The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-31
SOME NEW hooks.
Tho Nervous system and IL. Diseases.

feature" says DIR. immond, 81 may with JUS
tlce claim for this work, and that Is that 1t rests
70 great extent ON my own observation and
experience, and is therefore 20 mere compila-
tion. The reader will very readily perceive that
have views of my own on every disease con-
siderod, and that have not hesitated to ex.
press them"
We regret that we are Obliged to disagree
with DR.. Hammond aud to deny the claim
TO originality which he so vigorously asserts.
He may fancy that he has advanced many
points Of novel interest, but we have not
found In his work a single fact which we
do not REMEMBER to have read before in other
publications on the same subject. There Is also
another point about which we do not agree with
him. He states that a French edition. trans
lated by Dr. Labadie Lagrave, himself an emf
nent neurological will probably be issued In Paris
during the present year. II we underst nd this
CORE city. tmenns that an eminent man will only
translate work Of excellence; that DIR. Labadie
Lagravo IL an eminent neurologst since DIR. La
grave translates this book this book is there
fore an excellent one. On these points we must
take issue with DR.. Hammond. DIR. Lagrave Is
not AN eminent neurOiOgst lie Is not known to
the profession for any original WORK In any direc-
ton. We have failed to lud his name the
lists OF the French hospital physicians or among
teachers In the schools of medicine. Thus
1t appears that Dr. Hammond raises himself on
the shoulders OF one whose emiuence Is of his
own Invention, and who does not exist as an
eminent representative OF any branch Of knowl-
edge except in the lively Imagination of Dr.
Hammond.
The book opens with description OF instru-
mcnts and apparntus used in the diagnosis and
treatment Of diseases Of the nervous system.
These Instrument. are All known to physlcIans.
and there ia nothtny nav anon, them. In the
frat chauter " IN cershraI corsestion" as wall
az in nil other ,hnpters Dr Hammond has not
given VA simply and clearly the results OF His
/ own obsety .tions ar "a experience hut has aimed
nj Tn spnearance of oriytunlitv hv me,bods that
are entirely unscientia, and vicious. For in
stance, after ndopting the reco,nized forms OF
congestion OF the brain. one active and the other
passive, he goes on TO describe at least Ave or
six artificial sut-forms to each of the two prin-
I cipal forms. Patholorists agree In considering
certain leading phenomena ms the characteris-
ties of a form of di,ease Those nbenomenn
! only which are present In every case of the same
! disease are svmntoms which cbarac,er,ye
| the dlsease: the other phenomena are merely
! individual peculiaritles arisinx from pecuIiar
/ tondeu,ies. and ~ ,hev xvare In ha take ~ in
! die tiny uccuiisr forns Of diseas. We shoula be
Obliged To des,,lbe as many forms OF consestion
of the brain "A we see cases of the malady. such
| Artificial subdivision f. absurd
Wnatsver ur uammond,s book cop,a,rs
J Al. J. -, -, .... -, -, -,
toA' u eoou anu accuIa'e' hNs Tong oeeh
taught and accepted, and is to be found I'm
/ other works on the ,amo subject: and what
|
ne CLAIMS as NC" "" o''s'hu u ReheIahy
Inaccurate. and presented Ia an unequal and
one-slJed way. For Instance. in speaking u
the theory Of natural sleep and wax funess. he
pre-eut- only one side OF the question. In his
4 description of the condition Of the circulation
/ In the bran during sleep. DIR. Hammond assumes
/ 10 demonsLrate that there IL always at this time
dininution IN the quantity OF blood. The ex-
perimeuts Of Dr. Hammond upon this question
are mere repetittons ot experiments performed
by durham OF England many Years ugo. In
/ this category Dr. Hammond constantly refers
IL MS work ON Sleep and its Deranrements' -
in support oi bis views without, We think giving
proper credit to Durnam, whose experiment.
nerereali, original Again. In discussing the caus
atoms Of sleep, Dr. hammond makes no mention
of views opposed To the theory OF Durham, that
| sleep Is produced by diminished circulation In
, the brain. lie thus presents an unfair view OF
/ the question, for many very eminent physiolo-
gsts regard the theory proposed by Durham
As incorrect. Vulpian, who has lately published
a most exhaustive treatise on the vase motor
system Of nerves, after carefully reviewing tue
arluments Oh both sides, comes to the follow
ing conclusion.
"rhc various objections which we have
Jus eNau.",su splea' Tn,.hhe 10 lemon 4,
Snd deysloped by hammond, and ndopt-
ed by uumuer of physiologists rests entirely
.I'h ,;'' Mn'n y ist "" , "e,ns ", S1iaN 80
occurring at me moment Wncn sleep comes on
We may use the sun.e method OF ANALYSIS Ia
show that what Dr. Hnnu ond describes 80 dis
ease, were phenomena produced by what he i'm
AGNES to lie an increased or diminished circula
ton Off lood Ia the spiual marrow. We refer here
to swbole Glass Of symptoms Of functional dis
turbancc Of the spinal system described Toy him
under the name Of spinal irritation. Here ~ II
be views his subject partially. leaving out rn
tlrclN the oijecuous ~ number of English
French. and German writer's OF authority, who
recognize no such disease as spinal irritation
aud no such conditions as dlmiuished circula
tion and congestion OF distinct portions II thu
SPINAL cord.
What he says about epilepsy and other kin
dred diseases Is in accordance with what W
have been taught 10y the magnificent rescarche
OF brown Sequard, Hughlings Jackson, Key
nolds, and host Of others. This chapter Is
pretty good resume Of the literature of the sub
ject. But throughout the book he is oue-sid ed
tfttfa 40 "a Ia fVn Ia in