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digious influx of water into the stomach canbe without its influence on the system.Mechanical and unscientific as the idea mayappear, I confess I am disposed to attributea considerable effect to the complete removalof all the offensive matter which had pol-luted the vessels, thus thoroughly rinsingthem out, and leaving them in a clean stateto receive a supply of more healthy flnids.Nor are we to regard the adjuncts as (someof them, at least,) without their influence,although, I must think, that many of themwere carried to an empirical, and I will say,aludicrous extent. The annals of medicine,from the earliest periods, contain accounts ofthe temples of health, which were under thedirection of the Asclepiadae; the sacred foun-tains of Greece and Italy, to which Hippo-crates and Celsus sent their patients; themiraculous springs, dedicated to various I,saints male and female, in the middle ages,and the acknowledged cures performed inmodern times by waters, of which the chiefpeculiarity consists in their purit); all whichmay be placed in the same category, andwhich may serve to explain, a part, at least,of the benefit derived from hydropathy.

NOTE FROM DR. GOLDING BIRD.

GOLDING BIRD.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,-I exceedingly regret that I should

appear to have misinterpreted Dr. Copland’sopinions on the pathology of croup in thedebate on a case of that disease before theLondon Medical Society.The impression on my mind certainly

was, that Dr. Copland had regarded truecroup (tracheitis albuminosa), laryngismusstridulus of Gooch, and the diptherite ofM. Bretonneau, as mere modifications of oneand the same disease. In alluding to thelatter affection, Dr. Copland stated that he" agrees with M. Bricheteau in considering

that the distinction here contended for (be-tween diptherite and croup) is calculatedmore to puzzle the inexperienced than to ad-vance our knowledge."-(Dictionary ofPractical Medicine, vol. i., p. 450.) Andunder the article 11 Croup," in his laboriouswork, this distinguished and excellent phy-sician notices the pathology and treatmentof the following modifications of the dis-ease :-

11 first. Croup, with predominance ofacutely inflammatory symptoms (the acutelyinflammatory croup of several modern au-thors)."

"

" Secondly. Croup, with predominance ofbronchial symptoms (cynanche trachealishumides of ltuii, the mucous croup of somemodern authors)." PP

« Thirdly. Croup, with predl)minance ofspasmodic and nervous symptoms (laryngismusstridulus of Good, spasmodic croup of

Wichmann, Michaelis, Double, and the

acute asthma of infants of Simpson andMuller)."

I quote these definitions of the modifica-tions of croup in justice to myself, and notwith the most distant intention of detractingfrom the excellence of the valuable work,for the compilation of which the professionmust remain deeply indebted to its talentedand indefatigable author. I remain, Sir,vonr obedient ;erva.nt-

Myddelton-square, Feb. 19, 1844,

BRITISH MEDICAL JOUR-NALS.

WE find in the 11 Dublin Medical Press"of Feb. 17th the following interesting case of

FOREIGN BODY IN THE AIR-PASSAGES,communicated by Dr. Houston :-" D. K.,a healthy country girl, aetat. 16, was ad-mitted into the City of Dublin Hospital,March 15, 1841. About a month previously,while holding a piece of stick in her mouth,she laughed suddenly at some observationmade by a companion, when the stick passedbackwards, and she was seized instantlywith a severe fit of coughing, which lastedfor upwards of an hour. She thought shehad swallowed the stick, and had a feelingas if it was sticking in the upper part of thethroat. Pressure there caused pain. Shesoon became a little hoarse, and had repeatedfits of coughing, which were brought onespecially by stooping or turning her bodymuch to one side. For a week symptomscontinued much in this state. At the expi-ration of this time the sensation of pain hadceased to be felt high up, and was now com-plained of as existing at the upper part ofthe sternum, leading her to think that thebody had passed further downwards. Now,too, for the first time her expectoration wasstreaked with blood. Her voice, during thesecond week, became quite inaudible fromhoarseness. By a liniment and some medi-cines the hoarseness was removed. A pro-bang and an emetic satisfied her medicalattendants that the foreign body was natlocated either in the pharynx or oesophagus.When questioned regarding the piece of

wood, she described it as having been aboutan inch long, very hard and black, about thethickness of a straw, and with a head flat-tened sideways.

Symptoms on admission into Hospital.—Voice feeble and hoarse-very hoarse onattempting to speak loud, but clear andsilvery when speaking low; cough frequent,and sometimes attended with pain, as if froma pin sticking in the throat. This pain is

produced also by suddenly turning the headto one side or stooping ; but there is no painon pressure anywhere in the neck. She getsfits of coughing in bed, at night, much more