to prevent slipping, and the ends cut off close to the knot. It generally makes its way into the bowel in eight or ten days.

"When the bowel is completely severed, or mortified in its entire calibre, the edges, after being properly prepared, should be brought in contact, and retained by the continued or the interrupted suture. Cases of this kind, although apparently desperate, are not always of so hopeless a character as might at first sight be supposed. This is shown, not only by experiments on the inferior animals, but by what occurs in the human subject, in sphacelated hernia, and in intus-susception. In the former, the greater part, or even the whole, of the circumference of the tube may be destroyed, and yet the patient ultimately recover, with perhaps the temporary inconvenience. merely of an artificial anus; and in the latter, large pieces are not unfrequently detached without any serious suffering, save what is experienced during the antecedent and concomitant inflammation. In my morbid collection is a preparation of this kind, evidently a portion of the colon, nearly a foot long, which was discharged by a child six years old, who, notwithstanding, made a speedy and perfect recovery. Thirty-five cases of a similar character, collected from the writings of different pathologists, have been reported by Dr. Thompson of Europe. In a dog, from which I removed two inches and a half of the ileum, and treated the edges of the wound with six interrupted sutures, complete recovery took place, unattended with a single bad symptom. The threads were introduced at equal distances from each other, with a small sewing-needle, and the ends cut off close to the knots. Four months after the operation, being in good health, and the outer wound entirely healed, he was killed. Externally the bowel was perfectly smooth and natural, as if no injury had ever been inflicted upon it: the mucous membrane was of the same appearance as elsewhere, with the exception of a small depression corresponding with the edges of the wound."

These quotations, which we have taken at random, without any reference even to the order in which they occur, will perhaps suffice to give the reader an idea of the repast that awaits him in the book itself.

We must not forget to mention that the volume is rendered still more attractive by the addition of numerous wood engravings (some of them introduced by Dr. Gross), all finely executed. These will be found of very considerable advantage to

the student, materially assisting him in comprehending the explanation of morbid structure. Another admirable feature, is the printing of the notes in type of the same size as that of the text. This obviates almost entirely, whatever objections can be alleged against foot-notes. C.

ART. V.-The History, Diagnosis and Treatment of Typhoid and of Typhus Fever; with an Essay on the Diagnois of of Bilious Remittent and of Yellow Fever. By ELISHA BARTLETT, M. D., Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine in Transylvania University. Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard. 1842. pp. 393, 8vo.

This is a neat, unpretending volume, aiming, as the author expresses it, "at no other merit than that of being a methodi cal and compendious summary of the actual state of our knowledge upon two of the most common and most important dis eases." Such a work supplies a want extensively felt by the the profession in this country. As justly remarked by Dr. Bartlett, many authorities on the subject of idiopathic fevers that were received as standard and classical, only a few years ago, are fast becoming obsolete. The treatises of Fordyce, Wilson Philip, Armstrong, Southwood Smith, and Tweedie, describe a form of fever rarely encountered by the American practitioner; and they are also very deficient in their pathol ogy, as most of them are in their plans of treatment, which, however successful they may be in the disease as it appears in England, are not well adapted to the fevers of the United States. These works, in a word, are very far from representing the actual state of our knowledge upon the subject of fe

ver.

Other treatises on fever are either not in general circulation, or else are not well suited to the profession here, on account of the minuteness and complexity of their details.

Dr. Bartlett, without aiming at any thing original, has presented, in his treatise, a history and comparison of the two

chief forms of fever, as they are now ascertained to exist, fuller and more discriminating than had been written. He has brought out clearly and strongly the means of diagnosis between the different species of fever; and in regard to the treatment of continued fevers, he has given a faithful account of the methods employed by the most eminent practitioners who have written on the subject. The full table of contents will enable the reader to consult any portion of the work without trouble, and on every head the details will be found accurate and clear, and, perhaps, minute enough for the student, and for the practitioner of medicine.

In his reference to the controversy concerning the conta gious qualities of yellow fever, Dr. Bartlett has fallen into the common error of ranking Dr. Rush among the earliest advocates of the doctrine of the non-contagiousness of this disease. One of the most zealous and successful advocates of the doctrine of its domestic origin unquestionably he was; but he was a decided and unwavering contagionist until the year 1806 or 7, as his pupils of that period testify. About that time he surrendered the opinion that the fever was contagious, and announced the change of his views in the New York Medical Repository. These facts ought to be known, and it is due to historical accuracy that the position of Dr. Rush should be distinctly stated, as it is but just to Dr. Caldwell to admit, that he preceded Dr. Rush many years in avowing and defending the non-contagious nature of yellow fever. Dr. Caldwell, during a warm and protracted controversy on the subject, is believed to have been the only public and writing advocate of the doctrine in this country. We have his authority for saying, that he was supported in his opinion by the concurring belief of Dr. Physick, but this gentleman, as is well known, wrote but little on any subject, and never participated publicly in this dispute.

Y.

ART. VI. Catalogue and Circular of the Medical Department of Laporte University. First Session, 1842. Laporte, T. A. Stewart.

We e were not a little surprised to find on our table, some weeks ago, a small document bearing the above title. Of a truth, we would as soon have thought of looking for Pompey's pillar as for a medical school at Laporte, Indiana, twelve miles from Lake Michigan. Ten years ago, the place where the town now stands, and the whole region round-about, was an immense wilderness, whose silence was unbroken save by the screech of an owl, or the yell of a Pottawatomie. Within these short ten years-nay, in a much shorter period -the country has been reclaimed from a state of nature: lands have been surveyed, and marked off into counties; towns have been built; farms improved-every thing, in short, has been added and done, that a dense and busy population, collected silently but swiftly from all quarters of the Union, could add or could do. And here last of all comes a medical school, which, like our Louisville Medical Institute, is designed to be the nu cleus of a large and flourishing University.

Many perhaps who read this, and who, like ourselves, have been negligent of the rapid progress of improvement in the whole north-west, will smile as we did on first seeing this announcement. But let none such be deceived. If they will take a map of the United States, they will perceive that Laporte University stands in the centre of an immense region of coun try: Northern Indiana, the northern part of Ohio and Illinois, the whole of Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin-a vast region indeed, already occupied by a large population, and capable of · sustaining a much larger one, which must be supplied with physicians and surgeons. The enterprise, then, evinces more of judgment and prevision, than might at first be supposed. More. over, the spirit and energy that have thus far characterized the founders of this university, are not merely deserving of all praise, but give favorable augury for the future. The charter was

procured about the middle of last winter; operations were immediately commenced, and courses of lectures delivered to a medical class of fifteen pupils, and a law class of ten; and since that time, as we are informed, a commodious Medical Hall has been erected, which is doubtless now occupied.

The Medical Department is organized as follows:

DANIEL MEEKER, M. D., Professor of Anatomy, Physiology and Surgery, and Dean of the Faculty; G. A. ROSE, M. D., Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine: J. P. ANDREWS, M. D., Professor of Obstetrics and the Diseases of Women and Children; FRANKLIN HUNT, M. D., Professor of Materia Medica, Botany and Medical Jurisprudence; J. B. NILES, A. M., Professor of Chemistry and Natural Philosophy; J. G. NEWHOUSE, M. D., Demonstrator of Anatomy. The requirements for graduation are similar to those of the best regulated schools in the country. The candidate must be twenty-one years of age, of good moral character, have studied medicine three years, including two full courses of lectures, one of which must have been in this institution. Three years' practice and one course of lectures will entitle the student to an examination for a degree.

Attached to the circular are some complimentary resolutions passed by the class at the close of the session. We copy the last in the series, as being at once novel and characteristic:

"Resolved-that we now adjourn to meet again in this place on the second Monday of next November."

And we have no doubt that every mother's son of them have done it! Your Hoosier is not easily baffled; we speak from a twenty years' knowledge of the people.

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C.