43A Monthly Medical Report. [April, 



Continental Adventures, from the Pen toms, &c. with Twenty coloured engra- 



of a Lady, are nearly ready. vings, are in the press. 



The Second Volume of Mr. Southey's Tales from the German, by George 



History of the War in Spahi wifl certainly Soane, A.B., and tlie Secret Correspon- 



be ready for publication in May. dcnce of Madame de Maintenon and the 



Mr. Hallam's Constitutional History of Princess des Ursins ; from the original 



England will not be ready for publication MSS. in the possession of the Duke de 



before the close of the year. Choiseul, may shortly be expected. 



Mrs. Joanna Baillie will shortly publish T)ie twenty-first volume of the Ency- 

 a Drama, in three acts, called •' The clopaedia Loiidinensis will be ready for de- 

 Martyr." lively early in April. This work, nearly 



The Gipsy, a Tale of Romance ; from the largest in point of size, and by far the 



the German of Laune, by the Translator most comprehensive in matter ever pub- 



of " Popular Stories of Northern Nations," lished, will shortly be concluded. At its 



is in a state of forwardness, and will shortly completion it will consist of 24 closely 



appear. printed 4to volumes. 



Sketches of Portuguese Manners, Cus- 



MONTHLY MEDICAL REPORT. 



Tht; prevailing character of the complaints of the last month has been decidedly inflam- 

 matory. In the htngiiage of the old school, the blood has been heated. The lancet has 

 been in requisition — tliat little instrument of mighty power. Nitre and salts Iiave taken 

 the place of opiates and demulcents ; and in .short, the whole character of disease has 

 undergone a change. The inflammatory disposition of vernal disorders has been remarked 

 from the earliest periods of medical science, and is, indeed, as well known to the public as 

 to the professional man. The genial warmth of the season doubtless contributes to its 

 production, and never, perhaps, was a month of finer weather experienced in this country 

 than has elapsed since the date of the last report. But there is sometliing more than this 

 required for the development of a principle of such general application, and the patholo- 

 gist will at once refer it to that nisus naturce,- so conspicuously manifested at this period 

 of the year in all her great operations. The sap now begins to rise, and the vegetable 

 kingdom puts forth its buds and its beauties. Tlie whole animal creation acknowledges 

 the stimulus of returning spring, and the same energy of action which is thus apparent in 

 the healthy operations of nature is no less observable in the phenomena of disease. In- 

 flammation, of the active or entonic kind, characterizes the great bulk of the disorders of 

 the season. The heart and arteries beat with unusual force, and the blood is rich and 

 buffy. 



Tlie reporter has met with inflammatory affections of all parts — of the head, chest, and 

 bowels; he has seen them in all degrees of severity, from the boil and bunnion to the 

 most acute form of phrenzy ; be has witnessed them in all ages, from infancy to decre- 

 pitude. There lias been, however, nothing pectdiar in the aspect of such complaints ; 

 when taken in time, they have yielded to the usual depleting measures, viz. general and 

 local blood-letting, free evacuations by the bowels, salisie and cooling diaphoretics. There 

 is certainly no class of disorders in wliich the skill and resources of physic are more 

 strikingly exemplified than in the vernal inflammations. It will generally be found, that at 

 this period there is sufficient energy in the system to bear up against the requisite drain- 

 age — an advantage which often fails the physician at a more advanced season of the year, 

 when the constitution has been exhausted by long continued heat and profuse perspi- 

 rations. 



Among the cases that have lately fallen under the Reporter's notice, he selects for spe- 

 cial consideration one, which, while it illustrates the position already laid down, will serve 

 to extend the inquiry to a subject at least equally deserving of attention: it was that of a 

 child, five years of age, who, with few or no marks of previous illness, was suddenly at- 

 tacked, about a fortnight ago, with all the symptoms of acute (or what writers seem now 

 disposed to call peracutej inflammation of the bowels. For three days the child was in 

 tlie most imminent danger, but active measures and incessant attention at length hap- 

 pily prevailed. The urgent symptoms were subdued, but no effect was produced upon 

 the pulse. It retained all its frequency, and a great portion of its hardness — the skin con- 

 tinued obstinately dry an(; rough — the child was oppressed with a feverish Languor. In 

 short, it turned out, that this severe attack of peritonseal inflammation was only the pre- 

 lude to a tedious infantilefevcr. In that state of fever the child is now lying; and, as far 

 as reasonably can be judged, will continue to lie for many weeks. 



It is certainly a very singular circnmstance that this form of hectic fever, viz. the infan- 

 tile, or, as it is more commonly called, the irifaniile remitting, shovliX never liave acquired 

 a popular denomination among us, considering how frequent the complaint is, how well 

 marked its course and character are, and that it prevails exclusively at that period of life, 



