A. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON MEDICAL SCIENCES, 



The Committee on Medical Sciences report, — That in order to ac- 

 complish the duty assigned them, they have diligently examined the 

 journals of the past year, believing that in them they would find all 

 that they require. The materials which they have met with in those 

 publications are ample, and the committee feel that they labour more 

 under the embarrassment of choosing; well, than of collecting; abund- 

 antly. The difficulty of making proper selections has indeed been 

 sensibly felt; and a reasonable fear is entertained, that in striving 

 to keep this report within proper limits, much has been omitted 

 which is deserving of notice. In endeavouring to keep up some link 

 of connection between the various subjects noticed, and to fill up, at 

 least, the outlines of the pictures sketched, they may have been 

 tempted from the rigid construction of their directions, and trenched 

 upon matters not strictly new — and especially do they fear — nay, 

 they are convinced — that they will not, with all their diligence and 

 the strictest economy of the space they have at their disposal, be 

 able to review all that is deserving of attention. The changes which 

 are so rapidly taking place, in almost all the departments of Medical 

 Science, since new means of investigation have shown them to us in 

 new points of view, have given an importance to the periodical litera- 

 ture of the day not heretofore possessed, to such an extent, by that 

 class of productions. To analyze them all, would be to enter on the 

 discussion of every subject within the range of the medical sciences. 

 Many of these questions are still in doubt. Information is still want- 

 ing to complete their history. The observations recorded, on almost 

 all of them, are still wanting in such a degree of precision and cer- 

 tainty, as is necessary to make the history of them complete. It 

 will be no part of the duty of this committee, to endeavour to har- 

 monize discordant opinions, nor to settle the relative value of opposing 

 views. But they will in all fairness, be compelled to state each 

 writer's case with equal clearness. The committee will, as far as 

 they possibly can, confine their periscope to the year just passed. 



