convulsions?" or was it "hysterical puerperal convulsions?" From the first, I was led to believe that the brain was in the most imminent danger, and, directing my treatment accordingly, in the course of six hours took upwards of seventy ounces of blood. Had I vaccillated at this time in my treatment, suspecting, as I did, that it might be hysteria, and suspended the abstraction of blood, after the loss of sixteen to thirty ounces, as laid down in our best books on this subject, I feel confident that my patient's life would have been forfeited. The supervention of hysteria, at the end of the fourth day, renders the diagnosis of the case doubtful. Although fully aware of the manifold characters assumed by hysteria, yet I do not recollect ever having seen or heard of a case like the one now before us. Indeed, the similarity of the symptoms to those induced by the excessive use of ardent spiritsmania a potu-was so highly marked as to excite our observation and astonishment. In her convalescence, which was rapid, she had a preternatural desire for food and drinks of the most highly stimulating character. On the class of disorders commonly denominated nervous, there is the greatest variety of opinions, both in regard to their pathology and therapeutics. Indeed, from the investigations of Teale, Macculloch, Mitchell, Tate and others, almost a total revolution of opinion has taken place in regard to these affections, and diseases that once were supposed to be of the most inflammatory character, now, according to their nomenclature, should be classed among the nervous. Prescribing for the name of a disease, we know, has too frequently been the order of the day; and were it not that my course of treatment, in the above case, was pronounced too depletory by veterans in the practice, who have had opportunities of observing ten cases of the kind to my one, I should not have been excited to so

much wonder. When, in my defence, I quoted the authority of Dr. Dewees, who, in one case, used these means to a much greater extent, I was reminded that it was not the same disease, or, rather, that it was not under the same circumstances. What Mitchell and Macculloch would have thought of my practice, I am unable to determine; but it is worthy of remark, that the convulsions ceased soon after the blister, which was applied over the superior dorsal vertebræ, began to draw; although there was no tenderness on pressure in any part of the spinal column. Whether the blister had any effect in arresting the convulsions-whether it was the sole cause, or whether it acted in conjunction with the venesection, I am unable to say. I am inclined, however, to believe that it was an important auxiliary to the bleeding. It will be recollected that at 10 o'clock A. M. she lost thirty ounces of blood, which appeared to suspend the convulsions for four hours, but, upon their repetition at 2 P. M., the bleeding had no effect, until the blister began to draw.

II. A case of Tania Solium, apparently causing Herpes. By J. M. BIGELOW, M. D.

MRS. D, aged about thirty years, of a complexion so light as almost to be denominated an albino, consulted me in August, 1837, for an obstinate herpetic eruption on the hands and fore-arms. She stated to me, that, about five years before, in the winter, the herpetic complaint first made its appearance at the roots of the nails of each hand. It left her in the spring, and did not re-appear until the succeeding winter, when it was more severe and spread higher up than in the preceding winter. It thus continued to augment in severity, duration and size, until the summer of 1837, when it did

not leave her, but spread above the elbows. The nails of the fingers on each hand had been removed several times by it. The thumb nails, however, had not been touched. The interval of the disease in the summer of 1836, had been very short, and, as before stated, it had continued uninterrupted, although mitigated in severity, through the summer of 1837. She had unsuccessfully tried the prescriptions of several physicians; indeed, the application of external medicaments invariably had the effect to aggravate the disease. When I first saw the patient in August, I prescribed the hydro-sulphuret of antimony, in union with the white oxyde of arsenic, to be taken internally in small and alterative doses, and the use of the chlorate of soda, as an alternate lotion. This plan was perseveringly pursued for a considerable length of time, without any apparently beneficial effects whatever. The 20th of September the disease broke out with as much severity as in any preceding year. At this time she stated to me that she had symptoms of tape worm since February last. The only symptoms were their occasional appearance in the evacuations of the bowels. I now prescribed the polypodium filix mas, followed by a brisk cathartic of calomel and gamboge, upon the principle of Madame NOUFFLEUR. A short persistence in this course brought away, in the language of my patient, "immense quantities" of tænia solium, from single joints to detached portions of the length of five or six feet. At the time I prescribed the anthelmentic course, I recommended my patient to abstain from all applications to the herpetic eruption. She only made use of sweet cream to soothe the smarting and irritation of the sore. The herpetic disease began to amend immediately, and in less than a month was healed entirely.

November 11th.-She still had symptoms of worms, but no herpetic eruption-prescribed cathartic pills and oil of worm seed.

31st December.-Tania still continue to be occasionally evacuated, and the eruption had returned, but in a much slighter degree than for several winters past. Prescribed the plan adopted by Madame Nouffleur again, to be followed by the use of carbonate of iron, in moderate doses, for some time. My patient living a considerable distance from town, I have not since heard from her.

The principal facts of the above case were communicated to Dr. S. E. EVANS, of Transylvania University, and embodied into his Inaugural Thesis.

ART. XIII. Alleged causes of Milk-Sickness. By C. W. SHORT, M. D.

A VERY intelligent farmer of Fayette county, Ky., who was frequently called to visit the country about Chillicothe, Ohio, where he owned a large tract of land, brought with him on one occasion the dried leaves of a plant, which he said was regarded in that quarter as the cause of that dreaded affection, the milk-sickness. On examination, these were ascertained to be the leaves of the Caltha palustris, a plant common throughout the middle and northern States, where it most frequently occurs in flat, wet lands, and hence is called "Marsh Marygold." In such situations, the yellow flowers of this plant appear early in the spring, before the leaves are fully developed; it then ripens its seeds and disappears by

mid-summer. This plant belongs to the extensive tribe of Ranuncula, the most of which are pungent and acrid; some are possessed of irritating, and others of narcotic, properties. In reference, therefore, to its botanical alliances, we are not inclined to deny that this vegetable might communicate deleterious properties to the flesh and milk of animals feeding upon it.

Another vegetable production, which is also frequently met with throughout the Western States, in poor hilly districts, has been suspected by some of the inhabitants of the "Eagle creek" and "Dry ridge" settlements in Kentucky, to be the cause of the same affection. This plant is the Symphorea glomerata, of botanists; and is a low shrub, found growing in dense patches, bearing small inconspicuous flowers, and a profusion of purple berries. It is of the family of Caprifoliacea-the honeysuckle tribe, none of which are poisonous or active.

May, 1840.