Lvcal Geology. 255 



New and Complete Manual of Auscultation and Percussion. By M. A. 

 Raciborshi, M. D., etc. Translated by JVilliam Fitzherbert, B. A. 

 l2mo.pp. 201. 



Tnis volume contains, within a sufficiently small compass, the substance 

 of what has been advanced in favour of two very important methods both 

 of medical and surgical diagnosis, auscultation and percussion, together 

 with directions for the application of either. Auscultation, as our readers 

 are possibly aware, is the recognition, by the aid of hearing, of the differ- 

 ent noises which take place during the discharge of the functions of dif- 

 ferent organs, more particularly those of respiration and circulation. 



Percussion, on the other hand, consists in shocks executed principally 

 by means of the fingers at the surface of different regions of the body ; 

 returning of course different sounds, according to the different nature or 

 state of the organs within. 



Auscultation is therefore less generally practicable than percussion, 

 being necessarily confined in its application to those organs that give rise 

 to spontaneous noises. Where, however, it is applicable, its conclusions 

 are more readily obtained, and in the hands of most men, more valuable, 

 than those of percussion. 



It would be unnecessary, even were this the proper place, to enter upon 

 a discussion either of the relative or common advantages of these two 

 methods of diagnosis j their great utility, and more especially that of the 

 former, has already been amply proved, and they are appreciated and em- 

 ployed by those members of either branch of the profession whose educa- 

 tion has led them to study at the schools of Paris : nor would any man, to 

 whom the use of the stethoscope had become familiar, willingly restrict 

 himself to the advantages of the old methods. 



This is a very good manual ; the facts brought forward in it are numerous, 

 their arrangement clear, and the deductions for the most part acknow- 

 ledged as sound, by the general testimony of experience. The original 

 edition we have not seen ; but Mr. Fitzherbert's translation appears to be 

 well executed, and in form and cost it is convenient and reasonable. 



LOCAL GEOLOGY. 



We propose, with the view of making the local information contained 

 in this Journal, as generally and as permanently useful as possible, to 

 occupy from time to time, a portion of its pages with the descriptive 

 Geology of a section of the Bristol district. 



Under the term Geology, we shall include those subordinate sciences, a 

 knowledge of which is essential to its pursuit j wc shall attend to the 

 chemical and mechanical structure and composition of the several rocks. 



