without going through a train of nice or elaborate reasoning. When we view a disease of terrific appearance, from which we apprehend immediate danger or death to the individual, or an extension of its baneful influence to a whole community; when this individual has connected with his or her safety the comfort and happiness of a large family, or the prosperity of a nation, in such a case our minds are instantaneously and forcibly operated on, our judgments directly decide, and we as promptly apply what we deem a proper remedy to remove the present or prevent the approaching evil. This operation of the mind has led physicians to greater exertions in the cure of those diseases which, from their complex nature and origin, we should be induced to suppose would be the last to be effectually cured or removed.

"Small pox, syphilis, fevers in general, and that form called malignant, have for these reasons so much engaged the attention of the physician and the physiologist, that they have been disarmed of many of their former terrors, while diseases inferior in their grade and consequences have longer continued to elude the vigilance and defy the power of physicians.

“We are led to these reflections by considering our feelings in contemplating the diseases to which women are peculiarly subject, and those more particulary the immediate consequence of parturition. The female character is of high interest to the reflecting mind, and everything which affects the health endangers the life, or produces the death of a female, especially of a pregnant or parturient female, has stamped on it an importance that can be felt, but not always expressed. We appreciate an act by the good it produces, and the evil it presents; by its immediate effects or remote consequences.

"We esteem the female character not only as the companion of our lives, as the solace of our cares, as our casuits and resolver of difficulties, not only affecting civil society by calming the tumultuous passions of men, but as the chief agent in the education of children, and thereby forming the manners of the world. They are better qualified than men for this employment, because they are more cheerful and joyous, have much quicker apprehen sions, decide more promptly, and with more judgment, than men called to judge instantly; they are also better judges of taste and propriety. The pride of men makes them suppose that teaching of children is an inferior employment; the truth is, that not one man in a thousand is fitted to teach children.

"Women, we have said, form the manners of the world;

wherever they have their proper rank, that society has its proper dignity; wherever women are debased or abused, there does the human mind grovel in the dirt and degradation of savage barbarism, or a Mahometan tyranny and superstition. The religion of the bible has this, among its other innumerable internal evidences of truth, that it alone, of all others, take the female from the side of the male, constitutes them co-partners, and keeps her by its precepts always near his heart, and entitles her to the dignified privileges of her nature. When such objects of our love and subjects of our care are in danger, we naturally make great exer. tions for their relief. The female system is more under the influence of climate than the male. The uterus is much sooner evolved in warm climates, and puberty appears sooner in the female than the male in such regions. The state of society and manners has also a great effect on the female system. Luxury and indulgence, with heat, have also a tendency to evolve the uterus. In hot climates the uterine vessels are evolved at ten and eleven years of age, and women leave off bearing children at the age of thirtyfive. Warmth and moisture produce a lax fibre, and in a shorter time effects extension of the vessels. A colder climate gives a more rigid fibre, and therefore more time is necessary for evolution. In savage life, the physical means to produce relaxation are wanting, and before time can act, the system is rigid and the vessels prevented from expanding. There is, therefore, a natural reason why savage females (the situation of the climates being equal,) should be longer in evolving their uterine vessels than in civilized and more luxurious society. Women of lax fibres have more children than those of rigid fibres; therefore more births occur in warm than in cold climates. Females, then, in savage life, being later in arriving at puberty, and having more rigid fibres, have fewer children than in more civilized and easy life. The mode of living prevents them from feeling the diseases of luxury. Abortion is rarely the effect of laxity of the system as with our females, nor are they so subject to malformation of the pelvis; laborious births, therefore, are not so frequent as in polished and luxurious society. Their diet and exposure to more cold gives vigor to their system, and the admission of fresh and cool air when parturient, prevents puerpural fever; or, perhaps, we might with more correctness say, that they are entirely freed from almost all the predisponent causes, and therefore not operated on by the usually exciting causes.

"We know that females have more laxity of system than males.

ra.

Previous to the catemenial discharge there is a tendency to general plethora, and at the irruption of the menses to a local plethoThere is therefore a disposition to inflammatory diseases with a laxity of fibre: this laxity of fibre permits the vessels to expand and extend, and if there should be an unusual propulsion of fluids after the vessels had reached a certain point of distention, the vessel will be either ruptured, or congestion takes place, and an effort will be made by the system to get clear of this evil by the excitement of a fever. There is then a disposition to congestion in the female system previous to pregnancy.

"After impregnation, a new stimulus in the uterus produces new and irregular action, and often excites a slight disease-new vessels are formed, and former vessels elongated; and although the fœtus and placenta are supported and nourished by the blood which was before thrown out by the uterine hæmorrhagic effort, yet the distension and extension of the vessels, and the production of new ones, will produce a greater mobility and irritability of the system, and an increased plethora; there is, however, a nausea and disinclination for food attending the beginning of pregnancy, which happily prevents this plethora from doing harm. The enlargement of all vessels of the abdominal viscera, will, of course, increase the quantity of circulating fluids, or accelerate the circulation in them, and perhaps do both; but, if neither is done, then there will of course, be torpor and laxity in the vessels. If the quantity of fluids is increased, the liver of course will secrete more bile, and the increase of quantity in, and the distension of vessels, produce indirect debility, which is ever connected with digestion-the pregnant state then disposes to a greater accumulation of blood in the liver, and to greater production of bile, with a tendency to indirect debility in all these vessels, together with congestion-and hence we account for the occurrence of bilious diarrhoea, which takes place sometimes in pregnancy.

When, with this state of the system, the uterus is suddenly emptied of its contents, a collapse takes place, and, if a greater quantity of fluids than they can readily contain in their collapsed situation, be thrown upon these vessels, they will of course not easily be freed from it, because their contractibility is diminished by their previous over-distension; in this situation, any fever produced, will sooner run through its active or inflammatory stage, and go on to debility. "A priori," then, we should suppose that puerpural fever would be of the genus synochus-and if, to what

we have said, we should add violence in labor and delivery, the use of hot drink, much external heat or confined air, we shall have the predisponent and exciting causes of this disease. Puerpural fever generally comes on the second or third day after delivery, rarely after the fifth day, with a slight chill, succeeded by increased heat and quickened pulse, accompanied with a pain in the head, lassitude, and a sense of weariness in the patient, and a tenderness, if not pain, in the hypogastric region. The first rigor or chill is succeeded by a warm stage and an easy perspiration, which appears to mitigate the symptoms; this, though it is followed by another attack, when the symptoms are all aggravated, the milk at this second paroxysm is always diminished, and the lochial discharge is lessened and becomes very foetid."

TENTH MEETing, albany, FEBRUARY, 1816.

1. Officers and Members present.-Drs. Joseph White, Thomas Broadhead, Nathaniel Jacobs, Jonathan Mosher, Amos G. Hull, Moses Willard, Elijah Porter, Jesse Shepherd, Henry Mitchel, Stephen Reynolds, John Stearns, James Low, Asa Stowers.

Dr. Stearns, from the committee appointed to carry into effect certain amendments to the law regulating the practice of physic and surgery, reported,

That every exertion had been made to procure their adoption, but without effect.

On motion, Resolved, That the report be accepted, and the same committee be continued.

Dr. John Miller, from the county of Cortland, and Jeremiah D. Fowler, of Westchester, produced their certificates as delegates from said counties, and took their seats accordingly.

Dr. Tomlinson, from the county of Dutchess, presented his certificate as delegate from that county, in the place of James L. Van Kleeck, deceased, and took his seat accordingly; as did Dr. Albon Mann, of Franklin.

2. Permanent and Honorary Members.-Drs. Westel Willoughby, Jr., and David Hosack, were unanimously chosen.

The following gentlemen were then presented as Honorary members, viz: Dr. James Hadley, Professor of Chemistry, Fairfield, and John Murray, Esq., Lecturer on Chemistry, Edinburgh.

3. Election of officers for 1817.-The Society then proceeded to the choice of officers for the present year, when the following gentlemen were duly elected to the offices affixed to each of their names. Joseph White, M. D., President. Eli Burret, M. D.

Vice-President. James Low, M. D., Secretary. John Stearns, M. D., Treasurer. John Stearns, Charles D. Townsend, James Low, Eli Burret, Thomas Broadhead, Censors.

John Stearns, David Tomlinson, Asa Stowers, Amos G. Hull, Nathaniel Jacobs, Jonathan Mosher, Elijah Porter, Committee of Correspondence.

Drs. John Stearns, John Miller and Henry Mitchell, were appointed a committee of accounts.

4. Anniversary Address by the President, Dr. White. Extracts from." It is only within a few years past that the progress of medical science has evinced a spirit of emulation, a taste for useful reading, for sober reflection, and for the attainment of practical facts, that has not prevailed at any former period since the days of Sydenham. The genius of that great man led him along the path of medical science till nature unfolded to his view the deepest recesses of her choicest treasures. More than any other man, did he investigate causes and clearly indicate effects; he traced effects up to causes, and there he founded his principles and his practice. Possessed of a clear and penetrating mind, a sound and discriminating judgment, he was eminently qualified to pursue the path that leads to the development of useful science. As his principles emanated from a conviction of facts, he rid himself of wild visionary theories. Nor did he suffer his exalted mind to be misled by brilliant imagination or flights of fancy. He neither strayed into flowery fields, nor pressed into his service the aid of ingenious logic; but rested on facts, and demonstrated them. Never confused himself, he was under no necessity of concealing embarrassments by confusing others. Like a great master, he sought the path of nature, nor did he seek in vain. He was a sentinel at every point; he examined every avenue; nature was the foundation of his system, and his precepts were the results of demonstrations; he illuminated the road to medical science, and, like an able mariner, indicated the shoals and quicksands of ingenious fable. Had succeeding ages followed his system, and been guided by his precepts, we may fairly presume that medical science would now have stood a century in advance. But unfortunate for the progress of medical science, the plain rational system of this great man was succeeded by a fashion for fanciful reasoning, which for a long time kept pace with the progress of general science. Instead of being guided by facts, the science of medicine was constantly tramelled with the whims and caprices of almost every writer. The schools slid into this whimsical