the posterior, and that of opium to the anterior, part of the brain. But opium is a substance so complex, that we can hardly draw accurate conclusions from observations on its action, unless those substances which it contains be separated from each other, so as to avoid the confusion arising from different and even opposite actions going on at the same time.

When morphia, the most active ingredient of opium, is purified and combined with an acid such as sulphuric or muriatic, the resulting salt is an anodyne of very great power and uniformity in its operation: and it seems to me to produce effects on the mind which are well worthy of being studied with attention by those who have the opportunity.

The results which I have the honour to offer to the Society, are derived from experiments, chiefly involuntary, made on my own person.

About two years ago, while occupied in examining the opium, and especially the salts of morphia, I had acquired a bad habit of tasting the solutions; and it happened more than once, that, by repeated tastings, I received into the system a quantity sufficient to produce effects which I was at first far from attributing to the true cause. The first effect which struck me was, that, in reading, the words, which I saw distinctly, conveyed to my mind an impression which I could not define, but which was certainly different from the right one. On attending as closely as I could to what passed in my mind, I was conscious of nothing but that the words seemed to have lost their true meaning. When this effect had passed off, I was unable to recall what the erroneous impressions had been. A few days after the first occurrence of this affection, while still engaged in the same experiments, I was suddenly taken ill, and had nearly fainted. On recovering, I observed my eyes to be affected in a way to which I am subject, in common with others of my family, when the stomach is slightly deranged. This affection of the eyes consists in an unpleasant vibratory motion of zig-zag lines before the eye, rendering vision partial, and accompanied

by nausea. In ordinary cases, it is soon followed by a headach, confined to behind the eyeball when the sight becomes clear. On this occasion, the affection of the eye was unusually great, which led me to predict a violent headach. In a few minutes the headach came on. It was very severe, and confined to that part of the brain situated behind the eyeballs. As soon as I could see clearly, I was astonished to find that I was affected as I had formerly been in regard to words, but to a much greater degree. Not only was I incapable of rightly reading written language, but words addressed to me conveyed a meaning different from the true one. I think also, but of this I am not certain, that a few words which I spoke were observed to be incorrect. But during the whole of this time, my mind was perfectly clear, and I was quite conscious that the erroneous impressions were confined to the faculty of Language.

I begun now to suspect that I had suffered from my imprudence in tasting the solutions; which idea was confirmed when I found that a friend who had accidentally taken a large dose of muriate of morphia, had suffered in a manner somewhat similar to what I have described, in regard to the fainting and sickness produced. This gentleman did not observe any affection of Language, but he was in a state of such complete prostration, that he lay for two days without being able to raise his head, and consequently did not attempt to read. I resolved to abstain in future from tasting solutions of opium; but, from habit, I did taste some about a week after; and, a third time, I experienced the same effects, as to language, but without the headach. Having overcome the habit of tasting, I have not since experienced any thing of the kind.

Here, then, is a very marked derangement of the faculty of Language, amounting to a dissociation of the sign and the thing signified, produced by an overdose of a salt of morphia; and, in the most severe instance, it was accompanied by violent headach in the situation of the phrenological organ of Language. But it must be re

marked, that in the other two cases, there was no headach; and that I frequently had headach in the same situation, from derangement of the stomach, without observing a similar affection of language. It by no means follows, however, that this affection did not exist.

A very interesting question now arises, viz. What is the effect of a moderate dose of the same medicine? And, in my own person, I can state distinctly, that, in this case also, the faculty of Language is affected, but in a very different way. If I take from twenty to thirty drops of the solution of muriate of morphia, it produces, in the course of an hour, a very agreeable state of calm; and, for some hours after, the organ of Language is so strongly stimulated, that, so far from having any hesitation in finding words, I find it difficult to stop when I begin to speak; and I have repeated this experiment, which is attended with no inconvenience, so often, that I am quite confident of

the result.

Dr. Montgomery Robertson, in a paper on the salts of morphia in the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, recommends the muriate to nervous people who have to make an appearance in public, on account of the calm collectedness of mind which it produces. I am disposed to concur in this recommendation for another reason, viz. the stimulus which it affords to Language.

I am inclined to believe, that all the intellectual organs participate in this stimulus. At all events, when under the influence of this drug, I have always observed an increased flow of ideas, and a greater power of following out a train of reasoning; and I have never experienced from it any excitement of the lower propensities. I have often had occasion to remark, that, even when the muriate of morphia does not cause sleep, the patient rises refreshed, although the intellect has been actively employed all night. It appears as if, to use a strong expression, the mind was awake while the body slept. This remark is confirmed by the experience of others.

I consider it, therefore, probable, that the action of morphia is directed to the anterior

lobe, and, in some individuals, more particularly to the organ of Language, and that an overdose causes entire derangement of that faculty. These conclusions will have to be confirmed, or otherwise, by the observations of intelligent practitioners. Since writing the above, my attention has been drawn by Mr. Simpson to the description of the effects of opium contained in the 'English Opium-Eater,' and Madden's Travels, both analyzed in this journal.* 1 shall only remark here, that, in the English Opium-Eater and Mr. Madden, all the knowing organs, except that of Language, appear to have been affected, and the propensities and sentiments do not seem to have participated in the stimulus, which affords a strong and unexpected corroboration of the conclusion to which I have been led by my own observations.

I have only farther to add, that at the time these observations were made, I was ignorant of Phrenology, and knew nothing of the seat of the various organs, and consequently was utterly at a loss to account for the phenomena.

In my head the organ of Language is rather large."

LXXX.

INSTITUTE OF FRANCE.

WE propose, in future, to give a short abstract of the proceedings of the Academy of Sciences and of the Academy of Medicine of the French Institute.

Our readers will thus be regularly made acquainted with the progress and advance of medical science on the Continent, and be enabled to contrast the labours of foreigners with those of our own countrymen. It might be deemed more advisable to have begun with a new year; but the extreme irregularity of the publication of the French journals

* Vol. ii. 428, and iv. 138.

† Phrenological Journal, No. XXXV. p. 161-4.

"Every day it is extending its distressing sway over New Grenada, and now exists not only in the warm and temperate valleys, but in the icy ridges of the cordilleras." Let us briefly recapitulate the preceding observations. The disease of goitre prevails, not only in the low countries along the course of the river Magdalena (from Honda, to the confluence with the Cauca,) and in the higher lands along the same river (between Nieva and Honda,) but also in the elevated table land of Bogota, 6,000 feet above the bed of the river. The first of these regions is occupied with thirty woods; the second and the third are quite exposed, and have little vegetation; the first and the third are extraordinarily humid; the second is very dry; the winds are high and tempestuous in the second and third, while the atmosphere of the first is stagnant and impure. To these striking differences others may be added; thus the thermometer in the first and second regions range from 74° to 78°, and in the third from 390 to 60°. The water which is drank at Maraquita, Honda, and Bogota, is not snow water, but flows from rocks of granite and lime-stone. The most horrible goitres are those seen at Maraquita, where the spring water is purer than at Honda and Bogota, and where the climate is warmer than along the banks of the Rio Magdalena. The Indian or coppercoloured aborigines, and the negroes, are almost quite exempt from this malady. The African traveller Caillaud also informs us, that he did not observe any goitres in the black inhabitants. Humboldt did not see one in the countries on the banks of the Arinois, Rio Negro, &c. where not a breath of wind is felt, to the southward of the cataracts of Atures, and where the heat and moisture of the climate are almost unbearable; while on the lofty plateau of Quito, and in the villages of Alvasi and Chichinche, at more than 9,000 feet elevation, in a climate whose temperature ranges from 50° to 60°, cretinism exists in the descendants of the white people.

The observations of M. A. de Saint Hilaire, in his travels through Brazil, confirm many of the preceding statements; the rea

der may therefore advantageously consult his work, and also the remarks of Mr. Coldcleugh, in Daniel's Meteorological Essays. --Journ. Complem., Octr.

LIV.

ON THE MILIARY OR EPIDEMIC SWEATING FEVER, WHICH PREVAILED AT AUXI-LE-CHATEAU (BETWEEN PICARDY AND ARTOIS) IN THE MONTHS OF JUNE AND JULY LAST.

THIS disease has been more frequently observed in Picardy and the adjoining districts, than in the other parts of France: hence it has been called "la suette des Picards." In the year 1821 it raged with great severity in the departments of the Oise, and of the Seineand-Oise. M. Rayer has given an excellent description of it. Last year it broke out, three weeks after the cholera had made its appearance, and fortunately it did so, for the progress and fatality of this latter scourge was much arrested; many of the cases indeed of the suette, were accompanied with symptoms of cholera, or at least of cholerine; but whenever the sweating broke out profusedly, the disease generally terminated favourably. Dr. Defrance treated between 40 and 50 cases and did not lose one. Most physicians are now agreed that this epidemic is not necessarily or essentially contagious; its cause appears to reside in some unknown state of the atmosphere; and no valid proofs can be adduced to prove its communicability from one to another, at least in the great majority of cases. The premonitory symptoms are headache, anorexia, general languor, nausea and feverishness; in the course of a short time, varying from a few hours to one or two days, according as the patient exposes himself or keeps his bed, the sweatings come on, and soon after these, the miliary eruption appears; this eruption is generally preceded by a most annoying itching over all the surface. The duration of the sweatings varies in different cases; but usually the patient begins to be convalescent on the third day, and then complains only of extreme weakness, which requires a week's quiet nourishing and management. The sweatings have frequently a most offen

the colour to a peculiar substance, which he called "cyanine." Since his experiments, M. Majon, professor of chemistry at Geneva, and M. Cantri, professor at Turin, have detected the ferro-cyanate of iron in blue urine. It is right to mention that Fourcroy, many years ago, detected this salt in the urine of a woman who was subject to frequent and strong convulsions.

ADJUDICATION OF PRIZES FOR THE YEAR

1832. PHYSIOLOGY. Vide preceding

Column. PRACTICE OF MEDICINE.

1. 1,500 francs to M. Rosseau for his ex

periments on the employment of holly leaves in agues.

2. The same sum to M. Lecanu, for his

chemical researches on the blood.

3. The same sum to M. Parent, for his experiments to ascertain at what point the steeping of hemp is injurious to health.

4. 4,000 francs to M. Manec for his work on the ligature of the arteries.

5. 2,000 francs to M. Bennati, for his researches on the voice.

6. 4,000 francs to M. Deleau for his improved method of distinguishing and treating the diseases of the ear.

7. 1,500 francs to M. Merat, for his zeal in extending the use of pomegranate bark in cases of tenia.

8. 1,500 francs to M. Villermé for his researches on the comparative duration of life, and on the frequency of disease in easy and in poor life.

9. 2,000 francs to M. Vitry-le-Français, for his discovery of the alkaline principle, salicine, and of its febrifuge qualities.

The Academy has observed with much interest the improvements introduced into the operation of lithotrity by MM. Jacobson, Heurteloup, Tanehon, and Amussat; but defer their opinion on the particular methods till next year.

SUBJECT FOR THE MEDICAL PRIZE OF 1833.

"To determine what are the morbid changes of the different organs in continued fevers; what are the relations between these changes and the symptoms of the diseases; what are the therapeutic conclu

sions to be drawn from these relations; and lastly, to ascertain what are the physical and chemical changes of the solids and fluids in continued fevers."-Surgical Prize, vide preceding page.

10th Dec. M. Clot communicated some observations on the Dracunculus, or Guineaworm, as observed in Egypt. It is developed in all parts of the body, in the nose, tongue, upper extremities, trunk, and scrotum, but much more frequently in the lower limbs. In 1828 M. Clot saw a Negress, in whom a dracunculus had appeared within one of the orbits, and had caused considerable ophthalmia; it moved about between the conjunctiva and sclerotic coats, advancing from the outer canthus towards the cornea, and then turning upwards. Sometimes it could not be seen at all. The whites, who have communications with the Negroes born in Africa, are occasionally affected.

17th. Mr. Warden sent a table of the population of the United States of America, according to the last census of 1830. 1st. The total population amounts to 12,856,154, of which number, 10,526,058, are free whites; 2,010,629 are slaves, and 319,467 are people of colour, and free. 2d. Of the whites, 5,358,345 are males, and 5,167,299 are females; of those of colour, 153,495 are males, and 165,972 are females; and of the slaves 1,014,345 are males, 996,284 are females. 3d. Among the whites, there are 5244 deaf and dumb; among the black and people of colour, 684. 4th. Out of the whole population 3983 are blind. 5th. The total number of white centenarians is 508, of whom 274 are men, and 234 are women; being one in 20,720;-whereas, among the negroes, there are 718 men and 668 women, or one in 1450; and among the people of colour there are 266 men and 361 women, or one in every 510 persons. This difference, in respect of longevity, is very interesting.

Dr. Villermé read a memoir on "epidemics considered under their relations to

statistical and political economy." According to his researches, it appears that in thickly-peopled countries, vaccination does little more than merely displace or retard death; but in districts, where the inhabitants may at will extend the cultivation of the soil, or where their means of life exceed their wants, it really and truly has the effect of increasing the population. Even in the former case it is advantageous; because by prolonging life, it considerably augments the opportunities of production, and thus favours indirectly the increase of the popu lation. But this effect is trifling, in comparison of what is ordinarily ascribed to

vaccination.

In unhealthy localities, which are perhaps every year visited by some epidemics, as for example, those in the neighbourhood of marshes, the medium age of the inhabitants is much lower than in drier and more healthy districts; but to counteract this evil, it is found that the people are more prolific, so that the actual population is nearly on a par. In like manner, the number of births is generally found to be greatly increased, after the devastation of any passing epidemic, and the rate of mortality is at the same time diminished, the people becoming "plus vivaces, ou moins sujets à mourir."

SEANCE OF THE 24TH.

M. Fontenelle read some extracts from a work lately published by Professor Monjon of Geneva, entitled "Conjectures on the Nature of the Miasm of Cholera." He supports the doctrine that it is animated, or, in other words, that it consists of innumerable imperceptible animalculæ diffused through the atmosphere. This is an old hypothesis, in regard to contagious diseases, for we find that it was believed in by Lucretius, Columella, Vitruvius, Valisnerius, Lancisi, Scuderi, Hartsoeker, Adam Freer, Linnæus, Legendre, Rasori, Crawfurd, and many

others.

M. Leuret informed the Academy of his discovery of the brain having a lamellated structure;-in every part, it is composed of small lamina, which are quite distinct and

inseparable from each other; and the exterior surface of the brain is formed by the union and apposition of the peripheral edges of these.

M. Pelletier announced his discovery of "paramorphine" in opium. It agrees with morphine in its elementary composition, but not in its chemical qualities;-these are so distinctive that it cannot be confounded either with the "codeine" of M. Robiquet, or with any of the other ingredients-its taste is like that of pyrethrum, and it exerts a very energetic influence on the animal economy; a small dose killed a dog in a few minutes.

M. D'Arcet read a paper on the alimentary effects of the jelly prepared from bones. For the last three years this food has been largely used at the Hôpital of St. Louis; the cooking apparatus has been in constant operation, night and day, and has supplied in that time 1,059,701 rations of soup, and 2,192 kilogrammes of fat, which is used instead of butter and lard, in preparing ragouts, &c.

Upwards of 29,000 persons have been supplied with this food, and have so much liked it, as to be unwilling to return to the ordinary diet. Thenard, the celebrated chemist, added his testimony to the accuracy of the statements of M. D'Arcet, and stated that he had frequently sent to the hospital of St. Louis for some of the soup prepared there, and had found it both palatable and very nutritious. Majendie and other physicians of the Hôtel Dieu condemned it; but probably the apparatus which has been employed there, is not a good one, or perhaps the cooks have not paid sufficient attention.

October.

II. ACADEMY OF MEDICINE.

VACCINATION. M. Bousquet, while he admitted the importance of well-formed pustules on the arm, gave it as his opinion, that the vaccine virus may effect the system and preserve it against variola, even though no pustule be formed. M. Stour stated