The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-16 00:00:00

LITERATURE

FOREIGN QUARTERLY RETIE H', No. LXIV.
Chapman-and Hail, Lonthm, 1844.
Alluding, some few weeks since, to the past
and present state of American literature, we
took the opportunity of observing that the
United States had not yet produced one single
author of eminence of whom it could justly be
said that he was original. We remarked that
the writings, whether in prose or verse, of the
New World, were merely so many faint, feeble
copies of those of the Old; and that even Cooper
himself, though supposed to convey a faithful
image of national peculiarities in his works, was
often nothing more than an echo of Sir Walter
Scott, just aa'Emerson is of Carlyle, and Bryant
of Wordsworth. An article in the present
number of this journal, entitled " American
Anthology," fully bears out our opinion, by
passing in review a whole tribe if Yankee
authors, and pointing out the sources whence
they derived some of their best ideas. Not a
fe.w of the poetical specimens quoted by the
Reviewer are of the most grotesque character it
is possible to conceive, and satisfy us that
America has yet inuell to learn, as well as
much to unlearn, before she can cultivate
the Muses with any praspect of success. The
memorable " Congress of Vienna" in 1815, when
Europe was coolly partitioned out by a set of
despotic Legitimates, without the slightest regard
to any ether consideration than their own conve-
nience, forms the theme of an amusing critical
notice, in which occur several whimsical sketches
of illustrious individuals who figured prominently
in that scene of royal tom-foolery. The portrait
of Isis fat Majesty of Wirtemberg—that " tun of
a man," who possessed all the obesity of-Falstaff
without a tithe of his wit, is, we have no doubt,
perfectly accurate ; and the passing gliMpse we
have of the sentimental Alexander, whom Napo-
leon justly described as " a Greek of the Lower
Empire," gives us a vivid idea of the chlracter
of this royal dissembler. In the review of
" Mignet's Historical Essays," we find a
hasty memoir of the notorious Abbe Sieyes, so
well known during the early period of' the Re-
volution for his constitutional theories, as also
for the part he played on the occasion of the
Eighteenth Brumaire, when Citizen Bonaparte
upset the Directorial Government, and under the
specious form of the Consulate established a
systematic, military despotism. " Sinde, its
Aineers and its People" makes no great addition
.to the- stock of knowledge we already possess on
this subject, still it is an interesting article, and
is nut forth at a seasonable juncture, when all
eyes are directed with eagerness towards this
rieW conquest of the Indian Government. From
the notice of Mignet's " Historical Essays" we
quote an anecdote or two respecting the eminent
French physician Broussais
" IJ4e had not quite finished his studies when the
revolution burst out. . His family embraced the cause
of liberty. His ardent and impetuous imagination
was inflamed by it. The time arrived for participa.
tion. The Prussians, in 1792, had advanced to Ver-
dun, and the alarm had roused the patriotism of all
France. Broussais, then twenty years of age, enrolled
himself in a company of volunteers, of which he was
named sergeant. In one of the frequent encounters
with les Chouans he signalized his force, his genero-
sity, and his courage. The company of volunteers
had been surprised and beaten. In retreating, one Of
his comrades was shot, and fell at his side. The war
was without quarter, and the enemy were but a few
paces in arrear. Yet Broussais, at•the peril of being
taken himself, stopped, lifted his wounded companion
upon his shoulders, and continued his retreat, his pace
somewhat slackened by the burden. Les Chouans
fired upon him. One ball passed through his hat.
But he escaped. Arrived at a place of safety, he de-
posed his comrade on the ground ; and to his horror
found him dead. He had run that risk to save a
corpse. He could not long animate the company with
his example. Seriously ill, he was obliged to return
to his family ; and on his recovery he embraced the
paternal profession. MS progress in study was rapid;
and having attended the hospitals of St. Malo and
Brest, he was appointed surgeon to the frigate Laße-
nominee. On the eve of departure he received a letter
from the Mayor of St..Malo, which commenced in
these terrible words :---‘ Tremble in receiving this
letter!' . . . . It announced that the house of
his aged parents bad been attacked by les Chouans,
who had murdered them 'both and mutilated their
bodies.

The grief and indignation felt by Broussais

cannot be described. Forty years after;vards, says
Mignet, he became pale as he spoke of it."

ADVENTURES OF MR. LEDBURY. 3 Vols.
Bentley, London, 1844.

In these volumes we have a re-publication of
a tale that appeared last year in successive num-
bers of Bentley's Miscellany, and which we have
more than once noticed in The Sun. The story
of Mr. I,edbury; and his numerous mishaps and
adventures, is by no means deficient in interest ;
the details, in particular, of his journey by way
of the Rhine to Switzerland, and afterwards to
Italy, and of the strange vicissitudes that betel
him on the road, exhibit much descriptive
ability; and the story possesses the additional re-
commendation of being cleverly illustrated by
Leech.

GLOSSOLOGY ; or the Additional Means of Diag-
nosis of Disease ,to he derived from Indications and
Appearances of the Tongue. By Benjamin Ridge,
M.R.C.S. L. Churchill, Princes-street. 1844.
This treatise contains the substance of a paper
read by Dr. Ridge before the Senior Physical
Society of Guy's Hospital on the 4th of Novem-
ber last; and certainly, should the truth of the
doctrines propounded in it be confirmed, Dr.
Ridge has made one of the most vitally import-
ant discoveries that has been made since the
days of Hunter. His discovery is
" That certain appearances in parts of the tongue
indicate the presence of certain diseases, and that these
parts correspond with certain organs of the body."
The state of the tongue has always been con-
sidered as.diagnostic of disease, but the amount
of information hitherto afforded by it is thus de-
scribed by Dr. Ridge, who follows up the state-
ment by an account of the manner in which be
made Ills discovery :
" I found the tongue was looked at as an organ of
diagnosis, and I looked at 'it too : but the amount
of information I gained from it was trifling ; and
very little more did I gather from books, or from per-
sonal instruction. I still thought there must be some-
thing more substantial to be learned from it, or other-
wise it seemed a waste of time to, look at it at all.
Dissatisfaction on the point led me gradually to re-
flect on its diversified appearances. As disease came
before me, so different observations obtruded them-
selves, until, after carrying these in my mind for
years without being able to arrange them or adopt
any regular system, I was led at last to draw the rough
form of a tongue, and map, out its compartments. I
had' no sooner accomplished this than. I perceived
that the divisions corresponded very closely with its
anatomy.

" The first observations I made were in 1836-7,
during the prevalence of the epidemic influenza. The
cases which came before me were numerous; but my
own observations differed so widely from those of the
writers on that epidemic, that I hesitated in obtrud-
ing them. I noticed three distinct stages of this dis-
ease—affecting, first, the stomach ; then the lungs ;
and lastly, the brain ; -and that three distinct charac-
teristics of the tongue presented themselves."

- The work is profusely, illustrated by diagrams
and plates, showing the divisions of the tongue,
according to the views of Dr. Ridge, and the ap-
portionment of those divisions to the various or-
gans of the body. The Doctor then goes into a
minute anatomical description of the structure
of the tongue, for the purpose of showing that
these divisions are founded on structure, and that
there is a nervous connection between the va-
rious divisions of the tongue and the organs to
which they are appropriated. Should Dr,
Ridge's views prove correct, it is impossible to
exaggerate the importance of the science of
Glossology, not only in the diagnosis of dis-
ease, but as a means of detecting deception :
" I must here remark' that a thorough knowledge
of' Glossology will sometimes detect deception.
When the tongue is silent, it will tell the truth. The
sick tale is not unfrequently an untrue one : those
who have had most practice are best acquainted with
this fact."

This book is well worthy the careful attention
of the medical profession. Every practising
member of that profession has the power of in-
vestigating the truth of these doctrines; and it
is a duty he owes to himself; to his profession
and to his fellow-creatures to do so; for the
nearer the approach to certainty in diagnosis, the
nearer the approach to certainty in application
of remedial agents. In conducting these inves-
tigations we would earnestly impress upon the
minds of the investigators the importance of
this, the concluding observation of Dr. Ridge's
work :

" Important truths are only to be elicited by a great
expenditure of time and patience ; and he is the
wisest man who spends them liberally and ungrudg-
ingly, when they are paid down for a good purpose—
to add to knowledge, and benefit mankind."

OUR INDIAN MAIL.--Our Indian papers contain
Indian Ink to the latest moment ; and we have received
pickles up to the 'time of starting. Our Courier, in an-
ticipation of the Overland Mail, has arrived in anticipa-
tion of his pay ; but he will not get it. Among our
other Indian arrivals, we have been put in possession of
Indian rubber from which we find tha there is 3t good
deal of elasticity iu the matlieta,—Punch.