The last ten pages of his paper Mr. Taylor devotes to the consideration of the following medico-legal propositions:

"1.-A person may have died from perforation of the stomach through disease and not from poison.

"2. A person laboring under the disease, may be the subject of poison.

"3.-A person laboring under the disease, may have received blows or injuries on the abdomen, in which case it may be necessary to state, whether the perforation did or did not result from the violence used.

"4.-A perforation of the stomach from post-mortem changes may be mistaken for perforation from poison."

In connection with the first, he gives a very interesting case, in which the circumstances of a moral nature-the symptoms under which the patient labored-and some of the post-mortem appearances, were very strongly in favor of the supposition of poisoning, but upon applying the diagnostic tests, already detailed, for perforation by ulceration, the case was made out so clearly that it was not even deemed necessary to have a coroner's inquest over the body.

Two questions very naturally grow out of the second proposition.-"1. Whether the perforation, or the diseased state of the stomach leading to it, was due to poison. 2. Whether the disease or poison was the cause of death."—"The first question will be answered by considering the nature of the substance. Thus, knowing that the corrosives and irritants alone are liable to cause perforation of the stomach, the discovery of a narcotic poison will shew that the disease and the substance taken, could not have had any connection with each other. So again among the irritants, there are some, perhaps the greater number, not likely to be followed by perforation of the stomach."-The second may be determined, by ascertaining the symptoms under which the patient labored; whether those of ulceration, or of poisoning and by the ap

pearances found upon dissection. See the characteristics of perforation by ulceration, and those by poisoning, already detailed.

With respect to the third proposition, any case of the kind may be determined, with some degree of certainty, by considering the nature of the violence inflicted, and the character of the perforation. Thus, if it proceed from the disease alone, a perforation peculiar to ulceration will be found; whereas, if from the violence, some laceration might be expected.

The fourth proposition presents a case which may possibly happen by the concurrence of extraordinary circumstances; but must necessarily be very rare. A case however may occur, in which the person may labor under the symptoms of irritant poisoning, and perforation be caused after death by the gastric secretion. In such a case, it will be necessary to take into consideration the general circumstances—to ascertain minutely the character of the symptoms-and attend to the post-mortem appearances, as already directed in such

cases.

We have thus given an abstract of this paper of Mr. Taylor's, and trust that we will not be considered to have devoted more space to it, than was due to its merits.

3.-On the diurnal variations of the Pulse. By William Augustus Guy, M. B. &c.

In former numbers of these reports, Dr. Guy gave the results of his experiments on the effect produced by change of posture on the pulse of healthy males-and on the effect produced by the same cause, as modified by age and sex. The object of his paper now before us, besides that set forth by its title is to show the susceptibility of the pulse to effects by different agents, at different periods of the day.

The experiments are reported fully, and with minuteness; but as it is only desirable to show the general effects, it will suffice to notice the mean results.

Twenty observations made on himself, upon rising in the morning, and the same number, upon going to bed, gave as an average, sixty-four beats in the morning, and fifty-four at night. There was however between the highest number in the morning and the lowest at night, a difference of eighteen beats. "This remarkable diminution towards night" he observes, "took place in spite of the various excitements produced by food, study, or exercise, during a space of fifteen or sixteen hours."

His next series of observations was designed to show the state of the pulse throughout the entire day, in which it was counted every quarter of an hour, from nine and a half in the morning to twelve and a quarter at night: during which time he was engaged in a study, which produced no excitement of mind and required no change of position. From the results, it appears that there was a sudden increase in the number of beats, at a quarter to ten, from sixty to seventy-nine, produced by breakfast. That from this time there was a gradual diminution, until it got as low as fifty-two at quarter past four-that it remained at this, one hour and a quarter, when it suddenly increased again to seventy; which increase was produced by dinner. From this time there was an irregular diminution, falling and then rising again two or three beats, when, at a quarter to twelve, it was again at fifty-two. At twelve, and a quarter past twelve, it was at fifty-six and fiftyfive.

Another single series of observations, from nine A. M., until two P. M., showed that the diminution towards evening

is not constant; and also, that there may be considerable fluctuation in the morning as well as in the evening.

Another series designed to ascertain the effect of fasting upon the pulse, and which was protracted during a space of thirteen hours, showed a diminution of six beats, with "occasional fluctuations."

The next observations were made to institute a more exact comparison between the state of the pulse in the morning and evening, by examining it in the morning and evening under precisely the same circumstances. A set of observations consisting of eleven series was first made, to try the effect of continued rest on the morning and evening pulse. A second set, consisting of fourteen series was made, to try the effect of food on the same.

In regard to the first, the plan adopted was to ascertain its frequency before breakfast, as a standard of comparison throughout the day. Breakfast was then taken; and waiting until the pulse had subsided, from the increased frequency produced by the meal, to what it was before breakfast, it was counted every quarter of an hour, for a period varying in different series, from half an hour to two hours; and the mean frequency of the whole was noted. The minimum frequency was also noted. Remaining after dinner then in a state of rest, until the pulse had acquired the same frequency which it had before breakfast, (which was generally about eight or nine in the evening,) tea was taken, consisting of exactly the same with the breakfast, and the observations made as in the morning. The results also were noted as before. This was repeated eleven days, and a table constructed, containing the results of each day. The following is given by Dr. Guy, as "the mean results of the series given in the table."

In the second set of observations, viz: those to show the effect of food, precisely the same plan was adopted as in the above, and the fourteen series of observations give the following mean results:

The following are the average results of six experiments, in which the pulse

before the meal was sixty.

After noticing the uniformity of the results, the author remarks that, "by far the most remarkable fact established by these observations, is, that the same food which in the morning increases the frequency of the pulse from five to twelve beats, and keeps it raised above its natural number from one to two hours, may in the evening produce no effect whatever." He

*That is to say, the instances in which the pulse, instead of being less frequent, was more frequent than in the preceding observation, were in the morning in the proportion of 29 per cent., and in the evening of 13 per cent.