Issue 10, pp. 753-832, October 1861, SMSJ

1861.] Remedies of the Southern Confederacy. 7G5he thoracic, and with no less success, for he has broughtit to an almost incredible degree oi' perfection. With hisplate of ivory and his flattened fingers 1 ends lie diagnostieverything—tumorsof the abdomen, abscessrerywhere,aneurisms, &c. All acknowledge the delicacyand accuracy oi' his test, while the looker on is lost inadmiration, and wonders whether all his senses are notreally concentrated in the ends of his fingers, which byconstant drumming have at length become the very reverseof tapering." Wishing, then, to experiment with salt, a few cases ofintermittent fevev, (old stagers,) contracted in Algiers wereselected as subjects. Behold, then. Piorry at the bedside.The patient asserts that he contracted the fever and agueseveral years since in Africa ; that he has frequently beencured, but that the disease has constantly reappeared at theend ot fifteen days, or one month at farthest. The type ofthe fever is tertian. The spleen is pei cussed and found tobe abnormally dull throughout its wbole extent;the entiresplenic region is sensitive upon percussion, particularly overthe dullest points ; and each blow is accompanied bymarked contortions of the countenance. The sensibilityextends but little beyond the region of dulness, which lastoccupies an extent of fifty-three lines, measuring in the directionindicated above. To this patient a drachm of salicinis administered without producing any change in thedimensions of the spleen. A few minutes subsequently,half an ounce of salt, mixed with a cup of soup is given,and upon carefully percussing the splenic region at the endof four minutes, this organ is found diminished one inch,from above downwards. The next day the spleen is foundto be of the same size, but upon the administration of asecond dose of salt, it suddenly contracts and measuresnearly three quarters of an inch less than ay. Themance throughout the entire organ has increased whilethe sensibility has diminished. The succeeding day theattack of fever is very slight, and upon giving a third dose