that every case of the disease, sufficiently advanced to admit of a positive diagnosis, had invariably progressed from bad to worse, and from this to death." He candidly acknowledges that he commenced the exhibition of naphtha with complete disbelief of its medicinal utility in the disease under consideration" believing this to be, in its nature, incurable." The number of cures which he has accomplished by naphtha raises some sceptical feelings in our breast, as to the great perfection which Dr. H. has attained in auscultation. The "post hoc ergo propter hoc" argument has done more injury in medicine than any twenty other causes put together. It is known that neither tubercular depositions, nor even tubercular excavations, are invariably fatal. But a remedy, in such cases, gets the credit, where Nature was the doctor!

"Several remarkable cases of phthisis," says Dr. Graves," have occurred in my own practice, and in the practice of Dr. Stokes, in which the patients recovered either temporarily or permanently, in a manner quite unforeseen and unexpected. In some, recovery took place after the occurrence of abundant tubercular deposition and crepitus, and in others after the formation of tubercular cavities. Facts such as these ought to prevent the practitioner from placing too great reliance upon stethoscopic examinations as a positive means of prognosis; for it may be looked upon as established that phthisis, like most other diseases, does not always necessarily progress to a fatal termination." 3.

Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Naphtha.-The difficulty of getting real medicinal naphtha is so great, that we almost despair of obtaining this invaluable specific

My own observations would lead me to the conclusion that two-thirds of those who have tried naphtha in consumption, including all those who have found the substance they have employed either useless or injurious, (and have thus apparently failed,) have not used the medicinal naphtha, which I have exhibited with constant relief, and in many cases with a curative effect, to my patientsbeing the same which Dr. Hastings recommends and employs." 5.

The best naphtha that our author has obtained, has been at White's (Piccadilly) and Bell's, in Oxford-street.*

"The physical characters of the medicinal naphtha are as follows:-When pure, it is a colourless, limpid liquid, readily miscible in all proportions with water and alcohol, having a specific gravity at 60° F. of about 800.

"The smell is alcoholic and peculiar-being a compound smell of alcohol and acetic ether, with something rather nauseous and bitter, but by no means very unpleasant or disgusting.

"The taste is warm, alcoholic, and rather nauseous-far, however, from being either very unpleasant or disgusting. Patients have invariably told me, that although they could not consider the naphtha pleasant, still it was not at all worse to take than any thing else bearing the name of medicine.

"Hence if a liquid be offered for sale of a dark colour, oily appearance, or which becomes milky on the addition of water, it is obviously a non-medicinal specimen; so also if it possess a very nauseous, sickly smell or taste.

"Specimens, however, may be found which agree in all these particulars, and yet belong to the non-medicinal class. I have several times tried a specimen which is more purely alcoholic in its taste and smell, and without the slight nauseous flavour and smell of the medicinal, which invariably disagreed with

• Mr. Bullock, in Conduit-street, manufactures the article.-Rev.

the patients, aggravated all the symptoms, and produced headache and sickness. These very patients had been previously much benefited by the medicinal naphtha, and were again speedily relieved from all the distressing symptoms by returning to it, and by leaving off the liquid which disagreed.

"The medicinal naphtha occasions a sense of warmth on being swallowed, usually followed by expulsion of flatus, soon succeeded by a comfortable sense of freedom of respiration, with relief of the distressing shortness of breath so constantly experienced by the phthisical. The peculiar odour of the medicine is imparted to the breath and sputa, and sometimes to the urine passed shortly after its use. In no case have I found the medicinal naphtha derange the stomach or bowels, or produce any unpleasant symptom. Hence if nausea, vomiting or purging, faintness, giddiness or headache follow the exhibition of any liquid used as naphtha, it should be rejected as a non-medicinal article." 6.

After a long disquisition on the chemical characters of the medicinal and non-medicinal naphtha, Dr. H. concludes that "the most ready test is, therefore, to be found in litmus paper, which is reddened by the nonmedicinal, but is unaffected by the medicinal." As for the naphtha dissolving tubercles, according to some of its patrons, Dr. H. does not vouch for the fact, because "among the patients who had been taking naphtha, none had died except where the changes of phthisis had been very extensive and very far advanced." This passage alone would excite strong suspicion that those who recovered were not phthisical at all. The fol lowing is Dr. Hocken's delineation of the physical signs in those patients to whom he has administered the naphtha.

"The physical signs in these cases will be found to have chiefly been more or less flattening of the upper and anterior part of the chest, from a diminution of the antero-posterior diameter, affecting most commonly the right side alone, then both sides, and less commonly the left side alone; diminished respiratory play of the affected portion of the chest; more or less dulness and resistance on percussion of the sternal end of the clavicle, and of the sub-clavicular region (especially at a little distance from the sternum) of the affected side; increased resonance of the voice and heart sounds over the dull portions; alteration of the nor mal characters and rhythm of respiration, viz. loudness, harshness, and sometimes dryness of both the inspiratory and expiratory murmurs with prolongation of the expiratory-sometimes weakness or suppression of the respiratory murmurs-these states passing into the slight diffused bronchophony and bronchial breathing, which increases with the increase of the condensation, till the bronchial characters are more intense, and the voice is transmitted with the characters to which Laennec applied the name of imperfect pectoriloquy. These patients suffer from hectic fever in different degrees, pain in one or both shoulders, cough, generally hæmoptysis, and difficulty or rather shortness of breathing (breathlessness) with mucous expectoration. They have generally near relatives, who are suffering or who have died of consumption, (especially if they have attended much on their sick friends), and are often the children of phthisical parents." 12.

We candidly admit that, if those patients who presented the foregoing phenomena recovered by the use of naphtha, it is the most valuable medicine that has been discovered since the days of Hippocrates. But, the "delicacy and accuracy" of our author's ear, and his ability to hear and appreciate sounds which others could not, rise on the mental horizon, and darken the visions of hope that were crowding on our imaginations.

As we cannot take account of the twenty three cases that are recorded,

in this brochure, we will quote the first case on the list, as a fair specimen of the rest-some of which, however, were more grave-others less.

"CASE 1. Tubercular deposition in the upper and anterior portion of the superior lobe of the right lung. Complete recovery from the influence of Naphtha. -Henry Bonnar, ætat. 23, admitted under my care, at the Blenheim-street Infirmary, on the 2d of March, 1844, resides at 50, Salisbury-street, Lisson-grove. Complains of indisposition, hectic symptoms, pain behind the centre of the sternum, and in the right shoulder, with slight cough, especially in the early morning, with expectoration of transparent mucus. These symptoms have come on gradually during the last two or three months. His father is at present (March) under my care, in an advanced stage of phthisis.

Physical signs.-Slight dulness of the sternal end of the clavicle, and of the upper and sternal portion of the sub-clavicular region of the right side on percussion; morbidly increased resonance of the voice and heart sounds; murmurs harsh, expiration prolonged.

"Ordered Naphtha Medic. m v. ex cyatho aquæ ter die.

"March 9th. Slightly improved. To continue as before.

"March 30th. Chest symptoms relieved; general health much improved. To continue.

"April 6th. Complains of much general indisposition, and pain in the right shoulder. The dulness on percussion is sensibly diminished since the last examination; murmurs less harsh; voice highly resonant.

"To take an ounce three times a-day of the following mixture :—R. Inf. Gent. Comp 3 viij. Naph. Med. 3 iij. M., to apply a blister over the sternum. "April 13th. General and local symptoms improved. To continue, and to produce and keep up an eruption over the front of the chest with the Ung. Antim. Pot. Tart.

"April 20th. Improvement continues.

"May 4th. Has neither pain nor uneasiness about the chest or shoulders; cough and shortness of breath greatly relieved; little or no expectoration; still continues to be fatigued, and to perspire freely from slight causes, and is subject to attacks of faintness. The dulness has entirely disappeared; the murmurs are soft and normal, but the voice is still slightly more resonant over the right subclavicular region than over the left.

"May 11. Feels perfectly well, and has continued in the enjoyment of perfect health up to the present time (Sept. 1844)." 13.

In his general conclusions on the cases detailed, Dr. Hocken observes that it is in the chronic forms of the disease that naphtha is most serviceable, especially where the predisposition to phthisis is not very powerful, and where the tubercular deposition is limited in extent." The earlier the stage of the disease, the greater will be the chance of benefit from the remedy. "Extensive and advanced disease, previous to softening of the tubercles and the formation of caverns, are, as a general rule, curable by naphtha." This is by far too sanguine a sentiment. Dr. H. believes that, when excavations have occurred, the disease is incurable.

"The beneficial action of naphtha is seen in the relief of the breathlessness of the patient, the cough, and expectoration; also in the relief of the hectic, the profuse sweating, diarrhoea, &c. Its action on the physical signs is first manifested in the diminution of the dulness on percussion, diminution of the increased resonance of the heart sounds and voice; a softening down of bronchial breathing into simple harshness of the respiratory murmurs, with a prolongation of the expiratory; then a gradual diminution of these morbid states, and a steady return of the normal murmurs of health." 68.

We would not wish to discourage the trial of any remedy which offers the slightest chance of arresting a disease so destructive to the human race as phthisis is; but from what we have seen of naphtha, and from what we know of the malady, we confess that our expectations are much less ardent than are those of Dr. Hocken, whom we believe to be a young but a talented physician.

PRECIS D'ANATOMIE TRANSCENDANTE, APPLIQUÉE À LA PHYSIOLOGIE. Par M. E. R. Serres, Membre de l'Institut, Professeur au Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, &c. Tome Iier. 8vo. pp. 270. Paris.

We hope that none of our readers will allow themselves to be scared from the perusal of the following pages, by the epithet that is here applied to the sciences of Anatomy and Physiology. The term "transcendental" is a very unfortunate one; for, without conveying any distinct intimation of its meaning, it at once suggests, in the present day, the idea of some abstruse mysticism about matters that are beyond the reach of common minds. True it is, that of late years it has rarely been used, except in reference to the metaphysical doctrines of Kant and other German writers; but the word, although rather pedantic, is nevertheless of English growth; for we find it in the works of some of our older authors. Dr. Johnson defines it, in his dictionary, to be "general," "pervading many particulars," "supereminent;" and Bailey explains the expression of transcendentals as signifying the "universal conceptions of things." Let us now hear in what sense our author uses the term. "Transcendental Anatomy," he says, "is that branch of physical science which treats of the mode in which animal bodies are developed, and of the successive changes or phases that they undergo during this process; and which at the same time points out the various analogies that may be traced between these changes in the embryos of the higher animals, and the permanent forms or structures of those that are lower in the Zoological scale."

The field of inquiry thus embraced is a very wide one for it comprehends not only the perfect and mature organisms of the various orders of animal beings, but also these organisms in the different stages of their evolution and growth-from the period of conception to that of their complete development. The phenomena, therefore, of which it treats, naturally resolve themselves into two great groupes: viz., on the one hand, the transitory forms which the organisms in the higher animals exhibit during their development; and, on the other, the permanent forms of these organisms in the lower animals. As we follow out this curious subject of inquiry, we shall find that there is good reason to believe that the primitivecondition of all animal structures is very nearly, if not altogether, the same; and that the chief differences, which they afterwards display, may be traced to the operation of a few simple laws that we shall endeavour in the following pages to point out and explain.

From this brief statement, it will be obvious that the phrase, Transcendental Anatomy, has a meaning not very different from that of Formative or Embryological Anatomy; using the latter expression in its largest and most comprehensive sense,-to denote the study of the evolutionary formation of the different organisms or structures in all animals, and of the various analogies and resemblances that exist between them. Need we add, that the study is one of the very highest philosophical interest, and that it therefore behooves every medical man, who has the dignity of his profession at heart, to make himself acquainted with its general bearings and best established phenomena ?

The science of Transcendental Anatomy and Physiology is, in a great measure, one of modern creation; for-although we meet with not a few allusions to its particular doctrines, and in several instances with some very happy conjectures on the subject, in the writings of the old anatomistsit was certainly not, until about the beginning of the present century, that a decidedly successful attempt was made to discover any of those laws, which preside over and regulate the development of animal structures.

This somewhat remarkable retardation of embryological science will be found, we think, to have arisen from the same source of error, that proved so injurious to the advancement of other branches of knowledge, before the discipline of the Inductive Philosophy was rightly understood. Physiologists had always been too ready to frame theories, before they had provided themselves with the proper materials to base and build their theories upon. Thus, in reference to our present subject, it was too generally taken for granted that the embryo of an animal was, from its first appearance, only a mere miniature representation or copy of the being from which it sprang; and hence it came, almost as a necessary consequence, that almost every physiological inquirer concluded that the process of development was nothing more than a gradual evolution and expansion of different parts and structures, that were already existing in the nascent organism. There were, indeed, it was confessed by all, some peculiarities in the conformation of the embryo, that it was by no means easy to account for in this way, and which certainly seemed to be at utter variance with the idea of different organs being developed ab initio in the exact condition which they afterwards exhibited. For example, the question would naturally propose itself, why were the Testes formed in the loins, and afterwards transmitted through the abdominal rings into the bag of the scrotum; and what explanation was to be given of the primary formation and subsequent removal by absorption of the membrana pupillaris of the eye? On the subject too of Organic Anomalies-or Monstrosities, as they have been rather inaptly called-no rational hypothesis could be even so much as suggested. To refer them to the operation of disease in the fœtus itself, or to the influence of the maternal mind on her offspring, or to the direct agency of diabolic malevolence, &c. might indeed be a ready way of solving the difficulty to the minds of the vulgar; but no sensible Physiologist could be satisfied that such causes-if we can deign to call them so should occasion, for example, a harelip, or a cleft palate in one instance, and the absence of the heart or of the brain in another.

The whole of the first part of M. Serres' work is occupied with an exposition of the two leading.