Memorable Events in the Life of a London Physician. (Virtue.)—
'This volume does not consist, as its title might naturally lead the reader to suppose, of a collection of narratives drawn from the experiences of a London doctor, after the fashion of Mr. Samuel Warren's "Diary of a Late Physician." It is, on the contrary, a lengthy protest on the part
of Dr. Samuel Dickson, the well-known advocate of the chronothermaI system of medicine, against the unworthy treatment which he has
almost invariably received at the hands of his professional brethren. Dr. Dickson, who, though his name does not appear on the title-page, loses no time in proclaiming himself the author of the book, complains that, now that the importance of the chronothermal theory and the theory of the unity of diseases is becoming generally admitted, attempts are being made to ignore his claim to be considered as the originator of these two great discoveries. Sir B. Brodie, Sir H. Holland, Dr. Todd, Dr. Watson, and Mr. Paget, appear to be the gentlemen by whom he conceives himself to have been principally wronged. We have no doubt that Dr. Dickson's claim of priority as regards these theories is well founded ; but we cannot agree with him that this fact entitles him to the warm eulogium which has been pronounced upon him by a Yankee editor as "the greatest of all the benefactors of our race, who has done for medicine what Newton did for astronomy." As a literary production, his book cannot be highly praised. It is exceedingly rambling and diffuse, and abounds with instances of virulence and bad taste which render its effect much less than that which would have been produced by a plain and dispassionate statement of facts.
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