659 



kings of Lombnrdy, but history is silent 

 on the point. The Einperor Henry IV. 

 was the first monarch of whom we have 

 any record, being so crowned at Monza; 

 and Charles V. was the last who wore it, 

 until Napoleon, to render his coronation 

 as king of Italy more solemn, sent, in 

 great pomp, to the church of Monza for 

 (his crown, which the cardinal le^iate, 

 Caprara, received in the porch of the 

 church of St. Ambrose. Napoleon took 

 it, and placed it on his own head, say- 

 ing, " Dio me la iliede, guai a chi la 

 iocca .'" (God gives it me, beware wlio 

 touches it !) M. Mdlin observes, that 

 constancy of success was wanting to hini, 

 which would liave rendered the expres- 

 eion truly great. 



We now dismiss these volumes, re- 

 commending their perusal to whoever 

 would travel in Italy ns indis|)ensable, or 

 would obtain accurate information on 

 the present state ol ilie arts, society, 

 and manners of Italy. 



MEDICINE. 



ilemoiref de Chirurs;ie MiUtairc, et 

 Campagnex de. D, I. Larrn/, ^-c. 



Memoirs of Militarij Surgery, and Cain- 

 paigns of 1). I. Larrey, Jlrst surgeon 

 of the Guard and Hospital of the 

 Guard of his Imperial and Roynl Ulu- 

 jfisly, Baron of the Empire, ^-c. f)-c, 

 3 vols. fivo. plates. 



The illustrious author of the work now 

 before us has created a new ffira in 

 surgery. The tuvourite surgeon of Na- 

 poleon in every campaign, from Egypt to 

 Waterloo, the immense variety of cases 

 which presented tliemselves induced him 

 to depart from old-established theories 

 and adopt new ones. His ideas were 

 attacked, he was called a barbarian and 

 a monster, because he had performed 

 what none had ever dared to attempt ; 

 but the success of the operations in what 

 had always been regarded as mortal 

 eases, soon confirmed the truth of liis 

 principles. We particularly refer to the 

 amputation uf the thigh at the articula- 

 tion of the OS coccygis, now commonly 

 performed, alter liis example, by our 

 Own military surgeons. 



In reviewing his work, we feel we 

 cannot do better than simply translate 

 the review of it ordered by. the Iloyal 

 Institute of France, and signed Des- 

 chainps and I'elletan, of which we have 

 obtained an otncial copy. 



.. .." The cinss receives the work with 

 interest and (lisiuiclion, and will occupy 

 itself in retracing some articles, in whicli 

 it fiiidj new ideas useful precepts, and 



Retrospect of French Literature. 



details of operations which were previ- 

 ously unknown. 



" Amongst these different objects, the 

 Daron Larrey gives a memoir on wounds 

 penetrating the breast, which he advises 

 to unite even when there is extravasated 

 blood: he coHceives it to be the only 

 method of arresting the hemorrhage, and 

 rendering the respiration more easy, 

 though there may be afterwards required 

 the operation of the empyeuma, if the 

 blood has not been absorbed, and is in- 

 jurious by its presence. The author gives 

 several examples, taken froin bis prac« 

 tice, in support of his tlveory. 



" The article on hepatic abscesses pre» 

 sents great interest, and adds examples 

 to the principles of the urt on this sub« 

 jeci. 



" M. Larrey also gives a memoir on 

 the engorgement of the lymphatics, a 

 species of elephantiasis of the scrotum, 

 and on the cancer of the testicle, which 

 he conipares between themselves, and 

 nieiuions several amputations wliicli he 

 had performed for the first o( tbtse caves,, 

 which »vas very common in Egypt. 



" Tlie moment proper for amputating 

 members which have received gun-shot 

 wounds, and the case when it is neces-. 

 sary to perform the dreadful operation 

 of amputating the thigh at its superior 

 articulation, have been long agitated.. 

 I\I. Larrey has endeavoured to settle tlii» 

 important point, and he cites several 

 cases ill which he practised this opera- 

 tion with more or less success when con- 

 ceived to be indispensable. lie point* 

 out a peculiar mode of proceeding, which 

 renders the operation more easy and les» 

 painful,* and promises us a new memoir 

 on this most important subject. 



*' M. Larrey also advises, from happy 

 experience, the amputation of the kg as 

 near the knee as possible, without paying 

 any attention to the spongy substance 

 of the articular extremities of the bone. 



" The amputation of the arm in its 

 superior articulation, is one of the prin- 

 cipal titles of the glory of Baron Larrey, 

 by the safety with which he executes a 

 particular proceeding, as simple as it is 

 expeditious, and by a sui;cess proved by 

 numerous examples,— since, of one hun- 

 dred wounded on whom he performed 

 this operation, ninety were cured. 



" T4ie amputation of the wounded 

 nienibir has also been, in the hands of 

 M. L.irrey, a method of curing the 



* The time in which the Raron usually 

 performs this operation of taking the 

 tliish out of the socket, is two minules! 



tetanus 



