-"Segni, petecchie, pesticchie, lenticule, peticule, morbus puncticularis, morbilli, morbus castrensis seu militaris, febris militaris, lenticularis, peticularis, synochus, febris ardens, cephalalgia epidemica, languor pannonicus, lues pannonica, morbus hungaricus, febris pestilens privata, febris culiearis, vermis cerebri, febris stygmatica, febris petechialis, pseudo pestis, febris purpurata, febris pestilens, peste Europea, purpura contagiosa, febre nosocomiale, navale, concerale, castrense, e peste bellica, febre epidemica, contagiosa, pestilente," and .. " and typhus"!!! An eminent man of antiquity said, "Corruptissimæ Reipublicæ plurimæ leges!" We should say in the same way :-" Corruptissimæ Medicinæ plurima nomina!"

The TREATMENT of the PETECHIAL FEVER, is announced in a chapter of that part of the work, not yet published, which we shall take up as soon as it comes to hand. His Tabellæ, twentytwo in number, are very well executed, but neither new in form, nor in application. Altogether, the work is more a general treatise on typhus fever, or rather on contagious diseases, than on the Lombardy epidemic; but we have lately discussed the general question so copiously, that we have here confined ourselves to the facts which came under the author's observation : such are always worth volumes of speculation, however ingenious, or however new.

We expected to have been able to give in this place a comparison of the Epidemic of Lombardy with that of Andalusia, but the article has not come to hand in time. Perhaps, if we can make it brief enough, we shall give it in our next. utile, id breve, is the maxim which we wish to follow.

Quid

Retrospective Review.

ALLAN BURNS.

SURGICAL ANATOMY OF THE HEAD AND NECK.*

WHY is this valuable work out of print? The able author indeed is no more; but his no less able brother,† could well superintend a new edition, which is much called for, particularly in the London schools, where the yearly eulogiums pronounced on it by Mr. Abernethy, and other eminent lecturers, make us feel something like disappointment, that it cannot, at any price, be now procured. But notwithstanding the demand, and the high prices offered for copies, we cannot learn that it is likely to be reprinted; and we therefore think, that we could not select for the commencement of our RETROSPECTS, a work of greater interest-at least, to such of our readers as cannot procure the original; and to such as possess it, our abstract may save time in consulting.

We knew Allan Burns well, and a more eloquent and zealous teacher-a more skilful and accurate anatomist-or a more ingenious and intrepid operator-we never knew. He actually fell a martyr to his enthusiasm in his profession. He seldom ever left the dissecting-room from morning till night; and even after his unwearied researches in morbid anatomy had induced disease, and alarmingly emaciated his frame, he could scarcely be torn from his favourite pursuit to breathe the air, so indispensable to restore him. He was not to be restored; he soon sunkand he could not but sink-under such exertions, which were chiefly made, if we mistake not, in procuring the interesting materials of this very work-one of the best productions of the

* Observations on the Surgical Anatomy of the Head and Neck. By Allan Burns, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, London, and Lecturer on Anatomy and Surgery, Glasgow. 8vo. Edinburgh, 1811. 12s.

+ John Burns, C. M. Regius Professor of Surgery, Glasgow, and author of the Principles of Midwifery.

Our publisher was this very day offered two guineas for a copy.

1

rising medical school of Glasgow.*-But a truce to prefacing, we must go on to our task of creaming the utiliora of the book. The design of the work + is to supply, in some degree, what every student feels the want of a combined view of the whole anatomy of a particular part; the cheek, for example-beginning at the skin, and going inwards to the bone. To give such a view, in short, of the parts of the cheek, or the mouth, or the throat, as they really exist in life, that the young surgeon in

* As some, we think, may like to see a comparison of the two medical schools of Scotland, we bave drawn up the following contrasted catalogue of the several Professors and Lecturers in each.

We shall feel obliged for any corrections or additions to our list of Private Lecturers, or for accounts of any new improvements in either of these two medical schools. When even Russia is now improving upon former methods of medical instruction, we expect our northern neighbours will, at least, keep pace.

+ For Scarpa's opinion of it, see Quarterly Journal of Foreign Medicine and Surgery, Vol. I. p. 32.

operating on the cheek, or the mouth, or the throat, may know what skin, fascia, muscles, nerves, vessels, or glands, lie in the way of his knife, and may accordingly know what precautions to take, and what means to employ. This important knowledge, every body is aware, cannot be obtained by first studying the bones, then the muscles, the nerves, and so on, in separate systems, as is the regular practice in the schools; and of course the young surgeon is often greatly puzzled, even in simple cases, and where he knows the anatomy of the separate parts accurately, because he has not learned the exact state and position of the muscles, blood-vessels, and glands, when combined and in situ naturæ. This was the method which Allan Burns adopted in his lectures, and though, as he had so much to anticipate, it was occasionally difficult for him to make himself clearly understood by the mere beginner, yet he thus gave an interest and a spirit to the drier parts of the subject, which, on the usual plan, would have been impossible.

Besides the common integuments and the platysma myoides, the neck and throat is covered with a thin, but strong fascia or aponeurosis, which is of importance to be considered in cases of tumour, ulcers, operations, &c. The neck is therefore furnished with a double sheath, which also, by sending off processes, like the falx from the dura mater,-sheathes the several musclessome of them so strongly, as to resist the efforts of the finger to push through it.

The sterno-hyoid, and the thyroid muscles co-operate with this fascia of the neck, to prevent the gravitation of the air on the wind pipe. CASE: A gentleman of twenty-five years of age, had had severe chincough at the age of three; the sequelae of which, were difficulty of breathing, with fulness and tension above the sternum: the swelling at length burst, and a lymphatic substance came away, leaving the trachea, when the sore healed, without any covering but skin. In breathing, the pressure of the air here was very marked, forming a hollow at the upper part of the sternum, and producing a wheezing sound by the air passing along the compressed trachea. Might not a piece of leather fixed with adhesive plaster, in the act of expiration, and prevented from starting at the edges by a solution of sealing wax in alcohol, as recommended by Mr. Abernethy, have done good?

for

The THYMUS GLAND in scrophulous children, is apt to swell, and when it does so, it occasions most serious uneasiness; the sternum, fascia, and muscles bind it down, and push it backwards upon the trachea, and the subclavian vein, producing dyspnoea, and interrupting the entrance of the chyle into

the heart; inducing also enlargement of the mesenteric glands; and at last death, from starvation and suffocation. Neither the internal exhibition of burnt sponge, muriate of lime, nor alkalis; nor repeated blisters and continued friction, were found successful. Would it be prudent in extreme cases, to extirpate the diseased gland, cautiously avoiding injury of the large vessels, and commanding hæmorrhage by the sponge? Inflammation is not to be dreaded, in consequence of the emaciation always present.

The enlargement of the CONGLOBATE GLANDS, which lie between the two plates of fascia, is distinguished by the absence of alarming and suffocating dyspnoea, though it does produce a slight difficulty of breathing. As this sort of tumour is exterior to the deep fascia and muscles, and not connected with any vessel or nerve of importance, it may be safely extirpated, and life, when in danger, may thus be saved.-Why, we ask, has Mr. S. Cooper omitted these useful observations in his excellent dictionary?

An obvious and practically useful distinction of TUMOURS of the neck, is into those covered by fascia and those not covered by it. The latter can easily, by management, be drawn out with the finger and thumb. Their extirpation is at first easy, but if allowed to remain, they work deeper, and by pressure, often though not always, produce absorption of the parts beneath them; the parotid gland for example. Tumours called WENS, often arise from the subcutaneous lymphatic glands. They contain few blood vessels or nerves, and are indolent, half insensible, and suppurate. They generally go on enlarging, but sometimes die and slough off. Sir A. Cooper extirpated one bounded by the zygoma, the lower angle of the jaw, the lobe of the ear, and the fascial artery. However large the tumours, the operation is simple. No arteries need be tied in such cases, but bleeding from varicose veins, is sometimes troublesome. When the tumour is small, it should be wrenched away; for this plan, if it is situated over the parotid, will save that gland from injury, and prevent hæmorrhage. Tumours below the fascia, are the most common and most difficult to manage; for they are so firmly bound down by the fascia, as not to protrude till they be greatly enlarged, and they are more intimately connected with the deep-seated parts, than is indicated by their small and regular exterior. They, of course, produce a much greater effect on breathing and swallowing, than from their apparent size could have been expected. Even simple tumours about the neck, when they do not yield to medicine, ought to be extirpated before they enlarge and root themselves among