out the country, and especially those of the South, in which the principles of pathology should be thoroughly taught, both general and special, but more particularly the former, for the reason, that the perpetually changing character of our diseases require it, and nothing short of a long course of observation and experience will serve to supply the want or deficiency of it, as every practitioner who has been long-engaged in the profession is able to testify. And being a comparatively new branch of medical science, and necessarily imperfect in its infancy, it becomes every physician, who desires or expects to see any advance and improvement made in the healing art, to throw the weight of his talents and influence in aid of its development and perfection, which will eventually raise the standard of the profession high above the reach of every species of low and vulgar charlatanism.

But would not this "consummation, so devoutly to be wished for," be sooner attained by the establishment of something like a National College of Physicians and Surgeons, which would bring together and combine the best talent from all parts of our land, and which would serve as a sort of regulator to all the other schools and colleges, and finally furnish us with a system of practice founded upon the most correct principles of pathology, both general and special, which would answer for every latitude and climate throughout our widely extended country? But I fear that the sectional prejudice and animosity-the rivalship and jealousy, existing among the medical schools, (which are becoming very numerous in the land, and creating a greater necessity for such an establishment, or institution,) whose province it should be to take the lead in such an enterprise, will prevent them from ever doing so. Until such a work is undertaken and accomplished, I shall never expect to see a much better state of things existing in the profession than I have described, and must remain content with being run over "rough shod," by Thompsonians, Homœopathists, Graeffenburgers, &c., &c., for whom I entertain a more sincere respect, than for those physicians who try to rob them of their thunder.

Having thus given expression to my opinions, as to the causes which have prevented the proportional advancement of practical medicine with the advance of other branches of the science, but which have tended rather to produce a retrograde movement in the healing art--and having ventured to suggest a remedy, or

corrective, for the evils complained of, which many, no doubt, will be disposed to regard as imaginary, and having no real existence, and that my criticism upon the present state of the profession, is but the effervescence of a morbid sensibility or of disappointed ambition, I will leave the subject, and proceed with an examination of some of those much abused and rejected remedies already spoken of, the first of which will be the Lancct; for the reason that it very naturally comes first in the order of remedies, according to the classification which I have adopted, namely, the "Inflammatory" and Irritant, the Congestive, the Congesto-inflammatory, and Congesto-irritant forms of disease. But as this subject must be reserved for my next letter, which I hope to make more interesting and instructive than the present one,

I must subscribe myself, as usual, your friend, &c.
SAML. D. HOLT.

ARTICLE III.

Non-Congenital Talipes. By L. A. DUGAS, M. D., &c.

The subject of the present case is a daughter of Mr. B., of Lithonia, in this State: she was born in March 1851, and in November 1853 was attacked with Erysipelas, with which she was very ill, and remained feeble for some length of time. I am informed that she had no spasmodic affection during or subsequently to her illness; but it was observed, when she began to run about again, that she was lame. This lameness gradually increasing, its cause was observed to be in the foot, whose distortion grew more and more obvious until I saw her, in August, 1854. The case then presented all the peculiarities of a well-marked Talipes varus, the weight of the body resting upon the external margin of the foot; one only being effected.

By a sub-cutaneous incision the tendo-achilles was divided in the usual way, and a few days after, Dr. Chase's very simple and useful apparatus was applied for the purpose of gradually bringing the toes upwards and outwards. This succeeded admirably, and in a few weeks she was enabled to walk flat-footed.

It is difficult to account for the production of such a deformity by an attack of erysipelas; yet, as the cause of these distortions, whether congenital or otherwise, is still involved in obscurity, it is

well to accumulate facts on the subject. This is the fourth case of non-congenital talipes I have met in private practice. The others have been reported in this Journal for 1853, p. 142, and 1854, p.

210.

Observations on the Root of Gossypium Herbaceum, or, Cotton Plant. By THOMAS J. SHAW, M. D., of Robertson County, Tenn.

Cotton Root-Its General Characters. It is fusiform in shape, giving off small radicles throughout its length. The size of the root varies, according to the soil from which it is produced. Its length varies from a few inches to that of a foot. When the root is cut or broken, it displays a white color; the bark is of a reddish brown; the taste is pleasant, somewhat sweet and astringent; it contains more of the latter principle than the root from which it is procured; it is very mucilaginous in its properties. The root is easily broken when dry, but the bark is quite tenacious, pulling off in strings.

This root is too well known in this country to require a lengthy description; therefore I will pass to the chemical analysis, as prepared and furnished to me by my esteemed friend, Mr. H. B. Orr, of Nashville, Tenn.

Chemical Examinations of the Root. The result of which, as accurately as might be determined, is as follows, to wit:

Gum, Albumen, Sugar, Starch, Tannic Acid, Gallic Acid, Chlorophyle, Iodine, Caoutchouc, Black Resin, Red Extractive Matter, Black and White Oleaginous-like Matter. The latter two abound in this plant.

Proximate Principles. Experiments were made with a view to the isolation of the active principle of the root, which were not altogether satisfactory; for though there was no crystalline principle obtained, as was desired, making the existence of it palpable and distinct to all; still there is evidence in favor of a principle existing in it. Time did not admit of an extended experiment in this department of the analysis. The author indulges a hope of having time to examine the active principle more minutely than he has yet done. What he has seen suffices to convince him that the medical properties attributed to it are not fallacious.

The attention of the medical profession was called to the medical properties of this root, first by Drs. McGown and Bonchell, of Mississippi; the latter gentleman by an article written in the Western Journal of Medicine and Surgery, about the year 1842, as well as I recollect. For a want of confirmation, it passed unnoticed by the profession, until the year 1852, when it was again brought into notice in an article written by Dr. John Travis, of Marlborough, Tennessee, in the Nashville Journal of Medicine and

Surgery. He reported but one case in which he tried it, and it was with entire success, restoring the menstrual flow in a short time, after an absence of about ten months.

I consider this root one of the very best emmenagogues of the materia medica, and I think it should be so classed. My reasons for considering it such, are grounded upon the different experiments which I have made with it, within the last twelve months. I sometimes use a decoction, and at others an infusion, but most generally a decoction, prepared thus:

B. Cotton Root, 3iv.; Water, lbs. ij.

boil down to one pint. S.-A wine glass full every hour. This produces the most salutary effect in dysmenorrhoea; it acts as an anodyne in allaying the pain, and as an emmenagogue in aiding or augmenting menstruation; its action is very speedy; after its exhibition, in this case it produces an effect which, indeed, appears almost natural, that is, almost without pain; the patient, after its exhibition, feels but little inconvenience from pain, which soon subsides, and menstruation is immediately augmented, without acceleration of the pulse or gastric uneasiness. There are few other emmenagogues that can claim this feature.

Its action in amenorrhoea I think superior to any other emmenagogue belonging to the materia medica, though it would be proper to pay some attention to the general health of the patient before its exhibition. It is superior to any thing that I have tried in the way of emmenagogues. I have had cases in which I first tried the usual emmenagogues, with but little effect, (or success,) when I would determine on trying the decoction of this root, which would far surpass my expectations by acting with the most marked effect; menstruation being produced on the following day after its exhibition. All of the symptoms disappeared on exhibition of this medicine. I believe this to be the best emmenagogue that we can employ in mere suppressio mensium, where there is no other disturbance in the general health.

With the usual emmenagogues, I was enabled to produce the catamenia on a young lady, which continued for about twentyfour hours, then suddenly becoming very sparse and painful; and in a few days after this period had passed, I employed the infusion of the cotton root as a means of exciting this function, which it did on the following day, a plentiful discharge being produced, which continued for five or six days. She has been regular at every period since that time, and has enjoyed good health, with the exception of a few simple attacks, which caused no derangement of the menstrual function. For about twelve months previous to the exhibition of this medicine, her health was very much impaired, but she commenced improving, and soon recovered her health. I could detail other cases similar, in which I have tried the decoction with the same effect, but I deem it unnecessary to mention its action in each individual case.

N. S.-VOL. XII. NO. I.

2

As a parturient Agent, I think it superior to ergot in one sense of the word, and in another about its equal, its action being about as prompt as that of ergot, and attended with much less danger. I have tried both in parturition, and found the cotton root decoction to act with fully as much efficacy as ergot. In some cases in which I have tried it, the pain was to some extent allayed, and labor promoted with as much speed as when ergot was administered. It appears to be perfectly harmless, from the fact that its action is almost unattended with pain. It causes neither gastric distress, or acceleration of the pulse; if it does, it is not perceptible; both of which are occasioned by ergot, to some extent.

I have witnessed its action in retained placenta with good effect, which was an expulsion of the mass in about twenty minutes after the exhibition of the first dose. It may be proper to say, that I gave two doses before the placenta was thrown off. I believe it to be safer as parturient agent, or an emmenagogue, or at least as safe, as any other article of the materia medica.

It should have a fair and impartial trial by the profession generally, because it will prove itself worthy of the time and labor spent in its investigation. It is handy to all, and free of expense. A few trials by the profession will confirm the truth of this short essay. Give it a trial, and it will prove itself in some case of amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhea, or probably in some lingering case of labor, which may require the assistance of medicine, to produce contraction of the uterus for the expulsion of the child. I think it worthy of the attention of the profession, in the above cases.

Tincture of the Cotton Root as a Tonic. There is a condition of the system in which this tincture acts as a valuable restorative. These cases are of a leuco-phlegmatic temperament of both sexes, but it is to the female sex that I wish to draw the attention of the reader. Where there is general bad health, accompanied with tardy menstruation, I have used it with the happiest effect; in a few cases of emansio mensium, caused by anemia, where the patient was troubled with pains in the loins and giddiness of the head, with a derangement of the digestive organs, such as anorexia, accompanied with an uneasy, depressed feeling at the scrobiculus cordis, every month, which was promptly relieved by the tincture, but not with the effect of producing the menstrual flux, which was afterwards produced by the decoction, I find it necessary to continue the tincture from two to four weeks. The strength of the tincture that I have been in the habit of using, is prepared thus:

Bark of the Root, (dry,) 3 viij.; Diluted Alcohol, Ib. ij.

Digest fourteen days, then filter and give it in 3j. doses, three or four times a day. The tincture which I used was prepared by myself; and as I have seen no account of its use, I claim the first preparation of it, as well as the first experiment with it. My