quantity and in density; the casts are fewer in number, smaller, more hyaline, and less oily than were those last examined; there are also a few free oil-globules and two large compound granule-cells; no cystine, but columnar uric-acid crystals. The albuminous precipitate occupies one sixth of the tube. Sp. gr. of urine 1015.

April 18th, 1865.—The Mercurius has been persevered with since last date, and a bath taken occasionally, except during the month ended middle of March, when the patient did not attend the dispensary. The swelling is now so slight that it can be perceived only at night by the slight ridge at the point where his "bluchers" surround his legs. Patient says he is quite well, and presents himself merely because I wished to see him. Upwards of sixty ounces of urine are discharged every day. The deposit is very scanty; after a persevering search I succeeded in catching three or four very small and highly transparent casts, the detection of which would have been a work of some difficulty but for the few oil-cells which they contained. The precipitate of albumen is small. Sp. gr. of urine 1015. The patient promises to take the Mercurius for one month longer.

August 1st.-Patient calls again to-day at my request, and brings a sample of urine with him. Nothing is the matter with me" he says. The urine is still albuminous, but even less so than when last examined; I can discover no casts.

634

REVIEWS.

Etudes de Thérapeutique et de Matière Médicale, par le Docteur Antoine Petroz: mises en ordre, annotées, et précédées d'une introduction sur sa vie et ses travaux, par le Docteur Cretin. Baillière.

PETROZ was amongst the foremost of the French homœopathists. He was, moreover, as anxious to extend the boundaries of his science as he was to diffuse among mankind the benefits of his art. Hence his numerous contributions to homœopathic literature. M. Cretin has done a public service in collecting these, and in editing them so satisfactorily. The book will deservedly take its place among the most valuable productions of our school.

The introduction, by M. Cretin, gives a full account of the life and works of our departed colleague. Then follow the works themselves, arranged in order. First we have the "Etudes Classiques," embracing Petroz' early writings on miscellaneous subjects: "On some of the Relations between Natural History and Medicine," articles contributed to the Dictionnaire des Sciences Médicales on the words antipathie, art, catalepsie, fonticule, friction, and hemicranie. We think that M. Cretin has done well to print these early productions, for they exhibit in the future convert to homœopathy a man of well-stored mind and original thought, who was unlikely to admit the truth of a novel doctrine without thorough testing. It is interesting, however, to notice in his few therapeutical remarks the tendency towards scepticism and do-nothingism. This state of mind, as regards old medicine, has nearly always preceded the reception of our system of positive truth.

From the "Etudes Classiques" we pass to the "Etudes

Homœopathiques," which are preceded by a short introduction from Petroz himself. We have then in some Lettres à un Médecin de Province sur l'Homœopathie," our author's manifesto as a homœopath. It goes over much the same ground as other treatises of this character, but in a more original way. Next, under the heading of “Mélanges,” M. Cretin gives us Petroz' "Opinion sur les questions soulevées par M. le Docteur Arnaud," upon the psora and dynamization theories; "Observations d'Hallucinations, et quelques examples d'Hallucinations produites par des médicaments;" "Mémoire sur la Sycose," a very valuable paper on this illunderstood disease, with some good cases; "Essai sur l'Erysipele ;" and "Notes critiques sur le traitement de la Fièvre Typhoide," especially with reference to the use of black sulphide of mercury, the "Ethiops mineral." A fourth division, entitled "Observations Pratiques," begins with another article on the same subject, followed by narratives of cases of metrorrhagia caused by tænia, pneumonia, articular pains, cholera, neuroses, epileptiform attacks caused by lumbrici, lichen with catarrh of the bladder, syphilis, scrofula, and ulcers. A multitude of miscellaneous practical recommendations, given by Petroz at various times, are then classified as "Renseignements Pratiques." Another section is devoted to his teachings upon "Moyens accessoires et adjuvants;" and with this the therapeutic portion of the work terminates.

From the opinions expressed in various places by M. Petroz, and from his mode of practice as exhibited, we see in him the rare union of the most thorough "Hahnemannianism" with tolerance, freedom from bigotry, and good sense. Using, as a rule, the higher dilutions-" occasionally," as M. Cretin says, "the 6th, sometimes the 12th, but nearly always the 18th, 24th, and (especially) the 30th❞—he nevertheless feels himself quite at liberty to recommend comparatively large doses of iron in chlorosis, and of mercury, iodide of potassium, and sarsaparilla, in syphilis. He kills the tænia, which causes metrorrhagia, with sulphuric ether; and his remarks on adjuvants are thoroughly liberal. He is a good

narrator of cases, as the following, valuable also in themselves, will show :

"Disease of the Tongue.

"In 1829 a woman living in the Rue S. Nicolas, whose family was known to me, came to ask my advice about a disease of the tongue, for which she had been under the care of Dr. L'Herminier. The organ was profoundly altered by an ulcer, which appeared to me cancerous, and which occupied its right side; the edges, especially posteriorly, were indurated, raised, and knotty; speech was difficult, indistinct, and accompanied with much pain. The patient could only take liquid nourishment. Distrusting my own diagnosis, I sent her to Professor Marjolin. She brought me back the following judgment :-'Cancerous ulcer; no chance of cure but from operation; and this impossible, for the base of the tongue is involved.'

"In the presence of so grave a disease I turned my thoughts to diminish her sufferings. I prescribed the th of a grain of hydrocyanate of potassa, to be repeated every fourth day. After fifteen days I again saw the patient. She suffered less; the tongue appeared to me not so thick, the edges less hard, the speech easier. The medicine was continued in the same way. Fifteen days later the patient, whose countenance had lost its gray hue and drawn features, said to me with joy, 'I begin to be able to eat a crumb of bread.' The hydrocyanate was continued for a month longer, when the cure was complete. It is now eighteen years ago, and there has been no relapse."

The cyanide of potassium worked wonders here; it is a drug which deserves study.

Typhoid Fever.

"In 1848 I submitted to the Homœopathic Society a memoir presented to the Academy of Sciences by Dr. Serres, on the use of black sulphuret of mercury in the

entero-mesenteric fever (typhoid). A new memoir has just been read before that society; it confirms the happy use of this medicine. In the account which I have given of the work of Dr. Serres I said that he considered the mineral Ethiops as a purgative, and that, for this reason, he thought he ought to associate it in its use with other purgatives; doubtless to render more powerful the property which he ascribes to it. On this occasion I have to communicate two observations of typhoid, in which the black sulphuret of mercury, in the 12th dilution, has been used with success. Since that time I have had to use it, and I have been able to determine with more precision its kind of usefulness.

"The preparation of the mineral Ethiops is invariable. On that account it can be placed side by side with other medicines of which we make use.

"In typhoid, more perhaps than any other disease, we find proofs that to choose the medicines well is not sufficient to combat it, but that we must watch the most convenient time to use them. I am going to try, as to the use of the Ethiops, to give instances.

"OBSERVATION 1.-A young married lady, of a nervous constitution, lymphatic, tall, of a middling size, and whose menstruation was irregular, most often behind its time; complained often of pains in her bowels, followed by diarrhoea. She thought she was able to travel a few months to accompany her husband, who was on a tour of inspection; she led a different life from that which rest in the midst of luxury gives. She came back to Paris feeling a general fatigue, and having no appetite; her sleep was disturbed and difficult to obtain.

"On the 29th of December, at the end of the day, she felt shivering, alternating with fits of heat.

"30th.-Frontal headache, eyes injected; all the skin, particularly the face, was of a pink colour, produced by an eruption of small, almost imperceptible, pimples; tongue white, without coat; thirst; general heat; pulse small, frequent, 100. Ordered a potion with Aconite every two hours.

"31st. Same symptoms, except the coloration of the skin;