lieve their suffering, dying young ones, but behold! no one is near them, but the innocent, the plain, the honest and candid MR. THRUSH, who retires as if laughing in his sleeve, at the trick which he has played off upon the parents.

In the evening, after the birds have reared their young ones, and when all join to raise their several hymns of praise, the thrush seats himself in this woodland orchestra, and begins by singing in succession, the notes and songs of all the birds around him, beating all of them, using their own notes, and singing their own songs.

Having thus, as he supposes, carried off the prize in this musical contest, he prepares for his finale, by taking his seat on the topmost end of the highest bough of the loftiest tree, standing on the highest ground in all the grove, and then he commences to sing his own clear notes, and his own most delightful song. At times, his wings are expanded, his neck is extended, every feather on his whole body, quivers with bis exertion of every limb, and his whole soul is exerted to its utmost power, to produce the most perfect melody that was ever heard in the woods of Ohio. He continues his delightful music, until after all the other birds are silent and still, so that his own song is the only one, then heard in all the grove, far and wide, all around him, for a long time.

Thus we see, that he can act a principal part in the beggar's opera, or in the comedy of errors. He can play Falstaff in the Merry Wives of Windsor, the Ghost in Hamlet, or, Macbeth in tragedy, and well deserves to be called WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE among the birds, not of Stratford upon the Avon, but of CHILLICOTHE upon the Scioto.

MEDICAL TOPOGRAPHY, DISEASES, CLIMATE, TORNADOES AND THE WINTERS IN THIS STATE.

In the Autumn of 1806, a fever of the remittent type, made its appearance, extending from the Ohio river, on the south, to Lake Erie on the north.

Its symptoms were chills in the forenoon, between ten and

eleven o'clock, which were succeded by violent fever, afterwards in an hour and a half. The fever continued to rage till about six o'clock, in the evening. During the exacerbation, great pain or oppression was felt in the brain, liver, spleen or stomach, and frequently, in all these organs. The sweating stage took place about midnight. By daylight, there was a respite, but not a total exemption from the urgency of these symptoms.

This was the common course of the disease, but there were occasionally found, distinct intermittents and a few cases of continued fever. The first cases mentioned afforded no opportunity for interposing tonicks. In the second order, every common man as well as the physician was acquainted with the proper, and certain remedy; and the third form of the epidemic, was most safely left to the healing power of nature.

Such however, was the malignancy of our autumnal diseases, that from the best information we can procure, the Hockhocking country, (now called Lancaster,) in a circle of five iniles around Lancaster, the one fifth of the inhabitants died, in that year! From information given us by many in the same circle around Chillicothe, one sixth part of the inhabitants were swept off by death.

As a sequel to this epidemic, a most annoying and incorrigible affection of the skin took place; nor have there been wanting cases of the same description in any year since the above mentioned. The emigrants from the Atlantic states could not be persuaded, that it was not the same disease which in their country, is denominated itch. But in this opinion they are certainly mistaken, inasmuch as it resists all the remedies which are successfully employed in that disease.

MILK SICKNESS.

Its most prominent symptoms were first, a sense of uncommon lassitude, and a listlessness, and aversion to muscular mo tion. A slight pain about the ancles, which seemed gradually to ascend to the calves of the legs, and in a few hours more, a

dull pain, which soon terminated in a spasm, or a cramp of the stomach. This was quickly followed by violent efforts to vomit, which continued for four, five, six or seven days; or until death closed the scene. If the patient recovered it was only to receive at no very distant period, another shock, equally terrific and appalling. The geographical range of this fell disease, was confined mostly to the barrens.

The diagnosticks between this disease, and the Cholera Morbus, was the obstinate constipation of the bowels from first to last. Many treatises have been written concerning the disease, but as yet, our knowledge of either its causes or cure is imperfect. Where the cattle are kept from wild grass, this disease is never found. It is now no longer known, only in history, we believe.

The description of Autumnal diseases, as just given, has been without variation; except in the violence of the symptoms in any of the succeeding years, until 1823.

In 1813 and 14, the disease, which prevailed as an awful epidemic, in these two years, was not peculiar to the Western country. We mean the disease named in some sections of the United States" pneumonia typhoides" or "typhus pleurisy;" in other sections, pneumonia "biliosa"-but in this country called, the "cold plague."

Heavy and long continued rains, commenced about the fourteenth of November 1822, and continued almost daily, until the first day of the ensuing June.

It was computed by some persons, that the country lying between the Scioto and Miami rivers, had the twentieth part of its surface covered, during the months, of March, April and May, with water. A fever commenced its ravages, and continued its course, during the months of June, July, August, September, and during the early part of October. It was of the remittent and continued type, affecting more or less, many, perhaps, nineteen twentieths of the people. No intermission was noticed in the course of twenty-four hours, nor was the low country of the Scioto and Miami, the only location of this form of fever. In north latitude between 39° and 40°, this dis

ease was found, over a great extent of country, without excepting the Alleghany ridge, itself. Previous to this year, pulmonary consumption was rarely seen, and epilepsy was a rare disease in Ohio. These diseases are now as common as in the Atlantic states. Dyspepsia has become a very common disease, and doubtless, has been a sequel, to long continued intermitting and remitting fevers, by exhausting the powers of the liver.

In 1824 there were very few cases of intermittent or remittent fever, nor has there since been a general epidemic. In 1827, it was known, that while the river country was healthful, the small streams had the inhabitants of their banks, affected with dysentery.

It might be profitable, to our citizens, to mark out the wide difference between, what is, by common people called dysentery, and the true dysentery or flux. These diseases of dysentery and diarrhoea, are confounded with each other, as being one and the same, whereas they are as opposite, in their nature, and in their appropriate remedies, as any two diseases, that affect the human body. The first, consisting of a continued stricture and constipation of the bowels, from first to last, and requiring evacuants for their remedy, while the last consists in a relaxation of the intestinal fibres, and requires astringents for its cure. Much mischief has occured from a want of discrimination in these diseases. We find accordingly that upon the approach of cold weather, a congestion and distention of the liver or spleen, take place, and frequently, a painful affection of the joints, which is called rheumatism, arising from the use of astringents in dysentery or flux.

We have only further to add, that since the year of 1827, the health of our state, has been unparalleled by that of any other state in the Union, scarcely a case of fever to be seen among the residents of Ohio.

From 1827 to 1837, south of the summit level, between lake Erie and the Ohio river, fevers have been very rare. The Asiatic cholera was in Cincinnati, Chillicothe, Columbus, and several other towns in two summers, while that desolating scourge

prevailed in the United States. We have enjoyed a degree of health unparalleled in the whole Union during the last ten years. Our autumns almost without a cloud in view, have been truly delightful. We see the rosy cheek, the cheerful countenance, the quick, light, elastic step, and hear the sound of industry in all its life and vigor, in all our growing and prosperous towns. We no longer have a sickly season, every year, as all new countries have, but in their stead, health, happiness and prosperity prevail. From all we hear, see, and know, of our country and its climate, we have reason to believe, and do believe, that Ohio will be one of the healthiest regions in the world. The forests are cleared off, to a great degree, over a large portion of our territory, and the grass and weeds, in the woods, have been ate down by the cattle. The whole surface of our soil, even in the woods, has become dry, compared with what it was twenty years since. The whole atmosphere is drier than formerly, and the fogs and mists which once rose from the earth every morning, and fell down upon it again in the evening in the form of a heavy dew, are no longer seen, felt, or known among us. Those who wish to find these things, must travel beyond us to the west. Our roads, twenty years since, were mostly shaded by a dense forest, and the mud was abundant in them, even in August. Those forests, are mostly destroyed, and our roads, are dry eight months in the year. Within a few short years, Ohio will present the aspect of an old settled country, traversed by canals and roads, thronged with travelers and animated by a dense. population. Our winters have very little snow, and what we have soon disappears before the rays of the sun. While the people of New York and all the eastern states, even Philadelphia, are suffering from deep snows, and intense cold, it is not uncommon with us to have warm weather, freezing a little in the night, and thawing during the day, opened by a white frost in the morning.

Thus our winter proceeds, until early in March, when the farmer plows his fields, and sows his oats and other spring grains.