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For sake of argument I will here give a reprint of the above-mentioned section :

HEAVINESS, WEIGHT.

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Now by careful calculation it will be found that to give this list with the symptoms verbatim, would take just five times the space now occupied. Moreover, if this were done it would be, I believe, far more difficult to see whether or not a certain symptom was an adjunct or not of' Heaviness. It would be just Hempel's repertory over again as far as this heading is concerned. To make it as useful as it at present is, it would be necessary to add the following paragraphs to the verbatim list :

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Next would come groups of threes; of these it will be found that not less than twenty-one such headings might be formed; or if the pains' should all be lumped together, they might be reduced to sixteen. Then no less than six groups of four separate symptoms would follow, and one group of five symptoms. So that this index to the verbatim list would occupy more than half the space of the list itself, i. e. about three times the space of the original cyphered group. This group of symptoms under Heaviness' would thus be expanded eightfold under this treatment. The list of localities,' 'conditions,' and 'concomitants' which follow, would be treated in an analogous manner, and would expand to three times, or even to four times their present size. The information then which is here given in a column and a half of the repertory would be spread over eight or nine columns, or more than four pages. Be it remembered that the longer a group of this kind is, the proportion in which it increases by this treat

ment becomes larger still; and gradually we fall away from our idea of a model repertory, as we should thus get a large clumsy book. I think that slight consideration will show us that in choosing a method of abbreviation the editors of this work did wisely; and before a reader thereof grumbles at the intricacies of the system he should invent another, which should offer the same facilities as this with less of its fancied difficulties. Before leaving this part

of the subject it is worthy of notice that of the 61 drugs which here figure under "Heaviness," only 15 are without an adjunct of some kind; and this shows both the fulness of the Materia Medica, and the necessity of an arrangement, such as this, or an equally good one. In Hull's 'Jahr.,' on the other hand, I found only 41 drugs, scattered over no less than three different pages; of these, 3 only have conditions attached and some 10 are more or less distinctly localised.

If it be granted that a cypher, or abbreviation at least, is a necessity, the only matter left for discussion is its character. From the nature of the case, the abbreviations used may be either self-interpreting or not. In this work neither kind is used exclusively. The names of the medicines are all reduced to three letters, and in such a way that the meaning of the abbreviation is easily retained. This system has not been followed in the other parts requiring abbreviation. Evidently a long symptom put into such cypher could not have the distinctive peculiarities that the present has. The cypher in use is arranged by class, as has been before said -Arabic numerals for conditions; Greek letters for concomitants; Roman numerals for pains; and Old English or Roman letters for substantive headings. And although it is not self-interpreting, yet any one looking down a column of the repertory will find that it is ever translating itself. The cypher adopted is much shorter, more distinctive, and on the whole, easier than a mass of abbreviations; e. g. in sect. "Heaviness" (p. 406) ag-n. produces "b. i.oa. π1. 2-66.," that is to say, "Uneasiness, fulness, tension, with dyspnoea, after food at night." How would these words look reduced to a maximum of three letters VOL. XXIV, NO. XCVI.-APRIL, 1866.

66

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each? "uns., fin., tns., dyp., aft. fd., ngt." They would take up more room, and be less intelligible. The labour of reducing all the necessary words in this way would be very great, and the benefit derived therefrom evidently nil.

There are two specially distinctive parts of this repertory, viz., the general order, course, and direction of pains; and sect. 4 containing the general course and progress of symptoms. Their use and value can only be known by examination; and to give instances of them would be beyond the scope of the present essay. If this paper can incite any to use, or better still to work for the completion of the English repertory, it will have accomplished its object.

291

REVIEWS.

The Greek Pastoral Poets, Theocritus, Bion, Moschus, done into English by M. J. CHAPMAN, M.D., of Trinity College, Cambridge. Third edition, revised; London: Saunders, Otley & Co., 1866.

Hebrew Idyls and Dramas, originally published in Fraser's Magazine, by M. J. CHAPMAN, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. London: Saunders, Otley & Co., 1866.

THESE two handsome volumes recall painfully to our mind the great loss homoeopathy and literature generally have sustained in the death of their accomplished author. Though we are not in the habit of reviewing poetical works, we cannot refrain giving a short notice of these poetical productions of our late friend and colleague.

The excellence of the translations from the three Greek pastoral poets, must strike every reader; and that they have been highly appreciated by the world is evident from this call for a third edition. Where all are excellent, it is hard to say which is best; but the poem that has given us most pleasure in the perusal is Castor and Pollux from Theocritus. The description of a pugilistic encounter is so spirited and life-like, that we almost seem to be reading an elegant and vivid account of one of the recent conflicts of the P. R. Though the combatants' hands were enveloped in heavily leaded gauntlets, bound on with leather straps, we do not believe they punished one another more severely than is sometimes done by our modern boxers. We cannot forbear giving our readers a taste of this great fight

First each contended which should get the sun
Of his antagonist; but which in sleight
That huge man, Pollux! was by thee outdone;

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