Baudens i a very 'interest inir recital from his African experience, which.shows the influence of cold and moisture in producing this disease. Forty slightly wounded men were placed, in the month of December, and during the prevalence of a north-east wind, in a gallery on the ground floor, which was open to the north. Fifteen different cases of tetanus appeared in a.short time; among this numbrr twelve died. The remainder were removed to a more sheltered place, and there were no more attacked. The exposure after the Alma might have been expected to produce many cases; but I do not believe that many resulted therefrom, though the confusion which existed, with r. -irard to reports, at that period, makes it difficult to know what was the real effect of such exposure in reference to this point.
Opposite extremes of temperature appear to cause l.ir effects in this most curious affection. In both the Indies, heat is looked upon as a predisposing and exciting cause, and idiopathic tetanus is there not uncommon both amon.cr the natives and troops, while in the arctic region it is even more frequent and fatal. Sir ( Jilhert Blane tells us, that nndrd men who came under his observation in the West Indies in thirty were sei/ed with tetanus cute,!! died. Dr. Kane's experience in the rions, shows how apt exposure to a low temp ture is to cause it. He tell.us. that while most of p.my wen more or l-ss alfecte.l. he lost two men from i noi i ialous spasmodic aflect ion allied to tetanus," and that all his dogs perished from a like cause.
The great cold, exposure, and frost-bites, which were sustained in the Crimea during the first winter, were followed l>y fewer cases of tetanus than we might have expected, though I suspect more cases appeared than we have any record of. I am ignorant of the total number of cases which have occurred in the French hospitals; but of five cases with about the same period in the hospitals at Constantinople, one followed compound fracture of the thigh; two, wounds of the foot; and one, a penetrating wound of the chest in a Zouave, who, after recovery, was allowed to visit the city, where he remained drunk for three days: he was seized with tetanus on his return, and died in 48 hours.