we fhall here give them in the author's own words:

"I am aware that the cuftom of dilating wounds made by fire arms is fo generally adoped by practitioners, and fo formidably fupported by great authorities, that it requires no fmall fhare of courage to raise donbis concerning its propriety, or even its neceffity. I am alf aware that I am ill quabfied to illustrate the subject in a regular and fyftematic difcuffion. I have little acquaintance with furgical writers, and cannot beatt a very extensive range of experience: but I hope to be indulged with liberty of relating a few facts which occurred to me du ring the late war in America, and which feem to prove that the customary dilatation of wounds may be frequently omitted, not only without detriment, but even with obvious benefit to the patient.

"In the year 1779 a party of the Loyal American militia, who had attacked a poft of the enemy in the back parts of the province of Georgia, were obliged to retire without effecting their purpofe. A confiderable number of them were wounded; and as their distance from the army precluded them from furgical aftance, their wounds were only bound over with a bit of rag. Such was the fact: the confequence was not what might have been expected; for among the number of wounds which I afterwards faw there were feveral which we fhould have expected to be trouBlefome and tedious in cure, if treated according to the common rules of furgery, bat in reality they healed fpeedily and well. Another action was fought, fome time after, at Brier Creek. The greater number of the wounded were conveyed to the hofpital, and furnished with proper accommodations and furgical affiftance; but there were also fome of the militia who remained in the woods, and paid no other attention to their wounds than fimply to bind them up. The contraft in point of treatment was obvious in the prefent cafe, and the difference of effect was not less remarkable; for, in as far as I could judge from thofe examples which 1 had an opportunity of comparing, the progrefs towards healing was not lefs advanced in three weeks, where there was not any thing done, than in five, where art and kill were employed. There occurred likewise several accidental inftances during the following campaigns, where the ufual formality of furgical treatment did not appear to be attended with confpicuous advantage; but the faireft comparative trial which has yet fallen under my obfervation was after the action at Cowpen, in South Carolina, in January, 1781. The scene of this action was near the mountains, in a district of country almost uninhabited. Not fewer than an hundred and twenty men lay wounded on the field, or difperfed themfelves in the neighbourhood,

where they accidentally found the shelter of a hut. As I was the only profeffional perfon who remained' on the fpot after the defeat, it was not in my power to vifit every one; neither did I find out, till after feveral days, the abodes to which many had retired. I may obferve, that I dilated freely, and treated according to the ufual methods of furgeons, the wounds of fuch as I faw early; but there was probably near a fifth of the whole to whom, from their remote fitua tion, immediate help could not be given. Other furgeons were afterwards fent from the army by Lord Cornwallis, and fuch accommodations were provided for the wounded as a defolate country could afford. I still continued my affistance, and remained on this duty near fix weeks, during which time I had the opportunity of observing, that thofe wounds to which little or nothing had been done generally healed more rapidly, and were feldom attended with fo much pain and inflammation, as where dilatation, poulticing, &c. had been freely employed.

"It appears, then, that we may fafely conclude from the above facts, that the indifcriminate dilatation of gun-fhot wounds is not a measure of neceffity. I will even add, that it often gives rife to pain, inflammation, and many troublesome symptoms, which are not merely the effects of the wound. I fhall mention an obfervation in this place, which I have often' feen verified, and which I fhould fuppofe can scarcely be overlooked by any one, viz. that the pain and inflammation are greater, and confequently that the cure is flower, in fimple flesh wounds, where the furgeon has recourfe to dilatation, than where the knife is not employed. This perhaps will be reckoned a small inconvenience ; but I will add farther, that the effects of dilatation are peculiarly pernicious in wounds of the joints. It is well known that the accefs of ajr, which is favoured by an enlargement of the orifice, is particularly hurtful in wounds which penetrate into cavities. In the joints, after being thus exposed, the growth of fungous excrefcences is scarcely to be reftrained, and anchylofis is the least bad effect to be expected.

"But though it appears that the dilatation of gun-fhot wounds is hurtful or fuperfluous in the cafes which I have mentioned, there are certainly others in which it is both neceffary and proper. If, for inftance, a ball, or the fragment of a bone, can be extracted by means of an enlargement of the orifice, no perfon will pretend to fay that fuch enlargement ought not to be made. It is likewife proper, where wounds run fuperficially under the fkin, that they be laid open through the whole of their length; and in many ca• fes where inflammation comes upon awounded limb, the muscles of which are covered by a tendinous expanfion, and, as it were, girded by it, a deep and free dilatation is then of ob

vious and great fervice. Such dilatations, however, ought to be deferred till the occafion requires them.

"Such, as far as my obfervation goes, are the advantages and difadvantages of dilating gun-fhot wounds. There are alfo other practices employed by furgeons, which, inftead of being productive of benefit, often occafion no fmall share of harm. It appears to be an axiom in furgery, that a warm poultice, in the firft ftages of gun-fhot wounds, is an application not to be difpenfed with. I do not deny that in cold climates, where the fibre is terfe and rigid, they often alleviate pain and promote digeftion; but I amalfo of opinion, that, in the tropical climates, or even in the fouthern provinces of North America, they are not only unneceffary, but fometimes actually the caufe of very troubletome complaints. I have observed, in numerous instances, that pain and inflam mation were obviously increased by the ufe of warm poultices, and even that fuppurations, independent of the fuppuration of the wounds, were fometimes produced merely from the heat and relaxation which that application occafioned. Befides, poultices are inconvenient and unpleasant in warm wea ther, and may be reckoned among the caufes which promote the generation of maggots. I might, therefore, I believe, fafely advife, that the practice be difcontinued in the abovementioned climates. I might even add, that I am fufficiently warranted to recommend a contrary one. Thus I have often found benefit from the application of bandages wet with landanum or fpirituous liquors, and, above all, from the pouring of cold water upon the wounded limb. The good effects of thefe, in difpofing the wounds to heal, were very remarkable.

"To the above obfervations I fhall beg leave to add another, which I believe is not commonly attended to. Reft and quiet are uniformly fuppofed to be proper in the treat ment of wounds. Where wounds penetrate into the cavities of the body, motion would often be dangerous; and where the legs or thighs are broken, it cannot be attempted unlefs with great caution: but, in the ordinary circumstances of flesh wounds, the advantages of moving about, even of travelling, or continuing to march, are great and obvicus. Not to adduce the American militja only as a proof of this opinion, I shall mention, that after the action of Guildford, in North Carolina, every man who was capable of being conveyed either in litter, waggo, or on horfeback, was carried with the array. The healing progrefs was rapid while we were upon the march; imagined that it proceeded more flowly when we hal ted for a few days at Croffcreek; and when we came to fix our station at Wilmington it was, in fome degree, retrograde: but this GENT, MAG. Jannary, 1793.

was probably owing to the foldiers having accefs to fpirituous liquors,"

XXVIII. Cafe of a Fracture of the Simmons, F. R. S. by Mr. George Wil Scull. Communicated, in a Letter to Dr. kinfon, Surgeon at Sunderland, &c.

XXIX. Some Account of a Difeafe lately obferved in Infants. Communicated, in a Letter to Dr. Simmons, by Thomas Denman, M D. Licentiate in Midwifery of the Royal College of Phyfi cians, London.

XXX. An Account of Two Cafes of retroverted Uterus. By Mr. Richard Croft, Surgeon in London.

XXXI. An Account of the fuccessful Application of Electricity in a Cafe of aury Neck. By William Gilby, M. D.. Phyfician to the General Hospital at Bir

mingham.

XXXII. A Cafe of Phthifis Pulmonalis ; with Remarks. By Mr. Edmund Pitts Gapper, Surgeon at Mere, in Wiltshire.

This cafe ferves to fhew the good effects of tonicks, under certain circumftances, in the treatment of pulmonary confumption.

cles contained in this volume, we come Having enumerated the different arti now to the conclufion of the work, in an addrefs "to the reader," which we shall give entire; and which we fhould perufe with regret, if it did not announce to us the learned editor's intention of carrting on, at his leifure, a fimilar collection, under à different title. Practitioners of phyfick, not only in this but in other countries, muft have derived fo many advantages from THE LONDON MEDI CAL JOURNAL (for it has been tranflated and regularly published in different European languages *), and the publick at large mult have been, ultimately, fo much benefited by it, that we feel great pleasure in announcing to our readers the plan on which the fequel to it is to be. conducted. The addiefs to the reader is as follows:

"The indulgent manner in which the London Medical Journal has been received by the Public, and the numerous and valuable Communications with which the Editor bas been favoured by his Correfpondents, have induced him to perfevere in bringing it out, at ftated quarterly periods, much longer than has well fuited his other avocations. But this mode of pubication having of late been attended with great inconvenience both

*We have feed Flemith, German, French, and Spanish, tranflations of it..

to

INDEX INDICATORIUS. A PHILANTHROPIST, who regrets the pitiable fituation of many of the clafs of men defcribed in vol. LXII. p. 894, fuggefts that a femedy for one material part of their grievances has heen furnished by the zealous activity of Mr. Whitbread; by whofe exertions, in the year 1790, a:1 act of parliament was obtained to empower Juftices, and other Perfons, to vifit Parish Work-houfes or Poor-houses, and examine and certify the State and Condition of the Poor therein to the Quarter Seffions;" which is profeffedly defigned to remedy the deficiencies of former acts, which had in certain inftances been found ineffectual, "efpecially when the Poor are afflicted with contagious or infectious diseases, in which cafes particular attention to their lodging, diet, and cloathing, bedding, and medicines, is requifite."

A CONSTANT READER is ready to lend R. P. (LXII. 984) WATERHOUSE's "Difcourfe and Defence of Arms and Armory," on receiving directions in what manner, and to whom it is to be directed, with a promife to return it, when perufed, as he fets a value upon it, on account of its being scarce.

In answer to a Querist, vol. LXII. p. 995, whether a rustling noife is not fometimes heard from the quick vibrations of the Aurora Borealis, AN OLD SHEPHERD informs us, that one evening feveral years fince, in the North of Lancashire, being told that the ftreamers were very bright, he took a walk into a field fume 40 or 60 yards, perhaps, above the level of a valley, which was bounded by hills facing him of a confiderable height. Stopping there a-while to obferve their remarkable quick vibrations and vivid colours, he heard a rustling, as if a great flight of fwifts (birundo apus) had whifked past him. As he had never read or heard of any fuch thing before, he could not determine in his own mind whether to attribute that rustling to the Aurora Borealis or not. But what itruck him very forcibly be fore he left the field was, that after the ftreamers had disappeared, or retired, and he noticed the hills facing him, and reflected on the angle of the altitude of their tops, and of the bottom of the streamers, as he remembered their appearance (for the idea did not strike him till they had departed), he could not help thinking the former several degrees higher than the latter, and confequently that those streamers or colours muft have been betwixt him and those hills. But it was fo widely different from the idea which himself and others have entertained about the distance of the Aurora Borealis, that he does not know whether he mentioned it to any perfon or not, and has never had an opportunity of confirming or confut ing his notions by obfervation fince.

The fame correfpondent defires us to inform the RAMBLER, LXII. p. 882, that he has poked up an erroneous idea or definition

of the word Gil. A Gill is a Dell, or steep Valley, in the fide of a Mountain, or Fell down the middle of which a brook, in that country called a beck, ufually runs. But water does not form any part of the definition of a Gill; for one place, at least, if not more, in that range of mountains, which he speaks of, is called Dry-Gill, from the circumftance of its wanting fuch a Beck. "The Parent of a Gill," is, therefore, in that country ra ther thought to be Noah's Flood, than a Tarn.

Mr. T.Eeles of Richmond, having long entertained a particular defire of having fome information concerning the variation of the Magnetic Needle, without being able to obtain it, requests us to propose a few Queries on that fubject. 1. What has been the variation of the needle for these thirty years past at Londen, Edinburgh, Worcester, and Paris 2 2. In thofe places where the variation of the needle has been long known to vary, or to differ from itself, how far has this variation been obferved to be regular? 3. How far has the variation been obferved to be regular in different parts of the world? 4. When a fhip croffes the Equator, and approaches the South Pole, does the needle continue its former direction, or does it turn round and point towards the South Pole in the fame manner as it pointed towards the North Pole whilft it was North of the line? 5. If the needle turns towards the South Pole when South of the line, are its variations from the meridian the fame refpectively in Southern as in Northern latitudes? 6. Have their been any late experiments or difcoveries made that tend to explain the nature of magnetifm? And, laftly, what is the prefent opinion of the learned concerning the caufe of the variation of the needle?

L. requests the communication of any par ticulars respecting the life or writings of the Rev. Mr. Gay, who prefixed a Differtation to Bp. Law's tranflation of "King's Origin of Evil." It is a very mafterly compofition, and opened the way to a knowledge of the true principles of morality. His definition of virtue has been adopted by Mr. Paley, and many subsequent moral writers.

In answer to A. L. we believe the Italian Tragedy mentioned in vol. LVII. p. 242, to be as rare now as it was in 1987, We do not know of its being republished.

C's kind hint on St. Cecilia, is anticipated, p. 33; except that he refers to "Wheatley on the Common Prayer.”

The favor of CAMBRENSIS is received; but it is too late this month to give a full anfwer to his enquiry, The intelligence defired fhall be given on the 1ft of March.

The Views of HONITON and KEDDLESTos are engraving, and shall appear in our next; with the Portrait of the King of Pruffia; the Statue of PETER, the curious Carving from New COLLIGE, OXFORD, and many other Favours.

ODE