could be felt, apparently synchronous with that of the radial artery." The patient had some dysphagia.

Connecting the foregoing phenomena with the history of the case and the auscultic indications, Dr. S. came to the conclusion that, in all probability, there was aneurism of the arch of the aorta. He was treated by small bleedings, local and general, and was so much benefited that he left the hospital. Soon afterwards he got ill, and went into another hospital, where he died suddenly; and, on dissection, an aneurism of the arch of the aorta was discovered. It had burst into the pleura. Dr. Stokes has appended some good remarks on the subject of internal aneurisms generally, and the signs by which they may sometimes be recognised, for which we must refer to the paper itself. Dr. Frazer has also communicated two or three cases of aneurism from his military experience, of which we shall not be able to give a satisfactory account, in consequence of our closing limits.

The first case was that of a British soldier, who came into hospital complaining of violent pain in his back, particularly along the spine, but without any morbid signs of local or constitutional illness. His health appeared good, and there was no emaciation. Some trifling remedies were prescribed, and it was suspected that he was feigning. He left the hospital, but again returned, and again the medical attendants were puzzled and suspicious.— They were not a little alarmed and mortified, however, on learning that the poor fellow dropped down dead, a few hours after he came into the hospital.

On examination, a large aneurism of the abdominal aorta was found ruptured, the bodies of the adjoining vertebræ being carious.

The second case was that of a gentleman, aged 30, who was attacked in the latter end of 1830, with derangement of bowels, followed by the feeling of a tumour in the left hypochondrium extending to the groin, with weakness and pain in the back. These symptoms increased, till at length a pulsating tumour appeared in the postero-inferior

portion of the left side, which rapidly increased in size. As the case was considered to be aneurismal, Valsalva's system was adopted. His sufferings were increased so intolerably that he wished for death. On one occasion, in a fit of despair, he entered a tavern, ordered a sumptuous dinner, and drank a pint of wine, which was followed by a cessation of his distressing symptoms for several days. He always found that low living increased his sufferings. Dr. Frazer was unable to detect any tumor in the side. He became affected with atrocious colics-his legs swelled-and he died. On examination, a large fluctuating tumor was found extending from below the left scapula to the last rib. The left pleura was filled with coagulated blood, and its separated serum. This had compressed the lung, and displaced the heart to the right side of the chest. In the lower portion of the pleural cavity was perceived the ruptured aneurismal sac, of great size, displaying its concentric layers of coagu lable lymph, hanging in irregular masses in the pleural cavity. Five of the vertebræ were deeply eroded. The left crus of the diaphragm was destroyed, and the muscle partly enveloped the tumor in the form of an arch. The heart was flabby, shrivelled, and of a livid hue. Near the bifurcation of the aorta was a well-defined oval perforation of the posterior surface, coinmunicating with the sac.

We have now condensed the most important information contained in this long and interesting paper of Dr. Stokes, and beg to offer him our thanks for the benefit which we have received from its perusal.

A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE, &c. &c. By J. CHITTY, Esq. Barrister at Law. Part the First. Royal octavo, pp. 466. July, 1834. Price One Guinea, with Plates.

The Doctor is situated very differently from the Lawyer in a court of justice, and when a subject of medical jurispru

case.

dence is under investigation. The medical man is entirely passive-in fact, he is a witness brought forward to elucidate points of medicine (including all its branches of course) alone and without any reference to the law of the The lawyer, on the other hand, questions the witness on a subject with which he is not supposed to be conversant, and consequently the more he knows of medicine, the better qualified he is, not only to elicit truth, but to puzzle the doctor for the sake of his client. Thus, if a medical man was perfect in all branches of his science, and never read one word of law, he would give as good evidence as if he had all the legal knowledge of Blackstone, Coke, or Littleton. This shews how much more important it is for the counsellor to study physic, than for the physician to study law. Is the physician ever examined on the law of the case in any court? We never saw such an instance. To the medical reader Mr. Chitty's work may appear to have entered a great deal too far into medical matters, and, in fact, to form a popular digest of medical science, for which they have no occasion. But Mr. Chitty clearly saw that the medical part was wanted by non-professional and not medical people, as his title-page renders evident; for it states that the work is designed for "members of Parliament, lawyers, coroners, magistrates, officers in the army and navy, and private gentlemen." Not a word is said about medical practitioners among the anticipated readers; but he adds that the work will contain, “all the laws relating to medical practitioners." In his preface he distinctly informs us that the fourth part will contain the "laws relative to members of the medical profession in particular, viz. their qualifications, rights, privileges, duties, and liabilities, whether as physicians, surgeons, apothecaries, &c." Now as this fourth part will be included in the second volume, which will be published separately, it appears to us that he intends and expects that lawyers will be the chief purchasers of the first volume, (now under review,) and medical practitioners of the second. We would ad

vise Mr. Chitty, therefore, to vary the amount of the editions according to this calculation. Mr. Chitty informs us that, in the fifth part of the work, that is, in the second volume, will be introduced the subject of medical evidence, and here he lets fall a sentiment which we have always advocated, namely, that the best way to study the law of medical evidence, is to study our own profession thoroughly. He does not agree with that amiable but enthusiastic writer, the late Dr. J. Gordon Smith, that "medical evidence" should be made a kind of distinct study, and that the individuals who are to give testimony in a court of justice, should agree previously, as to the tendency of their answers. "Lastly is given a view of medical evidence, and this rather to limit any direct professional education as regards the manner of giving evidence, and to suggest the higher importance of each individual, stating his own genuine testimony, rather than studying to agree with other practitioners."

Our author dwells with great reason and force of argument, on the necessity of a general knowledge of medical jurisprudence on the behalf of members of the Legislature, who are often called upon to enact laws relating to public health, nuisances, quarantine, &c. &c. He aptly asks, would members of the Legislature make the crime of procuring abortion depend on the period of quickening, if they knew any thing of the laws of fœtal life? Or would they be so ready to put quarantine in force, if they were better acquainted with the laws of epidemic diseases? The late choleraphobia, and the impotent attempts of legislators to arrest the current of epidemic constitutions of the atmosphere afford biting examples of the truth of Mr. Chitty's remarks.

That all persons acting in a judicial capacity, should have such a general knowledge of medicine, as to enable them to comprehend the import of the chief technical terms employed by medical men, is strongly insisted on by our author. He illustrates this in the following manner.

66

Suppose a medical witness should swear that a blow or wound had been

given on the Clavicle (vulgarly called the Collar-bone,) or the Scapula (vulgo Shoulder-blade,) or in any other technically described part of the body, would it not be desirable that the Judge should instantly, without stopping to inquire, not only know the name of the part affected, but also be able to judge for himself what would be the probable consequences of the injury; for other wise his mind would be occupied in seeking information merely on the import of terms, or in explanation of probable results, when he should be proceeding with more important considerations; and few minds are so powerful as to be able simultaneously efficiently to consider two different subjects."

66

Mr. Chitty quotes an observation from Professor Amos, which we hope will not be lost on judges and counsel lors. That gentleman remarks that even some judges as well as counsel are not unfrequently very shallow men in science, and therefore too apt to attack medical witnesses for using technical terms unknown to them—a just reflection, at least, upon counsel, that it is to be hoped will, ere long, be shewn to be no longer well-founded." This state of things, however, we can hardly expect, in our days. It cannot be expected that lawyers who have so much to study on their own account, should be very conversant with medical technicalities, and therefore it is the duty of the professional witness to avoid such terms as much as possible. We have lately had a lamentable instance of want of tact, and even of common sense, exhibited in the committee on medical education in the House of Commons. A physician, of no small calibre, and who entertains no mean opinion of himself, on being asked if the limits between physic and surgery were so well defined as to require a distinctly different education for each kind of practitioner, replied, in about one hour's dissertation on the anatomy of the eye-on the nature of iritis-on the modus operandi of mercury, and other matters which were about as relevant to the question put to him, as a treatise on electricity is to the manufacture of soap. During this exhibition

the whole audience were laughing or grieving at the folly of the exhibitor, who construed the universal action of the risible muscles into rapturous plaudits for the immense knowledge which he was pouring forth to enlighten the world!! A more sickening specimen of anile imbecility was never seen upon earth; and it will form a blot on the records of the important investigation alluded to, which the FELLOWS of the College may very fairly throw in the teeth of the Licentiates, as a precious specimen of their order. It is impossible, indeed, to frequent our courts of justice, without daily witnessing the most lamentable examples of want of tact, and common judgment on the part of medical witnesses. This is remarked by the bar, the members of which speak in derision of the testimony of profes sional men. These hints will not, we hope, be lost on our brethren.

In respect to barristers, a general idea of medical matters is essential to their conducting many important causes at the Bar.

"With respect to Barristers, or at least all who practise at the Criminal Bar, or hold a brief in a life policy cause, or in an action against a surgeon for alledged misconduct, it is as much their professional duty as their interest to obtain a complete and perfect knowledge of every branch of these subjects so intimately interwoven with each other. How disastrous to his credit, and how painful to his feelings, would it be to hear it asserted, after the execution of a prisoner, that the conviction was attributable to his Counsel not having put, or having injudiciously put, a particular medical question, or generally proper questions connected with the subject; and yet such omission or blunder might have been probably attributable to mere ignorance of subjects which were not directly connected with the more ordinary and daily object of his legal study.'

"In Mary Wright's case, convicted at the Spring Norwich Assizes, A. D. 1833, of murdering her husband, the counsel, Mr. J. Sidney Taylor, so ably

In advocating the propriety-as well as the possibility of a lawyer becoming generally acquainted with the principal points of medicine, and that without neglect of their own proper studies, Mr. Chitty quotes some observations from Dr. Adam Smith, respecting apprenticeships, which we hope will, ere long, be acted on by our legislature, as far as the medical profession is concerned. "Dr. A. Smith observes, there is no necessity for an apprenticeship of sevenyears,exclusivelydevoted to watchmaking, or any other department; nor is there any occasion for the waste of seven years and still more of ten years, upon the sole study of the dead languages. Much of the time ought to be occupied in the examination of other branches of science and literature, and which would infinitely more interest and improve the minds of youth, and enlarge their intellectual powers and attainments." These truths would be more useful than acceptable at Oxford, where so many of the best years of life are occupied with classical lore—or rather with acquiring the meaning of words, instead of cultivating those arts and sciences which prove useful through life. Cambridge, where mathematics are more favoured, does not fall so much under the scope of this censure as the Sister University. The following perhaps is modestly expressed.

"With respect to Medical Practitioners, although I cannot anticipate that my observations upon Medical subjects will be regarded as of any authority, yet as respects Students in Medicine or Surgery, I venture to hope that

drew the attention of the learned Judge to the absurdity of executing a woman with child, though not quick, that he contributed towards saving her life; and after a jury of matrons had, upon her plea of pregnancy in delay of execution, erroneously found her not to be quick with child, she was delivered of a mature child at a time which clearly denoted that she must have been quick at the time of the trial, and the woman was finally transported instead of executed."

the analytical summary and condensed view of most of the present doctrines may be found useful; at all events, as regards the former, it is of the utmost importance that they should be fully informed of the laws respecting all injuries by violence, poison, or otherwise, to the person, and many other branches of the law, and which have been greatly, and in many respects entirely altered since the publication of the previous treatises upon Medical Jurisprudence. It is therefore hoped that the work may be found useful to them, as affording a view of the law, to which their attention and testimony is to give due effect; and the pages respecting the peculiar laws affecting the Medical Profession and its branches, may be found important even to their pecuniary interests and welfare."

"If this "analytical summary and condensed view" of the present doctrines have been drawn up by a lawyer, it is one of the cleverest compendiums we have ever seen. It is worth five dozen of the compendiums of Thomas, Reece, Graham, and other compilers of popular systems of medicine. We may here, also, take occasion to correct an error which has been promulgated by some of our contemporaries, namely, that this first part is only a fifth part of the whole. The other four parts are to be comprised in a volume equal in size to the present part, and thus the whole expense will be two guineas instead of five.

We conclude, then, with a confident expression that this is the best compendium of medicine that has ever been drawn up for the benefit of nonmedical readers.

THE OTIC GANGLION.

In the Number of this Journal for April, we presented to our readers a short account of the difference of opinion existing amongst the anatomists of Germany, as to there being such a ganglion as that described by Arnold, under the name of the otic or auricular ganglion; and we concluded by observing that, in this country, Mr. Mayo