INFORMATION. 



INHIBITION. 



870 



great frequency of this epidemic, it is remarkable how little variety 

 there has been in its symptoms, and the records of cases which occurred 

 in 1510 nearly resemble those which have been observed during its 

 latest visitations. The following are the symptoms whiclAiost gene- 

 rally characterise it : The person is seized with slight chills ; weight 

 and pain, sometimes severe, are felt over the eyebrows; there is an 

 increase of the lachrymal and nasal secretions, with loss of appetite, 

 prostration of strength, a weak frequent pulse, dyspnoea, hoarseness, 

 and cough. When death has taken place, the post mortem appearances 

 have revealed acute inflammation of the mucous membrane fining the 

 air-passages, or pleurisy .and pneumonia. The duration of the disease 

 varies from one or two days to a fortnight ; but great debility often 

 remains behind for many weeks, and in some epidemics relapses have 

 been frequent. 



Several epidemics of influenza have been remarkable for affecting 

 the mucous membrane of the alimentary canal, as well as that of the 

 organs of respiration. The cases occurring towards the subsidence of 

 the epidemic are generally less severe than those at its commencement. 



The history of this disease is curious. When once it has made its 

 appearance it pursues a regular course from one country to another, 

 from continent to continent, across seas and over mountains ; but this 

 course, although regular as regards each epidemic, yet varies somewhat 

 with most. In 1510 its course was in a north-westerly direction ; in 

 1557 due west, attacking whole populations almost on the same day ; 

 in 1580 from east and south to west and north, and was complicated 

 with plague, but France was the only European country infected that 

 year with the latter. The epidemic of 1729 was very fatal in London ; 

 Lowe says more persons died of it than at any one time since the 

 plague of 1865. In the month of September, 1729, 1000 weekly were 

 carried off by it in the metropolis. The epidemic of 1 808 travelled 

 from south to north. England was also severely visited in 1881, 1833, 

 and 1836-7, and it figures more or less in all the yearly returns of 

 mortality in every year since. It is worthy of note, that in all these 

 epidemics the lower animals have suffered. The destruction of horses 

 and cattle in 1836-7 was very great. Dogs, cats, and birds also suffer, 

 and it is even said fish. 



These epidemic visitations have taken place most frequently in the 

 spring and autumn, but have seldom remained at one place longer than 

 six weeks. In 1836 it broke out in Cape Town in Africa at the same 

 time as in London ; in the one place it was mid-summer, in the other 

 mid-winter. 



On the exciting causes of this, as of all other epidemics, we must 

 confess our ignorance. Some have attributed it to the sudden changes 

 of weather ; others to a particular morbid principle, different from but 

 resident in and conveyed by the air ; and others again to contagion. 

 The first of these hypotheses i evidently untenable, for atmospheric 

 changes as great and sudden have taken place as some of those observed 

 to precede the breaking out of the epidemic, and yet none has appeared, 

 and an epidemic has occurred without being preceded by any apparent 

 atmospheric peculiarity ; the sensible state of the air, too, preceding 

 and accompanying the same epidemic has been different in different 

 places. The doctrine of contagion, altho\igh it has had more advocates 

 than either of the former hypotheses, does not appear to rest upon any 

 better foundation. It remains, then, to examine the validity of the 

 second hypothesis namely, the existence of a morbid principle resident 

 in and conveyed by the air. Now the very doubts on any subject 

 which give rise to theories for explaining the phenomena connected 

 with such subjects presuppose the want of any direct proofs or evidence 

 of a tangible shape ; and if putting aside the idea of the epidemic we 

 are speaking of being caused by any deleterious or unwholesome quality 

 of our food we allow the atmosphere to be the medium of conveyance 

 of the morbid principle, we must admit that all endeavours hitherto 

 made with the view of demonstrating such principle have only afforded 

 negative results ; neither does it appear that there is any one spot on 

 the earth whence it emanates. 



However great the discordance of opinion on the cause of this malady, 

 all physicians of eminence have agreed remarkably in their testimony 

 as to the general rules and principles of practice. Notwithstanding the 

 inflammatory nature of this disease, bleeding is ill borne, and. can rarely 

 be employed with safety, much less with benefit ; and persons who 

 have been subjected to this operation recover more slowly than others, 

 and remain in a debilitated condition much longer. In severe cases, 

 emetics at the commencement have been found useful, either in cutting 

 short, the disease or in moderating its violence. Mild aperients adminis- 

 tered with caution, the exhibition of antimonial and saline miilicinc.-i, 

 and a cool temperature, constitute the means which experience has 

 found to be most efficacious during the acute stages of the disease ; 

 whiM, quinine and stimulants are beneficial in the latter stages. 



INFORMATION, an accusation or complaint exhibited against a 

 person for some criminal offence. It differs from an indictment princi- 

 pally in this, thnt an indictment is an accusation found by the oath of 

 a. grand jury, whereas an information is simply the allegation of th<! 

 r who exhibits it. Informations are of two sorts : those which 

 are partly at the suit of the crown and partly at that of a subject; and 

 secondly, such as are in the name of the sovereign only. The former 

 are exhibited for ntiiu>-roiM offences inferior to felony, as wilful and 

 corrupt oppression by a justice of the peace, libels, conspiracies, &c., 

 and are filed by the muter of the crown-office. The latter are filed 



by the attorney-general at his own discretion, and are called ex officio 

 informations. The former kind, which are called criminal informations, 

 can only be filed by leave of the court of Queen's Bench, -and the appli- 

 cation for leave must be supported by affidavits which the party com- 

 plained of has an opportunity of answering. When an information of 

 either kind is filed, it must be tried in the usual way by a petit jury 

 in the county in which the offence was committed. 



When it is necessary for the Court of Chancery to interfere with 

 the regulation or management of any charity, the attorney-general, on 

 the relation of some informant (who is called the relator), files an 

 information in the Court of Chancery for the purpose of bringing the 

 case before the court. 



Proceedings in the Exchequer for the recovery of duties or penalties 

 are also called informations. 



INFORMER. An informer is a person who lays an information or 

 prosecutes any person for some offence against the law or a penal 

 statute. Such a person is generally called a common informer, because 

 he is supposed to make a business of laying informations for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining his share of the penalty. Persons are induced to 

 take the trouble of discovering offences, for which a pecuniary penalty 

 is inflicted on the offender, by the promise of the reward ; and if the 

 penalty is imposed for the public interest, he who makes the offender 

 known does the public a service. But still the business of a common 

 informer is looked on with dislike, and he who follows it is generally 

 despised ; and perhaps the character of common informers is generally 

 such that they deserve all the odium they receive. They stand in a 

 like situation to the common hangman. This dislike of informers, 

 simply as such, is one of the anomalies of society, who hate their bene- 

 factor. The real foundation of the dislike, however, among those who 

 can form a just judgment of things, is, not the act of information, but 

 the devices, tricks, and meannesses to which a man must often resi <\\ 

 in order to know the facts oh which his information must be founded. 

 It is the same principle which often leads us to condemn a man for 

 making certain statements in public, not because of the statements, but 

 because of the means by which he may have obtained his knowledge. 

 When a penalty is too heavy, or when the law that imposes it is 

 generally disliked by the people for any reason, good or bad, the 

 popular dislike finds a definite object in the informer who gives effect 

 to the law. The legislature that made the penal law is overlooked, 

 because the legislature is a number of persons ; the informer is one, 

 and his agency is seen and felt. 



In absolute governments there are spies and political informers, who 

 are the tools of a government which has no rule but its own pleasure. 

 Some people have been dull enough to confound all informers in one 

 class, not seeing that there is a difference between an informer who 

 lull* to give effect to the law, and an informer who helps a tyrannical 

 government to entrap and punish persons suspected of disaffection to 

 the government or of designs against it. 



INFUSIONS are solutions of some of the principles of vegetables, 

 generally in water, but occasionally in other vehicles. When water is 

 employed it may either be hot or cold. It is customary to use warm 

 water, but in many instances cold is preferable. Where cold water is 

 used, it is necessary to continue the digestion longer than when it is 

 warm. The vegetable substances may either be fresh or dried : when 

 the former, they are to be cut to pieces ; when the latter, bruised or 

 very coarsely powdered, never reduced into a fine powder. The water, 

 being poured on the substance employed, is to be allowed to stand in a 

 covered vessel for a space of time varying with the nature of the article 

 submitted to maceration. It must be strained, and is then fit for use. 

 Infusions generally spoil soon, more particularly if warm water be 

 employed, or if the substance contain starch or other fermentable 

 ingredients. Sometimes alcohol is added, after straining, to assist in 

 keeping the infusion, or to increase its powers. Hard water should, if 

 possible, be avoided in the preparation of infusions. 



Concentrated infusions, to be diluted to the ordinary strength at the 

 time of employing them, are now prepared on a large scale by whole- 

 sale chemists for the use of general practitioners, as they have not only 

 the advantage of keeping better, but avoid trouble and loss of time. 

 Other improvements have been introduced, such as making the infusions 

 by percolation, or, as it is termed by the French, par deplarement. Also, 

 Appent's mode of preserving vegetables has been applied [ANTISEPTICS] ; 

 and concentrated or preserved vegetable juices have been recommended 

 ami adopted by Mr. Squire (' Pharmaceutical Trans.,' No. iii., p. 94, 

 Sept., 1841) and Dr. Bentley. These have many advantages. For 

 infuso-decoctions, see DECOCTIONS. 



INGROSSINO. [ENGROSSING.] 



INHIBITION, in the law of Scotland, is a proceeding by which a 

 rrpilitor rnay prevent his debtor from alienating property either to 

 favoured creditors or to other persons. Nominally it affects all pro- 

 perty ; but it is only in the case of real property that, from its being 

 put on the register, it is efficacious. The debt on which inhibition 

 rnay proceed must be founded on some obligatory written document, 

 or established by the decree of a court. The process may be recalled 

 if improperly awarded. It conveys no specific security to the person 

 who holds it, but it gives him a right to impugn every act which the 

 debtor does to his prejudice after the inhibition. If the inhibition be 

 followed by proceedings to attach the estate at th"e instance of other 

 creditors, the inhibitor has a preference over them if the debts have 



