third aperture, about an inch long, and nearly half an inch wide. All the various structures of the mouth were more or less diseased; but the edges of the diseased cavities were exceedingly inflamed, and discharging a very dark fœtid pus. All the dead teeth, eight in number, were immediately removed from the upper jaw, which constituted the greatest obstruction to the natural curative process of exfoliation. Two or three days subsequently, all the dead sockets and the other osseous structure separated, and by further careful surgical and dental attention, I had the gratification to see all the diseases of the mouth removed, and all the teeth and gums, as well as the palate, restored to a perfectly healthy state, and nothing was left to complete the cure but the artificial supply of the remaining defects. September the 2nd, not quite two months after the beginning of the treatment, a complete artificial palate, with eight artificial teeth, was inserted; and so successful was the whole treatment, and so satisfactory was this last operation, that on the 6th of September, only four days after the insertion of the artificial apparatus, the patient made his appear ance on the stage at Liverpool; and so excellent was his performance, that his friends, who had already deeply lamented the loss of his professional talents, and the ruin of himself and family, declared they had never seen and heard him perform better in his life than on that day of trial. MESMERISM BEING A POWER, SHOULD BE CARE- Strong indeed is the objection entertained against the foolish practice of performing mesmeric operations merely for the sake of trying the effects. It is true persons can be made to go to sleep; but it is quite certain that to make persons go to sleep by mesmerism can be only by inducing a state, contrary to nature, a diseased state. It is likely injury often results from the practice of mesmerising foolishly. The undermentioned facts prove this. Dr. Sharkey, of St. Hilier's, Jersey, gives the following cases : "Jersey, April 12, 1844.-Andrew Kingcomb aged 13, an amiable and interesting boy, very intelligent, of light complexion, auburn hair, and the full eye and large pupil so often indicative of great nervous sensibility, is subjected to epileptic fits. His family is healthy, and he has been generally so, with the exception of an attack of convulsions at the age of three years. The account given by his parents is this:Being, some time ago, at a school in a town in England through which a peripatetic mesmerist passed, the philosopher came to the school and begged of the master to let him have two or three of his boys to experiment on at a lecture which he was about to give. This boy was unfortunately one of those selected. He was accordingly put into the mesmeric trance, and it was long before he could be awakened. Shortly after this he had his first epileptic attack, and has ever since continued subject to a recurrence. The fits are of an imperfect kind, more or less nearly allied to syncope. They are preceded by tremors of the limbs, twitches of the muscles He round his mouth, difficulty of uttering certain words, and not accompanied by frothing at the mouth or general convulsions. He generally has sufficient warning of their approach to allow him to run for help to any one who happens to be near. continues subject to them at this present time (Feb. 1847). "The other case has occurred more recently. A young gentleman, aged 19, delicate, and of great refinement and sensibility, much attached to intellectual pursuits, went to a lecture on Mesmerism, in the course of which the Professor gave a general invitation to any of the audience who might wish to experience in their own persons the effect of his manipulations. My patient accepted it, and had some passes performed on his arm. On the day following, he was attacked by a fit of epileptic character, preceded by a sick sensation at the epigastrium, "which rose to his chest," as he expresses it. He stiffened, and became unconsious, and fell; his face was slightly distorted, and very pale. He described the sensation produced by the "passes" as being "like a cool air passing along his arm." He had never had any attack of the kind before, but had convulsions from teething when an infant. He belongs to a very nervous family. These two cases are, I think, calculated to serve as a warning (to nervous, sensitive people, at least) not to be too forward to try these experiments in propriâ personâ.” THE ARISTOCRACY OF LARGE HEADS. To the Editor of the Journal of Health and Disease. SIR, I have sold within a few months 1212 hats, of which.... 478 have been sold at about......4s. ...... Hats are measured by taking both diameters, adding them together, and dividing by two. The 7-inch hats I have called Medium. Those larger than 7 inches ... Large. The 4s. hats are principally sold to farmers' labourers; of 478 hats, there were 134 large, 126 medium, 218 small. The 6s. hats are sold to a class more intellectual, more educated, and a little more wealthy; of 373 hats, there were 119 large, 98 medium, 156 small. The 8s. hats are sold to mechanics, master farmers, and the better contrivers; of 189 hats, there were 64 large, 58 medium, 67 small. The 10s. hats are sold to master mechanics and master farmers of a superior class; of 145 hats, there were 61 large, 36 medium, 48 small. The 16s. hats are sold to more wealthy customers of the same class; of 27 hats, there were 11 large, 10 medium, 6 small. The foregoing reduced to per centage stands thusOf 100 labourers' heads, or 4s. heads 28.0 26.3 45.6 10s. heads 42.0 24.8 33.1 40.7 37.0 22.2 100 superior class or 100 more wealthy or 16s. heads If the examination had been carried further, I believe the results would have appeared more in favour of the better classes: here you have the facts not collected from a few picked heads, not from family, or one party of politics, or sect of religion; but from heads, taken indiscriminately as they came to the warehouse, and classed not as I class them, but as they class themselves. Let it terminate how it may, I remain, Sir, A lover of real Inquiry. Horsham, June 15, 1847. [The facts presented in the above statement have great interest, and if our correspondent, who has long claimed much of our respect for his capability of and industry in making observations, will continue these observations, he will confer a benefit on society, by demonstrating that the true way to progress is to cultivate the brain by a well-directed self education.-Eds.] WETTING THE BED AT NIGHT (ENURESIS NOCTURNA) AND PALSY OF THE MUSCLE CLOSING THE NECK OF THE BLADDER, (PARALYSIS SPHINCTERIS VESICE), EXISTING [Communicated by Dr. Erps.] Richard Line, (Case Book, 1846, p. 1107), aged 15, was brought to me January 1847. He has wetted his bed at night from childhood to the present time. His water, in addition, dribbles from him all day. He picks his nose. He has had a great variety of treatment but without any benefit. Prescribed causticum, four globules, to be taken during the course of a week. Jan. 27, 1847.—The dribbling has ceased. Causticum, four globules, to be taken in the course of ten days. Feb. 4, 1847.-The dribbling still continues absent. Causticum, one globule every third day. Feb. 17. He still is free from the dribbling but wets his bed at night. He looks dark under the eyes. Ordered china, four gloubles, to be taken in the course of a week. April 9, 1847.-Wets his bed every night. He sweats at night. Calcarea, four globules, to be taken in the course of a week. April 23.-He has not wetted the bed since taking the calcarea. Continue calcarea, in less doses. May 21, 1847.-He has not wetted his bed. He was sick on Sunday. Ordered bryonia for the sickness. May 28. Not wet his bed for three weeks. Not been sick: He has pain between his shoulders. Ordered calcarea. E |