CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 509 
quiry, suggested by the very extraordinary case which gave him an 
opportunity of instituting them. Having no particular hypothesis 
to support, Dr. B. has honestly recorded the results of each experi- 
ment exactly as it occurred, and submits them to the public, who 
will duly appreciate the truths discovered, and the confirmation of 
opinions which before rested on conjecture. Dr. B. produces a body 
of facts which cannot be invalidated. His opinions may be doubted, 
denied, or approved, according as they conflict or agree with the 
opinions of each individual who may read them; but their worth 
will be best determined by the foundation on which they rest— 
namely, that of incontrovertible facts. 
The opportunity of making his experiments was afforded to Dr. 
Beaumont in this way. Whilst stationed at Michillimackiniac, Mi- 
chigan Territory, in 1822, in the military service of the United 
States, the following case came under his care. Alexis St. Martin, 
a Canadian of French descent, about eighteen years of age, of good 
constitution, robust and healthy, was accidentally wounded by the 
discharge of a musket on the 6th of June, 1822. The charge, 
consisting of duck shot, was received in the left side, the youth 
being at a distance of not more than one yard from the muzzle of the 
gun. ‘The contents entered posteriorly, and in an oblique direction, 
foward and inward, literally blowing off integuments and muscles 
to the size of a man’s hand, fracturing the ribs, and lacerating the 
lower portion of the left lobe of the lungs and the diaphragm, and 
perforating the stomach. Dr. B. saw St. Martin in twenty or 
thirty minutes after the accident, and found a portion of the lung 
as large as a turkey’s egg protruding through the external wound, 
lacerated and burnt ; and immediately below this another protru- 
sion, which proved to be a portion of the stomach lacerated through 
all its coats, and pouring out the food he had taken for breakfast. 
After cleansing the wound, and replacing the Jungs and stomach as 
far as practicable, Dr. B. applied the carbonated fermenting poultice, 
keeping the surrounding parts constantly wet with a lotion, and 
giving cooling medicinals internally, in liberal quantities. It is un- 
necessary to follow the doctor through the minutiz of this interest- 
ing case ; suffice it to say that for seventeen days all that entered 
St. Martin’s stomach by the esophagus soon passed out through the 
- wound, and the only way of sustaining him was by means of nutri- 
tious injections. It is a remarkable circumstance that no sickness, 
nor unusual irritation of the stomach, not even the slightest nausea, 
was manifested during the whole time. By the 6th of June, 1823, 
one year from the time of the accident, the injured parts were all 
sound, and firmly cicatrised, with the exception of the aperture 
in the stomach and side. The perforation was about two and a 
half inches in circumference, and the food and drinks constantly ex- 
uded, unless prevented by a tent, compress, and bandage. These 
dressings were necessarily applied to relieve his sufferings, and re- 
tain his food and drink, until the winter of 1823-4. At this time 
a small fold or doubling of the coats of the stomach appeared form- 
