affords a useful practical hint to parents, and medical attendants. I knew a family, of the highest rank and respectability, who lost the whole of their young family by this disease, and died, some years ago, without heirs, of their own body, to their titles and estates. Some of these children would probably have been saved, had the preventive measures here stated been then known." But leaving all theoretical discussions out of the question, it is Sir Gilbert's wish merely to submit what he has said as a suggestion to others, who may be induced to make trial of it, and report the result to the public. He has only further to suggest, that in case the utility of this practice should be confirmed by farther experience, it ought to be resorted to as a preventive, as well as curative treatment, and applied whenever infants are perceived to have the head and fontanels preternaturally large, without waiting its alarming manifestation, by symptoms of hydrocephalus-symptoms which, he thinks, by this measure, may be happily averted."

Since the preceding observations were written, (about fourteen months ago) several cases have occurred to Sir Gilbert, and some of his friends, in which the practice has proved very beneficial. It ought to be understood (says he), the treatment is not applicable to the acute state of the disease, but either to those indications of predisposition, consisting in a large head, a tardy closing of the fontanels, dilated pupils, and ricketty disposition, or to cases in which the acute stage has been subdued by evacuations and mercury, and where there is still a prospect of a fatal termination, or of a protracted or imperfect cure. Both the subjects, whose cases are detailed, have remained free from the disease eighteen months.

A popular writer, of some celebrity, attributes the frequency of watery head, and convulsive fits, to the practice of nurses, in attempting to "close the bones of the head of infants, when loose, or the fontanels very open." He contends that, by compressing the brain, such a degree of irritation is often produced in the substance of the brain, and in the pia-mater, as to occasion convulsions, and sometimes inflammatory action in the latter, which terminates in an effusion of serum in the ventricles, constituting the disease termed watery head. By compressing the branches of the temporal arteries, &c. the afflux of blood to the brain, by the internal carotid arteries, is increased, the consequence of which may be, inflammatory action or effusion, which is likely to terminate in watery head. The treatment recommended by Sir Gilbert should therefore be adopted with great caution, and more with the view of supporting the bones, than to produce compression of the brain. We have met with cases of convulsive fits, which apparently arose from the practice of nurses, of swathing the head, with a view of closing the bones, and which did not recur on leaving off the swathe.

GOUT AND RHEUMATISM.-Dr. Uwins has published five well-marked cases of gout and rheumatism, to prove the power of the colchicum-seed wine, in effecting a speedy cure of these diseases. The cases being very similar, we select the two first:

"A stout robust man, thirty-three years of age, by trade a taylor, in poor circumstances, and usually afflicted with gout in one or

both feet, twice or thrice in the year, each fit continuing upon him from three to five weeks, was lately seized in the night, subsequently to a journey on foot of thirty-six miles, with an acute, and almost intolerable pain in the left heel and leg, which, in a few hours, extended itself with nearly equal severity to the left side.

"In the morning, the left foot was much inflamed and swelled, and the sensation of this part of the body was so exquisite, that the weight of the bed-clothes, or the agitation of the room, occasioned by any person walking across it, could scarcely be borne.

"In the evening he became delirious; and such was the severity and continuance of the pain, that he remained in a state of delirium three successive days and nights, without a moment's sleep; sometimes calling out most vociferously, at other times tolerably quiet, but holding conversation, as it were, with himself. In this lamentable situation, he was advised to take forty drops of the colchicumsced wine, at eleven o'clock in the morning, and a tea-spoonful at bed-time, in a wine-glass of cold water. In two hours, by the first dose of this medicine, the pain was evidently lessened; by the second dose, he slept four hours, and in the morning was free from delirium, and greatly relieved from pain. By a continuance in this plan four days, living merely on a little tea, weak mutton broth, and a small quantity of toasted bread, he was wholly free from pain, and from any swelling and inflammation in the foot; and after a perseverance in the medicine four days longer, the poor man was enabled to return to his business, and to walk a mile with as much ease and comfort as he could have done previously to the attack, from which he had so severely suffered.

"A medical man, fifty years of age, of a good constitution, and temperate habits, in general practice in the country, and accustomed to much exercise, especially on horseback, has been subject annually, for several years, to one or more fits of the gout, which has deprived him of following his professional duties, sometimes for a month, seldom less than a fortnight.

"In 1820, he experienced a most severe attack in his right foot, which he considered as the prelude to a long confinement to his house; but anxious to visit, nine miles distant, a sick friend, who was equally desirous of seeing him, he had recourse to a tea-spoonful and a half of the colchicum-seed wine, in peppermint-water. In two hours, the gouty paroxysm was so wholly subdued, that he mounted his horse, visited his patient, and returned home, without feeling the slightest inconvenience, either from his complaint or ths journey, and since that period he has enjoyed excellent health."

Of the specific virtues of the colchicum seeds, in the cure of gout, rheumatism, and especially in a combination of those diseases, termed rheumatic gout, we continue to receive the most favourable reports, from different parts of the country. A lady, residing in Deptford, states, that she had been confined to her room for many weeks, with a most painful swelling of the joints of the lower extremities, and of the feet, which her medical attendant termed rheumatic gout. Having been attended by him for upwards of a month, without deriving any essential benefit from his treatment, she had

recourse to the alcaline tincture of the colchicum seeds, four doses of which so effectually subdued the disease, that in two days she was able to walk about the house, without experiencing any pain or inconvenience. A clergyman, in Hampshire, who had for many years suffered exceedingly from rheumatic gout, states, that the tincture not only removed every symptom of the disease, but rendered his intellectual faculties more capable of performing their functions. THE PRUSSIC ACID.-The very favourable reports of this acid in cases of pulmonary consumption, hooping-cough and spasms, which have appeared in the foreign Journals, and in several works in this country, induced Dr. Macleod, Physician to the Westminster General Dispensary, to give it a trial, on an extensive scale, in cases of consumption of the lungs, and chronic inflammation of the ramifications of the wind-pipe (termed bronchia) in elderly people. The result of sixty cases satisfied him, that this medicine had either been extolled above its deserts, or that, its real powers were not rightly understood; and he discontinued its exhibition, partly because he was unable to discover any certain indication which it was capable of fulfilling, and partly because the general relief afforded by it in the sixty cases was inferior to what had been produced by more common remedies. The apprehensions of deleterious effects entertained by some, and noticed by several who have written on the subject, appear to him ill founded; at least, out of above 100 cases, in which he gave, or had seen others give, the acid, it never produced serious inconvenience except once, and, even then the effect was not alarming. In complaints of a spasmodic nature, such as hooping-cough, he believes this acid to be of use; but the only class of cases which he feels any real confidence in its exhibition, is indigestion, attended with much pain in the stomach, or anomalous feelings about the heart; "Indeed," says the Doctor, "I have known it afford very decided relief in structural affections of this organ, a circumstance first forced upon my attention, by seeing it prescribed to a patient under my care at the Westminster Dispensary, in which instance the freedom from suffering was complete and permanent, that it lasted till the patient's death, which took place after its exhibition." On examining the heart with his friend Dr. Richard Harrison, he found it enlarged and flabby, with thickening of the central valves, and the coronary arteries to contain a considerable quantity of air. The more particular object, however, of the present short communication is, to notice an effect of this nedicine, which, says the Doctor, "so far that I know, has not been remarked by any writers on this subject, viz. ulceration of the gums with salivation." Of this he has seen three instances: in the first it was slight; and not being aware of this peculiar property of the acid, he regarded it as proceeding from some other cause. The second instance occurred in a man of the name of Smith; his attention being excited by the occurrence of the same effect in two individuals during the use of the acid, he was resolved to ascertain how far it was to be regarded as the cause.

Smith had taken, during a fortnight, from six to eight tablespoonsful, daily, of the following mixture: Take of the Prussic acid,

ten drops; distilled water, eight ounces; mix. At the end of this time, the ulceration of the gums, which had been gradually coming on, was considerable, and attended with some salivation. The Prussic acid was discontinued, and alum-wash was ordered, and the gums gradually got well. About three months after this, his mouth having been well for some weeks, he again prescribed the same mixture, and the same effects were again produced.

A young woman, in Phoenix-street, a patient at the Westminster General Dispensary, had the above mixture ordered, of which she took three table-spoonsful, three times a day, for a fortnight; when, on visiting her after a lapse of several days, he found the gums affected with severe ulceration, extending to the inside of the left cheek, accompanied by salivation and considerable swelling. The ulcerations were very difficult to heal, and the soreness of the mouth was altogether exceedingly distressing. After it had been well for about three months, he again ordered a mixture, containing the same quantity of acid as before. The dose was rapidly increased to four table-spoonsful four times a day, and at the end of a week, the mouth had again become affected. The gums were swelled, inflamed, and slightly ulcerated, but got well more speedily than before.'

Dr. Macleod conceives that the above cases warrant the conclusion, that the Prussic acid has the property of inducing, in some constitutions, an effect upon the mouth, analogous to that resulting from the use of mercury. But there seems to be this difference, that the ulceration of the gums is greater in proportion to the degree of salivation; and he believes the affection to be more difficult of cure; and the occurrence of this effect, he does not regard as favourable. In the former of the two instances related, it was exhibited for a pectoral affection, as recommended by Dr. Granville: in the latter, it was given for disease of the digestive organs, as recommended by Dr. Elliotson; in neither case did the medicine prove successful.

Mr. Cooper informs us, that he had administered the Prussic acid in the dose of one drop, three times a day, in a case of spasmodic asthma, with the most decided benefit, after other antispasmodic medicines had failed. In a case of pulmonary consumption, near Brentford, half a drop produced convulsions of the whole muscular system. The patient (a female) was about twenty-four years of age, and extremely nervous. In hooping-cough, particularly the first stage of it, this acid has proved more beneficial than in any other disease; in some instances having cured it in three days. To the nose of a cat, Mr. William Reece applied about one drop of the Prussic acid, the effect of which was instantaneous death: and a scientific chemist of the city informs us, that he applied a drop to the nose of a large mastiff dog, in perfect health, and as soon as it touched the skin, the animal fell down, and died without a struggle. The Prussic acid is therefore a most potent medicine; and as it is become a favourite remedy with many physicians, it behoves the College of Physicians, as the medical branch of the legislature, to publish a formula for making it, that it may be kept by apothecaries and

chemists of the same strength. The acid we have procured at Apothecaries' Hall, and of several chemists, we have found to differ very considerably in strength; indeed, we have found none of them good. The only method of making it of an equal strength is, by decomposing the prussiate of potass by the dilute sulphuric acid, and drawing off, by distillation, a certain quantity. The acid thus prepared at the Medical Hall, in Piccadilly, will be found much superior to that sold at Apothecaries' Hall, or by any chemist in England.

OPIUM.-The white poppy has been lately so successfully cultivated in different parts of this country, particularly in Buckinghamshire, that the plant is not only as large and healthy, but as productive of the white juice, as it is in Turkey; and the juice, on being reduced to the consistency of an extract, by gentle evaporation, is much stronger than the Turkey opium, in consequence of its being more pure. The Turkey opium is indeed generally so impure, that it seldom affords more than three-forths of pure extract; and, during the process of evaporation, after being dissolved in proof spirit, and filtered, the volatile and active parts of it are so far dissipated or injured by heat, that no advantage is gained by the process; for although deprived of its impurities, which are innocent, it does not act so powerfully as the impure. The English opium is perfectly pure, and one grain of it is equal to a grain and a half of the Turkey opium, and to two grains of the purified Turkey opium. A correspondent informs us, that it produces more refreshing sleep than the Turkey opium, and that he has not met with an instance of the head-ache, or nervous restlessness, after its application, which generally follows the use of Turkey opium. The trials we have given it are too few to justify our speaking decidedly on this point— the result of our experience is, however, much in its favour.

From some experiments upon narcotine, one of the immediate principles of opium, which have been instituted, by Dr. Magendie, of Paris, this celebrated physiologist thinks it probable, that the very variable effects of opium are owing to the presence of the opposite principles which enter into its composition. This opinion acquires great probability, from the circumstance, that persons who take morphium, experience none of those exciting properties, which the aqueous extract of the shops, containing both morphium and narcotine, produces in them.

Hence it appears, from all the processes employed for the preparation of extract of opium, the best is that by which the separation of the narcotine is effected. The method which, with this view, has been proposed by Mr. Robiquet, is strongly recommended to the notice of apothecaries; for it very well accomplishes the proposed object, and the extract which it furnishes has already been productive of excellent effects. It consists in macerating, in cold water, the opium, cut into small pieces, as in making the aqueous extract. The liquid, when filtered, is evaporated to the consistence of a thick syrup, and the extract repeatedly agitated with ether, in a suitable vessel. The ethereal tincture is then decanted, and submitted to distillation, in order to separate the ether. The operation is repeated, as long as crystals of narcotine, resulting from it, are