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whatever had been observed ; and, on theother hand, cases have occurred, wherethere has been complete paraplegia, and yet,after death, no morbid appearance could bedetected either in this organ or in the brain.There are certain anomalous spasmodic

affections, which might seem to depend ondisease of the spinal chord, and have beenby some writers referred to " spinal irrita.tion." They are, for the most part, extreme-ly perplexing and obstinate, but, sometimes,after the ine1fectual employment of variousmodes of treatment, disappear spontaneously,and without any apparent cause. In youngfemales, however, in whom they are gene-rally most violent, and of longest duration,they often appear to be connected with thefunction of menstruation. A very interest-

ing case of the kind is now given in thisedition, where violent spasmodic paroxysmsand convulsive motions of the head and

neck, of a very extraordinary nature, butwithout any accompanying disturbance of

the intellect, and which had lasted withshort intervals for more than four years,suddenly and permanently disappeared on

menstruation, which had all along been

scanty and irregular, occurring " in a morefull and healthy manner than it had done forseveral years," after the use of sulphate ofiron and aloes for about three weeks.The observations on the diseases of nerves

are chiefly compiled from other works, anddo not throw any great light on the subject;but two of the cases are so remarkable, that

we cannot forbear giving an outline of them.The first confirms the opinion and experi-ments of Magendie relative to the functionsof the nervus trigemmus. This ph3-siolo,,ist,as is well known, observed, that when thisnerve was divided, the eye inflamed, and wasultimately destroyed by discharge of thehumours, after sloughing of the cornea; andin the case in question, the patient had lossof sensation of the whole left side of the

face, paralysis of the left teinpoi al and mus-seter muscles, aud frequent attacks of opli-thalmia, which, in spite of the usual treat-ment, terminated in sloughing of the cornea,and -the ee was completely destroyed.Death having taken place more than a yearafterwards from cerbbrat disease, there wasfound considerable softening of the central

parts of the brain, and wasting of the left

ntrvus trigeminus, between its origin and

the ganglion, so that at one part nothing butthe membrane remained.The other case is as obscure as it is sin.

gular, and the author does not attempt anyexplanation of the symptoms. The sabjectof it is a lady, setat. 25, who is affected at

intervals, varying from a few days to severalmonths, with gradual blindness of the righteye, then numbness of the little finger,gradually extending over the whole arm,

and up the side of the head, inducingoppression, confusion, imperfection of

speech, and sometimes vomiting. There 4no loss of muscular power in the affected

parts, and the whole paroxysm usually lastsabout twenty-four hours, and leaves herfeeble and languid for a day or two after.wards. It is very remarkable, that her

brother, three years younger, is affected al-most exactly in the same manner. Some

benefit has been derived from a course of

purgatives, and of sulphate of quinine.Although we cannot offer any explanation

of this disease, we should be rather inclinedto consider it as dependent on disorder ofthe brain than of particular nerves, and to

look upon it as one of the numerous andvaried forms of irregular epilepsy.We now, a second time, take leave of Dr.

Abercrombie, with great respect for his

talents, and the zeal and industry which hehas shown in illustrating a most obscureclass of diseases, with regard to which wecannot do better than quote, in conclusion,his own words.

" These, and many other varieties," sayslie, in speaking of the acute diseases of thebrain, *’ presented by the cases which havebeen described, show us the danger of beingguided by system in our diagnosis of affec.tions of the brain, aud the necessity thatthere is still for extensive and careful ob.servation of facts, in regard to this class ofdiseases."

MEDICO-CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY.

First and Second Meetings, 13th and 27thof October.

Mr. LAWRENCE and Dr. ROGET, Presidents.

In a paper read at the -Iled ico-CiiirtirgicalSociety last season, and published in thefifteenth volume of its transactions, Dr. Leebrought forward facts to prove that inflam-mation of the iliac and femoral veins gave

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to all the phenomena of phlegmasia do-lens. The object of the paper read at the, -wa 11, ;tmeetidgs, was to confirm this pointt’r additiunal facts; and, further, to showthat the inflammation commences in theettime branches of the hypogastric veins,tei subsequently extends from them to

the great venous trunks which return theblood from the extremities. Phlegmasiad)irns is, therefore, the consequence ofuterine phlebitis, on which latter affection,asrt is so intimately connected with his sub-ject, Dr. Lee made some interesting obseruons. Of the cases which serve to es-

tablish the above-mpntioced fact, the firstwas one of phlegmasia dolens, followed bythe usual symptoms of phlebitis ; the prin.cipal abdommal veins being found on dis-

section, inllamed and obstructed. In the

second, the history of a patient was detailed,who died of tubercular phthisis, subsequentto an attark of phegmasia dolens. In thiscase, the lelt common and external iliac andhypogastric veins were all impervious, andhad undergone various alterations of struc-ture. The blanches of the lelt hypogastrictaking their origin in the uterus, and usuallytermed the uterine plexus, were found

plugged up with firm reddish-coloured co-agula of lymph; and as they proceeded tojviuthe trunk, their coats had become thick-ened and contracted, and were clogged upwith coagula and adventitious membranes ofa dark-blue colour. The same changes hadtaken place in the uterine plexus and trunkof the right hypogastric vein. The coats ofthe femoral vein were thickened, lined withadventitious membranes, and disteudedwith coagula. Similar morbid alterations

presented themselves in the deep and super-tcial branches, as far as they were examineddown the thigh. The third case terminated

fatally, seven weeks after delivery; and, ondissection, the veins were found to have un-dergone neatlytLe same morbid changes asthose observed in the preceding cases.Other examples were related of patients

who recovered, in whom inflammation ofthe veins of the extremity had evidentlyexisted; in one of these, it was precededby a severe attack of utenue inflammation ;and in another, by acute pain experienced intue uterus, accompanied with rigours andsuppression of the lochial discharge.- though the three first are the only

rases of phlegmasia dolens, where the affec-tion of the iliac and femoral veins has been’;altd to the uterus, Dr. Lee thinks himsellwarranted in drawing the inference, that thecasease generally commences in the uterineand, that it is not a mere local affectionmbs. This conclusion derives stronguonal support from the facts he adduce(from the works of different authors, whoalthough they have described diseases of th1

great venous trunks, have made no allusionto these diseases originating in the uterineveins ; and M. Velpeau, the latest conti-nental writer on the subject, has given it ashis opinion, that the affection of the veins isnot the primitive one, but the consequenceof the inflammation and suppuration of thearticulation of the pelvis, with which he hadobserved it to be occasionally combined.

The facts which have been stated are bettercalculated to explain the phenomena of

phlegmasia dolens, than any of the theorieshitherto advanced on the subject ; and Dr.Lee conceives that the mode of development,and the extension of the inflammation fromthe uterine to the iliac and femoral veins ofthe affected extremity, will be best under-stood by the concise statement of the prin-cipal facts relating to uterine phlebitis,which is contained in his paper. He sup -poses that the inflammation commences inthe orifices of the uterine veins, at that partwhere the placenta had been attached,

which being left open on its separation, acommunication is indirectly established be-

tween the venous system and the atmo-

’ spheric air; they are, therefore, placed in al condition somewhat analogous to that whichoccurs after amputation, &c. Such a con-) dition must be favourable to inflammation,which, being once excited, is not always) limited to these orifices, but extends withf

I greater or less rapidtty along the continuous

1 membrane of the uterine veins to theirtrunks.The veins returning the blood from the

uterus and its appendages, may be wholly orin part inflamed; generally, however, andthis is a circumstance in the history ofuterine phlebitis deserving particular atten-tion, the inflammation attacks the sperma-tic veins alone, and, for the most part, theone only on the side of the uterus to whichthe placenta has been adherent; the samemay be said of the hypogastric veins. Fromthese vessels the inflammation is liable to

spread to the other veins of the pelvis tothose of the extremities, and even to thevena cava itself, as is instanced in one ofthe cases related in the paper.With regard to its causes, uterine plile-bitis appears to iesult from mechanical in-

jury, from forcible extraction of the placenta,from retained portions of the placenta un-dergoing decomposition ia the uterus, andprobably from contagion and various un-

known causes operating on the uterine sys-f tem after delivery. The term of its invasionis generally from the tenth to the twentiethday after parturition.

Having detailed the symptoms, Dr. Leeobserved, that recent experience has inducedhim to believe uterine phlebitis to be of far, more frequent occurrence than has yet been3 suspected, and that to it must be referred

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many o the fatal disorders of puerperalwomen, which have usually been compre-hended under the vague designation of

puerperal fever or peritonitis. Inflammationof the uterus may, he thinks, be consideredas essentiallv the cause of the destructivefebrile affections which follow parturition,and that the various forms they assume-inflammatory, congestive, or typhoid, will

probably be found, in a great neasure, to

depend on the serot;s, muscular, or venoustissues of the uterus being effected.

Cases were now related, where the im-portant morbid changes had taken place inthe structure of the lungs and other internalorgans, and also in the synovial and cellularmembranes which are sometimes observed tofollow uterine phlebitis. Inflammation ofthe veins of the uterus and phlegmasia do-lens, have been usually considered as dis-eases peculiar to the puerperal state; butcases have occurred to Dr. Lee, which show,that in malignant affections of the uterus,they may take place and give rise to thesame symptoms which they manifest in

puerperal women. In one of these cases,inflammation of the uterine veins was foundin a patient affected with carcinomatousulceration of the os and cervix uteri ; and inanother which proved fatal, in consequenceof phagedenic ulceration of the uterus, themorbid changes produced by inflammation,existed in the left iliac and femoral veins.In this latter instance, symptoms of phleg-masia dolens appeared a few weeks beforedeath in the lett inferior extremity, and thepatient had been affected with great pain inthe thigh, and the whole limb had becomeswollen to nearly double the size of theother without any discoloration of the inte-

guments. It would seem, that in these

cases, the symptoms characteristic of phleg-masia JaIens are caused, as after parturition,by the extension of the inflammation uponthe uterine veins, to those which return theblood from the inferior extremities.

Several beautiful drawings and prepara-tions were exhibited to illustrate the morbidalterations in the veins described in the

paper.

WESTMINSTER MEDICAL SOCIETY.

Saturday, October 31st, 1829.

Dr. GRANVILLE in the Chair.

Dr. STFWART this evening read a paperon hysteria; ; it contained nothing new inthe pathology or treatment of the affection.The doctor stated, indeed, that his objectin communicatins; the paper, was to obtaininformation on the distinguishing charactersof, and best remedial agents in, hysteria.

The subject failed to produce any opinions

possessing a claim to noveltv.Much has been said on the paucity of in.formation elicited in the Society ; and, aftfra few remarks on the subject, the presidentthis evening stated, that to prevent thedearth of which complaint has h(-eu madt,the committee had provided for the future,by engaging its members to take upon them.selves in rotation, the duty of furnishingtopics for discussion, whenever a voluntaryoffering was not made.

This is not exactly the mode by whichthe members of medical societies can expectto lay the profession under many obligations.The necessity for thus applying a forcing.pump upon the ingenuity and resources ofindividuals, who would not otherwise, per-haps, give evidence of either, as far as

the Society is concerned, does not arguemuch for the fecundity of science at thewestern extremity of the metropolis. If thepaper of Dr. Stewart be the result of thefirst portion of the new plan, but little canbe expected during the ensuing session, toadvance the character of the WestminsterMedical Society. It is nothing that commu-nications, so purely unsolicited by science,are faultless. This is but a small recom.

mendation to their encouragement. Is itto be considered that medicine does notafford facts of sufficient importance to de-serve communication in our professionalassemblies, or do the members fnil in theacuteness or industrv necessary to seiae

upon and produce them’! ? Whatever bethe cause, the efforts of our medical socie-ties are, taken altogether, of a very feeblecharacter; and the meetings of these in-stitutions too often degenerate from the

high character which is supposed to at.

tach to them, to the level of an amusingcoteiie, or an evening conversazione. The

system of promiscuous and accidental com-munication, has the effect of wasting muchvaluable time, upon subjects which can beextracted by dozens, from Cullen or Good,or any wotic on the practice of physic.Such matters, when not recommended bysome distinguishing peculiarity in the treat-ment, or by some decidedly novel and inge-nious ideas on their pathology, ought not tobe communicated. On the present plan,any tyro in medicine might undertake, bvlaying contribution on a few chapters ofGood, to furnish matter for discussion inall the learned societies in London. Thepresent proposal for supplying the lacunœleft by the absence of voluntary contnbu-tions, will, most probably, produce no betterfruit. The Westminster Society possessesincreasing funds ; cannot they be made themeans of promoting inquiries, which will

enlarge the boundaries of science, andenable the committee to put " to index all