COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTRACTS. 105 



117. Statistics of France, from Lancet of 14tli Feb- 

 ruary, 1857. 



" From 1851 to 1856, France, according to the last 

 census, has gained only 256,000 inhabitants In the 

 Bame number of years, from 1841 to 1846, the increase 

 was 1,200,000. The difference is enormous.^' — (Se*e 

 The Times, January 29, 1857.) 



118. The following extract is from an account by Mr. 

 Erichsen, in the Lancet of 21st February, 1857, of a 

 case of slow poisoning by snuff containing lead : 



" I was particularly struck with the appearance of 

 the hands and arms, which were lying powerless on the 

 coverlid of the bed. There was marked ^wrist-drop' 

 of both arms — the hands hanging flaccid and at right 

 angles with the forearms, without the patient being able 

 to extend or raise them in the smallest degree. There 

 was, however, some slight power of extension left in the 

 fingers, especially in those of the left hand. Though 

 unable to extend the fingers, raise the hand, and scarcely 

 having power to elevate the arm, Mr. A. B. could Jlex 

 the fingers pretty firmly, so as to give a tolerably good 

 grasp to whatever was put into his hand. The index 

 finger of the right hand seemed to be the most affected, 

 and was permanently flexed. 



" There was a very marked degree of wasting of the 

 whole mass of the extensor muscles of the forearm, so 

 that a longitudinal hollow corresponding to the interos- 

 seous space was perceptible down the whole length of 

 the forearm, and a very deep and marked^ depression in 

 the interspace between the first and second metacarpal 



