The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-03-15

cinchOnA tree, which 1S the sheet-anCAOf In
ague. There is reason to hope that we may
vet discover q specific against other mghtful
diseases.
Many of the phenomena presented by disease
are exceedingly curious and even romantic.
Take, for instance, bronchitis. Sometimes it
happens that bronchial tube becomes carnified
at ono end, OF is filed by some substance. The
result is that the tube is converted into mu-
sicaA instrument. It gives fute-ike sound.
It cooSlike q wood-doye. Sometimes the bron-
chial tube acts differently. The sound re-
sembles the noise made by loud snorer.
Then it mimics the noise of an infatuated TOM
cat.
The curious disease, commonly known rs st.
Vitus's dance {chorea), presents some remark
most frequently attacks boys and girls, and
very rarely has a fatal termination. The pa
tient becomes merry Andrew, and twists the
face into all kinds of ridiculous FORMS 1t is
impossible for the lookers-on not to be amused,
but any such unworthy feeling would certainly
cease when they become acquainted with the
ible and most distressing forms which the
disease can assume. The name of chorea, which
signifies q dance-Hunter calls it votatio-is de-
rived from the dancing phenomena which are
not uncommonly found with 1.-THE insanity Of
supposed to have been worthy saint, who
was much afflicted this way,to whom a chapel
is dedicated at Ulm in Swabia. A case is men
toned in which young woman would dance
on one leg and hold the other in her hand.
When a drum sounded a kind of air she would
dance up to the drum and continue dancing
till the drummer was out of breath. Another
would leap, exactly as fish might do, from
the top of a wardrobe five feet high. Another
patient, n little girl, would twirl round on her
feet like top. She would spin for six or seven
hours at time, the evolntions being sixty
minute
Sydenham mentions several cases where he
cured the diseases of elderly people by making
young people sleep with them. Tho practice
has Biblical authority, and we believe is even
now pursued in foreign countries.
Many years ago, countryman called on
dyspeptic despair, as often happens with the
ehawbacons The doctor gave him some plain
advice as to his food, and ended by writing a
sS5
Giles came in, blooming and happy, quito we'll.
The doctor was delighted, and not o little
proud of his skill. He asked to see what he
Where was it Z" 81 tookit, sir" "Took it !!
What have You done with the prescription r.
II ate it. sir; You told me TO take it"
- The wholeesubject of medical Jurisprudence
is an exemplifcation of the romance of medi-
cine. The great authority ON this subject is, of
course, DR.. Alfred Swaine Taylor, whose work
on medical jurisprudence is much more fascin-
| ating than most novels are. The English pub
| lie are unfortunately only too familiar with
medico-legal cases. We have generally some
great oyer and terminer case going on where
poison has been the agent employed, and medi-
I cal men are eXhaustivefy discussing the scien-
| titic aspect of the case.
When very celebrated physician declared
poisons which absolutely left no trace at all,
we are credibly informed that he was mum
dated with letters from persons entreating him
| to say what those poisons were. We may be
sure that thirst for scientific knowledge, or o
| mere curiosity, dictated the great mass OF those
| letters; but at the same time there may be
doubtful speculations as to the motives which
actuated some of these inquiries.
The single subject of frauds upon insurance
offices opens up a wide field of medical juris-
prudence. We give the following anecdote on
= b. ~.
insured two lives in an Office, and the
lives rapidly fell in. When this happened with
| q third life, the office having some reasons for
| suspicion, demurred as to the payment of the
| said angrily to the manager, Do you think
| poisoned my own relation 2" A sudden thought
struck the manager. He walked up to- the
| woman, put his hand on her shoulder, and
| looking fxedly at her, said, I'VE knoto you
did" The woman, in great agitation, left the
| Office and was never seen there again.
Very much that is very remarkable belongs
| to the diagnosis and prognosis of case No
| two medical cases exactly resemble one another,
any more than any two human faces are ex-
actly alike, any two blades of grass even. A
man more be physician by reading
books than q man be an artist by reading all
| extant publications on form and color. Each
case is separate study in itself Now this
diagnosis is exceedingly troublesome work.
Some doctors attain wonderful skill in both
| respects. They can almost complete both dag
nosis and prognosis by looking at a patients
A"Se ~ iS'1 very ulIucult case, SAID q UOcCOca
| one day to a patient, 6" but will tell you one
thing for your consolation, Which is that you
Will get we'll" This proved to be the case, but
singularly enough, the great man himself died
suddenly before he saw the patient again. AS
man, for the first time was entering ply
sician's consulting-room, the latter whispered
@ to TREND Case of great pain am sure
hopeless"-as it proved. The same man was
walking down street, and at the door of an
hotel was n smiling landlord; portly. fresh.
rad Vad kI~r ErfU md