126 
necessary to add, that if the apertures 
of gas-burners be not carefully turned 
off, when the lights are extinguished, 
that an escape of gas into the apartment 
always takes place, and it is highly dan- 
gerous to carry a lighted candle into 
such an apartment, The escape of gas 
can easily be detected by the smell, be- 
fore it has escaped in sufficient quantity 
to form ‘an ‘explosive ‘mixture with the 
air of a room. In the escape of gas, 
therefore, accidents might always be 
prevented by driving a current of air 
through the room, previous to bringing 
ina light in order to ascertain the exact 
point of leakage. 
I have to apologize, Mr. Editor, for 
the length of my communication, but 
the great interest attached to the sub- 
ject of gas-lighting at the present day 
will be my best plea for occupying so 
much of your columns. It only remains 
that I should state in a few words, what 
I conceive to be the relative values of 
oil-gas and ‘coal-gas, to the consumer. 
From the data before mentioned, good 
oil-gas (= 950) is more valuable than 
good coal-gas (= 450) in the ratio of 
about nine to four. But it is obvious, 
that if either kind of gas be supplied to 
the public by meter, the spec. grav. 
of such gas should be always taken into 
account: the illuminating power and 
durability being in the exact ratio of its 
density. A, Z. 
———— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N a late number of the Monthly 
Magazine, I observe some remarks 
on the subject of Hydrocephalus, which 
were sent you several years ago ;—the 
importance of following the directions 
given, subsequent and extensive obser- 
vation has fully confirmed. I shall now 
attempt, in a few words, to describe the 
symptoms which occur prior to the 
inflammatory affection of the brain and 
its membranes, with a view of apprizing 
your readers, that complaints apparently 
wholly unconnected with the head, may, 
by making a strong impression on. the 
nervous system generally, give rise to 
inflammation of the cerebrum, and irre- 
mediable effusion into its ventricles, 
Indeed no medical practitioner can 
have failed to. observe instances of the 
sympathy existing between the brain, 
and the glandular apparatus concerned 
in the digestion and assimilation of the 
food ;—no practitioner of any experience 
has not seen the most alarming infantile 
Mr. Severn on Hydrocephalus. 
(Serr. 1, 
convulsions occasioned by morbific ac- 
cumulation in the stomach and bowels, 
giving way as soon as their irritating 
contents have been removed: by. appro- 
priate deobstruents; these convulsions 
being irregular muscular contractions 
produced by the. brain and nervous 
system sympathizing with the deranged 
organs of digestion, and on the contrary 
a concussion of the brain, not only pro- 
duces pain, giddiness, &c., but almost 
invariably, the immediate rejection of 
the contents of the stomach,. and the 
common disease, a sick head-ache, is a 
familiar and striking example. of the 
intimate connexion subsisting between 
the digestive functions and the senso- 
rium commune}; for in the: animal eco- 
nomy, whenever any part becomes dis- 
eased, a train of secondary morbid 
actions arise in distant organs, which 
can only be remedied by a discovery, and 
removal of the original disease. It 
seldom happens that a_ medical prac- 
titioner- is called to a patient in the 
earlier stages of Hydrocephalus, and 
still less frequently has he an oppor- 
tunity of combating those symptoms 
which may be deemed premonitory, and 
which so nearly resemble those of den- 
tition and certain other complaints, that 
their precise nature and fatal tendency 
is often overlooked :. indeed there have 
been instances wherein I have in post 
mortem research, discovered Hydroce- 
phalic effusion which had been wholly 
unsuspected by the able and experienced 
practitioners, under whose more imme- 
diate charge the cases occurred... . 
Whenever in children the functions 
of the alimentary..canal are. irregularly 
performed, the egesta, taking place tar- 
dily, or differing in. any respect, from 
their ordinary and healthy. state, .the 
head becoming heavy, reclining on one 
side, the countenance, pale, sallow, 
or leaden coloured, the limbs. flabby, and 
having an exsanguious appearance, with 
tumid abdomen, then should prompt 
remedial means be employed adapted 
to the circumstances of the case, to 
restore a healthy state of the secretions, 
and to excite the glandular viscera of 
the abdomen to action. It would answer 
no good purpose were. I to detail,the 
remedies adapted to fulfil. the above 
described purposes, they must be left to 
the judgment of the medical: practi- 
tioner, and as your magazine is designed 
for general perusal, such an. attempt 
would probably lead your unprofessional 
readers to form imperfect ideas of what 
should be done, and the period at which 
‘ a cure 
