566 Proceedings of the 



Dr. Bennati, physician to the Italian Opera, on the diseases of the 

 uvula to which singers, orators, and others accustomed to great 

 exertion of the vocal organs, are suhject. Dr. Bennati details a 

 number of instances in his own experience which prove the inexpe- 

 diency of excision in cases of relaxation or prolongation of the uvula, 

 and recommends cauterisation with nitrate of silver as an almost 

 infallible remedy. The doctor has also invented a new species of 

 portocaustique, by means of which the front, back, and lower parts 

 of the uvula are at once subjected to the action of the caustic. 



Application of Galvanism. At the same meeting a very elabo- 

 rate paper on the application of galvanism to medicine was read by 

 Dr. Fabre Palaprat. He details a number of experiments tending 

 to prove the analogy, if not identity, of the electric with the vital 

 principle. The result of his observations is, that galvanism may be 

 usefully employed as a medical agent in the following diseases : 

 nervous affections in general ; chronic diseases of the abdominal 

 organs, when not resulting from an organic injury ; hypochondria, 

 nervous asthma, head-ache, and some cases of paralysis. M. 

 Fabrd Palaprat also states that he had found the union of acupunc- 

 ture with galvanisation highly advantageous in producing slight 

 instantaneous irritations of the skin, and also for introducing 

 various medicaments deep into the body, by means of the acupunc- 

 tural conductors acted on by galvanism. 



Use of Salicine. March 14th, two instances of the successful 

 application of salicine or willow-bark in cases of intermittent fever, 

 were communicated to the Academy by Dr. Ferrand de Missol. 

 The first was that of an infant of twenty-five months old, who was 

 suffering from odaxistique, or teething fever. Eight grains of 

 salicine were administered in two doses: after the first, the child, 

 who for many days had refused nourishment, showed a disposition 

 for food ; two days afterwards twelve grains were given in three 

 doses, and afterwards continued for four days in doses of one grain 

 each. At the end of that time the child was perfectly recovered. 

 This case gives the doctor occasion to remark, that where the fever 

 is essentially odaxistique, the character and symptoms which consti- 

 tute it are principally nervous. The second case was that of a 

 young man, aged seventeen, suffering under a strong intermittent 

 fever: an emetic was first administered, which relieved the pains in 

 the stomach and head, but did not otherwise diminish the fever ; 

 five days afterwards twelve grains of salicine were administered, 

 the shiverings ceased, but there was a paroxysm of fever at six 

 o'clock ; the next day eighteen grains were given, the paroxysm 

 was at seven; for six days the dose was gradually increased to 

 forty grains, and every day the paroxysm took place at longer inter- 

 vals ; on the seventh day there was none, the dose was then dimi- 



