March 2.-" Thinks he slept pretty fair;" nurse says he slept well; bowels open; tongue moist, with creamy sides and brownish centre; pulse 120, steady, not bounding, soft and of good size; "no pain whatever;" had a little quiet delirium during the night, without outcry of any kind or vociferation; two stools in the night.

March 3rd.-Good night; pulse 80 to 90; tongue dry, stiff and dark; no pain; bowels open; less thirst. 5th.-Tongue nearly clean; "slept very well indeed." This patient is now on full diet, and on the point of leaving the house.

CASE XVII.

A second case of the same fever treated with a cold dash and effervescent salines during the day, and hemp at night, was that of a lad of 18, admitted February 27th, and to be discharged well to-morrow. This patient's symptoms, remedies and medicinal effects were precisely the same as those of the last case (16), so that I shall give no particulars regarding it.

CASE XVIII.

This was a case of a man admitted Feb. 24, and in the main agreeing with the other two; but differing in the age of the subject (52 years) and the absence of delirium. All other symptoms, whether having reference to the brain and nerves, or skin,

or abdominal viscera, were the same as in the others. The tremors were obvious in this man at my first visit. He was treated with effervescent salines and composing draughts of hemp, with cold stream to the head, and the same results were obtained as in the other cases; saving that, owing to his age, no doubt, he required more wine, and recovered more slowly, though originally less dangerously ill than either of the preceding. He is now convalescent. Of some other cases of this fever, two died from complications; the one in the brain and the other in the thorax. The man (Case 18) required, for about a week after March 2, a few ounces of wine daily, none of which had been required by the other Cases (16 & 17), on account of fever, though one had a little after, to hasten convalescence.

Observations.-The objects I have had in view in the trials of the hemp above detailed (which, I may mention, are but a third or fourth part of the whole number of cases in which I have experienced beneficial effects from the new remedy) are these:

1. To determine as nearly as I could, the question, whether the hemp narcotic be in reality possessed of medicinal properties sufficiently energetic and uniform to entitle the drug to admission into our pharmacopoeia; and,

2. To determine how far the extract could be used with advantage as a substitute for opium in various important diseases, acute and chronic.

In answer to the former question, I have no hesitation in affirming that in my hands its exhibition has usually, and with remarkably few substantial exceptions, been followed by manifest effects as a soporific or hypnotic in conciliating sleep; as an anodyne in lulling irritation; as an antispasmodic in checking cough and cramp; and as a nervine stimulant in removing languor and anxiety, and raising the pulse and spirits; and that these effects have been observed in both acute and chronic affections, in young and old, male and female.

In reply to the latter question, I should say that these useful, and in several cases most salutary effects have been obtained without any important drawback or deduction on account of indirect or incidental inconveniences. Thus, I have hitherto experienced no difficulty in keeping subjects of pulmonary disease under the constant operation of a narcotic, which repressed to a most important extent their mischievous cough, and secured them refreshing rest, without causing in the least degree anorexia or indigestion, or, with one or two doubtful exceptions, any inconvenient result or sensation whatever. Thus, again, I have repeatedly had a subject of articular rheumatism or severe bronchitis under the double influence at once of a diuretic-laxative medication and of an anodyne-antispasmodic; the saline solution, with or without colchicum, correcting the blood and secretions unimpeded by the narcotic, whose whole influence appeared to be expended on the tissues, seats of pain and irritation. For a third example I may

refer to the use of the hemp in low fever, in securing the enjoyment of that great restorative in acute disease- viz. tranquil sleep; and producing this benefit without any neutralizing inconvenience, without causing constipation, nausea, or other effect or sign of indigestion, without headache or stupor.

The only class of cases in which I have found the hemp not to act as a competent substitute for opium, is in the intestinal fluxes, such as the diarrhæas of phthisis and of low fever in advanced stages, of old ulcerations of the bowels, &c., and in dysenteric affections. In such cases, opium is the great controlling remedy of the narcotic class, and admits of no deputy. And in such cases, happily, opium produces in judicious hands none of its inconvenient effects, and may usually be safely and freely employed.

ON THE

SUGAR IN DIABETIC BLOOD.

BY HENRY BENCE JONES, M.A., CANTAB.,

LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS.

COMMUNICATED BY DR. NAIRNE.

READ MAY 9TH, 1843.

IN 1841 Professor Mitscherlich communicated to the Academy of Sciences, in Berlin, a new method of distinguishing between cane and grape sugar, the discovery of H. Trommer, who had himself applied it to the detection of sugar in diabetic blood, but without success, although he found when 10000 part of grape sugar was added to healthy blood it could be afterwards recognized by this test. Hence the conclusion was drawn, that as this most direct and delicate test failed to detect the sugar in the blood, that therefore no sugar was present there in this disease.

M. Rayer, in his Treatise "Sur les Maladies des Reins," states that M. Guibourt at his request repeated the experiments of Mr. Macgregor, Dr. Maitland, and Dr. Rees, but that by fermentation he could obtain no evidence of the presence of sugar in the blood.