Retrospect of French Literature—Miscellanres. 
tate the anatomist’s researches, is of an 
ancient date, but it had been long imper- 
fect. It is to Eustachius, Graaf, Swa- 
merdam, and especially Ruysch, that it 1s 
indebted for the progress it has made; 
and were we to give credit to all that has 
Hee! said, relative to the wonders effected 
by the latter, he must have carried it to 
the highest degree of perfection, if it may 
be termed perfecting on art, to conceal 
from mankind the means by which suc- 
cess has been obtained. No one, since 
Ruysch, bus been able to resolve the pro- 
blem of which he is said to have rendered 
liunself master: that of joining to the 
fineness of the injections, and the preser- 
vation of the parts, all that freshness as 
well as suppleness, and all those appear- 
ances of life, or at least of sleep and tran- 
quillity, w hich his panegyrists have attri- 
buted to him. 
“<The most delicate and difficult portion 
of the whole process, cunsists in the ma- 
nagement of the lymphatic vessels. 
Those who Levin by seizing on some par- 
ticular trunk, ‘do not succeed ; a prodi- 
gious quantity of valves and sinuosities, 
oppose the passage of the most subtile li- 
quids, by means of new trunks and rami- 
fications. They must be operated upon 
by extremely slender instr CUS lee the 
tubes used in the injections, ought to be 
of an amazing minuteness. Mercury has 
hitherto been the sole substance that has 
Succeeded in the hands of anatomists, 
and it is impossible for any one to be 
more successsful in the management of it 
than M. de Laumonier. 
“As to the injection of the other vessels, 
however easy it may be to effect in the 
usual manner, it is extremely difficult to 
ebtain that degree of perfection, which 
can alone render the minutest vascular 
ramifications visible, without any altera- 
tion of their positions. The greater num- 
ber of injections when carried to this 
point, burst the calibre, and we can then 
only make one induction, that the per- 
meable canals penetrate this or that part, 
but the true disposition, and the just pro- 
portion cfthese canals are most commonly 
concealed. In short,itis no longer nature. 
“Tt is iiecessary on these occasions, to 
employ a_ thin substance, the tenuity of 
which will not be affected by a great de- 
gree of heat, and ih the employment of 
which, ace is unneces ssary. M.Laumo- 
nier is one of the artists who has the best 
fulfilled the conditiens of this problem ; 
a creat number of preparations afford a 
sufficient proof of his skill. 
‘ The vessels are of an uniform diameter, 
653 
and not knotty; no where are the traces of 
effort to be discovered. Their number in 
the pituitary membrane, make them ap- 
pear confused to the eye; but.the magni- 
fying glass exhibits thet distinctly, and 
notwithstandivy their extreme delicacy, 
no extravasation, or dilatation is visible ; 
all the calibres are distinct, and the ob- 
ject appears to be ene entire bundle, or 
rather network of vessels, whose fineness 
conceals them from the eye, and whose 
nuinuteness renders thei structure still 
more inconceivable. 
“ MI. Laumonier injects these vessels by 
means of a cold preparation, and his suc- 
cess confirms the excellence of his means, 
and his method. 
“Tn anatomigal subjects, the membranes 
generally become dry; although the vessels 
remain, the forms are obliberated, and 
the cabinet of injections presenting only 
imperfect traces of organization, aflords 
but a melancholy and unfaithful idea 
a nae 
“The eye of the most skilful practitioner 
cannot recognize any thine but by the 
force of abstraction, and by replacing in 
idea that which has disappeared, by the 
side of that which remains. He sees 
merely because he has seen, and distin- 
guishes merely because he has been ac- 
customed to observe. The art of inject- 
ing the |; ymphatic vessels is still that in 
which stcc ess. is the most fugitive and 
precarious. What ought to ‘be done? 
Lay hold on Nature, ‘and transmit to 
the éyes of others, by means of a faithful 
portrait, w hatever is visible to the eye of 
the scientific observer. But who can do 
this: better than the observer himself? 
For the modeller, even when directed by 
the anatomist, can only give satisfaction 
to ie ignorant. 
M. Laumonier felt this defect. He 
accordingly calculated his compositions, 
formed, and th uged his materials, and the 
Wak arttully coloured, under the inspec- 
tion of an experienced eye, and moulded 
by fingers animated by “intelligence, has 
exhibited the most various forms, and the 
most exact representations: in short, he 
has doubled our pleasures, for he has at 
once discovered and cat natures)... Dy 
ns side of him, another se/f, no less 
ealous for his glory, no Jess skilful in 
floats up his ideas, lends him the 
assistance of hands already exercis-~ 
ed in Jight and aelicate textures, bur 
which have more than once forsaken 
the labours of Minerva for others far 
more austere. and glorious: in short, 
the Madame Laumonier has assisted ie 
husband, 
