for the knowledge they now possess. Were we to shut out their practice altogether, they are worthy a perusal for their descriptions of disease.

I must however acknowledge that the three first authors were not absolutely necessary for me. Possessing Johnson's work, I could very well have done without the others. In it the most approved practice of the day is laid down, and exceedingly clearly laid down. It is in it that we find perhaps the best view of tropical disease that has yet been taken; that so intimate a connexion is traced between fever, and hepatitis, and dysentery, as almost to shew them to be only modifications of the same disease; that the same remedies modified a little, are applicable to all; and that they are not only applicable to them as occurring in the climate of India, but as occurring in all tropical climates, and very probably also in climates without the tropics. In it the surgeon is taught, that if he has the lancet, and calomel, and opium, and purgatives, he requires little else; and that if he uses them judiciously he will be able to combat, not without success, disease in its most unfavour

able aspect. And although I would not have any one tie himself down to the precepts of this book alone, although it would be wrong rigidly to adhere to any one plan, for no one is perhaps always successful; although it is right for every one to judge, in some degree, for himself, and glean from every quarter what he thinks may be useful: still I am decidedly of the opinion that this is the book upon which the young tropical practitioner should place most reliance; that this will be his best guide at the outset. It is experience alone that will make the judicious and the confident practitioner: it is perhaps only the result both of fortunate and unfortunate cases that will inform us what is best; but until this expe rience has been gained, until we have our lessons from practice itself, we had as well, I think, lean fully more to the lessons of Johnson than any other. It is therefore a book which ought to be in the hands of all who go to India, or countries like it. And I venture to say, that he who studies it well, whatever his doubts and fears may be of his success in tropical practice, will find

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himself armed, by what he draws from it, with no inconsiderable degree of confidence.

The last observation I have to make is, regarding the fitting out of the medicine chest. This may seem hardly necessary; but I do it because I have known it in some cases very badly managed. It sometimes happens that the surgeon is not appointed just until the ship is on the eve of sailing, and all the medicine is supplied before he joins her. Or, even though he has been appointed sometime before, he may think it just as well to allow the apothecary, whom the owners probably recommend, and who probably has supplied the ship before, to do the whole; just to let him supply what he is in the habit of supplying on like occasions. Then when he gets to sea, and comes to examine his medicine, he finds some articles that he probably never will use, and some he would wish much to have, he has not; others he may need a very little of, making a prominent bulk in the chest ; and others he will need very much, dealt out rather sparingly. And thus when he is beyond

the reach of remedying it, he finds himself very awkwardly circumstanced. It should therefore be a point with every surgeon to superintend the laying in of the medicine himself; and by doing so, he may not only save both himself and his patients considerable uneasiness, but he may also save the owners some considerable expense.

For a ship going a voyage averaging twelve months, and carrying fifty persons, I would lay in the following medicines. Magnes. sulph. bx. Soda sulph. Hbx; fol. sennæ, lbss.; sulph. sublim. lbj.; super-tart. potas. bij.; magnes. carbon. Ibss.; pulv. rhei. Zij ; pulv. jalap. Zij; ext. aloe, sp. Zij ; ext, colocynth. c. 3ij; pulv. g. gamboge 3j; ol. ricini, bij; hydrarg. submur. Ibss.; pulv. antimon. 3ij; pulv. ipecac. 3ij; pulv. ipecac. c. 3ij; antimon. tart. 3ss.; opium, 3ij; tinet. opii bj; æther sulph. živ; æther nitros, živ; liq. ammon. acet. Ibss.; tinct. scillæ, zij.; pulv. cinchon, Ħbij; rad. gentian. iv; lig. quassiæ, Ibss; flor. anthemid. bss; soda subcarb. 3iv; acid. tartar, Zij; acid.

sulphur. živ; acid. nitric. tbss; camphor, zij; ung. hydrarg. fort. Hbij; ung. hydrarg. nit. bss; ung. resin, bj; cerat. cetacei, bj; mass. pil. hydrarg. Hbj; bals. copaib. Ibss; gum guaiac, žij; zinc. sulph. živ; cup.sulph. 3ij; plumb.superacet. Ziv; alum. ziv; nit. potass. 3iv; cret. pp. živ; tinct. catechu, živ; liniment. sapo. c. fbss; ol. terebinth. Ibss; ol. olivæ, tbss; liq. ammon. Živ; tinct. benzoin. c. 3j; tinct. myrrh. 3j; nit. argent. 3ss; hydrarg. oxymur. 3ss; hydrarg. oxyd. rub, 3ss; liquor calcis, bj; emp. lyttæ, bij; lint, bss; adhesive strap, six yards; skin; court plaster. The usual appendages of the medicine chest.

When a considerable number of genteel passengers are to come under charge, who expect rather finer things occasionally than we can make the common sailor do with; and particularly if there be females and children amongst them, perhaps a few additional articles may be required, as, tinct. valerian. am. živ; tinct. cardam. c. tbss; sp. levand. c. 3ij; sp. menth. pip.