258 



the keenest observers, who has Btudied the physical and mental 

 habits of our countrymen: the material arrangements of these esta- 

 blishments have been fullv and ably illustrated by Dr. Kirkbride; 

 the delineations of mental disease by Dr. Earle, bave Beduced even 

 the literary journals by their singular felicity and elegance, while 

 Massachusetts has given with one hand those ample statistics which 

 were impressed with the sanguine character of the active philanthro- 

 pist who has lately left her Bervice, and with the other, the calm 

 corrective which annually proceeds from the cool retreat of Chaj 

 t<»wn. 



The committee will how proceed to a brief enumeration of the 

 more important articles, which have, within the pasl year, or at least 

 recently, been presented to the profession in the medical journals of 

 this country, taking them up in the orllcr in which they have bi 

 enumerate! 1. 



American Journal of the Medical Sciences. — The number for 

 January, 1847, contains one of Dr. Norris's admirable resumes, a 

 "Table showing the mortality following the operation of tying the 

 iliac arteries." It is founded upon a hundred and eighteen cases 

 gathered from various sources, which are presented in a condensed 

 form and subjected to a careful analysis. The committee have 

 already fully expressed their sense of the importance <>f Dr. Norris's 

 labours. The paper which follows, by Dr. Trask, of Brooklyn. N. Y. 

 is worthy of succeeding that just mentioned. Four very full tables 

 containing the history of fifty-three eases of phlegmasia dolens are 



given in this essay, the final object of which is to establish the 

 pathology of the affection. Articles like the two just cited, are 

 necessarily of permanent value. They cannot be superseded, because 

 they have a Bolid basis of fact, and even if some of their conclusions 

 were erroneous, the materials would remain as the basis of future 

 results. The increased number of these Laborious analytical Burveya 



i» one of the mOSl encouraging features of our medical literature. 



In the midsl of interminable discussions upon the value of the 

 numerical Bystem, the simple fad that tabulation affords a final 

 result respecting a given number of facts, which mere perusal fails 

 to do, is making itself felt like every truth which has time and 

 fair play. The next article is one by Dr. Kirkbride on hospitals 



for the In-ane, and the fourth a brief account by Dr. Wilcocks, of 



the epidemic remittenl and intermittent of 1846. Then follow four 



eases of acute a (lection of the spinal marrow, with dissections, by 



Dr. J. B. S. Jackson of Boston, marked by his accustomed accuracy 



