she had a very fine pulse, indeed I could bodies entitled to representation in the scarcely detect any. I inquired if she had Association, are requested to forward to not inhaled chloroform; and the reply was the undersigned correct lists of their rein the affirmative. I informed her friends spective delegations as soon as they may be that she must have no more. She, in a very appointed; and it is earnestly desired by imploring manner, desired me to let her the Committee of Arrangements that the have some. I never saw a bacchanalian appointments be made at as early a period more solicitous for his cups, than this lady as possible. was for chloroform. At this juncture, I ap- The following are extracts from Article plied galvanism in order to excite circula-Second of the Constitution:tion; and in fact I was obliged to increase "Each local society shall have the privi the current to a very high tension before I lege of sending to the Association one delecould excite sensation. After it was par- gate for every ten of its regular resident tially restored, I discontinued its use, and members, and one for every additional fracshe slept one hour, as I supposed, naturally. {tion of more than half of this number. The She then aroused, and again plead for chlo-Faculty of every regularly constituted mediroform. Her pulse continued the same cal college or chartered school of medicine, (very fine); after a short time she was taken shall have the privilege of sending two delewith coma, which continued for two hours; gates. The professional staff of every at the end of which time she aroused, appa-chartered or municipal hospital, containing rently in great distress, and continued in a hundred patients or more, shall have the that condition two hours. The power of privilege of sending two delegates, and voluntary motion and sensation appeared every other permanently organized medical now to be gone; but the pulmonary institution of good standing shall have the branches of the par vagum continued to privilege of sending one delegate. excite, through the medulla oblongata, the involuntary movements of the thorax; and as the cranio-spinal axis became involved, and reflex power ceased, breathing ceased, and, of course, life became extinct, at the end of twelve hours from the time I found her under the influence of chloroform, and twenty-four hours from the time it was first administered. I am of opinion that if the application of electricity had been persevered in, she would have recovered from the effects of chloroform.-New York Medical Times, Oct. 1854. "Delegates representing the medical staffs of the United States Army and Navy shall be appointed by the chiefs of army and navy medical bureaux. The number of delegates so appointed, shall be four from the army medical officers, and an equal number from the navy medical offi. cers." FRANCIS WEST, M. D., 352 Chestnut Street, Philad., One of the Secretaries. The medical press of the United States is respectfully requested to copy the foregoing. Improved Stethoscope.-Dr. CAMMAN, of New York, has invented a new stethoscope, American Medical Association. Prize which intensifies, to an extraordinary de- Essays.-At the meeting of the American gree, every sound heard in auscultation. Medical Association, held in St. Louis (Mo.), This intensity is produced by both ears of in May last, the undersigned were appointthe observer being acted upon at once, anded a committee to receive and examine the ear-pieces of the instrument fitting such voluntary communications on subjects tightly into the meatus of both ears, all external sounds are more thoroughly cut off, and the mind of the auscultator is thus forcibly drawn to the phenomena taking place within the thorax.-Ibid. Dec. 1854. American Medical Association. - The eighth annual meeting of the American Medical Association will be held in the city of Philadelphia, on Tuesday, May 1, 1855. The secretaries of all societies, and other connected with medical science as indi{viduals might see fit to make, and to award two prizes, of one hundred dollars each, to the authors of the two best essays. Notice is hereby given, that all such communications must be sent, post-paid, on or before the first day of April, 1855, to R. La Roche, M. D., Philadelphia. Each communication must be accompanied by a sealed packet, containing the name of the author, which will not be opened unless the accompanying communication be deemed worthy of a had, it is believed, never before taken prize. Unsuccessful papers will be returned R. LA ROCHE, Phila., ISAAC HAYS, ALFRED STILLE, Chairman. G. W. NORRIS, J. B. BIDDLE, Boylston Prizes.-The Boylston prizes, for 1854, of sixty dollars each, have been awarded to Silas Durkee, M. D., of Boston, for the best dissertation" on the Constitutional Treatment of Syphilis," and to Geo. H. Lyman, M. D., "On the Non-Malignant Diseases of the Uterus." Question for 1855 is, "On the Diagnosis of the Diseases of the Urinary Organs ;" and for 1856, 1. "The Nature and Treatment of Asiatic Cholera;" 2. "The Nature and Treatment of Aneurism by Anastomosis." chloroform. The amputation having been decided upon, she was placed on the operating table at about a quarter past one on Tuesday morning, in order to its performThe administration of the anaesthetic was conducted by Mr. Bryant, the inhaler used consisting of a fold of lint, rather larger than an out-spread hand, and protected on its back by a piece of oiled silk to prevent wasteful evaporation. This plan is the one which is ordinarily used at this hospital-no towel is thrown over the patient's face, and the lint is held at a greater or less distance from the nose, according to the effect produced, being never quite close. In the first instance, about a drachm of the fluid was poured upon the lint. The patient inhaled it kindly; and, after about two minutes, another drachm was added. A stage of excitement now followed, during which the limbs required to be held. Insensibility was just fully established, and Mr. Birkett was on the point of commencing the operation, when Mr. Callaway, who was compressing the femoral artery, exclaimed that the pulse had suddenly ceased entirely. The wrist was examined, and the same found to be the case. Almost immediately afterwards, a long-drawn inspiration, attended with a deep sighing noise, was observed. For two or three breaths OBITUARY RECORD.-It is with profound regret that we announce the death of Dr. SAMUEL PARKMAN, of Boston, for a number of years Demonstrator of Anatomy in Harvard University, and one of the Surgeons to the Massachusetts General the cheeks puffed out during expiration; Hospital. Dr. P. was a very skilful and accomplished surgeon, and a gentleman of the highest character, much esteemed by all who knew him. He fell a victim to typhoid fever, on the 15th of December, 1854. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. the respiration next fluttered, and then ceased. Mr. Birkett at once put his finger into the patient's mouth, and drew forward the tongue, artificial respiration being meanwhile commenced by assistants by means of compression of the chest. A few slight inspirations were attempted by the patient subsequent to the commencement of the artificial assistance; but they did ever afterwards shown. The means of resuscitation adopted, consisted in the application of the galvanic current, the dashing of the chest with cold water, and the continued use of artificial respiration. Ten minutes at least, had probably elapsed before galvanism was resorted to. The whole period during which the above means were persisted with, was perhaps about half an hour. Death from Chloroform at Guy's Hos-not continue, and no sign of vitality was pital. Another death from chloroform occurred at Guy's Hospital, on the 5th of December last. The patient was a woman, aged 56, who had a malignant ulcer on the left leg, the extreme pain of which induced Mr. Birkett, and the other surgeons, to advise amputation. There were ulcers on both legs; those on the right being of simple character, and the ones on the left having only assumed a cancerous nature about a year ago. In each eye was a fairly-marked arcus senilis, but the woman was not known to have suffered any symp toms referable to thoracic disease. She It must be noted, that the woman had been very pale, both before and throughout the exhibition, and that no change in her appearance was perceived when the alarm. ing symptoms occurred, excepting that the the patient recovered from the chloroform, superficial veins of the neck and temple be- and the immediate effects of the operation, came distended with blood. The cessation she might not improbably have sunk subof the pulse was most sudden. Mr. Calla- sequently. As to the mode of death, the way stated, that it was not preceded by the conditions discovered tend to support the least premonitory fluttering, the stroke hav-conclusion arrived at from observation of its ing been good one beat, and entirely want-stages, with the addition of making it proing the next. This order of symptoms was of course suggestive of death, beginning at the heart (cardiac syncope), the cessation of the functions of the nervous system having been markedly subsequent to that of the circulation. That the death of the cerebro-spinal system (for want of blood) had followed in its usual course from above downwards, was proved by the continuance of respiratory efforts; for, a short time) after that, by their puffing movements dur ing expiration, the cheeks were shown to be paralyzed. Mr. Birkett expressed a confident opinion that the heart would be found to be fatty. bable that the right side of the heart had first ceased to act. The circumstance that respiratory efforts were the latest evidence of remaining vitality, in nowise militates against such a conclusion, since it proves only the yet existent integrity of the nervous system, and has but little reference to the persistence or otherwise of the pulmonary circulation. It should have been stated above, that the quantity of chloroform employed had not quite amounted to two drachms, and, as far as could be estimated, the time occupied in inhalation had been about three minutes. -Med. Times and Gaz. Dec. 9, 1854. Death from the Inhalation of Chloroform. Autopsy twenty four hours after death (conducted by Dr. Wilkes).-The corpse was much emaciated, and the rigor mortis-Prof. DUMREICHER related the following imperfect. The lungs were much congested case at the meeting of the Vienna Society with fluid blood, which ran out after incision of Physicians, held on the 16th November, of their substance. The heart was of nor- 1853. A lad, aged 19, was placed under mal size, but soft and flabby; its left side was the influence of chloroform, in order to have nearly empty, the right being distended his anchylosed knee-joint forcibly extended. with fluid blood. The left ventricle was of The patient was laid in the recumbent posgood thickness, its muscle of deep colour, ture; and half a drachm of chloroform havnot encroached on by fat, or in the least ing been poured upon a sponge placed in a mottled, the only observable departure from vessel resembling a snuff-box, the anaesthetic a healthy state being its flabbiness. The was held to his nostrils, in such a manner right ventricular wall was very thin, the as to allow of free respiration by the subserous fat, having in some parts almost mouth. The inhalation was continued for taken the place of the muscular tissue. The fifty seconds, and the patient had spoken layer of the latter, however, although much a few seconds previously, when Professor thinned, had still a good colour, and did not D. observed that the pulse had become freappear to the naked eye as degenerated, anquent and undulating. He immediately observation which may apply also to the suspended the administration of the anæscarneæ columnæ. The liver was in anthetic. Trismus occurred; the respiraearly stage of cirrhosis, and the kidneys tions became irregular; the face turned were both of them mottled, and contained livid, and he foamed at the mouth. Insufflanumerous small cysts in the external part. tions of air, aspersions of cold water, comThe brain was rather paler than usual, its pression of the thoracic walls, frictions, convolutions appeared shrunken and atro-irritating vapours to the nostrils, and latterly phied, and there was a quantity of serous the abstraction of viij of blood from the fluid in the arachnoid sac and in the ventri-external jugular vein, were all tried in vain. cles. There was general atheromatous disease of the arterial system, both in the head and other parts of the body. The blood was universally fluid, and of a dark colour. From the extent of organic disease thus brought to light by the post-mortem, the idea naturally suggests itself, that even had In a quarter of an hour he was dead, and during this space of time a feeble attempt at inspiration was once observed. The patient had been much addicted to masturbation, and had indulged in that vice shortly before the operation. On post-mortem examination, there was found no anomalous appearances, except some hemorrhagic erosions of the stomach. The chloroform was analyzed and found to be quite pure.-Month. Journ. of Med. Sci. Oct. 1854, from Zeitsch. der Gesells. der Aertze zu Wien, 1854. born she felt exhausted and fatigued, and finding the arm of the second child was presenting, and turning would be necessary, I thought it probably might be of service. I avoided carrying it to insensibility, and she was perfectly conscious of all that passed during the operation; and when over, expressed herself most grateful for the blessing of chloroform. She had scarcely given vent to her feelings, when she complained of a violent pain in her head, became delirious, tore the nurse's gown and the bed-curtains into pieces, and was perfectly maniacal. Flooding came on to a fearful extent, and incessant sickness. I Chloroform in the Field of Battle.-An artillery surgeon, in a letter dated Heights of Sebastopol, Nov. 13, writes: "I hear there is a great cry against our not using chloroform; but, the more I see, the more strongly am I convinced that it is not of much value in the field; it reduces the number of medical men available for duty. It would be simply murder to leave the administration of it to any but educated hands,managed to extract the placenta, and owing and seldom can you get more than one doctor to assist at an operation; for instance, I had to amputate a leg and an arm, with only my servant as an assistant; and how many others have had to operate under even more unfavourable circumstances, I cannot say, but they were many. Another reason is, that the shock of a wound which requires immediate amputation is so great, that chloroform depresses the sufferer still more. Operating in the field, and in a well-found hospital, are vastly different affairs."-Med. Times and Gaz. Dec. 9, 1854. to the feeble contraction of the uterus (and this latter condition I am confident it often produces), I was kept grasping it for four or five hours. The vomiting continued eight hours without intermission, the headache remained for weeks, and her recovery was very protracted, far more so than on former occasions."-Med. T. and Gaz. Dec. 2, 1854. Medical News from the Army and Navy in the East.-The ambulance corps has been a failure. The debauched old pensioners, of whom it was mainly composed, were swept away by the cholera at Varna. Abuse of Chloroform in Midwifery.-Dr. The carriages even were not in the field at ROBERT LEE has forwarded to us a letter Alma; the wounded had to be carried to from Mr. E. PARKE, of West Derby, from the beach, a distance of two miles and a which we select the following passages: half, on stretchers, or mostly on such tem"The profession and the fair sex owe youporary contrivances as seamen's hammocks a deep debt of gratitude for your manly, slung on oars. One thousand seamen were able, and convincing paper on the subject employed for three successive days in carryof chloroform and its attendant dangersing the wounded to the beach. All the diswhen administered during parturition. At engaged medical officers of the fleet were one time I used to give it frequently, but likewise employed in whatever way they latterly I have suspended it, from careful could make themselves useful; and yet a and unbiassed judgment as to its baneful re- great number of the amputations were sults. I never had but one nearly fatal secondary; indeed, many capital operations case; but in many I have had to deplore its remained to be performed on board the effects; and the little amount of good de transports in the voyage, down to Scutari. rived in some cases from it, is sadly out- Only one army officer was detached to acweighed by its concomitant dangers. As company the more than 2,000 wounded and you have given seventeen cases, I think sick sent to Constantinople after Alma. every medical man is in duty bound to as The naval men went with them cheerfully, sist you in putting down its indiscriminate and laboured night and day for the poor use in midwifery, and entering his most fellows. Yet Lord Raglan, in his dispatch, serious protest against it. In the year 1849, mentions only the services of the executive Mrs. M. engaged me to attend her in her officers and seamen. There is not a word third confinement, and having suffered said in that or any subsequent dispatch of rather seriously in her previous ones, she poor Mackenzie even, who, having accom! begged of me to administer chloroform. It panied the army as an amateur, laboured was a case of twins, and when the first was hard after Alma, performing brilliantly the same boat." The surgeon of the * Letter to the Minister of War from Dr. MICHEL LEVY, Chief Physician to the Army in the East: "UNDER SEBASTOPOL, Oct. 27. "M. LE MARECHAL: The siege is proceed many most important operations on the field. A few days after Alma, he died of choleraic diarrhoea, brought on by fatigue, hardship, and privation. But, if the "commander of the forces" has been unmindful of these professional services to his army, the brave wounded men of the battle of Alma, both officers and privates, have not been ungrateful. They have been loud in their expression of thanks to the medical officers of the navy. That old war-surgeon, Guthrie, has always contended that there is no hemorrhage from gunshot wounds. Alma has borne him out. Some of the wound-ing with vigour. The daily number of ed were not brought in till the third day; wounded, however, is not considerable. It yet I heard of no deaths from loss of blood. varies from 16 to 22, and the killed from 6 There was no instance, I believe, of any to 8. From the opening of the siege to the immediate serious bleeding from any of the 23d of October, the total number of woundwounds at Alma. There is still a perfect ed, including cases of mere contusions and delusion about hemorrhage from gunshot slight wounds, which constitute the mawounds in the navy. No sooner is a man jority, amounts to 718, and that of killed to wounded, however slightly I would say, in 98. On the 25th, 320 sick were embarked any of the extremities, than the limb is im- for Constantinople, and there remain at mediately strangulated by a rude contriv-present 1,008 sick in the ambulances. Of ance called a temporary tourniquet-of these 137 only are wounded. Thus the which there are hundreds distributed about duties of the medical department are more the " 'quarters" in all ships. No great arduous under the fire of the batteries of harm is done, as, fortunately, medical assist- Sebastopol than those of the surgical departance is always at hand in men-of-war. Not ment. I visited, in detail, all the sick, and long ago, a marine, in one of the ships in have ascertained-1st. That one-third only this fleet, having cut his throat, and the are seriously ill; 2d. That the two other circumstance being reported to the mate of thirds are in a debilitated state, but certain the watch, his first expedient was to call for of recovery. The General-in-Chief has a tourniquet! * ordered measures necessary to improve as much as possible the position of our sick. The Turkish wounded are attended in our ambulances. I visit as often as possible the ambulance in the trenches. It is placed under the care of the different surgeons of the army ambulances, who relieve each other daily. This service, which is not without danger, is a post of honour, and a practical school of military surgery. Our wounded, and those who have undergone operations, continue to furnish a remarkable proportion of cures; thanks to the care taken of them, and the skill of their operators, the most distinguished of whom are Messrs. Scrive, Thomas, Marmy, Gœury, Secourgeon, Perier, Bourguilon, Colmant, etc. No army ever received medical and surgical assistance more prompt, more me. thodical, more complete, or more assiduous. Under the walls of Sebastopol and at Constantinople, we have a number of talented practitioners vying with each other in skill for the benefit of our sick and wounded. * * There is much less cholera now among the troops, but diarrhoea still prevails greatly. It will appear by and by, when the public, having recovered their sober peace senses, and can be brought to listen to the dark side of the war, it will appear, that in point of sickness and mortality, this has been one of the most disastrous campaigns on record; 10,000 men have disappeared from the ranks since the army landed in the Crimea. Many of them are only sick, it is true, and will soon again appear on the scene. The Russians, the poor soldiers say universally, are nothing to the cholera and diarrhoea. The next thing will be scorbutic dysentery, for they have been since they landed almost constantly on salt provisions; and there are no prospects of better fare, while also the cold wet weather will now soon set in. In the affair of the ships against the batteries on the 17th, the wounds were principally from fragments of shells. In naval actions, in the present day, "we are all rowing in |