themselves into lines, resembling in every respect the muscular fibre; and the true muscular fibre in whatever animal they examined it, presented globules of similar dimensions and properties with those of the blood. This discovery of Sir E. Home is therefore confirmed by them. Fibrine they also found to be merely a collection of globules, and they think that these little bodies exist in the particles of the blood, and that the colouring matter forms a sort of membranous vessel in which they are enveloped. This vessel is flattened, so that the whole takes the form of a piece of money, with a slight central swelling.

The white of egg when submitted to galvanic action is decomposed, as ascertained by Mr. Brande. Concreted albumen takes the positive pole, and pure soda the negative. Messrs. Prevost and Dumas have applied the microscope to the first of these, and have found in it globules completely resembling the red globules of the blood, when deprived of their colouring matter, or those found in pus, milk, and chyle. They have the same forms and diameters, and the same disposition to arrange themselves in lines. This result, it is hoped, will throw some light upon animal secretion, and especially on the formation of chyle. They remarked also, that when the two galvanic poles were brought into contact with the white of egg, the soda which was carried to the negative pole reacted on the undecomposed part, and formed with it a firm substance resembling jelly, and perfectly transparent-in a word having all the properties of mucus.

Before quitting their experiments, these philosophers turned their attention to the transmission of blood from one animal to another an operation which they regard as having shared the fate of many others, at first too highly celebrated, afterwards treated with unmerited neglect. When an animal is bled to fainting, so that the action of the heart and lungs is suspended during several minutes, it is almost certain that life is then for ever extinct. If in such a case, water, or the serum of the blood, or any other liquid be injected, no alteration is produced, but if the blood of an animal of the same kind be injected, every portion gradually reanimates such a dead carcase, as it may be called; and it is not without astonishment, that the animal as soon as a quantity is injected, equal to what it had lost, is seen to breathe freely, to move about, to take food, in fact to be completely restored to health.

If the blood injected be that of an animal of different species, although possessing globules of the same form and dimensions, the animal is but imperfectly restored; and seldom survives more than six days. The pulse becomes quick, the respiration preserves its usual rate, but the animal heat sinks very rapidly:

from the moment of the operation the dejections become mucous and bloody, and remain so till death. If blood having circular globules, be injected into the system of a bird, the animal quickly dies from extremely violent nervous paroxysms, resembling such as are produced by intense poisons. In cases of death, from sudden hæmorrhage, this operation, they think, might be useful; but, on the whole they are disposed to condemn its employment in man, until we become better acquainted with the active properties of the blood.

Our readers will observe, on perusing this interesting paper, that their observations, with regard to the shape of the red globules of the blood, and also, with regard to the separation of the colouring matter, are at variance with those of Sir E. Home, and Mr. Bauer; and we cannot help regretting, along with the Editor of the Annales de Chymie, that no effort had been made to discover the cause, which could have led into error men so accustomed to nice observations. We can only account for this variation in the results, from difference in the mode of conduct ing their experiments. Messrs. Prevost and Dumas do not seem to be aware of the existence of that transparent mucus, first discovered in nervous matter by Mr. Bauer, and afterwards, in the blood by Sir E. Home. This latter gentleman, supposes that in the red particles, it attaches the colouring matter to the colourless globule; and that these red particles, when put into water, lose their colour from the medium dissolving, by which it was attached. It is probably, owing to a change in the consistence of this substance taking place after exposure to the atmosphere, arising from the escape of some of its constituent parts, or the imbibing of others, which causes the colouring matter to assume the form described by Sir E. Home in his experiments; whilst from the care taken by Messrs Prevost and Dumas, quickly to dry the drop of blood under examination, no dilution would take place; and, of course, no such change in the appearance of the globules.

The Editor of the Annales de Chymie, who has had the manuscript in his possession, adds another result derived from their experiments, which, certainly, ought not to have been omitted; namely, that the size of the colourless globules, which exist in the red particles, is the same in every animal which they have examined, being 1-300 of a millimetre, or 1-7600 of an inch, English; whatever form, circular or elliptical, the particle might have.

It is remarked, by the same Editor, that they seem not to have had in view, what is stated by Hewson concerning the variation in the size of the globules in the same animal, and

also the changes which they undergo at different ages. The globules in a chick, six days after incubation, are larger than those of a hen; and those which in some young animals are circular, afterwards become elliptical. This change in the size of the globules from age, suggests the probability, that variation in this respect may also arise from other causes. We would suggest it to those fond of experimenting, as an object worthy of research, to ascertain whether inflammation may have any effect on the dimensions of these globules; as also, the influence of hot climates, and of the electric fluid. We think, also, the explanation usually given, of the formation of the buffy coat of blood in inflammation, is far from being satisfactory, especially whilst so little has been done to ascertain the characters which distinguish inflammatory from healthy blood.

RICHTER'S PRESENT STATE OF MEDICINE IN RUSSIA, WITH THE HISTORY OF RUSSIAN DISEASES.*

We are not partial to the Russians, for the same reason that we are not partial to the New Hollanders; but in medicine, which is a science so much built upon experience, we may learn something even from barbarians. Our manufacturers of perfumes are well aware of this fact; hence our Russian oil, and our Macassar oil: and why, when we have thus discovered an instrument of luxury, may we not also discover among the tribes of Russia, some powerful, and hitherto unknown medicine, or mode of cure.

We are, indeed, indebted to the Russians for the powerful vapour bath; as we are to the Hindoos for the art of shampooing; and, perhaps, we may on inquiry find some other valuable practices, not yet known among the learned.

It is unfortunate, however, that we know so little, and can learn so little of their unschooled practice; for Russia is now so amply supplied with surgeons from Germany and other parts of Europe, that the peculiarties of practice there, are neither striking nor important.

This much laboured and voluminous work, is one of those which cannot well be abridged. It is not, in fact, the History

Geschichte der Medicin in Russland, entworfen von D. Wilhelm Michael, von Richter, &c. &c. 3 vols. 8vo. Vol. I. 1813. Vol. II. 1815. Vol. III. 1817.

of Medicine in Russia, but rather a detail of the progressive steps of Medical Economy in that country, both since it began to figure in the annals of Europe, and even previous to that period. It might, with propriety indeed, be entitled a Biographical Dictionary of nearly all the native and foreign Sons of Esculapius, of whatever class or denomination, famed or fameless; titled, or untitled, or all these combined, as they seem to be in Dr. W. M. Von Richter himself, with his endless catalogue of additions.*

Altogether, however, from the perusal of the publications, proceedings, and prescriptions, of which this work presents a tedious catalogue, some real information concerning the history of medicine in Russia, may be occasionally gleaned; besides, by the numerous pages which he has filled, at the expense of the imperial archives, of monastic diaries, and patrician parchments, he must charm and delight archæologists, and adepts in the diversified forms of Etiquette and Address; such for example as, "ELIZABETH, by the Grace of God, Queen of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the faith," &c. "To the Right-highe, Mighty and Right-noble Prince BORIG. FEDOROWICH, great Lord, King and Great Duke of all Russia, Volodemer, Mosco, Novogorod, King of Cazan and Astracan, Lord of Vobsco, and Great Duke of Smolensky, Ottwer, Ughory, Perme, Vatsky, Bulghary, and other Places: Lord and Great Duke of Nowogorod in the Lower Countreys of Chernigow, Rasan, Polotsky, Rostovsky, Yaroslavsky, Bealozero, and Liefland of Ouderskey, Obdorskey, and Commander of all Seberland, and the West coasts, Great Lord over the Country of Iverskey, Grusinskey, Emperor of Cabardinskey, and of the country of Cherkasky, and of the country of Igorskey, and of many other countries, our most dear and loving brother. When we heard," &c. &c.

"At this present time we are to pray your Majesty at the request of the friends of Mark Ridley, our subject, Physician to the late Emperor, whome at his request wee sent unto hym, now four years passed, to grant hym lycence to

* Wirkl. Staatsrathe, Ritter, Professor, Praesidenten der Physisch-medicinischen Gesellchaft, Ehrenmitgliede der K. Academie der Wissenschaften, der Medicinish-Chirurgichen Academie, der Universitäten von Wilna, Charkow und Kasan, Mitgliede des Medicinal-Raths, der Naturhistorischen und Geschicht forschenden Gesellschaft in Moskwa, der Physischmedicinischen in Erlangen und der Kaiserl. Leopoldinisch-Carolinischen Academie, so wie auch correspondirenden Mitgliede der Königl. Societat der Wissenchaften in Göttingen, der Medicinischen in Paris und der Kaiserl. menschenliebenden Gesellschaft in Petersburg.

returne hether to his natyve countrey, &c.-with many others of a similar kind, in French, German, Latin, and Russian, and of different Emperors and Empresses, Kings and Queens, Patricians and Doctors, and for different purposes of, (we should say,) Medical Diplomacy. Happily, however, for us, Russia has now so many public institutions, and so many native professors in every branch of the healing art, and so great an impulse has of late years been given there, to every thing which could accelerate the developement of the mind, by the zeal of Alexander, that we look for an accurate history of medicine in Russia by some learned natives, in the vernacular tonguenow making rapid progress in the hands of a directing academy, and has already a poet laureate of the court in Ionkowski, emulator of Lomonopy and Derjawa,-rather than in a mixture of Russian and German by the son of a foreigner, who hardly can feel for Russian patriotic enthusiasm and thus spare us the trouble of going over so many works and pamphlets, scarcely to be obtained even in Russia.

We believe such a man will not pass over in silence a name like J. P. Frank, who having refined his northern genius under the Italian sky, at the University of Pavia, was invited by the reigning Emperor, to regulate the clinical studies of the old as well as the newly created university of the empire-when he commemorates a Hermann Kaan, a Boerhaave, whose only merit was a relationship to the great Dutch physician; when after quoting Brust-thees and Brust-zucker (pectoral teas and lozenges), with which he had enriched the Russian Apotheke, he records even such antiquated prescriptions as these :