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cation of a weak solution of opium* (onedrachm of the tincture to a pint of water)after various other remedies had been use-lessly tried for some months. No conatitu-tional treatment was required. Dr. Stewartasks, Is it an effectual remedy, or acci-dental ? Very little notice was taken of theremedy by the members, who admitted thatthe opium had not over-acted its part, forsome cases got well without any treatment,others certainly from merely being sent intothe country: and others, again, from beingtreated by leeches, and with evaporatinglotions.

. Mr. CLIFTON strongly recommended awash composed of ss of the strong sulphii-ric acid, with i of water, which he (Mr.C.) believed, after an experience of twenty-three years, possessed advantages over allother remedies. The nitrate of silver wouldinsulate the disease, and destroy its con-tagiousness. He regarded every species ofthe disease (except porrigo favosa) as purely Blocal.Mr. HEADLAND said, that experience had

convinced him that ringworm arose from adepraved condition of the fluids of the body,which being corrected, local treatment mightthen be used with advantage. He namedthe juice of lemons as a remedy, in doses ofhalf an ounce, or more, taken internally.The effects of the remedy on the alteredfluids, in conjunction with the local disease,were commented on. Some remarks wereoffered on sea-scurvy, but we have not spacefor further details.

Dr. JOHNSON informed the Society that alady whom he had visited, had that day diedfrom taking Morison’s pills. When he (Dr.J.) was sent for he was from home, and onreturning in less than three hours after-wards, he found a second message statingthat she was dead. On Friday last, the ladypurchased two boxes of " Morison’s MMM

pills," of which pills she took eight, ten, andfifteen a day, without effect. A strongerquality were then had recourse to, and theresult was fatal. The symptoms producedwere, violent hypercatharsis, inflammationof the bowels, coma, fever, and death.Mr. CuRTis presented a man to the notice

of the Society, of a tolerable appearance,who wears a " false nose," a " false palate,"and " false spectacles," who before the poorfellow’s ingenuity had suggested these con-trivances, was said to have been a most

deplorable-looking object. The nose wascarved from box-wood, and fixed with firm-ness into the frame of the spectacles, the useof which latter would not otherwise be re-quired ; a thin fold of cotton forms theartificial palate, but a small portion of thenatural palate remains, and much assists the

* The tiuct. opii, sometimes nsed pure, at othertimes diluted, is an old and occasionally an efticacionsremedy in some conditions of porrigo.—Rep.

adaptation of the artificial one ; in the im-mense cavity occasioned by the entiredestruction of the nose, he places a pieceof sponge, which absorbs the moisture, andconsiderably assists articulation, which

(when his " artificials " are arranged, whichis almost momentarily accomplished) isdistinct and loud, but without them theutterance appeared nearly inaudible. Hismade-up appearance seldom is detected.

After the adjournment, most of the gen-tlemen present added their names to theaddress of condolence to be presented to Mr.Kingdon.

WESTMINSTER MEDICAL SOCIETY.

Saturday, Nov. 14, 1835.

Mr. RICHARD QUAIN in the Chair.

MINERAL MAGNETISM.

Dr. SCHMIDT (of Berlin) was announcedto read an essay on the application of mine-ral magnetism for the cure of various nerv-ous diseases. The subject occupied atten-tion during the greater part of the evening,and was adjourned finally to another meet-ing. In introducing his subject the authorpremised that mineral magnetism was totallydistinct from animal magnetism, and thatthe magnetic influence acted solely on thenervous system. He then gave a history ofthe science, and described the doctrines ofall authors who had advanced opinions onthe subject. In accounting for the magnethaving fallen into disuse, he said it arose

i from an opinion that the cures effected byit were not lasting, the reason of which wasthat the magnet was never applied syste-; matically, and only hy way of experiment.l To accomplish cures, powerful instruments1 must be employed ; for the minor magnetscould only remove trivial diseases, and eveninin them frequently failed. Of the instru-

1 ments employed three were named; first,1 the horse-shoe magnet; second, the magnetic

staff; third, the magnetic plates. The cura-tive power of the first is in direct propor-

tion to its power of attraction, and that isthe chief instrument employed to performmagnetic cures. The five-fold horse-shoe

magnet consists of five simple horse-shoet magnets horizontally placed, and closelyadapted one to the other, the centre magnet

being the longest and thickest, the otherseach gradually diminishing in length and. thickness, the arrangement being thus madein order that the power of attraction mighte fall in the centre, or, rather, that each mag-net might not be exerting its influence on theneedle at the same time separately,-for its

power of attraction then would be only5 5 x 5 =25, instead of 5 × 5 × 5 = 75, its cube.The power of these may be made to vary from

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70 to 120 lbs. Larger magnets are only ne-cessary in extreme caves, or where it is de-sired to transmit the magnetic fluid to in-terior organs, as in cases of deafness, forthen magnets of from 200 to 500 lbs. powerof attraction must be employed ; of whichpower he (Dr. S.) has constructed some.The magnetic staffs are only applicable incases of toothache. The magnetic platesare used where the horse-shoe magnet can-not be applied; as when magnets are re-quired to be fitted to any part of the

body. For the treatment of diseases witheither kind, either powerful instrumentswere used from time to time, or the con-tinual influence of magnetism was employed,by the patient wearing small magnets forsome time on the part affected. The formeris either topical or general, and employedin a certain order, with one or two poles, andwith one or two instruments, always follow-ing the course of the nerves in passing them.According to the theory hitherto followed,it is supposed that the " friendly " poles asthey are called, ought to be placed oppositeto each other, in order to lead a magneticstream through any part of the body. Thereverse he (Dr. S.) would prove to be thefact. (This was demonstrated with a sheetof cartridge-paper placed between the mag-nets and some iron.filings, and with a bar ofsoft iron placed between the magnets.) Forthe application of magnetism, the patientmay be placed in any position. If the eyesare to be operated on, the magnet is fixed forsome minutes on the eye itself, and thenpassed several times across the upper andlower edges of the eyelids, commencing atthe corner of the eye; and then severaltimes from the forehead downwards, in sucha manner that hoth eyes are touched at thesame time. Sometimes the desired effect isnot produced until the poles have beenchanged several times. For deafness the

patient is seated between two magnets, sothat the poles exactly fit in the plates of twosmall instruments, which are introducedinto the organ. These instruments are madewith an oval disc, one inch long, and half aninch broad, of soft iron, in the centre ofwhich is fixed a black pin, one inch long,and one line in thickness. The operationmay last from five to fifteen minutes. The

magnet is then placed over both sides of thehead downwards. For the toothache, he(Dr. S.) usually fixes the north pole first onthe painful tooth, and if not relieved, thenapplies the south. If obstinate, he touchesthe gitins with either of the poles, or passesthem across the cheek, where the pain ismost acute. The magnet should be firstwarmed. The general magnetic treatmentought to succeed the topical, especially ifdebility exists. The last division of his sub-ject, Dr. S. divided into the effects of mag-netism on the healthy and on the unhealthy. As to the first, we need simply say, that

until he proved to the contrary, mineralmagnetism, Dr. Schmidt said, was always de-clared to have no influence on healthy parts.

Secondly, On the sick, magnetism is either- soothing or exciting. Dr. Decker says," Very often the patient considers that he

has no sensation at all from it, but generallyin th9 course of time, he experiences an.

: effect from it." The sensations are, withsome slight modifications, the same in allcases, viz., cold, warmth, increased sensi-

bilitv, and pulsation, and numbness and in-sensibility in the part affected. These sen-

sations, except the last, increase gradually,and then become weaker, until at last theydisappear entirely. Dr. Schmidt concludedhis paper, by saying that the effects of mag-netism appear very often instantaneously.That they are not local, and that the diseasesin which magnetism exerts a curative power,are those in which the sensibility or mobi-lity of the nerves is heightened, or wherethe nerves are over-excited, as in tic-douloureux, headache, &c.; in spasms of thestomach, palpitation of the heart, hoop-ing-cough, epilepsy, and convulsions; orwhere in the nervous system there is a wantof action. Also, in some diseases not

purely nervous ; as in rheumatism, gout,suppressed menstruation. During the cata-menia, or during pregnancy, it must not beused. Lastly, The doctor said that it washis conviction, that magnetism deserves apreference over all other remedies, in thediseases above enumerated. At the end ofhis Essay, Dr. SCHMIDT read an extract fromHufeland’s Journal, for September last,speaking in commendatory terms of thescience of magnetism. Dr. Schmidt thenshowed that the power of a magnet mightbe given to iron, or destroyed in a few se-conds, a fact which was first made knownby Dr. S. The process of destruction con-sisted in passing down the poles of onemagnet, against the like poles of anothermagnet, commencing at the curve of the in-strument. To reproduce the power, the

poles were reversed in the passing motion,commencing also at the curve. Dr.Schmidtattached considerable importance to this

experiment, for he says that when the powerof the magnets becomes deteriorated, it iseasily restored ; and failure, which must fre-quently before have attended its applicationfor the cure of diseases, could now be rea-dily obviated.

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Saturday, November 21st, 1835

Dr. ADDISON, President.

MINERAL MAGNETISM.

The subject of mineral magnetism was:again introduced this evening, with muchamusement, though not with much profit,and the discussion was closed with an inti-mation from some of the members, that the-