392 Scient/Jic Intelliyence, 6fc. 



engaged in registering the history and symptoms of cases of nervous 

 affections in the wards of the House of Industry, Dublin, and the 

 different hospitals connected with it. This institution contains, 

 independently of cases of paralysis (estimated at about 150), the 

 following cases of mental and nervous affections, arranged as 

 follows : — 



Males. Femules. 

 Chronic Insane ... 74 179 

 Epileptic Insane ... 21 33 



Congenital Idiots ... 69 02 



Epileptic Idiots ... 14 20 



178 294-Total, 472. 



'' The number of cases which the Committee have hitherto been 

 enabled to examine with sufficient accuracy amounts to 41. Of these 

 they have made an analysis which is attached to their report. They 

 also affix an index referring to 17 cases of affections of individual 

 nerves, but regret that they have not had sufficient time to make 

 it either as full or accurate as they could wish. 



« Dublin, August 17th, 1836." 



The second paper read was by Dr. O'Beirne, of Dublin, which 

 was an " Abstract of an unpublished work on Tetanus." The reading 

 of this abstract, which was very lengthened, excited much interest 

 among the profession. The points of discussion which ensued were, 

 first, as to what constituted the substantive disease of tetanus, and 

 what was merely pseudo-tetanus. Dr. O'Beirne contending that 

 treatment of cases of the latter kind, as detailed by Dr. Wallis, Dr. 

 Hetling, Dr. King, and others, was not to be received as evidence 

 of the presence of the real disease of tetanus. During the peninsular 

 war, Dr. O'Beirne stated, that he had had frequent opportunities of 

 observing the disease, and at Brussels, he had the sole charge of the 

 officers wounded at Waterloo, among whom several cases of tetanus 

 occurred, which invariably terminated fatally. The result of his 

 experience was, that tobacco, injected by a tube into the bowels, 

 was an anti-tetanic, removing constipation, and affording relief ; and 

 he was really at a loss, such had been the effect of the insertion of 

 the tube in affording relief, to know whether to attribute more to 

 the tobacco or the tube. There had been no disease which had been 

 so confounded with tetanus as old cases of rheumatism, and paralysis 

 was the very antipode of tetanus. 



The third paper read was entitled *' Aneurism of the Arteria 

 innominata, by Sir David I. H. Dickson." 



Tuesday, 23rd August. — On the Treatment of some Diseases 

 of the Brain, by Dr. Prichard. — It has been said in former years 

 that the art or practice of medicine has made much more rapid 

 advances than the theory or science. It will hardly be disputed 

 that the reverse of this observation holds good in the present time. 

 For many years past, and especially since more precise investigation 

 than was before pursued, has been practised by means of necroscopy, 

 into the exact nature of organic changes, much accurate knowledge 

 has been acquired, which is perhaps scarcely applicable to practical 

 purposes. There is no class of morbid aflections to which this 



