a little forwards, the knees drawn upwards, and the legs carried towards the back part of the thighs, while the arms, being also bent, occupy the space between the head and the knees. This position, however, we agree with Dr. Dods in saying, will, if long continued, either asleep or awake, become irksome and painful, as will any other position, if not changed for some other, whenever uneasiness is felt. Since this is natural and right then,—what are we to think of the mother, the nurse, or the governess, who watches most anxiously to prevent her girls from sleeping in this position? And, what can a recent author mean, by saying, that "particular care ought to be taken that she should not lie crooked in bed?"

We do not object to either the horizontal or the inclined bed, sofa, or couch, provided they are not abused, and are limited to such periods as may give necessary rest and be comfortable. Beyond this, we should decidedly object to them. It may be necessary, however, to remark, that it has been long a rule, with the most distinguished of the faculty, to prohibit lying on the back in all cases of sickness. Why Mr. Baynton, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Ward, Dr. Harrison, and others, should adopt a different practice in cases of spinal deformity, we are at a loss to conceive. Mr. Bampfield has, in our opinion, set the question at rest, in his forcible reasons for preferring lying on the face, by which the spine is not only rendered

E

more straight the instant the position is assumed, while the weight of the body is entirely taken off from it, but, in endeavouring to lie comfortably, the muscles are slightly exercised, and, consequently, strengthened. The breast bone also, instead of being protruded below, as in lying on the back, is drawn rather inwards, to the improvement of the form of the chest.

WINDLASS, STRETCHING CHAIR, AND PRESS.

66

When actual deformity has been produced by any of the very blameable methods which we have discussed, recourse is often had to others still more objectionable. 'Extension," says a late writer, "may be employed as the patient lies in bed, either by machinery made for the purpose, on the principle of a windlass, or by one assistant pulling at the feet, whilst another pulls by grasping the wrists, or under the arm pits; or, where assistants are not at hand, the patient may grasp the bed posts, and pull in opposition to an assistant who pulls the legs." "When the machinist," says Mr. Shaw, "talks of the efficacy of his instruments, we cannot but fear that dangerous consequences may result from the powerful engines of which he makes use. The stretching chair is sufficient to alarm us for the safety of any young lady who may enter the machinist's room; for the windlass, by which the crane is elevated, and to which the head is attached, is so powerful, that it

might almost tear the head from the body." When the windlass is used, the straps of the collar are directed to be fastened round the head, to fix it, and the chin to be supported on a small pillow, whilst cords attached to the windlass, at the foot of the couch, are to be fastened round the ancles, defended from the effects of pressure, by being encircled in thick leather, and in this state, extension of the spine is put in force.* Melancholy as this is, it is surpassed by the following authentic histories.

Madame de Montmorency applied to M. Ranchin, of Montpellier, with a deformity of the back, which he pronounced, as many of our English machinists and charlatans would have done, to be a dislocation. Being foiled in his attempts to reduce the bones into their place, he proposed to try the effects of a linen press ;-the unfortunate lady submitted, and was squeezed by the screw, between the two beams, till she almost ceased to breathe, and the operators were forced to desist. Determined, however, not to give up the attempt, she submitted a second time, to the application of a machine employed to raise carriage wheels when bemired, which was fixed against a wall, and the lady held by the shoulders by two robust men, while the hook was raised till pain compelled her to entreat to be released.†

* Bampfield, p. 147.

+ PORTAL, Mem. de l'Academie des Sciences.

Colonel Sibthorpe, by a fall, followed by palsy of the left arm, was supposed by a London physician to have dislocated his spine,* and subjected to treatment little less barbarous than Madame de Montmorency, till, during the pulling and pressing, something cracked, and such pain was felt as gave just reason to think that one of the ribs was broken. The Colonel died within four months, and, very probably, of the injuries which he received from this ignorant and cruel treatment. No dislocation was found, upon opening the body.†

To us it appears not a little strange that Mr. Shaw, who so very properly exposes this objectionable treatment, should himself propose a machine for stretching the body by means of weights, while "the shoulders are fixed by cords," and states, as a recommendation, that “ part of the spine is more effectually stretched in this way than it can be by a collar, or even by swinging the body." Mr. Shaw's excuse that the weights force the muscles to act in opposition to them, and thus afford a sort of wholesome exercise, appears to us to be quite untenable; for if the weights are applied for any length of time,

* See this Physician's own statement, Med. and Phys. Journ. No. 289.

+ See SWAN on the Nervous System.

SHAW on the Spine, pp. 241 and 246.

they must overstretch the muscles, and weaken rather than strengthen them.

3.-MECHANICAL EXERCISES FOR IMPROVING THE

FIGURE.

We gladly escape from the very objectionable contrivances which we have been considering, to the more rational and philosophical methods, which are, we are happy to say, fast gaining ground in the fashionable world, while those which we have deprecated are becoming obsolete, in consequence of the evident evils produced by their use. We hope the day is not far distant when braces, stiff stays, collars, neck swings, and Cooper's chairs, will only be known as matters of antiquarian research, and when rational science will preside in all our families and schools, and healthful exercise will train up the youthful and delicate bodies of our daughters into elegance of shape and figure.

CARRYING

WEIGHTS ON THE HEAD, AS PROPOSED BY M. ANDRY, MESSRS. GRANT, WILSON, &c.

We have mentioned above the remarkably erect figure of Turks and other Orientals, as probably arising, in part, from their wearing a heavy turban ; and the same remark having been made in France, a century ago, by M. Andry, with respect to the erect attitude of milk maids, who carried small pails on their head, he applied the principle to the improve