TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF HOMOEOPATHY FOR 1859.

Sixteenth Annual Meeting held in Boston, June 1st, 1859.

This Annual has increased in size from year to year, till it now consists of an octavo volume of 215 pages,' well filled with very interesting matter.

In a previous number, we published an account of the proceedings, in addition to which, in the pamphlet, we have the reports, communications, &c, made to the society, published in full.

An address on the Theory of Disease was delivered by Dr. S. S. Gut. The Central Burean reported provings of Rumex crispus and Polygonum punctatum by Drs. E. Bayard, B. F. Bowers, M. J. Rhees, H. M. Paine, B. J. Joslin and W. E. Payne.

Dr. I. Colby reports on Cold as a Therapeutic Agent, with illustrative cases of spasmodic disease, delirium tremens, tetanus, fevers, puerperal diseases, extreme cases, of scarlet fever, yellow fever, diseases of the brain, colic, spasms, periostitis, and whitlow.

An interesting but short report on Water as a Therapeutic Agent, by Dr. J. D. DAKE follows.

Dr. D. M. Dare reports favorably on the Combination of Potencies, a subject to which he has given considerable attention.

A case of Secondary Syphilis of Eight Years Duration was reported cured, by Dr. W. E. Payne. Having administered various remedies according to the indications, in different potencies, without effect, and having consulted with other homoeopathic physicians with no benefit to the patient, he finally effected ft cure with Merc. corr. and Hydrochlorate of Ammonia, first decimal trituration, administering one grain of each alternately, every six hours. The doctor does not state why he gave the latter remedies.

Dr. S. M. CATE furnishes some suggestions on one Form of Inflammation of the Stomach.

Dr. R. LUDLAM, the indefatigable secretary of the Chicago Homoeopathic Medical Society, reports the success of that organization. A Society that does exist not merely in name, as our readers will probably remember by the trans-actions which were regularly published in the last volume of the Review.

Dr. D. Thayer, of the Massachusetts Homoeopathic Medical Society, gives an interesting sketch of that body. Organized in 1841, under a different name, it was not till 1856 that it was incorporated. The present number of members is seventy-six. Dr. Gregg, in 1888, was the first to introduce Homoeopathy into Massachusetts; after him came Dr. J. F. Flagg, in the autumn of the same year. Then followed Drs. C. Wild and Spooner, in 1839. In 1840, Drs. Wild, Fuller, Russell and Ingals. Dr. W. Wesselhoeft arrived in 1842. In this State the Homoeopathic Practitioners now number by hundreds. In Boston, there are twenty-six.

The Report of the Philadelphia Northern Home for Friendless Children is published next, and shows very satisfactory results. A synopsis of this report was published in the Review in July last.

Dr. H. D. Paine's instructive article on Diphtheria which was published in our September issue, follows next in order.

In the Report of the Committee on Deceased Member's are published obituary notices of A. Gerald Hull, M.D.; William Wesselhoeft, M.D.; John M. Randal, M.D.; and John D. Wood, M.D.

The Treasurer's Report, Constitution and By-Laws, and List of Members follow,

As an Appendix, is published an account of the very hospitable reception given to the Institute by the Massachusetts Homoeopathic Medical Society, and Boston Academy of Homoeopathic Medicine.

This Pamphlet is sent only to members and can net be obtained by others.

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THE AVOIDABLE CAUSES OF DISEASE, INSANITY AND DEFORMITY. BY JOHN ELLIS, M.D. 12mo., pp. 348; New York, published by the Author. 1860.

Dr. Ellis believes that every true lover of humanity, in the medical profession, has before him a nobler calling than that of the scavenger, who confines himself to the removal of effects, while the causes still remain and are in a measure subject to his will.

The time when the public revered the physician and followed his directions without enquiring the why and wherefore, is fast passing away, and an intelligent community will now no longer suffer the impositions of ignorant quacks. A physician who merely prescribes for existing evils and is unable to prevent their recurrence, must give way for others more learned than he.

The people must know the facts, avoid disease where possible and remove it where practicable; and there is no one more capable of teaching those foots than the intelligent physician. Knowing this, Dr. Ellis has endeavored to present in as clear a manner and as compact a form as possible, the causes which operate on the human system to bring about disease.

Many of the foots are not new, though none the less important for that, but are collated from various sources, rendering the work interesting if not instructive to the physician, while it can scarcely foil to be both to the community at large.

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MARRIAGE AND ITS VIOLATIONS, LICENTIOUSNESS and Vice. By John ELLIS, M.D. 12mo., pp. 48. New York, published by the Author. 1860. Under the head of “Marriage,” “Divorces,” “Abuses of Married Life,” “Fetal Murder,” “Licentiousness,” and “Vice,” the Author endeavors to show the evil done to present society and future generations by marriages contracted between parties unsuited to each other, morally, socially, or physically. This work, like the previous one, is intended more for the laity than the profession.

PHTHISIS PULMONALIS, shown to be the result of a perverted secretion of the mucous membrane, and its cure established by homoeopathic remedies. By Rollin R. Gregg, M.D., Canandaigua. 8vo., pp. 56.

The Author of this little monograph inherited the disease of which he treats, and thus being an interested person, has made its pathology and cure his study for several years.

Aware of the vagueness which envelopes all the treatises on this subject, Dr. Gregg commenced to investigate thoroughly this dreaded disease and the possibility of its cure by homoeopathic remedies. The success of his investigation proved to him, that the great law of similia was equally as potent in this as in other diseases. Having no theory to sustain, he commenced his labors untrammelled, and from the result of a prescription on a patient, was led to regard the fact, that boil, which have a core that leaves a deep pit in the fresh after discharging, are none other than tuberculous matter deposited in the areolar tissue which acts as a foreign body, causing suppuration and discharge.

In the case mentioned, Lycopodium was the drug indicated by the symptoms, after taking which, two large boils were observed on the shoulders which, when discharging, left pits in the flesh half to three quarters of an inch in depth; on the forming of the boils, the pain and soreness, and cough entirely subsided. The appearance of boils, he found in many cases, to be the signal of relief, and then arose the question — What was the connection between the tubercles and boils? In several cases of serious disease of the lungs, to which the doctor had been called, he found, upon enquiry, that the patient had suffered severely from boils immediately previous to the appearance of disease in the lungs, and that these had been healed both with external applications made to “scatter them,” and with mild cathartics in the hope of “purifying the blood.”

From facts thus elucidated and from experiments, the author comes to the conclusion, that tuberculous matter is “simply a perverted secretion of the mucous membranes, which is thrown out as a consequence of an irritation or an abrasion of their surfaces, by disease for the most part, but sometimes also, by continued inhalation of fine particles of stone, iron, steel, &c.”

We need not follow the Author in his argument, suffice it to say that his deductions are well grounded. He mentions several instances where cures have been effected, even in some serious cases, and when such had been pronounced incurable by other practitioners. One of these oases were cured by Lycopodium and Bryonia, and another by Merc. sol., another by Kali carb., others by Pulsatilla, Calcarea carb., Phosphorus, Stannum, Carbo. veg., Graphites, &c. Scarcely two cases received the same treatment.

Attention, of course, was paid to diet and exercise, as auxiliaries to the medical treatment.

Dr. Gregg does not wish to establish rules for the attenuations of the remedies employed or the intervals of administration, as this depends on the judgment of the practitioner. Great care should be taken not to repeat the dose until the preceding one had expended its action.

He has endeavoured to show that any routine method will surely fail, and that only with a thorough knowledge of the pathogenesy of the drug, will the practitioner succeed.

A Treatise on Medical Electricity, Theoretical and Practical: and its Use in the Treatment of Paralysis, Neuralgia and other diseases. By J. ALTHAUS, M. D. 12mo., pp. 364. Philadelphia. Lindsay and Blakiston: New York, S. S. and W. Wood. 1860.

What the uneducated sometimes learn by instinct or intuition, the learned acquire after long study and observation. Thus has it been with Electricity, Galvanism, Mesmerism, Hypnotism, and various other imponderable agents. The masses hate long felt their power and efficacy in alienating pain and, as has been declared, removing disease.

After the stigma, placed by the orthordox on all reformers, has, to a certain extent, been removed from “magnetic physicians,” “electro-pathologists” and others, and the people have given their verdict in their favor, the “Regulars” are compelled to examine into the subject, and there learn that it is “all right” in accordance with a law they have long known, and thus antedate their knowledge and adoption of this valuable adjuvant.

Every Homoeopath knows the homoeopathicity of this valuable agent to many diseases, and while our allopathic brethren are discussing its “modus operandi,” they are quietly availing themselves of a remedy, which the discoveries of Hahnemann enabled them to apply in the treatment of its peculiar pathogenetic symptoms.

The work before us gives descriptions of the various batteries now in use and the manner of using them in different diseases. It records the facts ascertained by different observers, derived mostly from physiological experiments.

This agent is recommended in place of the cautery; as a means of diagnosis and in some cases as having a specific action on various parts.

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The HOMOEOPATHIC DOMESTIC PHYSICIAN. By C. Hering, M.D. Seventh American Edition. 8vo., pp. 892. Philadelphia, F. E. Boericke. 1859. The present edition of Dr. Bering's Work contains but few additions to the previous one published two years ago. It is seldom that anything is published in this country from the pen of Dr. Hering, and many hints, useful to the physician as well as laymen, are to be found in his “Domestic Physician.”

Dr. Hering's book is the oldest homoeopathic work adapted to family use in this country; the first edition having been published in 1835. Several editions issued since then were without his approval, as the person trusted with their revision had taken liberties which the author could not endorse.

The present edition, and also the previous one, has been revised by Dr. Hering himself.

ALLOPATHY AND HOMOEOPATHY CONTRASTED. Origin and Early History of Allopathy. Origin and Early History of Homoeopathy By John Williams Haywood. 8vo., pp. 40. Manchester, Eng., Turner and Co. The title of this pamphlet sufficiently well indicates its purpose as a tract for distribution among the laity. It is compiled from the best authorities, and the public thus allowed to judge between the falsity and inconsistency of the one, and the scientific basis of the other mode of practice.

This tract is the second part of one, with a similar title, received and noticed a few months since.

THE UNITED STATES JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY. Published by C. T. Hurlburt, New York.

The above is the title of a new applicant for professional fetors, the first number of which was published in February.

The new Journal will appear quarterly, and under the auspices of some fifty physicians of the Homoeopathic School, some of whom are well known as writers, while others hate published nothing by which we can judge of their ability.

The number before us is filled with articles on “Medical Philosophy,” “Theory and Practice, “Miscellaneous,” “Experimental Physiology and Pathology,” and “Materia Medica.”

Dr. J. P. DAKE furnishes an article on the “Homoeopathic Law.” Drs. Leon, Clark, Culbert, Helmuth and others report a number of cases. Contributions are published from Drs. D. M. Dake, Williamson, Lilienthal, Baird, Adams and others. Dr. Lazarus furnishes a great number of Translations from the French. And Dr. Blumenthal a translation from the German.

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POEMS. By WILLIAM H. HOLCOMBE, M.D. 12mo., pp. 860. New York, Mason Brothers. 1860.

It is sufficient for us to announce the publication of this volume of poems from the pen of our co-laborer in the field of medicine. The reputation of the Author as a writer, as well as a successful practitioner, renders any remark from us unnecessary.

Dr. Holcombe aims to do for the homoeopathic profession what Dr. Holmes has done for the profession at large. The Author is a believer in the doctrines first enunciated by Swedenborg, and his work is pervaded with the spirit of the new church teachings.

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A GUIDE TO THE PRACTICAL STUDY OF DISEASES OF THE EYE. With an Outline of their Medical and Operative Treatment. By JAMES DIXON, F. R. C. S. From the Second London Edition. 12mo., pp. 420. Philadelphia, Lindsay and Blakiston; New York, Sold by S. S. and W. Wood. 1860. To direct the attention of the student to the delicate changes which the tissues of the eye present under various morbid conditions, rather than furnish a work on ophthalmic pathology, has been the object of the author of the work before us.

Having had twelve years experience as surgeon to the largest ophthalmic hospital in England, Dr. Dixon should be well qualified to write a work on this speciality. From the treatment prescribed in this book, the Homoeopathist would of course derive little benefit, but many valuable hints can be derived from the description of diseases here given.