physical astronomer makes trial of this suggestion: he assumes the ascertained perturbations as elements; he combines these under the guidance of knowledge and reason, and at length he says, that if the course suggested be well founded, there or thereabouts it must exist; and lo! on turning the far-seeing tube to the point in space he had indicated, there in verity gleams a new world, then first seen, though launched by God from eternity to circle on the verge of our creation; and he who bade us look, became the discoverer of a new planet. Who will dispute the merit here? Truly, man does show the God within him when he uses his faculties-God-like in themselves-in such Godlike fashion. But Harvey's merit, according to our idea, was of the self-same description in another sphere. The facts he used were familiarly known, most of them to his predecessors for nearly a century, all of them to his teachers and immediate contemporaries; yet did no one, mastering these facts in their connection and sequence, rising superior to prejudice, groundless hypothesis and erroneous reasoning, draw the inference which now meets the world as irresistible, until the combined mind of Harvey gave it shape and utterance. To our apprehension Harvey was as far above his fellows, as the eye of poetic intelligence, which exultingly absorbs the beauties of the starry sky, and the green earth, is above the mere physical sense which distinguishes light from dark. The late Dr. Barclay, a fervent admirer of Harvey, whose name he never uttered without the epithet immortal, has put the question of Harvey's merit both happily and eloquently, and it affords us pleasure to quote the passage from the writings of our old and honoured teacher in anatomy. "The late Dr. Hunter," says Dr. Barclay,* "has rather invidiously introduced Harvey along with Copernicus and Columbus, to show that his merit as a discoverer was comparatively low. But what did Copernicus, and what did Columbus? Not in possession of more numerous facts than their contemporaries, but endowed with nobler and more vigorous intellects, the one developed the intricate system of the heavenly bodies, and the other discovered an unheard of continent. Was it not in the same way, by the exertion of superior intellect, that Harvey made his immortal discovery? I know not what has happened in the world unseen; but if I may judge from the records of history and the annals of fame, the spirit of Bacon, the spirits of Columbus, Copernicus and Newton, have not been ashamed to welcome and associate with the congenial spirit of Harvey." To this fine passage there is little to be added: Harvey's discovery

* On the Arteries, Introduction, p. 9.

was of the rational and inductive, and therefore higher class, according to our estimate; it was made in virtue of the intellectual powers which peculiarly distinguish man in a state of the highest perfection.'

The volume before us, after the Preface, Life of William Harvey, and his last will and testament, contains "An anatomical disquisition on the motion of the heart and blood of animals;" "The first anatomical disquisition on the circulation of the blood, addressed to John Riolan;"-" A second disquisition to John Riolan; in which many objections to the circulation of the blood are refuted;"-"Anatomical exercises on the generation ofanimals; to which are added essays on parturition; on the membranes and fluids of the uterus, and on conception;-Anatomical examination of the body of Thomas Parr; concluding with sundry letters on matters of science, addressed to Dr. Caspar Hofmann, Paul Marquerd Slegel, John Nardi, R. Morison, John Daniel Horst and others."

The works of Harvey were written originally in Latin; but most of them were rendered into English; so imperfectly, however, in some cases, that Dr. Willis says he undertook the task of translating them anew. The "masterwork” of Harvey on the motion of the heart and blood, he found to "have been translated by one but little conversant with the subject," and "that it was both extremely rebutting (?) in point of style, and full of egregious errors," so that "nothing short of an entirely new translation could do justice to this admirable treatise, or secure for it, at the present day, the attention it deserved."

The work on generation he likewise well as that on the anatomy of Parr. appeared in English before.

translated over again, as The letters have never

We have not had time to compare Dr. Willis's version with the original, in order to decide whether he has avoided the charges he has laid against his predecessors. It becomes him, however, to have been extremely cautious; and we cannot avoid thinking that the fact of his having entirely retranslated works which had been generally received as correct versions of the original, savours not a little of the self-complacency to which

we have before alluded; as well as a desire to absorb the whole credit;-seeing that it would have been easy for him to have compared the original with the translation, and to have corrected any thing "rebutting" in the style; or any inaccuracy in conveying the meaning of the author; and we must say, in conclusion, that whilst we hail with unallayed pleasure this edition of the works of one of the shining lights of medical science, we are by no means satisfied that the best possible selection has been made of Editor.

Observations on Aneurism, and its Treatment by Compression. By O'BRYEN BELLINGHAM, M, D., Edin. Fellow of and Professor in the School of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, etc. etc. etc. John Churchill. London : 1847.

In this interesting brochure, Dr. Bellingham gives us a brief history of the treatment of Aneurism by Compression, and the various improvements in the mode, accompanied by an abstract of the cases that have been reported in which compression has been used; the instruments employed, and the theories upon which compression has been supposed by different writers to cure aneurism.

"The author's views respecting the pathology of aneurism, particularly the exact manner in which the disease is cured, differ from those usually taught;" and he has endeavoured to prove that "the cure of aneurism is accomplished in a similar manner, whether the ligature is employed or compression is used, or whether the cure has been brought about by Nature's unaided efforts." That the latter is true, is highly probable, from the uniform simplicity observed in the processes of Nature on other occasions, and the explanation of our author, which we shall notice presently, is at least plausible. The employment of cutting instruments upon the living body, where it can be avoided without incurring other or greater evils, is always to be deprecated, and every plan which holds forth a reasonable hope of relief without such a resort, is entitled to calm and impartial consideration. The result of all the experiments for the cure of aneurism by compression, has not been such as to warrant our confidence in relying upon it in the generality of cases; but if

it can be shown that a false theory has been entertained on this subject, under the guidance of which an erroneous practice has been pursued, the case becomes altered in its aspect most essentially.

The objections that have been urged against compression by authoritative writers are principally the following:

1st. Uncertainty of success, from the impossibility of applying sufficient force to bring the sides of the vessel into contact, so as to cause adhesive inflammation and consequent obliteration of its cavity, in many instances from its being surrounded by soft and elastic tissues that take off the pressure.

2d. Impossibility of continuing the pressure long enough to be effectual, in consequence of the extreme suffering of the patient from compression of the large nerves which accompany all the principal arteries.

3d. Danger of sloughing, in consequence of the long continued pressure.

All these evils have undoubtedly been experienced, and the question is, whether, according to Dr. Bellingham's theory, and the practice founded upon it, success can be attained without such risks.

"Surgical writers appear," says Dr. B., "to have been under the impression, that in order to cure an aneurism by compressing the artery above the tumour, it was essential to interrupt completely the current of blood through the vessel-in fact, to to apply such pressure as would act like a ligature, cause inflammation of the coats of the artery at the part, and obliterate the circulation in the vessel at the point to which compression had been applied.

"When it was considered absolutely necessary for the success of compression, that such an amount of pressure should be applied as was almost certain to produce sloughing of the part, and very certain to occasion intense pain and suffering; and when, in addition, this was to be prolonged through five successive nights and days, (as in the case reported by Mr. Guthrie) we can readily understand why patients refused to submit to it, and we can easily account for the disrepute in which the practice fell; and for the unwillingness of surgeons to adopt this treatment, in preference to the simple operation of placing a ligature upon the femoral artery. It would, however, appear that it is not at all essential that the circulation through the vessel leading to the aneurism should be completely checked, but rather the con

trary it may, perhaps, be advantageous at first, for a short period, by which the collateral circulation will be more certainly established; but the result of this case, if it does no more, establishes the fact, that a partial current through an aneurismal sac will lead to the deposition of fibrine in its interior, and cause it within a few hours to be filled and obstructed, so as no longer to permit of the passage of blood through it. Pressure, so as altogether to obstruct the circulation in an artery, must necessarily be slower in curing an aneurism, as it must, in some measure, act by causing obliteration of the vessel. at the part to which the pressure has been applied; whereas a partial current through the sac enables the fibrine to be readily entangled in the parietes of the sac in the first instance, and this goes on increasing until it becomes filled; the collateral branches having been previously enlarged, the circulation is readily carried on through them."

Several cases are narrated by the author, wherein these results of moderate compression were proved to have taken place, by post mortem inspection of the parts.

That aneurism may be cured in the manner recommended by Dr. Bellingham is admitted by eminent living surgeons, but the priority of the practice as well as the theory is not so readily accorded to him. Mr. Wilde, the able editor of the Dublin Quarterly Journal, awards the credit to the late Mr. Todd of that city. Professor Syme of Edinburgh, whilst he denies to Dr. B. any just claims to originality, condemns the practice as inapplicable to aneurism of the large arteries generally, although he admits that, in certain cases, where for special reasons the ligature cannot be used, compression should be tried.

If the doctrine contended for, however, and which it is not difficult to test, shall be established by sufficient observation, we can see no reason why compression should not supersede the knife and the ligature in nearly all cases, and should Dr. Bellingham's earnest advocacy be productive of so good and desirable an improvement, he will indeed have earned a proud claim to our gratitude.

The following remarks, extracted from Chapter X., present a resume of the positions assumed by Dr. B. :

"When we consider how many writers have devoted their attention almost exclusively to the subject of aneurism, and how much talent has been engaged in illustrating its history, patho