And from the first of these two last remarks, there is another immediately offered; namely, that in the vibrations of pendulums by means of the silken thread and cheeks, it may happen, and without having gone through the calculation, I venture to say most probably would oftener than not happen, that the thread does not quit one cheek to fold about the other, at the same time that the pendulum, or perhaps more properly speaking the point where the thread is fastened to the body, has performed half its vibration this I think will produce an unexpected irregularity in the motion of the pendulum. Indeed I am told that there is a clock in the Observatory at Greenwich, whose pendulum was intended to vibrate between cycloid cheeks for the purpose of tautochronism, and that it has since been found that the flexible part of the pendulum (which I should add I am told is a spring) only winds about one of the cheeks.

Before I leave the cycloid cheek I shall offer a construction of a pendulum, which I think would correct in a great part its insufficiency when large, to produce tautochronism; we have already said the received theory is correct when the matter of the pendulum can be considered to be concentrated in one point, which, however, I have shown cannot be properly so considered in the common constructions; and that it would be very incorrect when the matter of the pendulum is great, the construction is therefore as follows:

Let HGH fig. 4. be a heavy body, having an axis passing through its centre of gravity G; ba, ba two sufficiently strong slender bars fastened together at the top b.b, and sufficiently apart below to allow the heavy body HGH to be put in between them, whose axis is to be moveable in centres, in the bars ba, ba; this being done, let a thread BC have one end C fixed to the top bb of the bars, and the other end B fixed between the cycloid cheeks in the usual way; then it is plain, if the weight of the body HGH be great in comparison to the bars and thread by neglecting their effect as inconsiderable, we may consider the weight of the pendulum as all collected in G; provided there be little or no friction between the axis passing through G and its centre. This point G, it is worth remarking, would be the centre of oscillation as well as the centre of gravity of the pendulum, whether the thread moves about a fixed point B, or winds about a cheek; which is not the case in the common construction. I may add, that in the common construction when the thread winds about a cheek, the place of the centre of oscillation in the weight is continually varying. Lest these remarks should appear to be in contradiction with our last solution, I observe that to bring that data to the case before us, we must take a equal to o, and then that solution would fail.

which we may choose the fluxion which is to flow uniformly, as is evident from equations I, II, IV, V; .. from equation VII. exterminating t, we shall have a fluxional equation, between x, y X and Y, then by help of the equation X-x+Yy3 a2, and some other equation, such as the relation between X and Y, if the equation of the cheek should be given, or if it VOL. II.

D

were required that the body had no motion about C as above hinted instead of having the cheek given, using the equation.

of the unknown quantities, we shall have the equation of the curve described by the centre of gravity of the body, &c. Moreover the action of the body on the groove is in the direction FC and

N

cos. of CFD

i

t cos. of CFD

; conse

quently if this be affirmative, and instead of C being acted on by the groove, it be acted on merely by the silken thread BC winding about the cheek at B, the thread would become slack and cease to act.

ART. III.

Foderé Médi

MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE. cine légale, 8vo. 6 vols. Paris, 1813. Orfila Toxocologie générale considérée, sous les Rapports de la Physiologie, de la Pathologie, et de la Médicine légale, Paris,

1815.

OUR attention has been directed to the science of Medical Jurisprudence, or State Medicine, as it is termed in Germany, by some recent publications of considerable merit. As a science it is not known in this country, nor does it form any part of the necessary studies of the medical practitioner. In the present Paper we shall point out what we consider to be its leading branches; and we are so convinced of the benefit which would result to mankind from a more general attention to this science, that we shall not apologize for having entered on a subject which may probably be considered not to be immediately within the limits of our journal. The science of Medical Jurisprudence comprehends the evidence and opinions necessary to be given in courts of justice, by practitioners, on all subjects relating to their profession: according to the English laws, the testimony or the opinions of medical

men are not directly required, though it is usual in certain cases to require their evidence on professional subjects: public attention has been of late called to the laws now in force relating to coroner's inquests, and the mode in which they are administered. This subject is intimately connected with Medical Jurisprudence. Without wishing to discuss the propriety of the laws for the punishment of suicide, so far as they relate to the forfeiture of property, and the giving publicity to the offence; there can be little question but that the exposure of the body of the suicide is not consonant to the feelings of the present age; and yet it cannot be forgotten, that within a short period the body of an unfortunate wretch was, in open day, dragged in procession along the public way, headed by the civil power. Very slight evidence, or rather no evidence at all, but merely the discretion of the coroner, is sufficient to procure a verdict of lunacy; and that such verdicts are often corruptly procured, no person who has attended to the proceedings of coroners' inquests, can have any doubt. It may be questioned whether an ignominious burial has any direct tendency to the prevention of suicide; and unless it is clearly established that it has, in an enlightened age like the present, so barbarous and disgusting a law should be abolished, or at least why should not the very fact of suicide be considered in all cases, as affording evidence of insanity? It is of the utmost importance to the due administration of justice that the evidence before the coroner should be complete and correct. To ensure this, it will be requisite that enactments should be made, at once regulating the mode of producing such evidence, and the class of persons by whom it is to be given. Several instances of the grossest neglect and irregularity in the evidence of medical persons have come to our knowledge; the following is one of the most flagrant :-a servant had died in consequence of poison; it was supposed she had taken it purposely, though she stated that it was taken by her as a dose of salts which had been carelessly left about by another servant: there was, however, reason to suspect that she had been pregnant, and had lately miscarried. The prejudice was consi

derably excited in favour of the deceased having taken the poison accidentally. Two medical gentlemen of eminence attended to examine the body; the apothecary who was to give evidence before the coroner, was also in attendance; and as, from the early part of the examination, there was little question but that the woman had been pregnant, on the examination proceeding, the apothecary actually left the -room, stating, that as he was to be examined before the coroner, if he gave any evidence which might seem prejudicial to the character of the deceased, it would seriously affect his professional interests in the neighbourhood! Now, in this case, independently of false evidence having been in fact given before the coroner, injustice was done to the servant who was supposed to have brought the poison into the house. In order to ensure proper attention and skill on the part of medical persons who may be called in to give their evidence before coroners, we should propose that, in addition to the usual course of education, all medical students should be re, quired to attend a certain number of lectures exclusively on the subject of Medical Jurisprudence, in which their attention would be particularly called to those parts of the science of medicine, respecting which they would be liable to be called upon to give their opinions in courts of justice, with peculiar directions as to the nature of the proof required, and the effect of their testimony. In addition to this we conceive much benefit would arise from the prescribing particular rules to be adopted in all cases of sudden or suspicious death; and making it imperative on the coroner to employ particular medical persons (who should be remunerated ;) and for this purpose a certain number of practitioners in each county, who had previously passed such examination as might be thought fit, should be named as the persons to be employed by the coroner; and that every such examination should be made according to certain directions to be determined on, and a report of it in writing signed and sworn to by the person making it. In order to facilitate the mode of making these examinations and reports, certain printed formulæ might be devised, stating the mode of examination to be pursued, and the results; such formulæ, of