The third edition of Dr. BILLING'S First Principles of Medi-
cine, is a very able and valuable work ; the fruit, as all scientific works ought to be, of the thoughts and inquiries of many years steadily directed to one subject. When Dr. BILLING left the University and began the study of medicine, he was puzzled by the contradictory theories, the" complete chaos" of the science. The Professor of Physic, a family friend, when questioned home, gave no satisfactory solution of young BILLING'S difficulties. The surgeon, when pressed hard by the Socratic method of rea- soning, as to why he applied opposite remedies to the same symp- toms, at last cut the discussion short by saying " that he would find out by experience." At different hospitals different modes of treatment were patronized by different physicians; and their followers intimated that " the other sects killed their patients:" but our author found, that when the sense and experience of the practitioners were equal, the respective mortalities were much upon a par. He next consulted medical authors, endeavouring to draw up a code of general principles for his own use ; but without success, as, totally differing from each other, he knew not which to follow. At last he took to studying nature ; and after twenty years of application, published the results of his experience com- pressed into 130 pages, which in this third edition have swelled by additions to nearly 300. It is not our place to enter minutely into a work no longer new, and if not strictly professional, altogether addressed to the pro- fession; but, as an example of Dr. BILLING, we will give an out- line of his theory of that important subject Inflammation. The generally received opinion is, that inflammation arises front increased arterial action; but the Doctor shows there is no action but what is imparted by the heart. So far from increasel arterial action being the cause of inflammation, it is in reality the means or symptom of its cure. The disease arises, in Dr. Et Lust° s opinion, from a dilation or enlargement of the vessels, which la this state receive a greater quantity of blood than they can propel; which irritates the surrounding parts. In very simple cases, the application of cold, or an astringent lotion, makes the arteries con- tract, and restores a healthy, that is an increased action. Local bleeding acts in a similar way. if, however, these means are in- sufficient, then we go to the fountain-head, and resort to general bleeding : for "if we cannot cause the capillaries to contract strongly enough to resist the force of the heart, we are obliged to diminish the force of thecirculation " by taking away blood, which leaves less for the arteries to do. Or the force of the heart can be lowered by medicines, as digitalis.
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