The most effectual means of all, he considers to consist in a proper physical education. A frugal and spare diet, corporeal exercises, &c. are, in his opinion, most capable of preventing a malady, whose ravages every day become more alarming.

(The Analyses of the other Memoirs to be concluded in our next. )

To the Editors of the New Medical and Physical Journal.

GENTLEMEN,

IN the year 1799, Mr. Hutchinson published in two vo

lumes, 8vo. "Biographia Medica, or Historical and Critical Memoirs of the Lives and Writings of the most eminent Medical Characters, &c." The utility of a good collection of this kind must be sufficiently obvious. The "Biographia" above mentioned, though it must necessarily have cost the Editor much time and trouble to compile, is in many respects extremely deficient; a very great number of names being omitted in it, while many are inserted which might well have been omitted; thus, if I mistake not, every memoir given in Dr. Aikin's very excellent and well written publication the "Biographical Memoirs of Medicine in England," is re-printed verbatim, though that book is by no means scarce. It is, perhaps, impossible for any single author to make a complete collection of medical biography, but I have always considered, that such a subject would make a very valuable part of a periodical publication, and I am inclined to believe, that if you would allow a few pages of your Journal to be devoted monthly to this purpose, and would request the assistance of the Public, that the basis of a most excellent Medico-Biographical Dictionary might be laid. I would suggest, that the object should be, to improve and complete "Hutchinson's work." I would not give insertion to any article, relative to the life of any person mentioned in it, unless for the purpose of adding something

essential that was omitted, or correcting an erroneous statement; but I think, that the name of any medical man, (not contained in that work) who had published on his profession, might be inserted, with such memoirs, anecdotes, observations, questions, &c. as could be furnished by many of your Correspondents. If one writer could not state the whole of what was required, additional information might be procured from another, and thus many useful hints and remarks would be obtained, which might be essentially beneficial to the future Compiler of a Biographical Dictionary, and I hope would be amusing and instructive to most of your present readers.

I have only here thrown out a hasty sketch, which your greater judgment, if you think the subject deserving of your attention and encouragement, will enlarge and make more perfect: I have, therefore, only to add, that such slight services as I can afford you in this way, shall be readily given, if the plan meets with your approbation. I am, &c.

M. O.

September 24, 1815.

The EDITORS highly approve of the suggestions contained in this letter of M. O. and are ready to do all in their power for carrying his object into effect. For this purpose, their pages will be open to such communications in the department of BIOGRAPHIA MEDICA, as shall be transmitted to them by any of their Correspendents, and they will gladly avail themselves of M. O's. promised assistance. It is to be understood, that every such communication must be authenticated to the Editors by the real name and residence of the informant. Its anonymous appearance to the public will be at the author's option, when the Editors are enabled to insert it on their own re sponsibility.

Epitome

393

Epitome of the Article "CAS RARES" in the French Dictionary of Medical Sciences. By Mr. JOHNSON. (Continued from page. 322)

16. Albosius relates an instance of a foetus retained twenty-eight years in the womb. It was petrified.

17. A woman of Soigny, thirty years of age, four years married, and who had had one miscarriage, became pregnant, quickened, and had a flow of fluids to the breast. At nine months, regular symptoms of labour came on; but shortly ceased. In the course of a month, she fell into a state of great debility, which continued for eighteen months, during which she was often despaired of. After this she recovered strength, but the milk continued in her breasts for thirty years! She had no catamenia during this period. She died at the age of 61, of peripneumonia. A tumor, eight pounds in weight, was found attached to the fundus uteri, inclosing a male child perfectly formed, and of the natural size that might be expected at nine months pregnancy. It had four incisor teeth, two above, and two below. It did not exhibit any sign of putrefaction, nor exhale any disagreeable smell. The skin was thick, stiff, and of a yellow colour. The bones were of a larger size than those of a full grown infant. It was enveloped in a chorion and amnios, which membranes were ossified as well as the placenta. This dissection was performed in the presence of two physicians and a surgeon.

18. A fœtus was found in the abdomen of a woman, who had been pregnant twenty-three years. It had neither umbilical chord, placenta, nor membranes. It was almost entirely petrified.

19. At the end of twenty-five months of utero gestation, a woman, 45 years of age, and who had previously been the mother of eleven children, was affected with a tumor at the navel, which she opened herself, and discharged a putrid infant. She recovered. M. Fournier thinks, that in these instances (three are related somewhat similar to the last) the foetus escaped through

the parietes of the womb into the cavity of the abdomen, in consequence of abscess in the womb; and that the subsequent external abscess was the result of the irritation of a foreign body in the abdomen. The reasoning is reasonable.

20. The unfortunate Gilbert, a young poet, who by his eloquent satire of the " 18th Century," promised to prove a second Boileau, having become insane, swallowed a key five inches and a half in length. He spoke clearly, respired easily, and complained of no pain in his throat; only had some difficulty of swallowing. From the state of his mental faculties, he was not believed when he asserted that he had swallowed the key. He frequently, however, repeated, though with an ironical smile, that the key was in his throat. He was taken to the HotelDieu, where he was examined, but nothing extraordi nary could be detected by the surgeons. Nevertheless he died. On examining the body, the key was found in the œsophagus, the ring end downwards, and the other end hooked on the aretenoid cartilages.

21. Vicq-D'Azyr relates the case of a woman, who had been subject to epileptic fits for twelve years; and which were now so frequent as four or five times a day. They always commenced with peculiar sensation in one leg, near the lower part of the gastrocnemius muscle. A medical gentleman who was present at one of these acces sions plunged a scalpel into the part affected, and came in contact with a hard body, which he dissected out, and found to be a dense cartilaginous ganglion, the size of a very large pea, that pressed upon the nerve, which he divided. The woman had no return of epilepsy.

22. Vepser relates the case of an old man afflicted with hemiplegia, who presented the singular phenomenon of one half the body (the paralytic) completely jaundiced, while the other retained its natural color. In the face it was very remarkable, as exactly half the nose was yellow and the other natural.

23. Morgagni saw a case of metastasis of urine to the brain. On opening the head of a man who died of sup

pression of urine, the brain was found inundated with this peculiar excretion.

24. Gastellier saw the matter of a large abscess near the malleolus externus absorbed suddenly, and translated to the stomach, from whence it was thrown off by vomiting.

25. Simorre (M. Percy relates the case) was born at Mirepoix in 1752. At the age of 15 he entered the army, and served twenty-one years in the regiment de Berry, where he arrived at the rank of Captain. He had made. the three campaigns of Corsica, and it was there that the young Simorre contracted the germ of his future fatal malady. He had bivouacked a long time on the marshy banks of a river, where the atmosphere was constantly obscured by vapors; when he, all at once, was seized with lancinating pains in the great toes and ankles. These had no sooner ceased, than he was afflicted with a severe ophthalmia, which, however, gave way in a short time. For several years the same succession of symptoms took place every spring, and without giving way to any medicine, terminated the same way. In course of time there was no interval of health; as soon as the ophthalmy ceased the pains commenced, and vice versa. The pains spread from the feet to the knees, and even to the hips; while his eye-sight became daily weaker. In 1785 Simorre could not walk without an assistant, who also served as a guide. The year following, every joint was affected synchronously, and anchylosis made alarming progress through all the articulations. He was obliged to leave the service and retire to Metz. For a long time he bore up courageously against the ravages of disease: he felt his limbs becoming immoveable; yet, deprived of the use of several members, he braved the most exquisite sufferings in attempts at motion! The arms and head (les bras et la tête) shared the same fate as the feet and knees. The whole body was rendered motionless, (le corps entire fut frappè 'd'immobilité.) The lower jaw (I think for head we should read neck, above) submitted to the universal immobility! Then Simorre, according to his own expression, was only