Mer. and de Lens Dict. de Mat. Med. t. iii., 177. Echites difformis, possesses very acrid properties, but is not well known. Achyranthes repens, a diuretic in ischury and dysury. Callicarpa americana and Callitriche verna, employed in popular practice in dropsy. Alletris aurea, possesses very similar properties to the A. farinosa, which is alluded to Alnus serulata, an alterative perhaps of no great efficacy. Ambrosia artemnisiæ folia. Andromeda speciosa, said to be a powerful errhine, Baccharis halimifolia, highly esteemed in' popular practice as a demulcent and palliative in consumption and coughs, but we believe it has only a local reputation, known on the plantations as consumption weed. Hypericum sarothra of Mx. sarothgentianoides of others. Commelina communis. Cratægus crusgalli. Bignonia capreolata, said to possess properties resembling sarsaparilla. Euphorbia maculata. Gelsiminum sempervirens, employed in domestic practice in rheumatism. Sapsella bursa pastoris. Drosera rotundifolia. Portulacca oleracea, which has not met with much attention in any of our American works, but is in repute in Europe as an antidote for poisoning from cantharides, it is also antiscorbutic, diuretic and anthelmintic. Pterocaulon pycnostachyum, well known as the black root of the negroes, and vaunted as an alterative. Viola cucullata. Zanthium strumasium. Viscum verticillatum. Psorolea eglandulosa, has been much praised as a "powerful vermifuge and stomachic," the decoction arrests the flow of blood, and the infusion of the root produces vomiting. Cyrilla racemiflora, employed as a styptic and in cicatrizing ulcers. Cucurbita lagenoria. Cuscuta americana, laxative and hydragogue. a powerful plant, possessed of acrid properties, sudorific, vulnerary, antiepileptic, and antihydrophobic.* Ruellia strepens. Prunella vulgaris, perhaps deservedly omitted, though most of the older works refer to it. Ludwigia alternifolia, according to the Dict. de Mat. Med., (t. iv., 154) enjoys considerable reputation as an efficient emetic. Opuntia vulgaris of T. and G., cactus opuntia of others. Plantago major formerly in great repute as a topical demulcent. As the Polygonum punctatum is attracting attention, its synonymes should have been given; many only know it as the p. hydropiper. Samolus valerandi, alluded to by foreign authors, who claim for it antiscorbutic, aperient and vulnerary virtues. See the Journ. Gen. de Med. (L. ii., 413). Saururus cernuus. Solanum carolinense. Scirpus palustris. Anagallis arvensis, * See Lewis' Mat. Med.. i., 80. Mer and de L. Dict. de Mat. Med., t. i., 276. Woodv. Med. Bot. U. S. Disp., 1227. Orfila Toxicologie, ii., 276. Shec. Flora Carol., 151. Mem. Acad. Royal de Med., 18. Mars' An. 1826. Syst. Bot., 224. Lind. Nat. We are surprised at the want of attention which the Styllingia sylvatica has met with from Dr. Griffith, as well as most of the writers. Some place great confidence in it as an alterative. So also of the S. sebifera and the Tillandsia usneoides, unnoticed in the Am. dispensatories. Trifolium reflexum, affects the salivary glands Typha Latifolia, was at one time very generally received. Gonolubus macrophyllus, used as a substitute for colycynth. Hydrocolyle umbel. lata, unnoticed in any Am. work, is employed elsewhere as an emetic, diuretic, and vulnerary. Discopleura capillocea of T. and G., Ammi magus of Ell. Sk. We observe he refers to the Salyx nigra, our commonest S. C. species, as the most valuable as an anti-intermittent, this is said to surpass our other indigenous antiperiodic, the Liriodendron tulipefera, concerning which the author is not quite emphatic enough, we think. All of these are indigenous plants, and although some may be unworthy of a high place in the materia medica, yet this is still to be determined, until which time we should carefully avoid neglecting them—for the mutations in the confidence reposed in many of our present most approved articles should be warning to us. The book is well executed on good paper and fine clear type; the illustrations which are numerous, but only tolerably well executed, even for wood engravings, are of great value to some readers, as by them they are enabled to certify specimens of doubtful identity. We saw an individual recognise a growing plant from having seen the plate in Dr. Griffith's book; they are of course too small to assist materially the working botanist. The Sanguinaria canadensis (p. 128,) Eupatorium perfoliatum (p. 390,) and Statice caroliniana (p. 25,) are good. The Baptisia tinctoria (p. 232,) Magnolia glauca (p. 97,) and the Passiflora (p. 145,) are badly executed, some of them not even shaded-mere outlines-and these not the outlines of a Flaxman. It contains a good index of both the common and scientific names of species of their synonymes, and when we say this--we say a great deal in its favor, for all know how its presence enhances, and its ab sence detracts from, the value of a good book. As examples of each extreme familiar to all, witness that attached to Pereira's invaluable work on the materia medica, for which we are indebted to the indus • Since we penned the unfavorable reference above to the Alnus serulata, our attention has been attracted to articles in the New-York Journ. of Med. which speak highly of it in scrofula, hæmaturia and other diseases. It does no harm to keep them before the public eye, till abundant evidence is given of the propriety of their being discarded. try of his wife--and Chapman's Therapeutics and Materia Medica, the merits of which are marred by the want of references. In conclusion, we cheerfully recommend this valuable work to all who are interested in the subject; as a mere book of reference, it is decidedly the most useful with which we are acquainted. With this in his hand, any physician could proceed to the task of further examination, and it is within the reach, and should be in the library of every one. For all of which Dr. Griffith eminently deserves the thanks of the profession. IV. Remarks on the Proceedings of the National Medical Convention. By Saml. Annan, Professor in Transylvania University; a mem ber of the Convention. So harmonious was the action of the late Convention, and so moderate its demands on the profession for the accomplishment of impor tant, and, as we thought, desirable reform, that we hoped that even if its objects were not energetically furthered, yet they would meet with no serious opposition. But, since our remarks on the subject in our last No. we have received an extra of the Western Lancet, issued for the purpose of publishing a paper, written by Professor Annan, of Transylvania University, a delegate to the Convention, and consequently, a member of the Association, from which we find that we were completely mistaken in our view of the subject, as likewise in our hopes and expectations. We will take the opportunity of noticing some of the points, on which, after reading the Professor's account, we find we were in error. In the first place, we had supposed that the Convention was a meeting of delegates from as many Medical corporations, &c. as could conveniently send them, for the purpose of deliberating on such measures as they thought best to recommend to the profession throughout the Union, in order to raise its standing and prevent the spread of certain evils, which were presumed to be generally felt, and this, without any local or sectional distinctions; but Dr. Annan complains that the West was imperfectly, if at all represented, and with as much indignant patriotism, as if the subject of debate had been a Tariff or a Western River and Harbor Improvement Bill; he denies that the Convention had any right to legislate for the profession at the West at all, and, we are reminded by the learned Professor, that it was this very attempt at legislation, over an unrepresented community, which produced "the separation from Great Britain, by means of the revolutionary war. The republican doctrine of no taxation, without representation, has obtained too firm a hold of the feelings of our people to suffer them to accord obedience to laws, with the enacting of which, they had nothing to do!" If the Professor's address had been delivered orally before a Western audience, our readers can imagine what rounds of applause this eloquent and indignant denunciation of the unconstitutional and tyrannical action of the Convention would have brought down. But the Convention seems to have had the modesty to understand the weakness of its position, and contented itself with recommending only, and the Professor most logically and unanswerably proves, from "the very meaning of the word," that a course recommended, must meet with the approval of those to whom it is recommended, before it can be received or adopted. On this view of the nature of a recommendation, we agree with him entirely. We are happy to learn, that so far from the Medical profession in the United States deteriorating, "our physicians have improved, are improving, and will continue to improve," spontaneously and of their own accord. Therefore, any attempt to assist this improvement, by bettering the methods of education, and obviating what has been found faulty in them, is a piece of arrogant assumption, and evidently a work of supererogation. Dr. Annan is a great admirer of the popular Southern doctrine of free trade-free trade in teaching-free trade in practicing, and no monopoly-an advocate, doubtless too, of that piece of legislative wisdom, which asserts, that any person or firm of persons, practising physic are physicians. To be sure, this unlimited competition has sometimes unpleasant effects, and Dr. A. draws the following vivid picture of some of them. "It is also true, that by reducing the fees of the professors, and by giving long credits, taking promissory notes, which are never paid, a show of prosperity is in some cases exhibited, which has no real foundation; and in this way, an inferior class of Medical men are palmed off on the community." This is, however, of small importance, when contrasted with the additional talent and learning, elicited by the increase in the number of schools, to say nothing, he modestly adds, of the large works published by the professors. We once supposed that the study of Medicine was a difficult one that its science was founded on the accumulated wisdom and obser. vation of ages; that it was indeed a mystery, the arcana of which, were revealed to those, and only to those, who purchased their knowledge by years of patien: study and careful observation, and, that even to the most learned, to the teachers themselves, there remained something, aye much, still hidden and impenetrable; but, Dr. Annan informs us that the community is of a different opinion, and he further intimates, that much deference ought to be paid to the opinion of the community on this point. "It is not thought to be a very difficult matter to acquire a sufficient knowledge of the various maladies to which human beings are liable, to qualify a man to become a physican. As long then as the community entertain the opinion that there is no great mystery in the art of prescribing for diseases, and that, but little previous preparation is required to enable any one of common sense to practice medicine; it is vain that the Medical faculty attempt to prevent the youth of our country from engaging in this calling as a means of obtaining subsistence." "Public opinion is op. posed to granting a monopoly of the right to practice Medicine," and as public opinion is (rather irreverently) said to have a divine origin, it is our duty to yield it implicit obedience, instead of attempting to direct it in the right way, and to set before it facts, by which its judg. ment can be corrected. ** Another objection to any improvement in the education of Medical students is, that as physicians, they may find themselves too well informed for the community with which it is their lot to associate. Dr. Annan thinks that the people should be educated first, and the physicians afterwards. "The community must first receive a liberal education, and then, there will be a demand for at least an equal degree of attainment amongst physicians." We, in our simplicity, had supposed, that one of the most efficient modes of elevating the tastes and desires of the people, of raising their ambition, correcting their ignorance, and making of them something more than mere tillers of the earth, hewers of wood and drawers of water, would be to send among them a number of well educated men, who would be in daily contact and converse with them, and be able to impart to them some of the knowledge they themselves had acquired. On the contrary, Dr. Annan assures us that the reverse will take place; that the intercourse with the ignorant layman will tend to debase the enlightened physi. cian. "A physician must converse with those who employ him, upon subjects adapted to their knowledge and capacity, and if he has been VOL. II.-NO. V. 48 |