had abolished the power of vision. And here it may remain stationary, though more probably it will continue to grow until it causes death either suddenly by some outpouring of blood from the vessel of the base of the brain, or, more slowly, by the production of inflammation, or by effusion into the ventricles consequent on pressure on the veins of the Galen.

Here is, lastly, another case, somewhat obscure indeed, but yet less so, I take it, than the preceding one :

A girl, 8 years old, whose father and two of her brothers had died with symptoms of brain disease, had suffered for a fortnight from troublesome cough, when she seemed unusually heavy, was attacked by violent sickness with headache, and sank speedily into a state of stupor, which continued with intervals, during which her mind wandered, and she rambled in her talk for thirty-six hours. At the end of this time consciousness returned, and the child sat up in the bed, and showed some gleams of cheerfulness, but the pulse, which had been irregular during the state of stupor, still continued so, and the head was held somewhat retracted. Pain in the head and some retraction of it continued, though the child was well enough to be up, and moved about the ward.

She left by her mother's wish in a fortnight, and at the end of another fortnight she returned, much emaciated, complaining of pain which was now referred more to the ears than to the head, of pain also in the neck and in the right shoulder, towards which her head was inclined.

On this occasion she remained in the hospital four weeks. During this time she grew thinner and thinner, her skin became harsh, her abdomen retracted and tender to the touch, and her head was still drawn back as before. Auscultation now found the breathing weak everywhere, but especially so at the apex of the left lung, and percussion there was obviously dull. There was no vomiting however. The bowels once constipated, had now became regular, the complaints of headache were less constant, and the pulse had lost its irregularity. General tuberculosis was advancing; the mischief in the brain, I suppose, was stationary.

What is the import of this sudden development of the signs of cerebral disease, and what of their spontaneous passing into abeyance? If we could learn to answer these inquiries aright we might possibly do something to arrest disease, even though we were unable to effect its cure. Here, then, is another problem which I leave for your consideration.

But, say you, you came here to be told what I do know, and I have talked to you almost entirely of what I do not know, and that is not the

object of a lecture, the purpose of which should be to impart positive knowledge.

Gentlemen, it is not quite so. The acquisition of knowledge implies an active, not a passive state, and to this it was my object to excite you. It is when you seek as for riches, and search as for hid treasure, that you gain it; so at least said the man wiser than other men, and who himself wrote of all things, from "the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that groweth on the wall."

You have come to the study of Medicine furnished far differently from those who, like myself, entered on it more than thirty years ago. It is but right that you should turn these advantages to good use. We are, indeed, as has been well said, like people standing together on a hill, which I have climbed before you, and I, to whom the landscape is in some measure familiar, may say to you, look here and look there, and you will see this and that. But further, I say to you, the objects there are indistinct to me; but you have perspective glasses of higher power than mine; turn them in this direction or in that, and you may with patience discern clearly what I can see but partially, or, with my imperfect instrument, perhaps cannot see at all.

If you visit the wards of this hospital I may, too, do some of you this service, that I may point out to you what is worth the seeing, and may help to guard you from the dangers of the young student,—that of playing with the instrument itself, vain perhaps, of his dexterity in its use, or of turning it thoughtlessly on trifling things, not worth the investigating.

You must not forget that it is your duty, as it is mine, to map out the country for the use of yourselves and of future travellers, to seize its great features, which may serve as landmarks, and not to waste your time on some quaint tree or curious rock which lies quite out of the path along which you have no journey.

"Nisi utile esi quod agimus vana est glora nostra" should be your motto, though in a different and a lower sense, indeed, from that in which it was employed by the inspired penman some eighteen hundred years

ago.

Canada Medical Journal.

MONTREAL, NOVEMBER, 1865.

AN APPEAL.

The present number of the Canada Medical Journal has been delayed from several causes; but chief of all, the want of original matter to lay before our readers.

When we assumed the management of this journal we determined to exclude from its pages everything of a personal nature, which is always uninteresting to the majority of readers, and is calculated to injure the character of our profession. In doing this we have followed the course adopted by those perodicals published in the mother country, many of which are devoted exclusively to the advancement of the science and art of medicine and surgery.

We may perhaps have given offence, as many letters have been received from various parts of the province, complaining of unprofessional conduct, but of which we have taken no notice. We are desirous that this journal should be a means of communication between the members of our profession, and the repository of valuable matter. As an evidence of the worth and practical bearing of many of the papers which have appeared in our Original Department, we may state they have been deemed of sufficient interest to be copied into the pages of most of the leading periodicals at home and in the neighbouring republic.

To our friends and supporters we must again appeal for aid, literary aid, for without it the printer cannot employ his type. Surely there should be sufficient material in Canada to enable us to keep our journal going. If the profession here are so sparing of their views, so reticent, fearful of criticism, or some other imaginary bug-bear, we will conclude it is an evidence that we have become an unwelcome guest, and therefore will begin to consider the necessity of relinquishing our task. But we cannot believe that thus early in our career we are to to be neglected, unsupplied with literary food. Brethern, we languish, we starve, with all the keen appetite of continued abstinence and unimpaired digestion. We call upon you to sustain us with contributions, without which the character of our journal must depreciate; in fact we will, if still ne glected, cease to be.

THE PRESENT SESSION.

By the time our November number reaches our readers, the session of all the Medical schools and colleges in Canada will have commenced, and students will be fairly entering upon their winter's work. To them we would commend the following words, uttered by George Pollock, F.R.C.S., England, at the introductory lecture of the St. George's Hospital Medical School, for the session 1865, '6. "But of all points, let me impress you that this is the most important-the study of disease at the bedside. If you shun or neglect the wards; if you are indifferent accurately to watch the phases of disease by the bedside; if you neglect to see to cases, to record their symptoms and treatment, to follow them in their convalescence, or track them to the post mortem room, and there enter into your case book the dealings with death; you can never attain to a position in your profession, to command the confidence of the public, to gain the respect of your professional brethren, or place yourself in a position of authority. Your range of observation must be the wards, where disease may be studied; and the chamber, where after death dissection discloses its ravages." These words of advice given to the students of St. George's Hospital, London, are applicable to students all the world over. Too little attention is, beyond a doubt, paid by the majority of students to the cases which fill the wards of an hospital, and how many, day after day, but too literally "walk the wards," the practi cal lessons drawn by the clinical teacher barely entering their brain. Upon every student who reads those lines, we would impress with all the power we can employ—the vast, the inestimable importance of paying the closest possible attention to clinical teaching, and, as far as possible, taking brief notes of cases. This gives the student a habit of being methodical, and will prove of great use in his professional career. Observation is a faculty, without the exercise of which the medical man will find his diagnosis in hundreds of cases an up hill work. By closely following the hospital wards, the student has this faculty constantly brought into play-it is expanded, sharpened. With half the trouble, a keen observer is able to bring to the surface signs which may have escaped the attention of others, with whom the faculty has lain dormant. Various reasons may have induced the student of medicine to enter a friend's study-principal among which is, we hope, "love of his future profession." Without this impetus, much he will find dull and dreary, and though at the end of his college term, he may find himself with his diploma in his pocket-yet the practice of his profession will not have any charms for him. At best it has many rugged paths, which, to such

an one, will not fail to be densely filled with thistles. But to the true devoted lover of medical science, the study of it is a privilege, and be counts trials as but naught in the prosecution of his glorious purpose. Disappointments may befall him, difficulties may rise up before him, but in proportion as all these appear, his determination to succeed only becomes the stronger, and in the end they look as if indeed they had been blessings in disguise. The prizes open to our profession are not many, but everyone has before him an opportunity to place himself in a respectable position in life. Our profession is a progressive one. As a science it is still inexact, and as an art it is still imperfect; and although the past century has seen wonderful progress made towards bringing it to perfection, much still remains unaccomplished. Every student, every medical man has an opportunity of giving his quota towards the common cause. Once more we would impress upon students the great importance of the profession they have chosen, urge their especial attention to clinical teaching, and wish them all possible success in the prosecution of their labours.

HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES.

Dr. Taylor, the celebrated chemist, in his testimony before the Select Committee of Parliament on Chemists' and Druggists' bills, in reply to questions in relation to the practice of the homœopaths, said :-They say that aconite is in the globules, but I have never found any trace of it ; I have been told our chemistry is not refined enough to trace it; we go to the hundred-thousandth, they put in the millionth. The globules consist of sugar and starch. I believe the homoeopaths use tincture of aconite. In one instance I detected a strong dose of morphia in medicine prescribed by a homoeopathic practitioner. Six powders were made upthree contained sugar of milk, and three contained morphia and calomel. In examining the homoeopathic powders, I found in some of them upward of a grain of morphia. They do not always, as they profess, use homoeopathic doses. The powders were numbered to be taken on certain nights, and in every other powder there was sugar of milk, and in every other powder morphia and calomel.

Miss Garrett has successfully passed her examination at the Apothe caries Hall, London. The Medical Times and Gazette hopes she may long enjoy the pre-eminence of being the sole female representative of English medicine. The Sir Ashley Cooper Prize of £300, for 1865, is for the best essay on "Pyemia." There were 2238 persons killed by lightning in France between the years 1835 and 1863.