of his duty as a practitioner, he must accomplish two tasks of weight and difficulty—forget the old and false precepts of practice, which he had imbibed from his eastern preceptors; and derive new and correct ones from observation and experience. On the contrary, the pupil who is educated in a western institution, escapes much of this trial, so perilous, not to say destructive to the sick, so distressing to himself and so subversive of his reputation. The reason is plain. While he is instructed in the principles of his profession, he is schooled also in an acquaintance with correct practice.

The exception taken to our review of Professor Hosack's "Lectures" in the " American Medical Library," is of a character altogether different from that in the Examiner. It is a censure, for no other reason, but because the editor is resolved to censure, and because, as he alleges, he knows the writer. Assuredly no other reason appears. Nor is the censure open and manly. It is one of those oblique strokes, which a man of more cautiousness than courage, who means to inflict an injury, without receiving one, aims in the dark!

For this reason, although we had determined to notice the attack, perhaps with some severity, and had even in part prepared a few pages to that effect, we shall decline publishing them, because we cannot stoop to engage at present in a contest, to be carried on chiefly by unkind feelings and disrespectful words. Should the editor of the "Medical Library" however continue to repeat his assaults, he may perhaps hereafter be replied to on the subject. We promise him that this shall certainly be the case, if he will himself write an article of any merit, in opposition to our review of Professor Hosack's "Lectures," and publish it in his Journal.

C. C.

ART. XIV.-Report of a Series of Experiments made by the Medical Faculty of Lancaster, upon the body of Henry Cobler Moselman, executed in the Jail Yard of Lancaster Co., Penn. on the 20th December, 1839. Amer. Jour. of the Med. Sciences May 1840.

This is the title of the first article in 51st No. of the American Journal of the Medical Sciences. It was prepared by a committee consisting of Doctors W. L. Atlee and Wm. B. Fahnestock, appointed at a meeting of the physicians of Lancaster, held four days subsequent to the execution, for the purpose of comparing the notes of the different gentlemen who recorded the results of the experiments.

In addition to these, there were present, and assisting in the experiments, several physicians from Chester and Lancaster counties, the physicians and medical students of the town of Lancaster, and Dr. J. K. Mitchell, Professor of Chemistry in the Philadelphia Medical Institute, and W. R. Johnston, Professor of Chemistry in the Medical Department of Pennsylvania College.

Permission having been obtained from the Sheriff of the county, some days before the execution, to make any experiments, not in direct violation of law-these gantlemen, in order to prevent confusion, regularly organized themselves into a body-appointed persons to attend to specified duties, and arranged a programme to guide them in their operations. They obtained from the Penn. Med. College, a galvanic battery, "composed of two hundred pairs of Wollaston's plates, and constructed on Prof. Hare's plan of double trough and lever." From the Lancaster Conservatory of Arts and Sciences, an electrical machine, plate two feet in diameter, and a battery composed of "three very large jars."

Thus judicious and very ample preparations were made for

a course of experiments, the most important results of which we shall proceed to state, beginning with the Galvanic.

At forty-seven and a half minutes after execution, the positive pole of the battery being placed upon the left side of the neck, and the negative under the left seventh rib, and the fluid being thrown upon the plates, there followed “a spasmodic action of the muscles, supplied by the respiratory nerves." At forty-eight minutes after execution, the positive pole being retained upon the neck, the negative was applied to the epigastrium, "breaking the circuit frequently by patting the skin with the pole. This produced a violent action. of the pectoral muscles, and established the respiratory action, producing audible sounds of breathing, with corresponding motions of the mouth, opening and closing regularly."—"Fifty minutes after execution, the positive pole being retained, the negative was passed along the linea alba down to the pubis. As the pole descended, the respiratory action became stronger and stronger, and when below the umbilicus, it became very powerful, particularly the expiratory efforts. The action of the respiratory organs was general, and air passed in and out of the lungs regularly. The mouth being closed, and a lighted candle held to the nose, the flame was blown out with force. This was repeated five times in quick succession. The candle could not be extinguished so long as the pole was applied above the umbilicus, but so soon as the skin was patted below the umbilicus, these marked results took place. There were regular inspirations and expirations, the flame of the candle passing in and out, so as to singe the hair in the nostrils."—Fiftyseven minutes after execution, the positive pole being retained, the negative was removed to the anterior part of the left thigh. Applied to the upper third of the thigh, the same phenomena occurred," (as those just detailed,) "accompanied with

still stronger expiration; but below that point the respiratory muscles did not act well."

The power of the battery was now varied by detaching the pole at the negative end of the battery, and carrying it backwards and forwards along the plates. "It was ascertained that the muscular contractions commenced at the 23d pair of plates, and that as the force of the battery was increased, the action of the muscles became stronger."

One hour and five or ten minutes after execution, the whole power of the battery being again employed, and the positive pole being placed upon the left side of the neck, and the negative shifted successively from the left to the right aliac region to the gluteus maximus over the sciatic nerve-to the internal surface of the thigh-and to the left knee-there were produced in the same order of succession, contraction of the muscles of the left thigh-of the right thigh—of the gluteal and other muscles, throwing the thigh outwardsslight contraction of the adductors-and finally of those upon the anterior part of the thigh. One hour and twenty minutes after execution, the positive pole being placed over the supra orbital nerve, and the negative on the left side of the chest, "all the muscles of the face were thrown into violent action; the angles of the mouth were drawn up, the eyelids closed with a tremulous motion; and the occipito-frontalis was drawn and put into action, giving motion to the scalp. In the contraction of the muscles of the face, in no instance was there an expression of passion, but merely a distortion of the countenance, which Professor Mitchell significantly termed "grimace." The positive pole being retained, and the negative shifted to various parts of the arm and fore-arm, produced various movements of the arm, and flexion and extension of the fingers, according as it was moved from

place to place. Being afterwards applied to different parts of the face, various contractions were produced, particularly, strong compression and closing of the mouth. When applied to the nose, the muscles of the face generally acted.

One hour and thirty minutes after execution, the positive pole being placed on the back of the neck, and the negative carried down the spine-produced contraction of the muscles of the back-being placed upon the gluteal, the leg was thrown outwards-upon the posterior part of the thigh, the foot was raised and the leg flexed upon the thigh, &c. The negative pole being carried to the forehead and different parts of the face," those muscles of the face used in mastication were thrown into action, and simulated chewing. There was also a grinding motion of the jaw, and a motion of the lips as in tasting."

GALVANIC EXPERIMENTS AFTER EXPOSING VARIOUS NERVES BY

DISSECTION.

About one hour and thirty-five minutes after execution, the negative pole being placed upon the epigastrium, and the positive on the left par vagum, insulated, there "followed slight contraction of the muscles of the face, of the side, and of the intercostals." The descendens noni and spinal accessory the right side being now exposed, the positive pole was placed upon each in succession, and the negative upon the epigastrium, but without any results.

of

At one hour and thity-seven minutes after execution, the positive pole being placed upon the right supra-orbital nerve exposed on the forehead, but not insulated, there followed slight contraction of the muscles of the right side of the face, and stronger contraction of the masseters. The positive pole being placed upon the inner side of the integuments inverted upon the forehead, there was slight contraction of the mus