taught than those of PUYSEGUR, who is ignorant of the sciences, and finally, Mr. LAENNEC has seen a somnambulist under the direction of a pharmacien, who was quite distinguished, by the art with which she compounded the medicines, she recommended. The discussion was now adjourned to the next sitting.

On the 24th of January, it was resumed.

M. CHARDEL, bears witness to a reality of the magnetic phenomena, as he has witnessed them himself, in a case of what is called somnambulism. He dares not pronounce on the question of magnetism, as a therapeutical agent; but is disposed to think it ought, if ever, to be used with great reserve. Whether it consist of nervous phenomena of a particular order, or whether it be a product of the imagination, in either case, it deserves to be studied, &c. &c.

M. RONCHOUX, thought the proposed examination would be impossible; for the magnetisers assert, that if one of the parties have a will opposed to that of the magnetiser, no phenomena can be produced. Their confessed inability to surmount any opposite will, seems to Mr. RONCHOUX, an invincible obstacle to any exploration to be attempted by a commission.

M. MARC, gave some explanation of the labours undertaken in Germany. According to the opposition, nothing conclusive can be derived from these labours; because Germany is the native soil of sects and of thaumaturgæ but, Mr. M. proved by citations, that they are not to be attributed to excited imaginations, as has been urged, but to the most celebrated Savans of that country, as for example, OERSTDT, KLAPROTH, and HUFELAND, to learned bodies, and to governments. The Royal Academy of Berlin, offered in 1818, a prize of 3300 francs, for an essay on this topic.

The governments of Prussia, Russia, and Denmark, have founded medical commissions for the examination of it, and subjected its therapeutical application to certain regulations. He thought, therefore, that the Academy could follow without compromising its dignity, such good examples. He added, that the examination was absolutely necessary, unless they desired that every French practitioner should hereafter reject the whole subject, and for ever abandon its employment to jugglers and credulous fools.

M. NACQUART thought, that as magnetic somnambulism is something wholly independent of organical, physical, or physiological laws; that as the senses here have no need of organs; as time, space, and intermediate bodies, wholly disappear; we can avail ourselves of no method of appreciating magnetical facts, and consequently, the Academy ought not to trouble their heads about it--a very good joke truly: but M. ITARD said, that jokes had nothing to do with the question, because they are meant only for the abuses and extravagancies of magnetism; but we want to get at the truth, and to eschew the folly. Magnetism, says he, is either a real or imaginary agent; it ought to be examined. To refuse this, is to despise the path of experiment, which can alone lead to truth, &c. &c.

M. RECAMIER, could add nothing to the observations of MM. DESGENETTES, BALLY, and DOUBLE; but he wished the section to know, that he been a witness to the magnetic phenomena--he had been present at the oracles of the marichale of M. DE PUYSEGUR, who was represented as the most lucid of all possible somnambulists. He had reason to suspect a cheat in this case, as he was denied the means of dissipating his doubts; and heard this woman repeat what he had before said to the patient himself. How ridiculous, moreover, is it, to hear one drachm of glauber's salt prescribed as a transcendental remedy for phthisis pulmonalis! He also attended at the Hotel Dieu, at experiments made on one woman and two men. He saw the woman go to sleep (as was asserted,) at the simple will of the magnetiser, who for that purpose was concealed in a closet of the apartment. The only mode adopted, to prove that she was really asleep, consisted in some slight pinching of her ears, and some noises; yet, in the recital, these slight impressions have been transformed into most painful tortures. In the experiments made on the men, he employed a more powerful proof, which was the application of moxa; and that he did, because it was indicated by a coxalgia, with which the patient was affected: it is _a fact_, says he, that the man did not awake, or show _the slightest sensibility_. Mr. R. believes, therefore, in magnetical action; but does not think it can ever be available in the practice of physic. In Germany, said he, where magnetism is so much employed, do they cure better than elsewhere? And has magnetism been the occasion of any therapeutical discovery any where? In somnambulism there is only a disordered sensibility, and not an increase of it; and the pretended clairvoyance of the somnambulists, has no real existence, &c. &c.

M. GEORGET, cited in proof of the existence of magnetic power, the names of many physicians, members of the Academy, as MM. ROSTAN and FOUQUIER--he cited the experiments made at the Hotel Dieu, by Dr. DUPORTET, in the presence of many members, who had signed the results, as MM. HUSSON, GEOFFROY, RECAMIER, DELENS, PATISSIER, MARTIN, SOLON, BRICHETEAU and KERGARADEC. If there be any analogy between magnetic and natural somnambulism, ought we to be astonished at the production of the former by certain practices? The magnetisers conceal nothing, but publish all their proceedings, and do you call these the tactics of jugglers and charlatans?

M. MAGENDIE thought the examination expedient, and wished commissioners to be appointed to examine the somnambulist, offered by Dr. FOISSAC.

M. GUERSENT was in the affirmative: he himself had magnetised, and witnessed several phenomena, &c.

The discussion was then adjourned to the next setting, and on the 14th February, after hearing M. GASC against, and M. LHERMINER for the report, M. HUSSON the reporter was heard. The section then closed the discussion, and it was decided by a majority of ten, (35 to 25,) that a commission should be appointed to examine animal magnetism.

We are indebted for the above account to the Revue Medicale for March--the No. for February, also contains a review of M. DUPAU'S Lettres Physiologiques et Morales sur le Magnetisme Animal, 8vo. Paris, 1826. In order to show our readers how they manage these matters, we shall translate the following from p. 269.

"Here, says M. ROSTAN, is an experiment that I have often repeated, but which I was finally obliged to interrupt, because it fatigued my somnambulist prodigiously, who assured me, that if I continued, it would make her go mad. This experiment was made in presence of my colleague and friend, M. FERRUS. I took my watch, which I placed three or four inches from her occiput. I asked my somnambulist, if she saw any thing: "certainly, I see something that shines; it hurts me." Her countenance was expressive of pain, and ours expressed astonishment. We looked at each other, and M. FERRUS breaking silence, said, if she sees something shine, she can doubtless tell what it is. "What do you see that shines?--Oh! I don't know, I can't tell. Look at it well--Stop, it fatigues me, wait--(and after a moment of great attention) _It's a watch_." More astonishment. But, if she sees the watch, said M. FERRUS, she will doubtless see what o'clock it is. "Could you tell me what o'clock it is?--Oh! no, it is too difficult." "Look at it, try." "Wait then, I'll try; may be I can tell the hour, but I never shall be able to see the minutes;" and after the greatest attention--"It wants ten minutes of eight o'clock:" which was exact. M. FERRUS now desired to make the experiment himself, and repeated it with the same success. He made me turn the hands of his watch several times, and when presented to her (occiput we suppose,) without her having seen it, she never made any mistake."

These statements we have thought fit to lay before our readers, who will observe the respectable names which are connected with them. We shall seize the first opportunity to give the report of the new commission, and if they confirm the miracles, we can still say, credat Judaeus apella. If it will make no cure, it will probably make much pay; since MESMER got upwards of 340,000 francs for his mumming exhibitions, to the _spectacle_ loving quidnuncs of Paris. The commission consists of 11 members, viz. LEROUX, BOURDOIS, DOUBLE, MAGENDIE, GUERSENT, LAENNEC, THILLAYE, MARC, ITARD, FOUQUIER and GUENEAU DE MUSSY.

36. _Sketch of the Medical Literature of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway--by_ Dr. C. OTTO, _of Copenhagen, apud Bulletin des Sci. Med. Feb. and March._--"Denmark is richer in medical literature, than the other countries which in conjunction with it, composed the ancient Scandinavia. Although it does not in this respect, bear a comparison with France, Germany, England, and Italy, nevertheless, medicine, of all the sciences, seems to be that which is most successfully cultivated, and Copenhagen contains a great number of learned, and able physicians." In proof of what Denmark has done, Dr. O. refers us to the great names of the two BARTHOLINS, of STENO, of WINSLOW, of CALLISEN, &c.

"In the 16th century, Denmark possessed the anatomical works of the two BARTHOLINS: (_Instit. Anatomicæ de vasis lymphaticis, &c._) and other works of the same kind, which have been translated into all the languages of Europe. STENO, the disciple of THOMAS BARTHOLIN, followed the career of his master, with an equal success. HALLER never spoke of this anatomist, without the highest admiration. RODE enriched the literature of Germany and Denmark, with works which have made his name illustrious, wherever science is cultivated. Among these, we may chiefly distinguish his Bibliotheca, and Materia Medica." The Danes are indebted to him for several popular works on medicine, which are in the judgment of Dr. OTTO, chef d'oeuvres of this sort of writing. He published more than 13 volumes on these topics. "To the celebrated CALLISEN, who is recently deceased, we are indebted for 1st, a _Systema Chirurgiæ Hodiernæ_, a work of the highest merit, and which has reached a fourth edition. 2nd, a Medical Topography of Copenhagen, published in Danish. (2 _vols._ _8vo. Copen._ 1807.) 3d, the Director of the Academy of Surgery. He is also the author of several important memoirs, inserted in those of the _Roy. Soc. of Sciences_, of Denmark, and in some other collections. The late professor MATH. SAXTORPH, composed an excellent _manual of labours_, for the use of midwives. A second edition with plates, appeared in 1804. T. L. BANG, has given a _Praxis Medica_, an excellent guide to young physicians in their first outset in practice. HERHOLDT has shed some lustre on Danish Physiology: his dissertations on the life of the foetus, and on the question, whether vision is performed with both eyes, or with one only, bear testimony to his genius and penetration: he is also author of a memoir on penetrating wounds of the Chest, inserted, as well as the former dissertation, and many other pieces, in various medical journals.

"TYSCHEN published in 1804, a _Treatise on Pharmacy_, in Danish; and professor MYNSTER, gave a work on Pharmacology, of which two volumes only had appeared, when death interrupted his useful labours. In 1794, he commenced the publication of a journal, the _Bibliothek for Physik Oeconomic og Medicin_, which was continued in 1799, by BAHN, and afterwards under several names, till 1807. We now come to the existing state of Danish medical literature.

"The Royal Medical Society of Copenhagen, which, without contradiction, holds the first rank among those of Scandinavia, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1822. It publishes at irregular periods, its memoirs, under the title of _Nova Acta Societatis Medicæ Havniensis_. The last volume appeared in 1821. Professor JACOBSEN, is ardently devoted to the study of Comparative Anatomy, and has published several works on the subject, inserted in the Mem. of the Roy. Soc. of Sciences, extracts from which have appeared also in several foreign journals. The collection we have just now cited, (for 1824, V. I.) contains a memoir of Dr. GARTNER, which confirms the opinion entertained by the ancients, as to the presence of a glandular body in the uterus of some animals. The author has added a plate to this interesting dissertation. Dr. OTTO has enriched the physiological sciences with his _Phrenology_, and is zealously occupied with all that relates to this subject. Professor WENDT, physician to the General Hospital of Copenhagen, has recently published several small medical works. We may cite his _Historical and Chemical Supplements, to the knowledge of some therapeutical agents, of the class Euphorbiæ_; some notices on _small pox_, _vaccina_, and _modified small pox_.