■k.
*
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6 '"•;
MEDICAL FACTS
AND
OBSERVATIONS.
VOL. ill.
MEDICAL FACTS
AND
OBSERVATIONS.
VOLUME THE THIRD.
LONDON
?*INTSD FO* J.JOHNSON, N» 72, ST. JAlfl'l CKVACUYARB
M.DCC.XCII,
/Tilax-
[ "▼ ]
CONTENTS.
Page
I. S~yASES of Ifchuria Renalis in Children,
^ By Robert Willan, M. D. F. A. S.
Phyfician to the Public Difpenfa*y in Lon-
don. — — i
II. A Cafe of Pemphigus. By T. M. Win-
terbottom, M. D. Phyjician to the Settle-
ment at Sierra Leone. — 10
III. Cafe of Injury of the Brain, without a
Fratlure, relieved by Application of the -*
Trephine. By Mr. John Andrews, Sur-
geon in London. — — 12
IV. Cafe of a Cyfi containing Hydatids, ex-
tracted from the right anterior Ventricle of
the Brain of a Cow. By Mr. William
Moorcroft, Veterinarian Surgeon in Lon-
don. — — 17
V. Facts relative to the Prevention of Hy-
drophobia. By Mr. Jefle Foot, Surgeon
in London. — 33
VI. Two Cafes of Fracture ; one of the upper,
the other of the lower Jaw. By Mr. T.
1 Hughes*
[ vi ]
Page
Hughes, Surgeon at Stroud- Water in
Cloucefterfime. — — 36
VII. Cafe of an enlarged Nympha. By Mr.
William Morlen, Surgeon in Lender.. 50
VI II. An Account of the good Effects of Elec-
tricity in a Cafe of violent f pa f no die Af-
fection. By Mr. George Wilkinfon, Sur-
geon at Sunderland, and Member of the
Royal College of Surgeons at Edinburgh,
&c. — — — 52
IX. Cafe of a fingular cutaneous Affection ;
witkfome Remarks relative to the Poifon
of Copper. By Mr. William Davidfon,
Apothecary in London. — — 61
X. Tzvo Cafes of pulmonary Hemorrhage , Jpee-
dily and fuccefs fully cured by Abftine nee from
Liquids. By the Same. — 68
XL An Account of a Difeafe which, until
lately, proved fatal to a great Number of
Infants in the Lying-in Hofpital of Dub-
lin ; with Obfervations on its Caufes and
Prevention. By Jofeph Clarke, M. D.
A f j/ier of the Hofpital above mentioned,
and M. R- L A. From the Tranf anions
of the Royal IrifJj Academy. — 7S
XII. Obfervations on certain horny Excre-
fee nces of the human Body. By Everard
Home,
[ vii 1
•Home, Efq. F. R. S. From the Philofo-
ph'ical T ran factions of the Royal Society of
London, — r- — 105
XI IT. Experiments on Human Calculi. In a
Letter fom Mr. Timothy Lane, F. R. S.
to William Pitcairn, M. D. F. R. S.
From the fame W rk. — 121
XIV. Experiments and Obfervations to invef
tlgate the Composition of James's Powder.
By George Pearfon, M. D. R R. S.
From the fame Work. 128
XV. Account of a Cafe of double Hare Lip,
accompanied with a Fiffure of the Palate ;
with Remarks, By M. Chorin, one of
the Surgeons of the Hotel Dieu at Paris.
From the Journal de Chirurgie. 153
XVI. An Account of a Child who drinks a
great Quantity of Water. By M. Vau-
qnelin. From a Work entitled La Mede- <
cine Eclair ie par les Sciences phyfiques, ou
Journal des Decouvertes relatives aux dif-
fer entes Parties de VArt de Guerir. 167
XVII. A Cafe of double Uterus. By Antonio
Canemini, Phyfcian to the Imperial Mines
at Schwa tz in Tyrol. Tr an/la ted from the
German* — — 171
XVIII. An
[ viii ]
Page
XVIII. An Account of the Experiments and
Difcoveries of Lewis Galvani, Profeffor of
Anatomy at Bologna , relative to the Powers
of Eletlricity in Mufcular Motion, 1 80
XIX. Two Letters on Animal Eletlricity. By
Eufebius Valli, M. D. of the Univerfity
of Pifa. From the Journal de Phyjique. 190
XX. Additional Obfervations on Animal Elec-
tricity. By Eufebius Valli, M. D. 212
Catalogue of Books. — — 218
Jndex. — — 1 — 227
MEDICAL
MEDICAL FACTS
AND
OBSERVATIONS.
I. Cafes of Ifchuria Re nails in Children. By
Robert Willan, M. D. F. A. S. Phyftcian to
* the Public Difpenfary in London.
IN the courfe of the year 1784 I obferved
three inftances of fudden death in children
who had not been previouily affected with any
violent or alarming complaint.
The train of fymptoms was nearly as follows:
— At firft a flight feverifh heat, reftlerThefs,
diarrhoea, and fometimes bilious vomiting, which
continued for about a week ; during that time
the urine was made in fmall quantity, till at
length the difcharge of it entirely ceafed, and
foon afterward the patients died unexpectedly,
Vol. III. B without
C * ]
without complaining of pain or any particular
uneafinefs.
No medical affiftance having been thought
requifite in the mil days of the difeafe, I did
not, therefore, fee any of thefe cafes till the
fuppreflion of urine had taken place, and at
that time found the diarrhcea abated, the pulfe
and (late of the fkin natural.
The predominant fymptom, ifchuria, was the
only one which demanded immediate attention.
As there appeared no painful tenfion or fvvelling
in the hypogaflric region, nor in any part of
the abdomen, I had hopes of affording fpeedy
relief by means of cooling diuretics, clyfters,
and fomentations.
Thefe applications, however, and other re-
medies which the circumftances fuggefted, were
infufHcient to reftore the difcharge of urine be-
fore the patient fell a victim to the difeafe.
To be thus difappointed in fo many cafes,
occurring nearly together, made me very utt-
cafy. I found no fatisfactory information in
medical authors, nor from practitioners with
whom I converfed on the fubjecl: : I deter-
mined, however, if a fimilar cafe mould again
occur, to employ diligently the femicupium, or
i warm
C 3 ]
warm bath, as a remedy molt generally effica-
cious in the iichuria renalis.
Two years afterwards an opportunity occurred
of adopting this plan in the cafe of Mafter K.,
a fine fentible boy about nine year? old. In
the beginning of October, 1786, he had the
fcarlatina anginofa, of which he foon recovered
under the care of Mr. Thomas Auftin, his apo-
thecary. He continued perfectly well for about
a week, went out every day, and amufed him-
felf as ufual. It was then obferved that he
began to lofe his appetite, and to be fomewhat
debilitated : he had alfo frequent, though flight,
attacks of ficknefs and diarrhoea.
On the 23d and 24th of October he feemed
much better; but on the 25th found a total in-
ability to make water.
Mr. Auftin, to whom I had formerly commu-
nicated my observations refpedting the infidious
nature of thefe complaints in young fubjecls,
defired me to fee this patient early on the 26th.
I found him then eafy and compofed : his fkin
was cool, his pulfe at 90, and he had no mark
of fever, except a flight yellowifh-brown fur on
the back part of the tongue. His cheeks were
B 2 rather
[ 4 ]
rather bloated ; but he had no pain of the head
or ftomach : his abdomen was not in any part
tenfe or fwelled, nor had he any fenfe of pain
on its being prefl'ed.
After prefcribing a gentle laxative, I recom-
mended the warm bath as the remedy to b*
principally trufted.
He was kept in the bath, on the firft applica-
tion of it, twenty minutes. Afterwards, as he
Hood on the floor, he made a fmall glafsful of
water. No internal mifchief could be detected
from the Hate of this urine, which was clear
and of a natural colour.
In the evening he was brifk and lively : his
cheeks did not appear fo much bloated. I di-
rected that the bath fhould be again employed,
hoping it might produce an effect as great as
before, or even greater.
Next morning he was nearly in the fame
ftate ; but he had made only a few drops of
water on coming out of the bath. I then de-
lircd he might be kept in it three quarters of an
hour, and attempt to make water in that fitua-
tion, or afterwards (landing on the cold floor.
At night I was informed that thele directions
had been attended with little fuccefs ; and far-
ther, that during the day he had been feized
with
[ 5 ]
with a kind of fit, in which, after a fudden fhi-
vcring, he became very cold and infenfible,
having his eyes fixed for fome minutes. He
foon, however, recovered from this ftate, and
when I faw him again was ferene and cheerful
as on the preceding day.
Though the fymptoms were not aggravated
fince my flrft vifit, flill he was evidently in a
•very precarious fituation. So much watery fluid
could not be retained fn the blood, the urinary
difcharge being fupprelTed, without inducing
fatal confequences from its effufion on the brain,
a circumftance fo frequent in fimilar cafes.
A confultation was propofed, to which I
could not but readily accede : this was, how-
ever, deferred till next day, it being then late
in the evening. I defired, in the mean time,
that a fourth trial might be made of the warm
bath.
At eleven o'clock he had ftrength enough to
get in and out of the bath without afliftance.
He then went to bed, and talked cheerfully to
thofe about him till twelve o'clock, when he
fuddenly complained that he could not fee, and
very foon after expired in a fit fimilar to that
with which he had been affected in the courfe of
the day.
B3 An
c 6 ]
An examination of the difeafed parts not be-
ing permitted, I could not thence confirm or
difprove the ideas I had formed refpedting the
complaint from the prefent cafe.
Another inftance of the fame kind occurred
March 20th, 1787, in a child about two years
old. — His mother informed me, that fix days
before he had been taken with a diarrhoea and
vomiting. Thofe fymptoms abated within a
day or two, but a cough and fome degree of
fever frill remained. The difcharge of urine
had ceafed upwards of twenty four hours before
he was brought to me : he was then very rel-
iefs ; his breath was fhort ; his pulfe fmall and
quick ; his face was bloated, and of a fallow or
almoft livid hue; but there appeared no hard-
nefs or fwelling of the abdomen.
As the cafe was evidently in its extreme (late,
I deemed it unneceflary to direct the application
of any remedies, and prefently learnt that the
child died within an hour after its return home.
Being allowed to infpecl: the vifcera of this
patient, I at length difcovered the ftate of the
parts affected in this dangerous malady. The
whole of the mefentery appeared to have been
inflamed.
C 7 3
inflamed. The inflammation had extended
thence to a confiderable portion of the ileum,
on which were alfo found two gangrenous fpots,
each of them about the fize of a fix pence.
There was no urine in the bladder : the fto5-
mach, liver, and kidnies, were in a natural
ftate; the gall bladder was very turgid, and
the mefenteric glands were much enlarged.
In the courfe of my attendance on the above
patients I had been led to conclude that the
fymptoms arofe from an inflammation of fome
of the abdominal vifcera. The laft cafe,
which confirmed that opinion, alfo limited the
feat of inflammation to the mefentery. The
circumftanccs appearing in all of them were Co
fimilar, that they might reafonably be referred
to the fame caufe, and probably the common
termination was by gangrene ; at leaf! I am in-
clined to think this muft have happened to
Mafter K., at an early period, even before my
firfl vifit to him, which is rendered more pro-
bable from his having had violent fhiverings,
with coldnefs and infenfibility, for a confiderable
time, on the 22d of October, when the com-
B 4 plaint
[ 8 ]
plaint in his bowels firft abated, a circumilance
of wiiich I was not informed till afterwards.
It farr her appears, from all thefe cafes, that
mefenteric inflammation has the fame How and
obfcure courfe of fymptoms as inflammation
affecting the omentum, peritonaeum, and me-
diaftinum.
The beft account of mefenteritis is given by
Riverius*. It coincides in moil particulars
with the cafes which 1 have related above ; but
neither Riverius nor any other author has men-
tioned the renal ifchuria as a fymptom of the
diforder.
On comparing together the cafes above re-
lated, I was induced to think that the fuppref-
lion of urine only came on after gangrene had
taken place ; but another cafe which has fince
occurred proves the contrary.
* " Signa inflammationis mefenterii diagnoftica flint
'* febris languida, occulta et lenta, abfque fiti & gravioribus
" fymptomatis : anorexia • tenfionis & gravitatis fenfus
" fubter ventriculum, cit;ra magnam duritiem & qua? non
" nifi preiTu dignofcitur : citra dolorem etiam, faltem ef-
" fatu dignum, quia pars obtufo fenfu donata eft : ejec-
••• tiones chylofse quas plerumque ichor tenuis confequitur
*' firte ullo dolons fenfu, modo feorfim & iincerus, modo
u faecibus permixtus." — Vide Riverii Praxeos Med. Lib.
ariii. cap. 2,
A child
C 9 ]
A child, three years old, was brought to the
Publick Difpenfary on the 28th of September,
1789. This patient had made no urine for up-
wards of eighteen hours. Hie prior fymptoms
had been nearly fimilar to thofe mentioned in
the foregoing accounts. He was uncaly and
fretful, had a quick fmall pulfe, but no fur
upon the tongue, nor any degree of tenfion in
the abdomen.
I ordered eight leeches to be applied to the
abdomen, and a bliltcr near the os iacrum; and
was informed on the following day that the uri-
nary fecretion had been fully reftored. The
difcharge continued afterwards in regular order,
and the flate of his bowels was natural. His
original difeafe, therefore, appeared to be com-
pletely removed ; but in the ccurfe of a few
days he again became languid and heavy ; and
I am forry to add," that he died about a month
after with fymptoms of hydrocephalus diftinctly
marked.
As the above cafes all occurred in infants or
young children, it might feem probable that
ifchuria, as a fymptom of mefenteric inflam-
mation, is peculiar to them ; but this conclu-
fion would not be juft, as I have feen one fatal
cafe
[ io J
cafe of the feme kind at adult age, attended
with the ufual infidious train of fymptoms.
II. A Cafe of Pemphigus, By T. M. Winter-
bottom, M. D. Phyfitian to the Settlement at
Sierra Leone.
R.. Y., aged eighteen years, of a fallow
complexion, but healthy, in the fummer
of 1790, made a voyage to Archangel. On
his arrival at that place be was, without any
previous uneafinefs, affected with an eruption "of
fmall veficies, of the fize of peafe, which gra-
dually increafed to the fize of large hazle nuts :
they continued in this form for fome time, theri
burft, and difcharged a thin fluid of a light
yellow colour, like an infufion of green tea,
-leaving the fkin beneath excoriated, and in a
very fenfible ftate. Thefe veficies affected in
particular his face and legs ; they did not ob-
ferve any regular period, hut as one fet of them
difappeared others broke out afrefh.
Thefe fuccefiive eruptions continued during
the whole time of his flay at Archangel, and
he was not entirely free from them until he had
palTed the North Cape on his paffage home.
The only application made ufe of was a little
cerate, to prevent the cloths from flicking to
the
C »' ]
the wounds, and he took a dofe or two of Glau-
ber's fait.
But the peculiarity of this cafe is, that the
very fame train of fymptoms took place upon a
fecond voyage to Archangel in 1 79 1 . The ve-
ficles came out in like manner, making their
appearance in fuccellion ; nor did the eruption
ceafe till he had again palTed the.Nortli Cape.
When I fir ft faw him, which was fome
months after this fecond vova^e, his face and
legs were covered with fpots nearly the fize of a
fixpence, in colour refemblirig the marks left by
the fmall pox ; many of thefe were attended
with confiderable depreffions of the fkin, info-
much as to produce a fufpicion, among perfons
not much acquainted with the difeale, of his
really having had the fmall pox. The difco-
louration of the (kin was not entirely removed
for a twelvemonth after the difeafe had left him,
but was ftill very evident in cold weather.
None of the people in the (hip with him were
affected in the fame manner ; neither could the
complaint be referred to the bites of mufquitoes
or other infedts, fince he had been at St. Peterf-
burgh and other places equally infefted with
them without experiencing the leaft inconve-
nience.
III. Cafe
C w ]
*
111. Cafe of Injury of the Brain, withvut a Frac-
ture, relieved by Application of the Trephine.
By Mr. John Andrews, Surgeon in London.
^N the 23d of July, 1791, Elizabeth Bell,
of Great White Lion Street, thirty-five
years of age, rather corpulent, and of a fan-
guineous temperament, fell down eight or ten
flairs, and (truck her head upon a boarded
floor.
She remained without any medical afiiftance
until the third day after the accident, when I
was defired to fee her. The by (landers informed
me that me had become lick and fpeechlefs im-
mediately after the fall, and, after a fhort in-
terval, comatofe. She now difcharged her urine
involuntarily, and had had a fhivering fit a few
hours before I faw her : twelve ounces of blood
were, therefore, taken from the arm, and a fo-
lution offal, cath. amar. was directed to be given
till the bowels were emptied; her whole head
was alfo ordered to be fhaven, and a blifter was
applied to the pofterior part of the neck.
On the day following, as her former fymp-
toms were not at all relieved, I thought it ad-
vifablc to open the temporal artery, which was
done*
[ '3 3
done, and with feme advantage; for her pulfe,
which before was very flow and oppreffed, beat
a little quicker before I left her, and upon being
roufed, and aiked how fhc did, (lie replied,
" Better than before." As the cathartic medi-
cine had produced no effect, a purging enema
was adminiftered in the afternoon, and ordered
to be repeated, ifneceflary.
The whole head was now more attentively
examined both by myfelf and my friend Mr.
Blair, who was prefent ; but no injury either of
the fcalp or cranium could be difcovered, though
we preffed pretty forcibly on every part of the
head.
On the fubfequent morning (28th) I was in-
formed ihe had been attacked in the night with
convulfive fits, two of which occurred while I
was with her. I obferved that only the left fide
of her body was affected, her mouth and face
on that fide being diftorted as in epilepfy; that
her head inclined to the left fide ; and that the
leg and arm on the fame fide (particularly the
latter) were contracted and violently agitated.
During this day fhe had frecjuent returns of
the convulfions, each fit lading only a few mi-
nutes : 1 therefore drew ten ounces more blood
from the arm, and refolved, if this did not re-
lieve
[ 14 ]
lieve her, to divide the fcalp on the following
day, and fearch more minutely for a fracture.
Upon preffing the fcalp with my finger, I ob-
ferved at this time that a little depreffion was
left; but, as this was not a circumfcribed
oedema, it could not be regarded as a fufficient
reafon for making an incifion, or applying the
trephine on any particular part.
The oedema was more univerfal on the fub-
fequent morning (the 29th) : the convulfions
were become frequent and violent; her pulfe
was flow and more depreffed ; her faeces and
urine were (till difcharged involuntarily, and
her extremities were becoming very cold. Thefe
alarming fymptoms feemed to juftify a mode of
treatment that would otherwife not have been
adopted : I therefore made an incifion three or
four inches in length on the left parietal and
temporal bones ; but as no injury was perceived
on the denuded bones, the lips of the wound
were placed in contact, and kept together by
means of flicking plafter, in order to accelerate
their union. A free incifion, fimilar to the for-
mer, was then made on the oppofite fide, and the
bone laid bare, but no preternatural appearance
was obfervable, though, on prerTure upon the
anterior and inferior edge of the parietal bone,
the
C '5 ]
the patient fecmed to ruder pain, as I judged
from her drawing up the right angle of the
mouth. Upon this part of the cranium, and
upon. the edge of the fquamosus future, I ap-
plied the trephine. As fcon as the circular
piece of bone was removed, a quantity of ex-
travafated blqod (which I fuppofed from its co-
lour to be venous) was feen through the dura
mater, diftending that membrane : a finall ob-
lique puncture was, therefore, made with a lan-
cet, and a table fpoonful of blood was dif-
charged by a ftream. A fmall piece of lint was
then applied lightly on the dura mater, and the
wound drerTcd in the ufual way. After the
operation her pulfe, which before had been very
flow and opprefTed, quickened, and in a few
hours beat 120 in a minute. She was ordered
to take an opening mixture occafionally, and
ftricTt attention was paid to her diet.
On the 30th of July, the day after the ope-
ration, fhe had feveral more fits, but they were
lefs violent and recurred lefs frequently than
before ; the fame quicknefs of pulfe continued,
and fhe flept better than ufual.
On the 3 1 ft, on account of the fulnefs of her
pulfe, eight ounces of blood were taken from
the-
[ x6 ]
the arm : fhe had this day only two fits, and
was much relieved from her other complaints.
She continued to get better, nothing very
particular happening, until the 4th of Auguft,
when, upon removing the dreffings, a remark-
able elaftic tumour was difcovered on the left
fide of the head, extending about three inches
in length, and two or more inches in breadth.
What could be the caufe of this 1 welling ? If
it had been occafioned by an effufion of blood
under the fcalp, would it not have appeared
much earlier ? — Mr. Pott ufed to regard fuch a
puffy rifing of the integuments as a pretty fure
criterion of a fluid under the cranium, imme-
diately beneath the fwelling. But whatever
might be the caufe of this appearance, ic did
not remain long ; for in little more than a week
it gradually difappeared. The granulations
from the dura mater were now uniting with
thofe from the fcalp, and by the 6th of October
the wounds were perfectly healed.
The lafttime I fa w her (December 10th) (lie
was as entirely free from complaint as fhe ever
had been at any time previous to the accident.
Great RuTell Street, Bedford Square,
Feb. 22, 1792.
IV. Cafe
C 17 3
IV. Cafe of a Cxft containing Hydatids, extratled
from the right anterior Ventricle of the Brain of
a Cow. Communicated in a Letter to Dr.
Sinvno-s by Mr. William Moorcroft, Veteri-
narian Surgeon in London.
To Dr. Simmons.
SIR,
PRESUMING on the favourable reception
which every attempt to improve the long-
neglected ftudy of the difeafes of domeftic ani-
mals appears to experience at prefent from the
Public in general, but more particularly from
medical practitioners, I am induced to requeft
the infertion of the following cafe in the next
volume of Medical Facts and Obfervations.
Though it cannot be confidered as containing
any material practical improvement, yet its com-
munication may be ufeful, inafmuch as it muy
excite a degree of more general attention to an
object which has hitherto been very partially
underflood.
As we have few cafes of this nature upon re-
cord, and as this may, on that account, become
an object of occafional practical reference, 1
have entered into details which, perhaps, may
Vol. III. C appear
appear trifling or fuperfluous to many medical
readers, but which notwithstanding may be of
fome importance to thofe who are more particu-
larly interefted in the fubject.
I remain, SIR,
Your very obedient, humble Servant,
W. MoORCROFTi.
CASE.
It has been long known to anatomifts, but
more particularly to fhepherds and butchers*
that collections of a tranfparent colour! efs fluid,
in one or more femi-opaque, thin, membranous
capfules, generally of a fpheroide figure, and of
different fizes, are occasionally to be met with
on the furface or within the fubftance of the
brain of fheep, particularly of thofe of a certain
age ; and experience has uniformly proved
that fuch a collection conftantly produces the
death of the animal in which it is found, if it be
left entirely to itfelf: yet notwithstanding the
fymptoms characterising the prefence of fuch a
collection have been afcertained by thofe con*
verfant with thefe animals, and in confequence
attempts have been made to relieve the affected
animals, both by medical practitioners and
others,
[ '9 ]
Others, it is yet to be regretted that the Public
of this country have not been benefited by the
communication either of the diagnoftic fymp-
toms, or of the refults of the different experi-
ments. It is true fome old authors, in treatifes
on rural ceconomy, have mentioned this circum-
ftance ; but this has been done in fo loofe a
manner, that little, if any, dependence is to be
placed upon the obfervations they have tranf-
mitted us.
Sheep are not the only domeftic animals
which are incident to thefe collections, though
they appear to be more particularly fo than any
other clafs : cows are next mod frequently fub-
ject to them, and they have been met with in
dogs ; but 1 am not acquainted, either from
experience or record, with the occurrence of a
fimilar circumftance in horfes, though the pre-
fence of fmall globular bodies in the plexus
choroides of thefe animals is far from being un-
frequent; but thefe have always appeared to me
to bear a greater refemblance to the fimple *
than
* By fimple hydatid is meant an accumulation of water ia
a capfule compofed of confolidated laminae of cellular mem-
brane. By animal hydatid is underftood a veficular worm,
or organifed body, which enjoys life diitindtly from that of
Ca tht
than to the animal hydatid, the fubjecl of this
paper.
The circumftance of an animal having fuch
a collection within the cavity of the cranium,
frequently turning in a circular direction, ap-
pears to have been confidered as the characte-
riftic, unequivocal fymptom, and accordingly
we find the difeafe, produced by the collection,
called, in fome parts of this country, the gid7
in others, turn ; in France, tournoiement, or
vertige ; in Italy, Jlorno, or male vertiginofo.
But as I am not yet in pofTeffion of a fufficient
number of fads to enable me to give a fatif-
factory account of this difeafe, I fhall confine
myfelf to the relation of the cafe of a cow, in
which I lately met with it.
Being at Ormfkirk, in Lancafhire, in the be-
ginning of September, 1791, I was defired to
fee a cow, whofe difeafe had baffled the endea-
vours of every one who had attempted to relieve
her. She was a two-year-old heifer, of the
long- horned or Lancafhire breed, and had been
the animal in which it is evolved, and which contains, or
is contained in, a certain quantity of fluid.
There are many fpecies of this worm, which have been
named in alluCon to their mode of life, form, &c, asfoli-
taryf focial^ t ani of or m, ptfiform9 aciniformy &c.
i always,
C 21 ]
always, until attacked by the prefent complaint,
in apparently good health, and tolerable condi-
tion. On the i ft of May, 1791, lhe was put
to grafs in a fcore at fome diftance from the re-
fidence of the proprietor, which prevented his
feeing her for fix weeks, when he found her
much worfe in condition, and continually ram-
bling about the field without appearing difpofed
to eat. That fhe might be under his imme-
diate care, he had her removed to a little clofe
near his own houfe, and made ufe of the diffe-
rent means pointed out by thofe he confulted.
Here lhe remained till I faw her, without ha-
ving been apparently benefited in the leaft de-
gree by any thing which had been done for her,
I found the motions of her limbs in walking
unufually flow, languid, and unfteady; her belly
tucked up, her flank hollow, and, in fhort, her
whole appearance announcing a ftate of confi-
derable emaciation and debility ; yet, notwith-
standing, lhe appeared to have a defire for food :
her pulfe was rather weak, but regular; her
refpiration natural, and the common evacua-
tions were fuch as occur in a healthy ftate, ex-
cept that the quantity was rather diminifhed.
It was obferved that fhe always carried her
head very near the ground and was continually
C 3 engaged
t « 1
engaged either in walking near the hedges, or
turning in a circular direction. On attending
more clofely to this circumftance, I remarked,
that when driven towards the right hand, flic
conftantly formed a circle of about three yards
in diameter ; and that, on the contrary, when
tempted to go to the left, (he kept at a little dif-
tance from, and followed the line of, the hedges
and ditches, and occafionally thruft her head,
and particularly the right fide of it, againfl pro-
jecting boughs and tall tufts of grafs.
She had been fo long accuftomed to ramble
in a flow, but almoft continual, walk, in the
way jufl mentioned, that the field exhibited fome
unufual appearances; in the middle the grafs
was trodden perfectly flat, in nearly equally fized
circular paths of about eighteen inches in breadth,
and of the diameter before mentioned, whilft,
on the contrary, on the fides there was only one
path at about a yard from the fence, which fol-
lowed exactly its different directions, and ob-
ferved generally the fame breadth and diflance.
The head of the animal was conftantly held
obliquely downwards, fo that the left horn was
confiderably more elevated than the right. On
examining the head in general, I was not fenfi-
ble of the fmalleft morbid alteration either in
feel
[ 23 ]
feel or figure, but remarked that the right not-
tril appeared to yield a larger quantity of mucus,
and the lining membrane to be fomewhat red-
der than that of the left. The eyes were heavy,
from the eye-lids being more clofed than is ufu-
al ; but I was not aware at this time of any dif-
eafed appearance in either of the pupils. The
intervals from rambling, which were but of
Ihort duration, were employed in eating rather
greedily.
On taking thefe different c i re um fiances into
confederation, I was induced to believe that the
prcfence of one onmore of the larva? of the cef-
trus* in one or more of the nafal cavities might
be the caufe of thefe fymptoms, and in confe-
quence of this idea removed a circular piece of
bone
* A fly well known to infeftologifts, and to be met with
almoft every where in the country in the autumnal months,
but particularly in the neighbourhood of woods. It comes
under the clafs Diptera of Linnaeus :
44 Alae duae. Halteres clavati, folitarii pone fingulam
•* alam fub fquamula propria.
44 CEftrus, Os nullum, punclis tribus, abfque Probofcide
•"* aut Roftro exferto." — Vide Car. Linnaei Entomol. cur.
Car. de Villers. 8vo. Lugdun. 1789. Tom. III. p. 345.
It fhould feem that this fly is a true parafite, and Hands in
peed of an animal nidus during the ftates of egg and larva.
Some fpecies (aeftrus bovis) depolit their eggs in the fkin
C4 of
C 24 3
bone from the upper part of the nafal, and an-
other from the mod 'depending part of the right
maxillary firms. The perfectly found ftate of
the membrane of thefe cavities convinced me
of my error, and after being fully fatisfied that
the inflammation with which I was (truck was
only confined to a very fmall, and that the
lower, portion, and probably produced by fome
external caufe, 1 brought the flaps of fkin into
contact, and quitted the animal. This opera-
tion did not produce the fmalleft change in the
fymptoms; union of the divided tegument took
place, and I loft light of the animal till the
latter end of the month, when the proprietor
informed me that other affiftance had been had
recourfe to, but without advantage, and that,
unlefs I advifed the trial of fome farrher means,
he would have her killed, that I might have an
of the backs of horned cattle and rein deer ; others (cejirus
nafalis) in the nafal cavities of ruminating animals, but
particularly of flieep, and occafionally in the interftices of
the folds of the lateral and upper part of the pharynx of
the common or fallow deer ; others again (improperly called
ceftrus hamorrboidalis) lay their eggs upon the hairs of the
fides of horfes, fome of which are occalionally fwal lowed,
and produce the larvae commonly called botts, and which
obtain in greater or lefs number in the ftomach of almoft
every horfe.
opportunity
[ *5 ]
opportunity of being latisfied by diffe&ion as to
the caufe of the complaint. Unwilling to have
this clone without reviewing the lymptoms, I
re- examined the head with the greateft accuracy,
and found the pupil of the right eye more di-
lated than that of the left, though the latter was
larger th an it . . h ave been ; and though
the former was not deftitute oi irritability, yet
the latter enjoyed a great i latitude of motion.
From the addition of this to the former lymp-
toms, i h gan to imagine 'hat there might be
an hydati I e ther upm the furface or within the
fub lance of the brain, and was inclined to be-
lieve, th it if fuch was the cafe, there was a
greater probability of detecting it by perforating
that part of the ikull corresponding with the
right hemifpru re, than elfewhere.
The owner of the cow having confented to
whatever experiment or operation I might pro-
pofe, 1 had her caft, and fecured by means of
fetters, and made a crucial incifion through the
ikin upon the right frontal bone, on a level with
the fuperior part of the orbit, and very near the
longitudinal future. After detaching the peri-
cranium, I applied a trephine of nearly an inch
diameter, and having removed two circular
pieces of bone, I cut oft* the intercircular angles,
' fo
C ^ ]
(o as to reduce the whole to a longitudinal oval
opening of fomewhat more than two inches in
length and one in breadth. Not meeting: with
any thing extraordinary upon the furface of the
dura mater, I placed the fcalpel upon it, in order
to make an opening in it parallel with that of
the bone, and was not a little furpriled to find it
offified ; I, however, cut out a piece of it cor-
refponding with the opening in the bone.
The vefTels of the pia mater appeared almoft
obliterated, or nearly colouilefs, from their con-
taining an unufually fmall quantity of blood,
and the expofed furfaceof the brain prefented two
conirderable eminences feparated by a furrow,
in which was a colourlefs vein which acted as a
Band, but yet not fufficiently fo as to prevent
thefe eminences prelTing rudely againftthe edges
of the bone.
On preffing my finger on the brain, I receiv-
ed the fenfation of fluid refinance from within,
and began a longitudinal incifion in the upper
and middle part of the denuded portion. The
cortical part cut as if much upon the ftretch,
and was thinner and harder than ufual ; on di-
viding the vein juft mentioned, the lower part
began to tear before the knife, and, when the
whole incifion was effe&ed, the preffure from
within
[ *7 ]
within became fo confiderable as to render the
f.r her ufe of the cutting edge of the knife en-
tirely unnecefTary. By cautioufly feparating the
divided edges with the handle of the inftrument,
I was (truck with the appearance of a cyft, part
of which protruded itfelf immediately with con-
fiderable force, through the bony opening, to
the lize of a hen's egg, when it burft, and gave
iffue to about three or four ounces of a thin co-
lourlefs fluid. By laying hold of the torn edges,
and drawing them gently from one fide to the
other, I detached the cyft from its conne&ions
without the lead degree of laceration, except
what was before produced by the efcape of the
contents.
On looking into the brain, after the removal
of the cyft, I was only aware of a large cavity,
the fur face of which was perfectly fmooth and
white, not containing any more hydatids, nor the
fmalleft quantity of water. From the prefence
of the plexus choroides, which lay at the bottom,
though much paler coloured and fmaller than
ufual, I concluded that this cavity was an en-
largement of the right anterior ventricle, effect-
ed in all probability by the gradual extenfion of
the contained cyft. I covered the opening with
a piece of muflin, dried the flaps of the fkin
well,
[ 28 ]
well, replaced and covered them with a piece of
linen, and fecured the whole with an adhefive
plafler.
On removing the fetters the animal rofe with-
out difficulty, and walked to her fried without
appearing in the lead difpofed to turn or ramble.
That evening, about eight hours after the
operation, (lie ate a final! quantity of hay, and
the next morning did not exhibit the fmalleft
fymptom of derangement. Having fome affairs
which called me to the continent, I was necef-
fitated to confide the animal to other care, and
on* my return, five months afterwards, was told
that flie died fix teen days after the performance
of the operation. The account given me was,
that (he was very well for the firft five days,
when (lie was dreffed ; that on her appearing dull
after the dreffing, the proprietor conceiving the
bandage might be too tight, took it off, and re-
placed it ; that in two hours (lie appeared to be
re-efbblifhed, and ate and ruminated as ufual,
but was not dreffed with any regularity afterwards ;
that on the twelfth day (he became heavy, re*
fufed her food, lay down, and (hewed fymptoms
of pain and inquietude; and that on the fix-
teenth the proprietor, in companion for her fuf-
ferings, ordered her to be killed by opening the
veffels
[ *9 3
vefTels of the neck ; it mud, however, be ob-
ferved, that this was done from a p riuafion
that her (ituation did not admit of recovery.
The opening of die head was effected by a
blow of an axe, which produced fuch a confufion
of parts as prevented a furgeon who was prefent
from diftinguifhing any thing more than a very
confiderable quantity of maggots {pupa of the
flelli fly) within the fubftance of the brain.
It is to be regretted that a proper attention was
not given to this cafe; for, circumflanccd as it
was, we cannot draw any conclufion from the
practice which was adopted. Perhaps the fup-
puration of the brain would have deftroyed the
animal ; but this fuppuration was certainly ir-
creafed by the admifHon of air and by other
caufes of irritation.
The capfule or bag was thin, rather opaque,
and tolerably flrong, without any appearance of
vafcularity ; its external furface was in general
fmooth; in a few points, however, it was ren-
dered irregular by the adhefion of fmall, white
globular bodies. The internal furface was in
fome places perfectly fmooth, whillt in others,
on the contrary, it Vvas fludded with groups of
the bodies juft mentioned, fome of which were
not larger than grains of poppy feed and nearly
globular ;
[ 30 ]
globular ; others, however, were as large as £
fmall pin's head, fomewhat pyriform, and hung
from the cyft by a kind of neck. In fome places
they were fcattered at a diftance from each other,
whilft in others they were accumulated in fuch
numbers as to form clufters, which hung down
into the cavity of the capfule, and bore no
flight refemblance to fmall bunches of grapes.
Each of thefe bodies confided of a veficular
worm, or animal hydatid, contained in a fmall
capfule, and which, from the circumftance of
its being found in great numbers in one common
capfule, has been called the focial hydatid, to
diftinguifh it from another fpecies, which is ge-
nerally met with ifolated, and thence named the
hermit or Jolitary hydatid. This hydatid con-
iifts of a head, neck, and body, and appears
to be of the fame ftructure with the larger or
folitary kind ; but as I (hall have occafion to
fpeak of thefe worms in another paper, I (hall
referve what I have to fay of their ftruclure and
mode of life till that time.
Although I may rifk being cenfured for pro-
lixity, yet I cannot avoid dating fome of the
caufes which concur to render this complaint
almoft always fatal, and invariably highly dan-
gerous.
Thefe
C 3* J
Thefe arc,
1. The injury done to the brain by the pre-
face of fuch a foreign body.
2. Its difference in fituation and fize.
The injury done to the brain may be confi-
dered as relative to the fize and fituation of the
capfule.
Its different fituation produces a degree of
uncertainty and difficulty in afcertaining the
part of the cranium neceffary to be perforated.
Its difference in fize is an object of no fmall im-
portance, as the degree of fuppuration which
mull neceflarily take place after the extraction
of the capfule muft be proportionate to the ex-
pofed furface of the brain.
The cyfl is occasionally to be met with in
every part both of the cerebrum and cerebel-
lum. When feated fuperncially in the cere-
brum, its prefTure againfr, the pofterior furface
of the part of the bone which is before it ex-
cites the action of the abforbents, which in a
certain time remove the correfponding part of
the bone, and a foft fpot is left in its place,
which ferves as a guide to the operator*.
When
* There are occafional deviations from this courfe. In
the cafe before us the efforts of nature appear to have been
[ 3* ]
When feated towards the bafis of the cere-
brum, it meets with greater refiftance than when
on the furface, increafes in fize, ard produces a
proportional diminution in the volume of the
brain before it can tfTecl the foftening of the
correfponding part of the bone.
As I have not met with it in the cerebellum
myfelf, I cannot fav whether it is able to pro-
duce the foftening of the pofterior or any other
part of the cranium, or whether the animal in
which it is found is not detlroyed before this
effect takes place.
Its fize may be confidered as relative to its
age and depth ; for if it be deep feated, it mud,
by its extension, di (place much brain before it
can induce the foft fpot ; whilft, on the con-
trary, if fuperficial, the foft fpot may take place
without any very considerable extenfion of the
capfule.
From what has been faid, it muft appear that
the mofT favourable cafes for the performance
of the operation are thofe in which the foft fpot
takes place foon after the appearance of the
ill directed by ftrengthening the dura mater inftead of wea-
kening it, and the bone had not undergone any perceptible
change.
fymptoms,
[ 33 ]
fymptoms, in confequence of the capfule being
fuperficial ; but even here it muft be under-
taken with a very guarded prognoftic.
The moil unfavourable cafes are thofe where
either the foft fpot does not make its ap-
pearance at all, or where it takes place after
the other fymptoms have been prefent for a con-
siderable time, and where great debility and
emaciation exift.
Half- noon Street^
Piccadilly,
March 30, 1792.
V. Fafts relative to the Prevention of Hydro-
phobia. Communicated in a Letter to Dr. Sim-
mons by Mr. JefTe Foot, Surgeon in London.
1H AV E the honour of prefenting to you
fome facts relative to the prevention of hy-
drophobia, which I wi(h to fee pubLfhed as an
excitement to a fimilar mode of treatment in
other inftances of the fame kind ; being tho-
roughly perfuaded that excifion of the bitten
part is the only remedy that ought to be trufted
to in fuch cafes.
Vol. III. D The
[ 34 J
The fads now communicated to you are in
addition to two other ftriking and fuccefsful in-
ftances of the fame fort formerly given to the
Public, by me, in an EfTay * on this fubjecl, to
which I beg leave to refer you.
CASE I.
Two years and a half fince a young lady was
bitten in the heel by her own lap dog, fo as to
produce a bleeding ; the dog died mad the
next day. I was prefent when the bitten parts
were cut out, and the lady has remained well.
The operation was performed three days after
the accident.
CASE II.
Sixteen months ago a ftrange dog came into
the yard of Robert Jackfon, Efq., near Tewkf-
bury in Gloucefterfhire, and bit two dogs : they
were both bathed in the fea, and to both the
Ormfkirk medicine was given. They both died
mad ; but one of them, having got loofe du-
ring his madnefs, bit a puppy that he had for-
merly been very fond of : the bitten part of the
* An Eflay on the Bite of a Mad Dog. 8vo. London,
1788.
puppy
[ 35 ]
puppy was cut out directly, and the puppy
continues well.
CASES III. and IV.
For thefe two cafes I am indebted to Mr. John
Capon Weeks, Surgeon at Rochefter, and I
fhall give them to you in his own words, ex-
tracted from his letter to me on this fubject,
dated March 12th, 1791.
" George Cobb, a fervant of Commodore
" Pafley, was bit by a dog on the 29th of
" November, 1789. I faw him immediately
€C after the bite. The bite was on the right
cc cheek, and the infide of the upper lip ; but
" I could not perfuade him to have the parts
" that were bitten extirpated. The Ormfkirk
" medicine was made ufe of, and the Birling
" medicine was alfo given. The lad continued
" very well for ten days after the bite, and the
" wounds healed; but on the 10th of Decem-
" ber, fymptoms of hydrophobia appeared,
" The Birling medicine was now again admi-
" niftered ; but by two o'clock of the morning
" of the 1 2th of December the patient ap-
u peared quite exhaufted by the violence of
" the fymptoms, became quiet, and died in
* about half an hour after.
D 2 " Richard
C 36 3
u Richard Braham was bit by the fame dog
in about a quarter of an hour after the bite
of the unfortunate George Cobb. I favv this
lad about an hour after the bite. The parts
bitten were the upper lip, the under part of
the lower jaw, and the little finger of the
right hand, all of which bled in confequence
of the bites. The bitten parts were all ex-
tirpated. The wounds were dreffed with a
mercurial digeflive, and healed in about fix-
teen days. This patient has experienced no
ill effects from the bite, and is now in good
health."
Dean Street, Sobo,
April 7, 1792.
VI. Two Cafes of Fratlure ; one of the upper ,
the other of the lower Jaw. By Mr. T.
Hughes, Surgeon at Stroud-IVater in Gloucef-
terjhire.
CASE I.
ON the 22d of April, 1768, a lad, about
fixteen years of age, received fo violent
a kick in the face from a horfe as to throw him
backwards.
C 37 ]
backwards- The accident happened a mile or
two from his matter's houfe : he got up and
walked home, bleeding all the way. I faw him
a few hours after the accident, and found the
upper jaw fractured. The fracture extended
horizontally from the pofterior part of the right
os max i Hare, beyond the fart heft tooth, as far
as the cufpidatus * on the left fide, juft above
the alveolar procefs, and nearly where the
cheek and lip are connected to the gums. The
incifor teeth were beaten out, with the anterior
part of their fockets ; and the pofterior part of
the fockets was detached from the other part of
the fractured piece. The mohres, biculpides,
and cufpidatus, of the right fide, remained firm
in their fockets. The fracture exrended alfo in
an irregular manner through the bony palate,
and the membranes were lacerated, fo that the
air rufhed through the opening from the nofe
into the mouth. By this extent of fracture all
the alveolar procefs of the right os maxillare,
with its molares, bicufpides, and cufpidatus
teeth, that part of the pterygoid procefs of the
os fphenoides connected with it, and as much
* According to Mr. Hunter's arrangement in his Natural
Hiltory of the Human Teeth.
D3 of
[ 38 ]
of the left os maxillare as form the fockets of
its two incifors, with part of the bony palate,
were beaten into the mouth, and made a very
frightful appearance. He was very fenfible,
and fpoke, but could hardly.be underftood.
The fradured piece was eafily reduced, but fell
down immediately upon the fingers being re-
moved, being held by the foft parts only.
I felt myfelf at a great lofs how to fupport
the fracture, from the want of fome fixed point
at the back part of the mouth, from not being
provided with implements, and from its being
late in the evening, in a country place, five
miles diftant from Wotton-Underedge, my then
place of refidence. I thruft fome comprefles
between the teeth of the upper and lower jaw of
the affected fide, and paffing a ligature through
a convenient part of the bone near to the left
cufpidafus, tied it to that tooth. By thefe
means the piece was confiderably, though not
fufficiently, raifed, efpecially the palatine part.
The patient was put to bed, ordered to be kept
cool and quiet, and to be fed with a liquid,
laxative diet through the fpout of a tea-pot.
I found the next day, that, the comprefles
and ligature having flipped, the fra&ured piece
was fallen down ; but an eryfipelatous tumour
of
L 39 ]
of the face, attended with fever, having come
on, nothing could be done in that ftate to re-
drefs the fracture. Some blood was taken away,
and a laxative mixture directed.
Two days afterwards Mr. Cooper, my part-
ner, faw him with me. The eryfipelas being
nearly fubfided, we deliberated on the fteps to
be taken. While my thoughts were employed
how to get over the difficulty of making a per-
foration through the firm part of the os maxil-
lare, by which a ligature might be paiTed, and
the fractured piece fecured, Mr. Cooper, who
feemed to be meditating fome kind of prop,
having raifed the fractured piece with his fin-
ger, thrufl one end of the fponge, with which
we had been cleaning the parts, into the pa-
tient's mouth. We both immediately faw with
great pleafure that this fubflance, by its expan-
fibility, would effectually fupport the parts in
their proper fituation. A piece, therefore, of a
proper fhape and fize, fo as moderately to fill
the mouth, leaving fufficient room on the left
fide for the lpout of a tea-pot to be introduced
for the conveyance of nourifhment, and with a
firing fattened to it, was introduced. By this
fimple, eafy method the fractured piece was fo
well fupported in its proper fituation, that,
D 4 upon
C 40 ]
upon changing the fponge thirty-fix hours af-
terwards, the loof of the mouth was railed to
its natural arch, which before could not be fo
weii effected even with the finger.
The di 'charge of matter and mucus was fo
laree and ofTeniive as to make it recefTarv af-
terwards to change the fponge daih ; and for
ths purpofe, though the patient was much re-
duced, be received fufficient fupport from li-
quid nourifbment to enable him to walk to
Wotton from the village wh^re he lived. Af-
ter the firft application of the fponge, it was
uied in a dry (rate, that it might abforb more of
the difcharge. In about a fortnight the dif-
charge lefTened, and the parts acquired a firm-
ne.s fufficient to enable him to change the
fponge himlelf, and in about a month there ap-
peared to be no farther occafion for it. The
remaining poftenor part of tne fockets of the
fore teeth were removed as they became loofe;
as alio a (mall exfoliation f om the palatine
procefs of the maxillary bone. The foft parts
healed, and left no filfure in the pala e.
By the Oie of the fponge the fractured fide
of the upper jaw was fo much ra f d, that the
mo^ares and frcufpid^s teeth projected a trifle
beyond their natural fituation; but fome time
after
[ 4! ]
after it had born laid afide I obferved tint the
teeth had fallen a little, fo as to ftand rather
Within the outer edge of the coirefponding
teeth of the lower jaw when the mouth was fhut.
From the fame caufe there was a flight depref-
ficn of that fide of the face below the cheek
bone. I obferved alfu, that, from the violence
committed by the accident, the left nafal bone,
the low^r edge of the orbit of the left eye, and.
the nafal procefs of the left maxillary bone,
were nVhtly raifed : but from all this he could
not be f id to have any deformity or defedr,
except what arofe from the lofs of the fore
teeth.
REMARK.
I do not know that any improvement could
have been made in the ufe of the fponge in this
cafe, except that, inftead of'ufing it dry, it had
be n always fqueezed out of water, or any other
agreeable liquid, and changed twice or oftener
in twenty-four hours, which this patient's fitua-
tion did not admit of.
CASE II.
In the evening of May 16, 1780, a boy, fix
years old, had his lower jaw fradured by a
horfe,
[ 42 ]
horfe, which was rode over him, and he was
brought to me the next day. The fracture was
nearly perpendicularly acrofs the jaw,, betwixt
the fecond incifor and cufpidatus teeth on the
right fide, and from the posterior part of the
cufpidatus extended obliquely, behind the inci-
fores and left cufpidatus, through the alveolar
procefs and bafe of the jaw to the anterior part
of the firft left moiaris, in fuch a manner, that
the anterior part of that portion of the jaw form-
ing the chin and incloiing the four incifores and
left cufpidatus teeth was fevered from the pofle-
rior part, fo as to leave a large chafm between
them, the gums being alfo torn, and forced
downwards and to the left fide, fo as to be below
its natural level from half or three quarters of an
inch on the right fide to three quarters of an inch,
or an inch, on the left fide, and to be about
a finger's breadth diftant from the correfponding
right fide of the jaw, and of courfe overlapping
the left fide as much; the teeth in the detached
piece remaining fixed in their fcckets. The
parts bled freely at the time of the accident,
and the chafm between the fractured pieces was
now filled with grumous blood.
It was not very difficult to bring the fractured
pieces to correfpond on the right fide ; but I
3 could
[ 43 ]
could not raife the deprefied piece fufFiciently
on the left to correfpond with that fide of the
jaw, owing partly, as it fecmed, to the points
of the fracture entangling each other, and part-
ly to the action of the mufcles upon the boy's
crying and endeavouring to fhut his mouth in
making the neceffary attempts. No ufe could
be made of ligatures to the teeth ; and the ufual
bandage was of no fervice in fupporting the de-
prefled piece ; however I left it on to keep the
parts a little Heady, and ordered that nourifh-
ment mould not be given by the mouth, but by
clyfters, till I contrived and got made an appa-
ratus more adequate to the purpofe. This con-
fided of a couple of little irons, which acted on
the principle of what mechanics call holdfafls,
to reft on the teeth in the fides of the jaw above,
and fixed below and before, by means of fcrews,
to a cafe of copper, adapted ro the form of the
jaw, and fecured by tapes fattened to a cap on
the head. This,, properly defended, was ap-
plied on the 20th ; at which time, befides a
conftant flow of faliva, mucus, &c, from the
mouth, there was confiderable fwelling and hard-
nefs under the jaw ; and the leafl attempt to
hold back the head put him to great pain. Di-
rections were given to keep the parts clean by
frequently
r 44 ]
frequently injecting barley water with honey of
rofes and tincture of myrrh.
By means of the michinery, the depreffed
piece of jaw was at firft kept in a much better
fituation, and the parrs fo fteady, that the boy
could move his head much more eafily than be-
forehand take liquids; and I hoped to derive great
advantage from it. But although alterati ns
were occafionally made in its form and applica-
tion, I afterwards found that, from the difficul-
ty of keeping the leit hold t aft far enough back,
aud of preventing one or other from flipping
now and then, and from the lip fwelling from
the neceflary prefTure of the irons, circumftances
which appeared to irritate and render him reft-
lefs, and as a greater force applied with a view
to fupport the d^preded piece only increafed
the feparation, by exciting the action of the
mufcles of the jaw, and as I faw that exfolia-
tions would take place in the alveolar procefs ;
on all thefe accounts I laid alide the holdfafts,
after ufing them four days, and continued the
ufe of the copper cafe only.
1 frequently thought of the advantage receiv-
ed from the fponge, in the cafe of the fracture
of the upper jaw above related ; but did not at
firft conceive that, in the prcfent cafe, any ad-
vantage
[ 45 3
vantage could be reaped from it. However,
after ibme days, it occurred to me, that a piece
of dry fponge, made flat by preflure, and plac-
ed on the infidc of the copper cafe, by fwelling
from the conftant flow of faliva, &c. from the
mouth, might gradually raife thedeprefled piece
of jaw, without occafioning pain. This was
applied on the 30th, a fortnight from the time
of the accident. Having found nothing appli-
cable to the cafe in authors, I related it to fome
gentlemen of my acquaintance of experience
and abilities, who readily informed me of what
they had done in fomewhat fimilar cafes, but
which could not be ufed in the then flate of my
patient, except wedges of cork placed between
the teeth on the fides of the jaws ; I, therefore,
tried them, with the fponge under the chin at
the fame time. The wedges were ufed three
days, cut in various forms, as feemed befl to
keep the fractured parts fteady, and themfelves
from flipping ; but, I was obliged to give them
up, as they occafioned great pain, and either
brought on or increafed an hectic fever, attend-
ed with diarrhoea, by which the patient was fo
much reduced that his life was not expected.
The uneafinefs he fuffered from the wedges feem-
ed to arife, partly from their flipping fometimes
1 and
[ 46 ]
and thereby feparating the fractured pieces, but
chiefly from their keeping the jaw in a deprefled
and unnatural (late. The left cufpidatus tooth,
by bearing againft and overlapping the adjoining
molaris, feerned to be another obftacle to the
railing of the deprefled piece : I, therefore, re-
moved the cufpidatus, and then trufted to the
power of the fponge, applying a dry piece daily
betwixt the chin and copper cafe, and occafion-
ally alfo keeping another bit of fponge betwixt
the right cheek and fide of the jaw, (which was
carried too much outwards), and continuing to
walli the parts with the injection. When this
method was firffc ufed, the middle detached piece
of the jaw was fo much below its natural level,
as eafily to admit nourishment to be conveyed
between the upper and lower teeth, by means of
a tea pot with a flat fpout, or a fpoon.
In a few days he became quite eafy, and his
general health mended ; alfo, the deprefled
piece of jaw was gradually raifed, fo that by the
end of June the fore teeth of the lower ap-
proached thofe of the upper fo nearly, that he
retained mod of the faliva ; and as it advanced,
the fracture acquired firmnefs likewife to admit
of his opening his mouth with eafe,and receiving
fomefolid food, brought to a ftate not requiring
maftication.
[ 47 3
maftication. By the middle of July, there was
neither wafte of faliva, nor any further occafion
for the fponge. The copper cafe was ufed con-
stantly a month longer; and afterwards, when
he was eating, till the beginning of September.
He beg-an to mafticate folid food in the middle of
Auguft. From the middle of June to the mid-
dle of Auguft, feveral pieces of the alveolar pro-
cefs exfoliated ; alfo a fmall bit of the jaw was
caft oft on the left fide, through a fmall opening
it had produced in the teguments ; and a tooth
fell out, which proved to be the body of a cufpi-
datus of the fecond fet, its fang not yet formed.
During the cure, no advantage was received
from internal medicine, as he could not be pre-
vailed with to t3ke any.
In September, the appearances of the parts
concerned were thefe : When the mouth was
ihut, no mark of difeafe was difcovered, except
a flight pit in the teguments under the left fide
of the jaw, where the external exfoliation hap-
pened. On turning down the under lip, the
teeth and gums were perfectly regular in the cir-
cular range ,• though the left cufpidatus was de-
ficient, there was no chafm betwixt the incifor
and molaris ; and there was fo little diftance
betwixt the upper and lower incifors, that it
would
[ 48 ]
would not have been obferved unlefs pointed out.
Indeed, the greateft deformity was what arofe
from the fore teeth of the' lower jaw being in-
crufted with tartar, from want, of ufe.
From October to December he fhed the milk
incifors; and, the firft molaris on the left fide
having been loofened by an exfoliation, I re-
moved it, and at the fame time the crown of a
bicufpis of the fecond fet.
In June 1787, he then being thirteen years
old, I had an opportunity of examining him.
The right cufpidatus tooth, and one of the bi-
cufpides on the left fide were deficient, as could
not otherwife be expedted ; the reft of the teeth
were very regular, more fo than the teeth of
perfons in general who have the full number.
There was a fmall chafm, but not very ftrlking,
betwixt the fecond incifor and the firft bicufpis
on the right fide. Though all his teeth were
large, the bicufpides on the right fide, and the
bicufpis and cufpidatus on the left, feemed to
be larger than ufual. The teeth of the lower
not only met thofe of the upper jaw, but by
carrying the jaw backwards, he could bring the
lower behind the upper ones.
REMARKS.
C 49 3
REMARKS.
It is feen from the above account, that, in the
reduction of the fracture, what could not be
done at once by force, was brought about gra-
dually and with eafe; which mode of conduct
may be advantageoufly purfued in other frac-
tures, when difficulties oppofe a fpeedy reduc-
tion.
It appears alfo, that there was an imperfection
in the cure, by the line of the jaw being fhort-
ened, and confequently not leaving fufficient
room for the full number of teeth ; but perhaps
the cure was as perfect as the circumflances of
the cafe would admit. And, indeed, unlefs
thofe of the fecond fet of teeth, which were
loft, could have been faved; it was an advan-
tage, in the event, to have the circle of jaw lef-
fened likewife, otherwife, there muft have been
chafms between the teeth, which nature could
not have filled up. On the other hand, had all
the teeth been preferved, unlefs the circle of
the jaw could have been extended by keeping
its fides at a greater diftance, the teeth muft
have flood in a very irregular manner.
Stroud Watery
May 8, 1792*
Vol. III. E VII. Cafi
VI I. Cafe of an enlarged Nymph a. By Mr,
William Morlen, Surgeon in London,
THE fubjedt of this cafe was a young wo-
man, who, at the age of fixteen years,
married, and contracted the venereal difeafe
from her hufband. A bubo formed, which
fuppurated ; and about four months from the
commencement of the difeafe me perceived a
conflderable fwelling in the entrance of the
vagina, of the lize of a walnut, which gave
her no inconvenience except in the embraces of
her hufband. The bubo being at this time
healed, and no farther remains of the venereal
difeafe (as fhe thought) fecming to exift, fhe
neglected to confult any one about this fwelling
for nearly two years, by which time it had at-
tained the lize of a man's fift. It now begin-
ning to alarm her, me applied to an apothecary
in her neighbourhood, who, after examining it
in a curfory manner, pronounced it a proci-
dentia uteri, and recommended fome internal
medicines, but made no attempt, fo far as I can
learn, to reduce it.
The patient, finding no relief from a long
sontinuance of this treatment, by the advice of
a midwife
C J« ]
a midwife applied to me, and, upon examina-
tion, I found a moveable tumour, of the lize
before mentioned, projecting from the labia
pudendi the diftance of four inches. Its pref-
fure on the lymphatics had enlarged the labia
pudendi to an enormous degree, and the irrita-
tion which it produced in walking, or even fit-
ting, occafioned an increafed fecretion, or fluor
albns, which had excoriated the adjoining parts,
fo as to form a confiderable ulcer inperinao.
Such was the appearance of things externally.
Upon introducing my finger into the vagina, I
clearly afcertained the uterus in its natural fitua-
tion, and unimpregnated, which removed
every doubt of the tumour's being that organ ;
and upon minutely examining the fituation and
attachment of the tumour, (with the afliftance
of Dr. Clarke, of Queen Street, Golden Square)
it was afcertained to be an enlarged nympha
of the right fide. As the removal of the tu-
mour by the knife feemed to be the only
means by which relief could be obtained, we
propofed it to our patient ; and having obtained
her affent to the operation, I performed it on
the 30th of March, aflifted by Mr. Harris,
Surgeon.
Es The
C 52 ]
The tumour (which is now in the pofTeflion
of Dr. Clarke) was found, when removed, to
weigh feven ounces and one drachm. The hae-
morrhage being considerable, we were under
the neceflity of having recourfe to the ligature.
After the removal of the tumour the fwelling of
the labia pudendi gradually gave way to mercu-
rial friction, and the ulcer in perinao foon
healed.
Any cohefion of the wounded parts, which
might perhaps otherwife have taken place, was
prevented by the introduction, into the vagina,
of a piece of wax candle, which was continued
there till the inflammation of the parts had
fubfided.
Harpur Street,
May 10th, 1792.
VIII. An Account of the good Effects of Electri-
city in a Cafe of violent Jpafmodic Affetlion.
By Mr. George Wilkinfon, Surgeon at Sun-
derland, and Member of the Royal College of
Surgeons at Edinburgh , £f?r.
o
N the 25th of May, 1788, I was defired
to vifit Mifs A. Crawford, of this place,
aged
[ 53 j
aged twenty-eight years, and of a delicate con-
stitution, who had for abour three weeks been
afflicted with a vi afmodic complaint.
I found her labouring under great d ejection of
fpirits ; her pulfe was weak, but regular; her
appetite was much impaired, yet (lie had little
or no ficknefs or third: : (he complained of a
fcnfe of weight in her forehead, with dimnefs
of fight, and of a pain about the region of her
ftomich ; (he was coltive ; her urine, which was
much increafed in quantity, was fometimes lim-
pid, but in general of an amber colour, and
fhe frequently corqplained of coldnefs, particu-
larly in her extremities.
On farther inquiry, it appeared that fhe had
enjoyed a tolerable (hare of health till the 7th of
May, when, after much nneafinefs of mind, (he
was feized at two o clock in the morning, while
in bed, with a rigidity and fthTnefs of the whole
body. At four (he became totally infenfible,
and continued fo till eight the fame morning,
when, after feveral deep (ighs, the fit went off,
her limbs became relaxed, and her fpeech and
recollection gradually returned.
She had no more attacks of this kind till
about a week afterwards ; and then they differed
■greatly in their violence and duration, refem-
E 3 bling
C 54 ]
bling hyfteric affe&ions, frequently coming on
twice or thrice in the fpace of an hour, and
continuing only a few minutes at a time. It
often happened that they left her for the fpace
of a day, and fometimes for two or three days,
but when this was the cafe they returned with
greater feverity, more efpecially at the approach
of the catamenia, (which were always regular)
and previoufly to the coming on of rain or
ftormy weather, obferving no regular periods
with refpect to their attack, and varying in their
duration from fifteen minuses to two hours or
longer.
There was no criterion whereby me could
afcertain the approach of thefe fits, their accef-
fion being always fudden. An univerfal fpafm,
producing a rigidity of the whole frame, took
place in a moment, and deprived her of the
power of fpeech and recollection. Indeed the
frequent opportunities I had of feeing her in
thefe fituations enabled me to obferve the pro-
grefs of the fymptoms with attention, and her
cafe (truck me as bearing a ftriking refemblance,
in many refpects, to that of a young lady de-
fer ibed by a late ingenious and refpe&able
writer.
"She
[ 55 1
" She exhibited," fays he, " a figure of
" death-like fleep, beyoncl the power of art to
" imitate, or the imagination to conceive. Her
u forehead was ferene, her features perfectly
u compofed. The palenefs of her colour, her
" breathing at a diilance being alfo fcarce per-
" ceptible, operated in rendering the limilitudc
w to marble more exact and (Inking. 1 he
u pofition of her fingers, hands, and arms,
" was altered with difficulty ; but they p: eferved
" every form of flexure they acquired *."
Previoufly to my attendance (he had taken
feveral medicines, fuch as valerian, and the
foetid gums in various forms ; from thefe, how-
ever, me had experienced little or no benefit*
The intention I had in view was to obviate
the attack of the fits, by diminifhing the irrita-
bility of the fyftern, and to reftore tht ftomach
to its natural functions ; for this purpofe I re-
commended that, on the accefTion of the fits,
her hands and feet mould be immerfed in warm
water, and a draught compofed of vin. antim.
aether vit. and tincl. opii, in a fuitable vehicle,
to be taken at proper intervals, varying the dofe
* Vide Seletf Cafes by John Jebb, M. D. 8vo. Lon-
don, 1782, p. 64.
E4 of
E 56 ]
of the feveral ingredients according to the ur-
gency of the fymptoms.
By this treatment the ftrength and frequency
of the fits were diminifned.
In the intervals, or abfence of the fits, (he
took, at proper intervals, as tonics, extract of
gentian and rhubarb, with fait of fteel. From
the ufe of thefe remedies fhe experienced great
benefit : her appetite improved, and the fits left
her for a week.
Bark in fubftance, to the quantity of two
fcruples three times a day, being afterwards ad-
mini ftered, difagreed with her ftomach, and ran
off by the interlines, though combined with
cinnamon in powder, and with fmall doles of
tincture of opium.
June 7th, her fits again returned, and conti-
nued to attack her more frequently, and with
increafed violence, till the 13th, when I was
fent for in great hafte, and found her fitting in
her chair, perfectly fenfible, but with her jaw
completely locked, her face fomewhat diftorted,
her head drawn backwards, and the muscles of
her neck rigid and inflexible. The approach
of this fit had been preceded, as fhe informed me,
by a fen fatten like the cramp in the foles of her
feet, fucceeded by a coldnefs of the extremities,
1 and
[ 57 1
and a fpafinodic affedtipn of the mufcles of her
neck and jaw.
Under tbefe circumftances, her hands and feet
were immerfed in warm water; her neck and
throat were repeat dly rubbed with a liniment
compofed of volatile alkali, mixed with ol.
terebinth.*; a foetid clyller, with the addition of
a drachm and a half of tincture of opium, was
likewife adminiftered ; and from thirty to forty
drops of the latter, mixed with an equal quan-
tity of xther, were di reded to be given every
two or three hours in a fui table vehicle.
This plan. of treatment was purfued till the
next morning, when, upon finding her no bet-
ter, I determined to try the effects of electri-
city.
Mr. Martin, of this place, who has applied
himfelf, with great fuccefs, to medical electri-
city, having favoured me with his affiftance,
we placed the patient at firft in an infulated
chair connected with a pretty powerful machine,
the cylinder of which was eleven inches in dia-
meter; lirong fparks were taken from various
parts of her body, but particularly from the
mufcles of ihe neck : thefe proving ineffectual,
fcveral fmart fhocks, by means of directors,
were given in the fame way, and acrofs the jaw,
near
C 5* ]
near the articulation. Thefe alio proving un-
fliccefsful, the fhocks were next applied through
the whole courfe of the fpine. When fhe had re-
ceived about half a dozen fhocks, in this way, a
profufe perfpiration took place, and in the fpace
of eight or ten minutes her mouth, which had
been clofed eighteen hours, opened a) moll in-
ftantaneoufly, .and me regained her fpeech. —
For fome days after this there was a difpofition
to tetanus ftill prevailing, though the jaw did
not again become completely locked ; electri-
city was therefore occasionally had recourfe to
for the fpace of a week; tonic remedies (but
without the bark) were likewife adminiftered,
and a plafter compofed of empl. ftomach.
opium, and camphor, was applied to the region
of the ftomach. Under this mode of treatment
the fits gradually went off, and fhe regained,
at the end of about fix weeks from the time I
firft attended her, a perfect fiate of health.
A period of near two years having elapfed,
(lie was again feized, on the 13th of June,
1 790, with a fit exactly (imilar to that which
had taken place on the 7th of May, 1788, and.
the day following her jaw became rigid, and
completely locked. As 1 was from home at
this time, my friend Mr. Martin again gave her
his affiftance.
The
C 59 ]
The account he gave me of her fituation was,
that he found her in a Mate of ftupor, with her
countenance diftorted, her head drawn back-
wards, and her whole frame itrongly convulfed.
Being unable to get his large cylindrical ma-
chine, he was obliged to employ a fmall globe
one, and a Leyden phial containing about a
fquare .cot of coating; with thefe he paffed fe-
ver, il of the ftrongeft mocks he could well col-
led from the phial through her legs and arms,
and in the direction of the fpire, for near an
hour, by which means the contraction of her
limbs went off, and fhe recovered her fenfes ;
but the fpafm of the jaw did not fubfide till
about half a dozen (hocks had been fent through
it by means of a director fixed under each ear.
She was then put to bed, but before ten minutes
had elapfed her jaw again became locked, and
was again relieved by the application of three
more fhocks, parTed in the fame direction as
the former ones. In this manner the tetanus
continued to return and to be relieved for feveral
hours, till at length the flighteft (hock was found
fufficient to produce the effecl; of opening her
mouth.
My abfence from home prevented me from
feeing her till two days afterwards. I then
3 found
C 6o J
found that the electricity had been occasionally
repeated, on tl,?e recurrence of the fits, which
had now almoft totally fubfided. Tonic reme-
dies were adminiftered, and the patient re-
mained free from any fpafmodic complaint for a
fortnight At the end of that time, in confe-
rence of fatigue, fnc had a return of the fits,
and her jaw again became locked, and remained
(o for feveral hours, till the lame remedy, the
good erTecls of which (he had fo repeatedly ex-
perienced, was again had recourfe to. Strong
fhocks were palled acrofs the jaw and down the
fpine, as before, and by thefe means, in about
twenty minutes, the fpafm was removed. After
this lad attack me gradually recovered, and has
remained well ever fince.
This cafe feems to be worthy of being re-
corded, both on account of the uncommon
fymptoms that attended it, and of the relief ob-
tained in it from electricity.
M. Sauvages, in his Nofologia Mctbodka, has
arranged, among his fpecies, zcatalepjis hyfte-
rtca and a tetanus hvfiericus ; but of neither of
thefe has he been able to colled more than a
fingle inftance ; fo that they muft be confidered
as rare affections ; and their combination, as in
the
[ 6i ]
the cafe I have related, is probably a (till more
uncommon occurrence.
M. Lieutaud * fuppofes that what has been
called catalepfy is conftantly an hypochondriacal
or hyflerical affection. That it was To in the
cafe of my patient I am very ready to allow ;
but how far his opinion is applicable to other
cafes of catalepfy, as defcribed by different
writers, I (hall not at prefent attempt to deter-
mine.
IX. Cafe of a fingular cutaneous Affeclion; with'
fome Remarks relative to the Poifon of Copper.
By Mr. William Davidfon, Apothecary in Lon-
don. Communicated in a Letter to Br. Seguin
Henry Jackfon, Thyftcian in London, and by
him to Dr. Simmons.
ON the 16th day of December, 1787, I was
fentfor to a family in my neighbourhood,
where the mother and four children were affected
with a cutaneous eruption, which had made its
appearance that day, and occafioned them much
* Precis de la Medecinc pratique, Tome I. p. 302,
Svo. Paris, 1777.
uneafinefs.
C 6z ]
uneafinefs. This eruption was feemingly of the
leprous kind, and confided of fpors of different
fizes, the large ft of which were white and fcaly,
with moid bafes, appearing as if fomething
acrimonious h »d been fecreted under the cuticle,
which thickened, raifed, and feparated it from
the cutis. It was more or lefs all over the body,
and very much amongft the hair of the head.
There was no itching, or particular pain ; nor
did the general health of the patients feem af-
fected.
Knowing that affections of the ikin often arifc
from thofe of the domach, I quedioned them
about their diet, and particularly inquired
whether they had taken any thing that day
which had difagreed with them. I was inform-
ed, that, two days before, the above five perfons
and three young women (vifitors) had all dined
upon peafe foup, which was didributed with a
brafs ladle that had been in the warm foup
fome little time ; that the ladle, having been long
out of ufe, and hung up expofed to the open
air, was quite green, but which was not noticed
at the time ; and that the mother, having been
much alarmed, and imputing the appearances on
the (kin to this circum dance, had lent to the
three vifitors, and, finding they were all affected
in
C 63 3
in the fame manner, concluded they were poi-
foned,unlefs I could afford them fome immediate
relief.
The mother was about twenty-fix years of
age, and in the fecond month of her pregnancy,
although ihe was (till fuckling the youngeft of
the patients, a girl then about fourteen months
old. The fpots upon this child were not very
numerous; and it was obferved that (he had
taken only a fmall quantity of the foup. The
deleft daughter was between eleven and twelve
years of age ; the next, about nine ; and the
other child, about four. The young women
were about feventeen or eighteen. None of
them had taken any thing which had occalioned
ficknefs or any internal affection ; and even the
peafe foup, which certainly contained more or
lefs of verdigris, had occalioned no difturbance
in the ftomach, and was digefted as ufual.
I found, on examination, that the quantity
of eruption was in an exact proportion to the
quantity of foup taken by each perfon; for the
mother, who wilhed to avoid peafe foup, think-
ing it improper for her who was then giving fuck,
and only took a fmall quantity, had lefs of the
eruption than any of the reft ; while one of the
girls, who had eaten plentifully of it, was al-
moft
[ 64 ]
mod covered with this leprous appearance.
From this laft circumstance, and from thd length
of time which intervened between the taking
of the foup and the appearance of the fpots
upon the fkin, I was led to believe that this
eruption could not originate from that fympathy
between the fkin and ftomach to which may be
afcribed fo many of the cutaneous affections, but
ought rather to be imputed to the copper mixed
with the foup, and which, having been taken
into the ftomach, abforbed, and carried into
the blood veffels, the conftitution was now en-
deavouring to difcharge by throwing it upon
the furface of the body. I, therefore, conceived
that the cure would chiefly depend upon en-
couraging thefe efforts, and at the fame time,
if poflible, deftroying the virulence of whatever
portion of the copper might remain in the
blood vefTels.
Having thefe considerations in view, and re-
collecting the well-known effects of fulphur,
not only as a diaphoretic, but alfo in rendering
the mod active metallic fubftances mild and in-
nocent, I conlidered it as the befl medicine I
could employ. Accordingly I adminiflered the
lac fulphuris night and morning, in dofes fo
regulated that its chief action might not be ex-
erted
C 65 ]
crted in the ftomach and bowels ; fearing left,
by an increafed proportion, the periftaltic mo-
tion might be fo much excited as to check the
determination ro the furface of the body.
Had any urgent fymptoms been prefent, I
fhould have given it every four or fix hours. In
all the patients the body continued fufficiently
open, and there was more or lefs of gentle per-
fpiration in the night. For the firft five days
the fpots kept coming out ; but from that period
they became browner, and at lafl gradually dif-
appeared, without leaving any mark behind.
The medicine was continued only about [even
or eight days, as the patients felt themfeives in
perfect health, and the eruption feemed going
off. Indeed the whole foon difappeared, ex-
cepting on the girl who had eaten moil heariily
of the foup. Upon her it continued for near
two months. The family remained afterwards
in perfect health, and have never had any return
of this or any fimilar complaint; nor were they
ever before affected with any difeafe of this
kind.
I (lull jurt beg leave to obferve, that the foup
was made of frefh beef, and in a tin faucepan ; fo
that, excepting the verdigris on the ladle, there
was no other fubftance which could produce
Vol. III. F any
[ 66 ]
any of the above-mentioned appearances *. Her€
the copper was mixed in a vehicle the bed
adapted for leffening its Simulating powers, for
blunting its emetic property, and allowing it in-
fidioufly to get into the blood. Whether it
there retained its original form of aerated or ace-
tared copper, and was in that flate effufed un-
der the cuticle by the exhalent arteries, fome
future experiments may, perhaps, determine.
It is well known that copper, in this flate, will
difTolve in a watery menftruum ; for a consider-
able portion of verdigris will diflblve in cold
diftilled water, making a green folution.
If then my inference be allowed, that the
copper, a very irritating, poifonous fubflance,
was fo fheathed as to be introduced into the
iyllem without producing any particular effects
in the prima vue, might not fome of our more
active medicines be in like manner conveyed
into the blood vefTels, fo as to excite actions in
the more remote parts of our fanguiferous and
glandular fyftems, which might tend to the
. cure of the more obftinate difeafes ? Every prac-
titioner knows that mercury may be fpeedily
* Is it necefiary for me to inform the chemical reader
that the foup was fcafoned with common fait ?
intro-
C 67 ]
introduced into the blood in this way, without
pading off by the bowels. But at fome future
period chemiftry may, perhaps, furnilh us with
fome medicines ftill more active and effectual,
which, introduced in this way, may produce
fpecific actions tending to the reftoration of
health.
It may perhaps be worthy of inquiry, whether
verdigris produced from pure copper, or from
that metal when in the form of brafs, produces
fimilar effects in the human body ? A circum-
ftance having lately occurred which has fome
relation to this fubjecf , I fhall beg leave to men-
tion it : — About four or five weeks ago a fine
little boy was brought to me, having upon him
a leprous eruption, which appeared fimilar to
the above. He was about three years of age,
of a florid complexion, lively, and feemingly in
good health. The eruption had been out about
feven or eight days. Having in remembrance
the cafe juft now related, I enquired whether
the boy had been in the habit of putting any thing
made of copper or brafs into his mouth ? His
mother told me that he did fo very often ; that
he ufed frequently to put halfpence and a brafs
thimble into his mouth, which (fhe faid) oc-
cafioned neither forenefs in the mouth, nor fick-
F 2 t\eh
C 68 ]
nefs of ftomach. From this account I imagined
that the eruption might arife from the fame
caufe as in the preceding cafes, (viz. from copper,
abforbed, carried into the blood, and thrown
out upon the fkin) and therefore determined
to try the fame remedy. I accordingly ordered
eight powders for him, each confiding of ten
grains of the lac fulphuris ; one of thefe was di-
rected to be taken night and morning. His
mother was defired to bring him to me again in
four or five days ; but as (he omitted to do this,
I am unable to give the event of the cafe.
Queen Anne Street, Eajl.
July 13th, 1792.
X. Tzvo Cafes of pulmonary Hemorrhage, f pee illy
ani fuccefsfully cureiby Abftinence from Liqulis.
By the Same.
ON the 6th day of March, 1792, I was re-
quefted to vifit Mr, S , a man of a
florid complexion, full habit of body, and about
forty-five years of age. He had been much af-
fected with head-ach, and hard dry cough, for
three or four weeks. His pulfe was now full,
frequent,
[ 69 j
frequent, hard, and quick ; and the veins upon
his hands and arms were fo much diftended, that
they appeared as if ready to burft. The cough
was almoft inceflant, attended with confiderablc
expectoration of florid frothy blood, which made
its appearance this morning, after a fevere fit
of coughing, and his head-ach ftill continued.
The plan I followed was the following :
I took, from a large orifice in the arm, twelve
ounces of blood, which from the long time it re-
mained fluid after being taken from the arm, and
the confequent appearance of (what is commonly
called) inflammation, both indicating the great
action of the fanguiferous fyftem, feemed to
point out the neceffity of employing the molt
vigorous antiphlogiflic treatment. Much dan-
ger was alfo to be apprehended from the en-
largement of the opening of the ruptured vefTel.
Accordingly, I ordered him a foline draught,
with antimonial wine, to be taken every three
hours, adding to the night draught fome fyrup
of white poppies, and an opening faline draught
to be taken the morning following, and repeat-
ed every other morning.
This courfe of medicine, together with abfti-
nence from animal food, and a ftrict adherence
to a light cooling diet, was regularly purfued for
F 3 three
[ 7° ]
three days; during which time the bleeding, al-
though moderated, dill continued, but the cough
was much better.
9th. He was directed to continue the fame
diet, and to avoid much exercife ; and the
turgid flate of the veins of his hands admonifh-
ing me that his veffels were ftill too full, it oc-
curred to me to advife, inftead of a fecond
bleeding, that he mould drink as fparingly
as poflible; from which I thought the veflels
would become lefs full, and the ruptured vef-
fel have a greater chance of uniting than when
conftantly diftended by drinking; and that,
if I could avoid taking away more blood, my
patient would recover *from his indifpofition
much fooner than if I relied the chief ftrefs of
the cure upon this operation. He was, therefore,
allowed only a pint of liquid, including tea and
every other kind of d> ink, (aU of which were given
cold) in the twenty-four hours. When thirfty,
I recommended it to him to fuck an orange or
lemon, inftead of drinking. On former occafions
of this kind, viz. in active hemorrhages, I have
prefcribed (as is the common practice) cooling
emulfions, milk whey and other diluents, in con-
siderable quantities, with a view of relaxing the
vafcular fyftem, and thereby leflening its in-
creafed
C'7'l J
creafed action, not confidering that the ftimulus
of diftention kept up this action, and was, there-
fore, one of the chief things I had to guard
againft. But as there is now little to be dread-
ed from the Boerhaavian lentor, fo there is no
particular occafion for the great dilution com-
monly praftifed, and which fcems to have been
founded upon this doctrine. The medicines
prefcribed this day were fimilar to the former.
ioth. I found him very cool, and without
cough or expectoration of any kind. The pulfe
was fofter, lefs frequent, and in every refpect
better. The appearance of the cutaneous veins
alfo was fo different, that I was convinced this
great alteration for the better was chiefly to be
attributed to his having avoided much drink-
ing during the preceding day and night. The
draughts kept the body regularly open once or
twice a day, and induced a foft fkin and com-
fortable fleep. They were, therefore, continued
for three days, four every day ; and three days
more, two every day, full obferving the fame
rule as to drinking. They always produced the
fame falutary effects. From this time the pa-
tient was perfectly well, and has remained fo
ever fince. In this cafe it would appear proba-
ble that no particular pneumonic affection exift-
F 4 ed,
C 7* ]
ed, excepting the bleeding, which was mod
probably occafioned by a plethoric date of the
conftitution and particular determination to the
lungs by the cough,
CASE It
Soon after my attendance on the above pa-
tient, another cafe of haemoptyfis occurred, but
which differed from the former in being attended
with confiderable pneumonic affection befidesthe
haemorrhage. The patient was a tall, thin man,
about thirty years of age, of a pale complexion,
narrow cheft, and high (boulders, and had
been affected with a fevere cough for nearly four
months previoufly to his application to me, ac-
companied with much yellow expe&oration, and
was fuppofed by his friends to be in a deep de-
cline. He had no night fweats ; but for the
laft three weeks had been affected with a con-
tinual pain of the right fide ; which, as far as
I could difcover, did not originate from any
rheumatic affection of the external mufcles, but
from fome internal difeafe of the thorax, and
which I conceived to be a flow inflammation
of the lungs, from which, and the violence
of thccQugh, the haemorrhage proceeded. He
applied
[ 73 ]
applied to me in the beginning of April, when
he was coughing violently, and bringing up
blood in mouthfuls. He had confiderable fever,
with a full, hard pulfc. I took from him ten
ounces of blood, and prefcribed in every refpedt
as in the foregoing cafe, enjoining to him great
attention not to drink more than a pint of liquid
in twenty-four hours; this, and every other rule
directed, he regularly obferved for about three
weeks, when the bleeding had ceafed for three
or four days, and alfo the pain in the fide. But
returning imprudently to his former diet, and
drinking the ufual quantity as when in health,
previoufly, as I fuppofe, to the obftruction or in-
flammation of the lungs being removed, his
cough returned, with fome little appearance of
bloody expectoration, mixed with that kind of
yellow mucus, which is commonly difcharged
by mucous fe cretin g fur faces when inflamed.
Thefe fymptoms, however, were entirely re-
moved in the courfe often days, by a fteady at-
tention to the fpare diet, and abstinence from
liquids, formerly recommended, and the medi-
cines before ufed.
Since then he has been, and now is, in the
mod: perfect health, without cough, pain in the
fide, or any other thoracic or pneumonic affec-
tion.
C 7+ ]
tion. It occurs to me that this fecond attack,
and the fuccefs of the fubfequent treatment,
point out the delicate fituation of the lungs, and
alfo the efficacy of this method of cure.
Having related the above two cafes with
every necelTary precihon, I fhall beg leave to
offer fome few obfeivations on active hsemor-
rhagy in general, and on that of the lungs in
particular. In all active haemorrhages a ple-
thoric (late of the fyilem generally exifls : all
the blood veffels of the body are full, diften-
ded, and acting vigorously ; and hence, very
commonly, rupture and confequent haemor-
rhage.
Therefore the chief proximate caufe feems to
be diftcntion and confequent increafed a&ion of
the veffels: Dr. Cullen, indeed, adds conges-
tion of blood, which certainly may happen ei-
ther from accidental determination of blood to a
part, or fome particular fault in the original
conformation, or acquired relaxation, of the
coats of the veffels of certain parts. But it is well
known that haemorrhages may arife from gene-
ral diftcntion, without any particular congef-
tion; and, in this cafe, will happen wherever
the vafcular fyftem is weaken1 or lead fupported,
The proximate caufe being clearly afcertained,
the
I 75 ]
the method of cure will appear obvious. Re-,
move the preternatural diftention of ihe vefiils,
and their action will foon diminifh ; then na-
ture, with very little affiftance, will do the reft,
Although this is evidently the cafe, it appears
lingular that, hitherto, almoft all practitioners
have neglected the moft effectual method of ac-
complithingthis deiirable purpofe, viz by abfti-
nence from liquids. In Dr. Moffat's translation
of Aretceus, page 347, are the following weds :
" The drink ought to be very fparingly exhibi-
" ted, for moifture is difadvantageous in a dry
" diet *." But, although this^was written when
treating of haemorrhage, the intentions of Are-
tasus were only that the aftringency (upon which
he feemed to place his chief hope) of his diet
might not be weakened by drinking.
The idea of moderate drinking is adopted by
Dr. Rowley, in his treatife on " Female ner-
vous difeafes," publifhed in 17S8. When trea-
ting of the " Immoderate flow of the menfes,"
page 32, he obferves, " as haemorrhages fel~
" dom happen, unlefr there be a fufficient quan-
f* tity of blood in the body to rupture the vef-
* This is an accurate interpretation of the paifagc in
queftion. The words of Areraeus are, wqtgk $) to ^vixtnav
ihlyov 'ifCJ. |rfv5 yzj haWy vyfor «4u//.<pof>o».
fels,
C 76 J
" fels, one principal part of the cure confifts in
*c not only obtaining, but preferving adiminifhed
€C quantity of blood, by a great abftinence from
" liquids ; for by this means, the very fources
" of fupply are cut off. If little be drank, the
" blood vefTels which are, or have been, diften-
" ded beyond their proper dimentions, will gra-
" dually contract themfelves to their originaL
*c fize, acquire ftrength daily, and not having
** fo large a column of blood to circulate, they
" will refill the morbid difpofition of nature to
" evacuate fo violently the catamenia." But,
the late celebrated Dr. Cullen, when treating
on ha^moptyfis, particularly recommends, that
** every part of the antiphlogiftic regimen be
tc ftrictly enjoined *,M which includes " taking
*' in large quantities of mild antifeptic liquorst:"
and fays, that the phlogiftic diathefis is to be
taken off by bleeding, more or lefs, according
to circumflances. If, however, the ftimulus of
diftention is kept up by filling the vefTels with
liquids, the good effects of the bleeding are
counteracted, and a frequent repetition rendered
neceffary — Whereas, if abftinence from liquids
* Firft Lines of rhe Pra&ice of Phyfic, Vol. II. p. 353.
4th Edition.
•f Ibid. Vol. I. p. 132.
3 be
[ 77 ]
be particularly attended to, one bleeding will
have more effect, than three or four, if accom-
panied with that part of the antiphlogiftic regi-
men, and the lofs of blood be thereby preven-
ted; which, confidering its importance in the
conftitution, and the difficulty with which its
lofs is made up, mould be at all times avoided
when poflible.
Of all cafes of hsemorrhagy, that from the
lungs is the mod dangerous in its nature, and
mod difficult of cure. This will appear evident
if we recollect their particular fhicture, their
large and numerous vefTels, their conftant mo-
tion, &c.
As to their ftructure, anatomy demonftrates
that they are compofed of a congeries of blood
vefTels, abforbenrs, and nerves, together with
the air cells ; and that all thefe are only connec-
ted by the cellular membrane, the common
connecting medium of the body : for I do not
mention their pleuritic covering, as I am only
fpeaking of their fubftance. The blood vefTels,
with which alone our prefent fubject is connec-
ted, are very large, and in greater number than
in any other part of the body of the fame fize*
This was abfolutely neceflary to circulate the
very large quantity of blood generali) fent to
them. Haller obferves *, that the quantity of
* Prim. Lin. Phyfiol. § 246.
blood
[ ?3 J
blood which enters into the lungs is equal to, or'
even perhaps greater than, that which is fcnt in
the fame time throughout the reft of the body.
And, as the chief bufinefs of the lungs is for re-
fpiration, by which they are kept conflantly in
nction, fo it will appear evident why haemor-
rhages here are more dangerous, as well as more
obftinate, than in any other part, as their conftant
motion counteracts and prevents the union of
the ruptured vefTel.
Qiccn Ar.r.e Street, E-iJ?t
Auguft 7, 1792.
XI. An Account of a Difeafe which, until lately ^
proved fatal to a great Number of Infants in
the Lying-in Hofpiial of Dublin ; with Obfer-
vations on its Caufes and Prevention, By Jo-
feph Clarke, M. D. Mafter of the Hofpitdl
above mentioned, and M. R. I, A. — From the
TranJ anions of the Royal Irijh Academy, 1789.
410. Dublin, 1789.
L
YING-IN Hofpitals are inftitutions of
jk fuch recent date, and fo few in number,
that hitherto we may confider them as in a ftate
of infancy. Excepting fome portion of the
Hotel Dieu of Paris, which has been long al-
lotted
C 79 D
lotted to the relief of poor pregnant women,
I know of none that have exifted above forty
years, and very few can lay claim even to this
antiquity. It can hardly appear unreafonable,
therefore, to fuppofe that imperfections it ill exift
in their management, which time and accurate
comparifon may ferve to detect : and although
fuch eitablifhments be at prefent confined to a
few of the capital cities in Europe, it is proba-
ble their number will increafe as their good ef-
fects in focicty are experienced. It is hoped,
therefore, that a few facts and obfervations,
tending to point out a conliderable fource of
error in an extenfive lying-in hofpital, may be
deemed worthy of public notice; both prefent
and future inftitutions of this nature may, per-
haps, derive fome ufeful information from fuch
enquiry.
Several years ago, in attempting to afcertain
the nature of the difeafe which is the fubject of
the following remarks, I found the do&xines
contained in mod medical books of very little
ufe : all the morbid caufes, commonly fup-
pofed to produce difeafes in infancy, appeared
to me inadequate to an explanation of its phe-
nomena. Doubts of courfe arofe in my mind,
fome of which have been already itated to the
public.
[ So ]
public*. At length I was tempted to hazard a
conjecture, which then appeared probable, and
which fucceeding events feem to have cbnrirm-
ed. A fketch of the evidence is here, with
deference, fubmitted to the candid consideration
of phyficians, and of this Academy.
At the concluiion of the year 1782, of fevtn-
teen thoufand fix hundred and fifty infants born
alive in the Lying-in Hofpital of this city, two
thoufand nine hundred and forty-four had died
within the firft fortnight -f, that is nearly every
fixth child, or about feventeen in the hundred.
This was obvioufly a large proportion of deaths, as
we (hall prove more particularly hereafter. The
difeafe which carried off mofl of thefe children,
perhaps nineteen of twenty, was general convul-
fions, or what our nurfe-tenders have been long in
the habit of calling the nine-day fits, as conftantly
occurring within the firft nine days after birth.
As this difeafe has hitherto yielded to no re-
medy, I have been always more engaged in at-
tending to its prevention than cure. 1 am chiefly
indebted for its hiftory, therefore, to the united
* See Obfervations on the Properties commonly attri-
buted by medical Writers to. human Milk, &c. T ran factions
of the Royal Iriih Academy, Vol. II. and London Me-
dical Journal, Vol. XI.
f See abftradt of regiftry at the end of this effay.
reports
[ 8i ]
reports of feveral of our mod experienced nurfe-
tenders. I took down their remarks feparately,
and from the a hole collected what follows.
In general it has been obferved that fuch chil-
dren as are difpofed to whine and cry much from
their birth, and fuch as are fubject to heavy deep
fleeps, or ftartings in their fleep, are peculiarly
apt to fall into convulfive affections. Twilling
of the upper extremities, while awake, without
any evident caufe ; a livid circle about the lips,
and fudden changes of colour in the counte-
nance, have now and then been thought to por-
tend the nine -day fits Screwing and gathering
of the mouth into a. purfe, accompanied at in-
tervals with a particular kind of flirieking, well
known to the experienced nurfe tenders, are rec-
koned fure, and by no means diftant, forerun-
ners. Sometimes previous to thefe fymptoms,
and fometimes along with them, the infants are
obferved to be unufually greedy for fucking at
the bread, cr feeding by the fpoon ; laxatives
given, in fuch fituations, feidom fail to operate
freely, fometimes bringing away greenifh, flimy,
or knotty (tools ; though not unfrequently they
are of a natural yellow colour, as I myfelf have
•more than once feen.
Vol. III. G Generally
[ 8z 1
Generally with one or more of thefe fymptoms
preceding, but fometimes without any warning
whatever, the infants are feized with violent ir-
regular contractions and relaxations of the muf-
cular frame, but particularly of thofe of the ex-
tremities and face. Thefe convulfive motions
recur at uncertain intervals, and produce various
effects. In fome the agitation is very great ; the
mouth foams ; the thumbs are riveted into the
palms of the hands ; the jaws are locked from
the commencement, fo as to prevent the actions
of fucking and fwallowing ; and any attempts to
wet the mouth or fauces, or to adminifter medi-
cines, feem to aggravate the fpafms very much;
the face becomes turgid, and of a livid hue, as do
mod other parts of the body. From this circum-
ftance, and from the fhorter duration of the dif-
eafe, when it occurs in this form, the nurfes
reckon this a different fpecies,and call it the black
fits. The conflict in fuch cafes lafts from about
eight to thirty hours, and in fome very rare cafes
fo about forty hours, when the powers of nature
fink exhaufted and overpowered, as it were,
with their own exertions.
It much more frequently happens, however,
that the fpafmodic contractions are not fo ftrong
as above defcribed ; that the extremities are ra-
ther
[ 83 ]
ther twitted than convulfed; that the power of
fucking, but more certainly of deglutition, is not
loft till near death ; that the mouth foams lefs ;
and that the paroxyfms recurring at more diftant
intervals, continue to haiafs the patient from
three to five days, and in fome rare inftances to
feven and even nine. During all this period the
face remains pale ; and the body, from being
perhaps very plump, is reduced to a molt mi-
ferable fpectre by emaciation and difeafe. This
the nurfes confider as a fecond fpecies, and call
it the white fits.
Both thefe fuppofed fpecies, which may per-
haps be more juftly confidered as varieties of
the fame difeafe, agree in conftantly attacking
within nine days from birth, and mod frequently
about the falling off of the umbilical chord.
This is an event which generally takes place
from the fourth to the fixth or feventh day.
Diarrhoea is a conftant concomitant of both
fpecies. Long and fad experience have found
them alfo to be both equally fatal, infomuch,
that the memory of the oldeft perfon does not
furnifh an inflance of one being cured.
In order to place my ideas of the caufe of
this fatal difeafe in the cleareft point of view,
3. find it neceflary to have recourfe to extracts
G a from
[ 8+ ]
from a letter written by me in the year 1783 to
the late Dodtor Hutchefon, who was then con-
fulting phyfician to the hofpital in queftion.
In this letter, which was written after hav-
ing feen fome of the bed regulated Lying-in Hof-
pitals in London, I dated to Doctor Hutche-
fon,
That in an old hofpital, which preceded the
prefent, but inftituted by and under the care of
the fame gentleman, and in a lefs airy part of
Dublin, of three thoufand feven hundred and
forty-fix children therein born, only two hun-
dred and forty one died within the firft month*,
which are in the proportion of one to fifteen
and a half, or from fix to feven in the hun-
dred.
That during a period of five or fix years,
in the Britifh Lying-in Hofpital, London, of
three thoufand fix hundred and eleven therein
born, only one hundred and forty-fix died, with-
in the firft three weeks or month, which, are as
one to twenty-five, or four in the hundred.
That in the London Lying-in Hofpital I was
pofitively affured that the death of an infant was
* See the cafe of Mr. Mo If b, offered to the confiJeratiorx
of the Irifti Houfe of Commons in the year 1755.
a rare
C 85 ]
a rare occurrence. It is there computed with
fome confidence (for I was told that no written
account is kept) that the number of ftill-born
infants far exceeds the number of thofe dying
after birth. The proportion of ftill-born we
know to be about a twentieth part, or five in
the hundred.
That near forty years ago, when the difeafes
of children were lefs underftood, and more efpc-
cially the falutary practice of inoculation, Doc-
tor Short computed from fome very extenfive
regi Iters, that London loft thirty-nine per cent,
under the age of two years — Edinburgh and
Northampton thirty-four or thirty-five — Shef-
field twenty-eight — country places from twenty
to twenty-eight ; — whereas in the Dublin hof-
pital there was loft a number equal to half of
that loft in many of thefe places, and nearly
equal to the whole of that in fome of them, in
two weeks, or in about the fiftieth part of the fame
fpace of time. From which, and fome other
confiderations of lefs weight, I thought the un-
common mortality of children in the Dublin
Lying-in Hofpital fatisfadtorily proved.
I then ventured to hazard fome conjectures
concerning the caufes of a mortality, by which
fo many ufeful lives were loft to the ftate.
G3 1 ft,
I 86 ]
ift, Foul air, or an impure atmofphere ;
2d, Negled of keeping the children clean and
dry;
3d, Irregularity in the manner of iiving of
their mothers, more cfpecially in the abufe of
fpirituous liquors, — were the caufes which ap-
peared to me the mod probable, either feparate-
ly or perhaps combined ; but 1 fufpected that the
firft, viz. an impure or phlogifticatcd atmof-
phere, contributed mod powerfully to the gene-
ral calamity. For,
Firft. I remarked to him that public regi-
Iters proved the mortality of children to increafe
proportionably with the fize of towns ; and that
the larger towns are, the more numerous are
the caufes which have a tendency to taint their
atmofphere, and thereby render it kfs fit for the
purpofes of falutary refpiration.
Secondly. That in private practice phyficians
in the city of Dublin did not find the mortality
of infants in any degree fo confiderable as our
regiftry proved it to be in the Hofpital, a proof
that there was here fome peculiar exciting caufe
of difeafe.
Thirdly. That the difference between the
mortality of the children in the old hofpital and
in the prefent one, when under the management
of
C 87 J
of the fame eminent chara&er, Mr. MofTe, af-
forded the ftrongeft evidence in favour of this
conjecture. Such difference could not be fuppof-
cdto arife from any different method of feeding
or cloarhing them, or in the exhibition of medi-
cines ; to me it feemed to originate from a dif-
ference in the apartments and accommodations
of the women. In the former, which was an
old houfe, and never dcfigned for an hofpital,
were one or two, or at mod three beds in a room,
to each of which there mull have been a door,
and one or two, perhaps three windows; whereas
in the latter were eight beds in the fame room,
and only one door properly fpeaking •, with
three windows in fome, and two in others ;
whence it is evident that the fupply of frefti air
in each being nearly on an equality, it mud be
much fooner corrupted by the refpiration, lo-
chial difcharges, and other effluvia of eight
* There is indeed a fecond door to each of our large
wards ; but as it opens into a fmall ward, containing two
beds, it is probable the air derived from fuch communication
is not verv falubrious. The dimenfions of our large wards,
in the front of the hofpital, are 36 feet by 23, and 13 ia
height: in the rear 33 \ by 23, and of equal height. The
fmall wards in front are 19 by \i\\ and in rear, 18 by 13I.
G 4 women
[ 88 ]
women and as many children, than bv thofe of
two or three.
Fourthly. I obferved, in farther confirma-
tion of this doctrine, that the Britifh Lying-in
Hofpital in London, which is very favourable
to the lives of infants, was an old buiding,
which feemed not to have been originally de-
figned for an hofpital ; in it rherc were but fix
beds in a room with one door, one {mail and
three large windows, with a ventilator to each
of the latter ; that their beds had curtains, but
no canopies as in Dublin, and that the utmoft
cleanlinefs was in every re'pect obferved. That
in .-the London Lying-in Hofpital, which is an
elegant modern building, there are but feven
beds to a ward, with two large and four fmall
windows to each, one door with a large venti-
lator over it, the ceilings lofty and perforated
by an air-pipe of feveral inches diameter, which
pafTes out at fome part of the roof. Here alfo
the mod fcrupulous cleanlinefs is obferved, and
large fupplies of clean linen given both for
beds, women and infants ; and here the death
of an infant is ^ rare occurrence.
Laflly. I alledged it was by no means incon-
fiftent with analogy or reafon to fuppofe that the
accumulated effluvia arifing from the bodies of
puerperal
[ 89 ]
puerperal women and children in lying-in hof-
pitals might acquire qualities peculiarly noxious
to the delicate frame of infants. That in other
hofpitals and gaols, as the pernicious effects of
accumulated human effluvia have been often ex-
perienced by robuft adults, it is poflible that de-
grees of contagion inferior to thefe may prove
fata] to infants. I concluded with quoting the
authority of Arbuthnot, who has obferved " that
" the air of cities is very unfriendly to infants
" and children ; for that as every animal is adap-
" ted by nature to the ufe of freih and free air,
" the tolerance of air replete with fulphureous
" fleams of fuel and the perfpirable matter of
" animals (as that of cities) is the effect of
" habit which young creatures have not yet ex-
kC perienced* ;" and that if the air of cities be
unfrendly, a fortiori, fo mud the air of hofpi-
tals in cities, and that in proportion to their
want of ventilation.
To thefe reafons I might have added, on the
authority of. Doctor Prieftley, that healthy ani-
mals almoft always die of convulhons on being
put into air in which other animals have died,
after breathing it as long as they could ; and
that mod other kinds of air, noxious to animal
* Eflay concerning the Effects of Air on human Bodies.
life,
C 90 ]
life, produce fimilar effects. See Experiments
and Obfervations on different Kinds of Air,
Vol. I. page 71.
Viewing the fubject in this light, I propofed
a number of alterations intended for the more
complete ventilation of the hofpital, and for
which I was principally indebted to Mr. White's
excellent work on the management of lying-in
women. My obfervations had the effect I wifh-
ed with Doctor Hutchefon and the medical go-
vernors. Apertures of a considerable fize were
made in the ceilings of each ward, which have
been fince changed for air pipes of fix inches
diameter. Three holes, of an inch diameter,
were bored, in an oblique direction, through
each window frame at top. The upper parts of
the doors, opening into the gallery, were alfo
perforated with a great number of holes. By
thefe means a free and eafy pafTage was given to
the air through the wards at all times, and ex-
ecuted in fuch a manner as to put it out of the
power of nurfe-tenders or patients to control it.
Since the above period alfo the number of beds
in the large wards have been reduced to feven,
and feveral changes made in their conftruction,
which render them more airy, and more eafily
kept clean. The confequences have been fa-
i vourable
[ 9' 1
vourable far beyond the expectation of every
perfon concerned. The nine-day fits are be-
come vifibly lefs frequent ; and the abftract of
our regiftry (hews the fad at firft view to the
mod inattentive obferver. Of eight thoufand
and thirty-three children born fince the above
period, only four hundred and nineteen have
died in the hofpital j that is nearly one in nine-
teen and a third, or from five to fix in the hun-
dred. Had the mortality of infants been in this
proportion fince the commencement of the
Dublin hofpital, the number of children dead
would have been fomewhat about thirteen hun-
dred, infteadof the prefent number, three thou-
fand three hundred and fixty-three ; or in other
words, above two thoufand lives would have
been faved to the community.
That this diminution of mortality is to be at-
tributed to improvements in ventilation can ad-
mit, I think, of little doubt. No other new
mode of management has been of late prac-
tifed to account for it. No other remedies ufed
than fuch as have been tried a thoufand times
unfuccefsfully. I know it has been objected,
that it may be owing to their mothers now re-
maining a fhorter fpace of time in the hofpital
than formerly. In order to afcertain whether
this
[ 9* ]
this be a matter of fad, I have, for the lafl two
years, had an entry made of the day on whick
each infant died ; the number dead has been
one hundred and fourteen, and they have died
on the following days after their birth :
iSthday, nth, loth, 9th, 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3d, 2d, 1ft. Total.
1 died. o. 3. 3. 5. 24. 3;. 18. 6. 5. 10. 2. 1x4 died.
Hence it is obvious that the fatal days are the
fifth, the feventh, but efpecially the fixth ; and
either of thefe are undoubtedly much within the
average day of the difcharge of our patients.
Befides, the early difcharge of patients did not
commence in any one year, as the lefTened mor-
tality of infants did ; it arofe from gradual in-
creafe in the number of poor demanding admif-
iion ; and I am happy to add, that fome late
very liberal donations, and a confequent increafe
in the number of our beds, have put an end to
the neceffity of this difagreeable expedient,
adopted folely with a view of affording indis-
criminate relief.
It might naturally be fuppofed that an atmof-
phere, which we have endeavoured to prove
injurious to the health of infants, would alfo
fomewhat affect the chances of life in their mo-
thers. The fact, however, certainly is, that
©n an average fewer women have died in child-
bed
f 93 1
bed in the Dublin hofpltal than in mod other
lying-in hofpitals, (Compare the abftract at the
end of this eflay with facts contained in the poft-
fcript to Mr. White's trcatife on the manage-
ment of pregnant and puerperal women.) Here
then a queftion arifes, why ihould infants be (o
much more liable to injury from an impure at-
mofphere than adults? Is it pofllble that mo-
thers (hall efcape with impunity and their chil-
dren periih? This, I own, puzzled me extreme-
ly, and had almoft made me doubt of what I
confidercd a fact, fupported by the ftrongeft
probable evidence. By accident, however, in
looking over a difTerration on the food and dif-
charges of the human body, by our celebrated
countryman, the late Doctor Bryan Robinfon, I
found fome facts and obfervations which ap-
pear to me to go a great way towards an expla-
nation.
In order to make thefe facts intelligible to
perfons not very converfant in fuch fpeculations,
I mu ft premife, that Doctor Prieftley has fully
proved one great and indifpenfable ufe cf refpi-
ration to be to carry off or leflen a certain qua-
lity in the blood, which is known by the name
of phlogifton. That this can only be dene by
pure air. That by the addition of phlogifton
to
[ 94 ]
to blood it acquires a deep black colour ; and
by its avolation, that blood returns to its natu-
ral florid hue.
Now Doctor Robinfon found by experiment*,
that the weight of the heart, in refpect to the
weight of the body, is greater in children than
in grown bodies, and that their quantity of blcod
is proportional to the weight of the heart. He
found alfo, that the quantity of blood, which
flows through the lungs in a given time, in pro-
portion to the mafs of circulating fluids, is
greater in children than in grown bodies ; and
that this proportion lelTens continually from the
birth till bodies arrive at their growth. Hence
he remarks, that as the blood of children pafits
oftener through the lungs, it is more fluid and
of a brighter colour than the blood of grown
perfons.
If this be a true picture of the conftitution of
infants, we mult prefume that fuch peculiarities
are intended to anfwer fome very important pur-
pofes in the ceconomy of young animals ; and
that in proportion as the intention of Nature is
in thefe refpects fruftrated, the effects will be
more or lefs feverely felt. Would it be deem-
* See page 13, et feq. of his work.
cd
[ 95 ]
ed a conjecture, exceeding the bounds of pro-
Dability, to fufpcct that the avolation of a very
large quantity of phlogifton, and its due repa-
ration from the mafs of blood by pure air, may
be eflentially neceflary to the growth of young
animals ; and that this may- be one reafon why
the impure air of cities has, in all ages, been
particularly deftrudtive to their health ?
With a view of reducing the nine day fits to
its proper genus and fpecies in nofology, I have
turned over the works of fome of our belt writ-
ers on this fubjedt. The only genus to which I
think it can with any propriety be reduced, is
that of eclampfia or convuljion des enfans of
Sauvages. But although under this generic ti-
tle he defcribes feventeen fpecies, there is not
one of them to which it bears an exact refem-
blance. The eclampfia neophytorum of Van-
der Monde is widely different, as any one may
eafily fee by calling an eye over the hiftory of
both. As molt of the fpecies enumerated by
Sauvages are fymptomatic, and as he diftin-
guifhes feveral of them from various kinds of
deleterious fubftances taken into the fyftem ;
as eclampfia ab atropa, cicuta, &c. perhaps we
might with equal propriety add eclampfia ab
atmafphara phlogifticata*
There
[ 96 ]
There is a fporadic difeafe in Minorca and
fome other countries fo very like the nine day fits,
in fome particulars, that it may be worth while
here to collect, under one point oF view, a few
extracts concerning it. Nofologifts have given
it the title of trifmus nafcentium. " In hac urbe
" afflictantur plurimi infantes, a.Jeo feroci con-
" vulfione mandibulse inferioris, ut ea appre-
u henfi, nullo poffint motu illam movere, et
" abhinc fuctus lactis impeditur omnino Tot
" interficic mala ifta convulfio, ac variolar aut
" morbilli In hoc peiiculum incurrunt recen-
" ter nati ufque ad nonum fuas nativitatis diem,
" eoque tranfacto, omne difcrimen cellare do-
" cuit femper experientia." For thefe and
fome other obfervations, from the writings of a
Spanifh phyfician, we are indebted to my friend
Doctor Cleghorn's valuable treatife on the dif-
eafes of Minorca. After the hiftory of the dif-
eafe, the doctor obferves that is is needlefs to
add the remedies prefcribed by the Spanifh au-
thor, as he ingenuouily confelTes the difeafe to
be fo feldom curable, that in twenty years prac-
tife he had fcarce known fix to recover.
In Germany, Heifter, de maxillas fpafmo, ob-
ferves, " Quod fi fponte, five e caufa interna,
•* hie maxillae fpaimus in infantibus, ut faepe
" vidi3
[ 97 ]
" vidi, contingit ut plurimum moriuntur et
" vix ullum fervatum vidi ; licet laudatiftima
" remcdia nervina et antifpafmodica interne
" atque externe quam folertiffime adhibita fue-
" rint."
Hofer, in the firft volume of the Acta Hel-
vetica, has given a long account of a difeafe not
unfrequcnt in fome parts of Switzerland, which
Sauvagcs and Cullen feem to think of the fame
fpecies with the preceding, but which differs
from them very materially in fome refpedts. —
The title of his paper is, De tetano maxilke
inferioris in Infantibus. " Subjectum ifti ob-
u noxium,,, fays he, " eft infans, qui inter
" tertiam et duodecimam setatis diem verfa-
" tur. Cura hujus morbi, quamvis valde
" lenta fit, attamen fi infans quintam a mor-
" bi invafione diem tranfegerit certiifime fe-
" lix eft, ideoque dummodo tempus terere
u pofTumus, res in falvo pofita eft." After
giving an account of his method of cure, which
confifts of a farrago of diftilled waters, fyrups
and inert powders, as may be feen in Sauvages,
he concludes, <c hsec eft methodus applicando-
" rum medicamentorum, qua ex tribus segro-
VouIIL H " tulis
C 98 J
" tulis curse meze commiffis plerumque unus
" gratia divina evafit."
o
A late French author, Monf. Fourcroy, in a
treatife entitled Les Enfans eleves dans l'ordre
de la Nature, remarks " Quand je fuis arrive
" en' 1 744 a St. Domingue, on ne pouvoit ele-
st ver des negrillons dans la plaine du Cap Fran-
" cois. lis mouroient prefque tous, c'eft a
" dire environ quatre vingt fur cent, d'une ma-
fC ladie appellee dans le pays mal de machoire
" ou tetanos, qui les emportoit dans les neuf
" premiers jours de leur naifiance." This dif-
order he informs us, when come on, is beyond
the power of medicine, but that much may be
done in the way of prevention.
From thefe obfervations it is evident,
That in certain parts of the world children
are more fubjeft to fpafmodic difeafes than
others.
That thefe are more apt to come on within
nine days after birth.
That coming on within this period they are
generally productive of the moft fatal effects.
And
[ 99 ]
And laftly,
That their caufes and cure are ever invol-
ved in obfcurity.
In each of thefe particulars, there is a flrik-
ing analogy between the trifmus nafcentium
or tetanus maxilla? inferioris and the nine-day
fits.
It is farther worthy of obfervation, that the
diforders of adults, which are confined to par-
ticular diftri&s or tradts of country, more fre-
quently arife from fomething noxious infedting
the atmofphere of fuch places than from any
other caufe ; and however difficult it may be to
apply this doctrine to the cafes in queftion, it
at leaft affords fome probable evidence towards
the fuppofition, that they originate from fome-
what fimilar caufes.
Such are the obfervations which reflection and
fome reading fuggefted to me on this fubject,
previous to the publication of the London Me-
dical Tranfactions in the year 1785. In this
very excellent work, however, I met with
u An account of a fingular difeafe which pre-
H 2 * vailed
^
THt
8*
^^j^tecTamong fome poor children maintained
" by the parilh of St. James in Weftminfter ;"
which appears to me to throw much light on
this obfeure {abject : I hope to be excufed,
therefore, for making fome extracts from this
valuable efTay, for which the world is in-
debted to the accurate and learned Sir George
Baker.
Sir George informs us, that on the 24th day
of September, 1782, feventy-three children,
viz. forty-fix girls and twenty-feven boys, of dif-
ferent ages, from that of {even to fourteen
years, were removed from Wimbleton to a large
houfe near Golden- Square. To this houfe thefe
children came in good health, and continued fo
for a fortnight; when on the 8th of October, a
girl aged thirteen years was fuddenly feized with
an excruciating pain in the region of the ftomach
and in the back, which was foon followed by
violent head-ach, delirium and convulfions.
After a few days, another and another girl were
attacked exactly in the fame manner; and tow-
ards the end of the month this difeafe had fo
prevailed as very much to alarm all thofe to
whom the care of thefe children had beea
committed. On the 29th day of October Sir
George's
[ ioi ]
George's advice was defired. He found nine of
thefe poor girls and a female fervant in the fame
room fuffering the various effects of a mofl
dreadful malady. Five were in the agonies of
extreme pain, three were mofl cruelly convul-
fed, and the other two were raving in a fit of
delirium. The other inhabitants of this houfe
had in general been healthy during the month
of October, and it is remarkable that the dif-
eafe above defcribed affected females only, and
was confined to thofe who had flept together in
a certain room on the fecond floor. The height
of this room was a little more than eight feet,
the length twenty, and the breadth fixteen : k
contained ten beds, in which it was intended
that eighteen girls, two in each bed, and a fe-
male fervant fingly mould fleep ; but Sir George
difcovered that this being a favourite room on
account of its warmth, was generally crouded
at night by a much greater number than its com-
plement : that as much fpace as pofllble might
be made for beds, the chimney had been ftopr.
ped up with bricks, and it had been the con-
flant cuflom of the fervant at night to keep the
door (hut and to clofe the window mutters, that
as little fredi air as poflible might be admitted
H3 On
[ *°2 ]
On enquiry it appeared that three candles and a
lamp of oil had been generally ufed during the
night in this chamber, but they were hardly of
any fervice, giving a glimmering light and fre-
quently almoft extinguiihed.
Sir George advifed the chamber of the fick to
be evacuated without delay, the healthy to be
feparated from the difeafed, the chimney to be
opened, and whatever tended to exclude frefh
air to be removed. Thefe directions were com-
plied with, and the patients having been remov-
ed to a large apartment (where proper care was
taken that frefh air might be admitted) pafTed a
quiet night free from every fymptom of the dif-
eafe. However, the next morning, immediately
on their awaking, they were all feized in the ufual
manner, but it was very foon obfervable, that
the paroxyfms returned lefs often and with lefs
violence, and fometimes without convulsions,
and that during the intervals the delirium ap-
peared gradually to abate.
From thefe and various other important facts
which we cannot here recite, Sir George con-
jectures that the fource of this extraordinary dif-
eafe was vitiated air. To me his evidence ap-
pears fufficient to afford conviction to every
reafonable
• C 103 ]
reafonable mind, and if I am not miftaken, it
adds greatly to the probability of the opinion,
which fuppofes that the nine-day fits originated
from a fimilar fource.
Upon the whole, from the evidence adduc-
ed, I hope the following inferences may not
appear improbable.
1. That one effect of an impure atmofphere,
on the human body, is to produce fpafms and
convulfions.
2. That all young creatures, and efpecially
infants within nine days after birth, fuffer mod
feverely by fuch a noxious caufe ; and therefore
3. That in the conftruction of lying-in hofpi-
tals, and perhaps of all public buildings inten-
ded for the reception of children, lofty ceilings,
large windows and moderate fized rooms fhould
be efpecially attended to.
4. That in the arrangement of fuch edifices,
no apartment fhould be completely filled with
beds, if it can be conveniently avoided ; and
5. That in their management attention is
efpecially neceffary to cleanlinefs, as well as to
H 4 the
[ io4 ]
the conftant and uniform admiffion of atmofr
pheric air by night as well as by day ; and
Laftly. That by purfuing fuch meafnres with
care, difeafes may be prevented which it has
hitherto been found difficult, and fometimes
impoflible, to cure.
XII. OJ-
[To face pigc 104.
An Abstract of the Registry* kept at the Lying-in Hospital, in Dublin,
From the 8th of December, 1757, (the Day it was firft opened) to the 31ft of December,
1788, each Year diftuiguifhed.
By B. H. RegiiTer.
Numl er
Total
of Pa-
Went out
Delivered
Number
Women
tients ad-
not
inthe
Boys
Girls
of Chil-
having
Children
Children
Women
mitted.
delivered.
Hofpital.
born.
dren.
twins.
dead.
dill-born.
dead.
From 8th to"
3. ft De-
M757
55
—
55
3°
25
55
6
3
I
cember „
.1758
455
I
454
255
207
462
8
54
21
8
i7S9
4i3
7
406
228
192
420
J3
1 had 3
95
22
5
1760
57i
15
556
300
260
560
4
116
S^
4
1761
537
16
521
.283
249
532
1 i
104
29
9
1762
550
17
533
279
266
545
12
106
33
6
1763
5>9
31
488
274
224
498
12
94
29
9
1764
610
22
588
287
308
595
7
83
28
12
i76S
559
26
533
288
25J
539
6
94
25
6
1766
611
3°
581
324
26l
585
4
1 1 1
18
3
l1b,l
695
31
664
373
3OI
674
10
I25
29
u
1768
689
34
655
362
302
664
9
i54
47
16
E
1769
675
33
642
350
3OI
651-
9
J52
38
8
1770
705
35
670
372
305
677
7
107
37
8
B
P
J771
724
29
695
370
341
711
16
102
44
5
1772
725
21
704
368
344
712
8
116
S2
4
0
1773
727
33
694
367
344
711
J7
136
31
J3
*<
1774
709
28
681
357
334
691
10
154
29
21
co
1775
752
24
728
364
378.
742
14
122
27
5
fcO
1776
883
31
802
418
407
825
22
132
39
7
*5
ihad3
53
i777
872
37
835
452
395
847
12
i45
35
7
s
1778
961
34
927
476
460
936
9
127
39
10
^
1779
1064
53
IOII
550
476
1026
J5
146
59
8
1780
967
48
919
499
441
940
21
115
41
5
1781
1079
52
1027
598
447
1045
18
121
38
6
1782
1021
31
990
549
458
1007
i7
127
57
6
1783
1230
63
1167
632
553
1185
17
ihad3
91
72
15
1784
i3J7
56
1261
643
641
1284
24
76
68
11
'785
'349
57
1292
711
609
1320
28
1 had 3
87
75
8
1786
1396
45
*3Sl
716
656
1372
21
51
IOI
8
1787
14.8
7'
1347
7°5
670
1375
28
59
95
14
1788
J533
64
1469
725
771
1496
25
55
72
23
ihad4
Totals
ry;Vv
1075
25246
1 350S
12177
25682
432
3363
1349
•u
females.
roportion of males and females born, about nine males to eigtit
children dying in the hofpital, as one to about, feven.
■ children ftill born, as one to about nineteen.
women having twins (and more), as one to about fifty eight.
women dying in childbed, as one to about ninety.
women having three (and four) children, as one to about five thoufand and fifty.
* An abftraft of this Regiftry, from 1757 to 1784, was annexed by Dr. Clarke to his letters to the late D>-.
Price, (fee Philofophical TinniVtions, Vol. LXXVI. and London Medical Journal, Vol. IX.) ; but the prefent
abftracl being brought down to-a later period, includes a much greater Dumber of fac~ls, and, in particular, fhows
the decjpafed mortality of children in the Hofpital fince thj year i783.~EuiroR.
[ io5 ]
XII. Obfervations on certain horny Excrefcences
of the human Body. By Everard Home, Efq.
F.R.S. — Vide Philofophlcal Tranfaclions of
the Royal Society of London, Vol. LXXXl. for
the Tear 1 791, Bart I. 4to. London,
1791.
WE have here an account of a difeafe,
very remarkable in its effects, but very-
little underftood as to its caufe, namely, the
production of an excrefcence fimilar to horn,
Excrefcences of this fort, arifing from the hu-
man body, have fometimes been met with in
this and other countries ; and the horns them-
felves have been depofited as valuable curiofities
in different collections in Europe,
Mr. Home obferves, that, in giving the hif-
tory of a difeafe fo rare in its occurrence, and
in its effects fo remarkable as almoft to exceed
belief, it might be thought right to take fome
pains in bringing proofs to afcertain that fuch a
difeafe does really exift ; but he confiders the
doing fo as lefs neceffary at prefent, there being
two women now alive, and refiding in England,
who are affected by this complaint. Of thefe
fwo cafes we have here a very full and diitinct
account.
[ 106 ]
account, which fhovvs the progrefs of the dif-
cafe through its different ftages.
The fubjecl: of the firft of thefe cafes is Mrs.
Lonfdalc, fifty-fix years old, and a native of
Horncaftle in Lincolnfhire, who, fourteen years
ago, obferved a moveable tumor on the left fide
of her head, about two inches above the upper
arch of the left ear, which gradually increafed
in the courfe of four or five years to the fize of
a pullet's egg, when it burft, and for a week
continued to difcharge a thick, gritty fluid. In
the center of the tumor, after the fluid was dif-
charged, me perceived a fmall foft fubftance, of
the fize of a pea, and of a reddifh colour on
the top, which at that time fhe took for proud
flefli. It gradually increafed in length and thick-
nefs, and continued pliable for about three
months, when it firft began to put on an horny
appearance. In two years and three months
from its firft formation, made defperate by the
increafed violence of the pain, fhe attempted to
tear it from her head; and with much difficulty,
and many efforts, at length broke it in the
middle, and afterwards tore the root from her
head, leaving a confiderable depreffion which
ftill remains in the part where it grew. Its
length altogether, it feems, is about five inches,
3 and
[ I07 ]
and its circumference at the two ends about one
inch ; but in the middle rather lefs. It is curl-
ed like a ram's horn contorted, and in colour
much refembles ifinglafs.
From the lower edge of the depreffion an-
other horn, we are told, is now growing, of the
fame colour with the former, in length about
three inches, and nearly the thicknefs of a fmall
goofe quill ; this is lefs contorted than the other,
and lies clofe upon the head.
A third horn, fituated about the upper part
of the lambdoidal future, is much curved, above
an inch in length, and more in circumference
at its root : its direction is backwards, with
fome elevation from the head. At this place
two or three fucceffive horns have been pro-
duced, which (he has conftantly torn away ;
but, as frefh ones have fpeedily followed, (he
leaves the prefent one unmolefted in hopes of
its dropping off.
Befides thefe horny excrefcences, there are
two tumors, each of the fize of a large cockle ;
one upon the upper part, the other about th«
middle of the left fide of the head ; both of
them admit of confiderable motion, and feem
to contain fluids of unequal confiilence ; the
upper
C 108 ]
upper one affording an obfcure fluctuation, the
other a very evident one.
The four horns were all preceded by the fame
kind of encyfted tumors, and the fluid in all
of them was gritty ; the openings from which
the matter iffued were very fmall, the cyfts col-
lapfed and dried up, leaving the fubftance from
which the horn proceeded diitinguifhable at the
bottom. Thefe cyfts gave little pain till the
horns began to fhoot, and then bcame very dif-
trefling, and continued with fhort intervals till
they were removed.
This cafe, we are told, was drawn up by the
furgeon who attended the patient for many
years, and who of courfe had frequent oppor-
tunities of feeing the difeafe in its different
ftages, and acquiring an accurate hiflory of its
fymptoms.
The fubjeel: of the fecond cafe is a middle-
aged woman, of the name of Allen, refident
in Leicefterfhire, and who had an encyfted
tumor upon her head, immediately under the
fcalp, very moveable, and evidently contain-
ing a fluid. It gave no pain unlefs preffed up-
on, and grew to the fize of a fmall hen's egg,
A few years ago it burfl, and difcharged a fluid;
this diminifhed in quantity, and in a fhort time
a horny
[ io9 J
a horny excrefcence, fimilar to thofe above men-
tioned, grew out from the orifice, which has
continued to increafe in fize ; and in the month
of November 179c, when Mr. Home faw it,
was about five inches long, and a little more
than an inch in circdmference at its bafe. It
was a good deal contorted, and its fur face was
very irregular, having a laminated appearance.
It moved readily with the fcalp, and feemed to
give no pain upon motion ; but, when much
handled, the furrounding fkin became inflam-
ed. This woman came to London, and ex-
hibited herfelf as a fhow for money.
That thefe two cafes may not be confidered as
peculiar inftances from which no conclufions can
be drawn, Mr. Home has thought it right to
take notice of fome of the mod remarkable
hiftories of this kind that are to be met with in
books, and to confider how far they agree with
thofe he has ftated, in the general characters
that are fufficiently obvious to ftrike a common
obferver; for the vague and indefinite terms in
which authors exprefs themfelves on this fubjeel:
fhow plainly, he thinks, that they did not un-
derstand the nature of the difeafe, and their
accounts of it, he obferves, are not very fatif-
factory to their readers.
In
[ MO ]
In the Ephemerldes Academia Nature Curio*
forum he has found two cafes of horns growing
from the human body. One of thefe inftances
was a German woman *, who had feveral fwell-
ings, or ganglions, upon different parts of her
head, from one of whicn a horn grew. The
other was a nobleman -f-, who had a fmall tu-
mor, about the fize of a nut, growing upon
the parts covering the two laft or lowermoft ver-
tebrae of the back. It continued for ten years,
without undergoing any apparent change ; but
afterwards enlarged in fize, and a horny excref-
cence grew out from it.
In the Hiftory of the Royal Medical Society
at Paris J., he has met with an account of a
woman, 97 years old, who had feveral tumors
on her head, which had been 14 years in grow-
ing to the Hate they were in at that time : fhe
had alio a horn which had originated from a
fimilar tumor. The horn was very moveable,
being attached to the fcalp, without any adhe-
* Ephem. Acad. Nat. Cur. Dec. iii. An. V. Append.
f>. 148.
f Ibid. Dec i. An. I. Obfcrvat. 30.
% Hiftoire de la Societe Royale de Medecine, 1776, p,
316.
fion
[ «" ]
lion to the fcull. It was fawn off, but grew
again, and although the operation was repeat-
ed feveral times, the horn always returned.
Bartholine *, he obferves, takes notice of a
woman who had a tumour under the fcalp, co-
vering the temporal mufcle. This gradually-
enlarged, and a horn grew from it, which had
become twelve inches long in the year 1646,
when it was feen by Bartholine, who has given
a reprefentation of it, which, Mr. Home telis
us, bears a very accurate refemblance to that
which he has mentioned to have feen in No-
vember, 1790. No tumour or fwelling is ex-
prefTed in the figure ; but the horn is coming
directly oat from the furface of the fkin.
Mr. Home's next reference is to Leieh's
Natural Hiftory of Chefhire, where a woman
is mentioned to have lived in the year 166S,
who had a tumor or wen upon her head for
thirty- two years, which afterwards enlarged, and
two horns grew out of it ; fhe was then feventy-
two years old.
There is a horny excrefcence in the Britifh
Mufeum, which is eleven inches long, and two
• Fide Thome Bartholin! Hiftor. anat, rar. cent. i«
hi ft. 78.
inches
C «« ]
inches and a half in circumference at the bafe*,
or thickeft part. The following account of this
horn, taken from the records of the Mufeum, was
given to our author by Dr. Gray. te A woman,
" named French, who lived near Tenterden,
" had a tumour or wen upon her head, which
•* increafed to the fize of a walnut ; and in the
" forty-eighth year of her age this horn began
a to grow, and in four years arrived at its pre-
" lent fize*."
There are many fimilar hiftories of thefe horny
excrefcences, our author obierves, in the books
he has quoted, and in feveral others ; but thofe
mentioned above are the moft accurate and par-
ticular with refpedt to their growth, and in all
of them we find the origin was from a tumour,
* In a note to this part of his paper Mr. Home gives the
following extract from the Minutes of the Royal Society,
Feb. 14, 1704-5.
" A Letter was read from Dr. Chariere, at Barnftaple,
*' concerning a horn, (even inches long, cut off the fecond
u vertebra of the neck of a woman in that neighbour-
" hood.
" Dr. Gregory faid, that one of feven inches long, and
(i of a dark brown colour, was cut off from a woman's
" temple at Edinburgh.
" Dr. Norris faid, that two horns had been cut off from a
woman's head in Chefliire."
as
[ M3 1
as in the two cafes he has related ; and although
the nature of the tumour is not particularly
mentioned, there can be no doubt, he thinks,
of its having been of the encyfted kind, fince in
its progrefs it exactly refembled them, remaining
ftationary for a long time, and then coming
forwards to the fkin ; and the horn being much
fmaller than the tumour previoufly to the forma-
tion of the horn, is a proof, he obferves, that
the tumour mull have burft, and difcharged its
contents.
From the foregoing account it will, he thinks,
appear evident, that thefe horny excrefcences are
not to be ranked among the appearances called
lufus nature : nor are they, in his opinion, alto-
gether the product: of difeafe, although un-
doubtedly the confequence of a local difeafe
which has previoufly exifted ; they are, he con-
tends, more properly fpeaking, the refult of
certain operations in the part for its own refto-
ration ; but the actions of the animal ceconomy
being unable to bring them back to their origin-
al ftate, this fpecies of excrefcence is formed
as a fubftitute for the natural cuticular covering,
To explain the manner in which thele horns
are formed, he has thought it necefTary to con-
fider the nature of encyfted tumours a little more
Vol, III, I fully;
C »4 ]
fully ; and in doing fo he makes it appear, that
this particular fpecies does not differ in its prin-
ciple, nor materially in its effects, from many
others which are not uncommonly met with in
the human body, as well as in thofe of many
other auimals, which, as they are more frequent
in their occurrence, are alfo much better under-
flood.
Encyfted tumours, he obferves, differ exceed-
ingly among themfelves, both in the nature of
their contents, and in their progrefs towards the
external furface of the body. Many of them
have no reference to our prefent purpofe : it is
only the more indolent kind to which he means
now to advert ; fome of thefe, he remarks, when
examined, are not found to contain a fluid, but
a fmall quantity of thick, curd-like matter, mix-
ed with cuticle broken down into fmall parts,
and, upon expofing the internal furface of the
cyfl, it is found to have an uniform cuticular
covering adhering to it, fimilar to that of the
eutis on the furface of the body, from which it
only differs in being thinner, and more delicate,
bearing a greater refemblance to that which
covers the lips. Others of this kind, inflead of
having cuticle for their contents, are filled with
itair mixed with a curdled fubftance, or hair
without
t »5 )
Without any admixture whatever, and have a
fimilar kind of hair growing upon their internal
furface, which is likewife covered with a cuticle.
Thefe cuticular encyfted tumours were, he be-
lieves, firft accurately examined by Mr. Hunter,
to whom we are likewife indebted for an expla-
nation of the mode in which the parts acquire
this particular ftructure.
Mr. Hunter, it feems, confiders the internal
furface of the cyft to be fo circumftanced refpec-
ting the body as to lofe the ftimulus of being an
internal part, and receive the fame impreilion
from its contents, either from their nature, or
the length of application, as the furface of the
fkin does from its external fituation. It, there-
fore, takes on actions fuited to fuch ftimuli, un-
dergoes a change in its ftructure, and acquires a
difpofition fimilar to the cutis, and is confe-
quently pofTefTed of the power of producing
cuticle and hair. What the mode of a&ion is,
by which this change is brought about, is not
eafily determined ; but from the indolence of
thefe complaints, it moll: probably requires a
Confiderable length of time to produce it. That
the lining of the cyft really does poffefs powers
fimilar to cutis, is proved, our author thinks,
by the following circumftances : — that it has a
I 2 power
[ "6 ]
power of forming a fucceflion of cuticles like
the common fkin ; and what is thrown off in
this way is found in the cavity of the cyft. It
has a fimilar power, he obferves, refpecting
hair, and fometimes the cavity is filled with it,
fo great a quantity has been fhed by the internal
furface. Befides thefe circumftances, the hair
found in the cyft correfponds in appearance with
that which grows upon the body of the animal ;
and when encyfled tumours of this kind form in
(heep, they contain wool. What is ftill more
curious, when fuch cyfts are laid open, the in-
ternal furface undergoes no change from expo-
fure, the cut edges cicatrife, and the bottom of
the bag remains ever after an external furface.
Different fpecimens, we are told, illuftrative of
the above-mentioned circumflances, are pre-
ferved in Mr. Hunter's collection of difeafes.
The cyfts that produce horny excrefcences
(which are only another modification of cuticle)
are, in our author's opinion, very improperly
confidered as giving rife to horns; for if we
examine the mode in which this fubftance
grows, we mall find it, he obferves, the fame
with the human nails, coming directly out from
rhe furface of the cutis. It differs from the
nails
nails in not being fet upon the fkin by a thin
edge, but by a furface of fome breadth, with
a hollow in the middle, exactly in the fame
manner as the horn of the rhinoceros*; at
lead this, he allures us, is evidently the cafe in
the fpecimen preferved in the Britifh Mufeum,
and in one which grew out from the tip of a
(beep's ear; they are alfo, he adds, folid,^or
nearly fo, in their fubftance.
This mode of growth, our author obferves,
is very different from that of horns, which are
all formed upon a core, either of bone or foft
parts, by which means they have a cavity in
them, a ftructure peculiar to this kind of cuti-
cular fubftance.
Encyfted tumours in different animals would
appear, he thinks, from thefe obfervations, to
be confined in their production to the cuticular
fubftance proper to the animal in which they
take place; for, although cuticle, hair, nail,
hoof, and horn, are equally productions of ani-
* " The horn of the rhinoceros is a cuticular appen-
<l dage to the fkin, fimilar to nails and other cuticular ex-
" crefcences, being in no refpect allied to horns but in the
" external appearance."— Note hy Mr. Horn.
1 3 mal
L II8 3
mal fubftance, only differing in trivia! circum-
ftances from each other, we do not, he remarks,
find in the human fubjecl: any inftance of an en-
cyfted tumour containing a fubftance different
from the cuticle, hair, and nails of the human
body, to which lad the horny excrefcences, the
fubjecl: of the prefent paper, are, according to
our author's obfervations, very clofely allied,
both in growth, flrudture, and external appea-
rance; and when of fome length, they are
found, we are told, to be fo brittle as to break
in two, upon being roughly handled, which
could not happen either to hoof or horn. In
the fheep, he obferves, they produce wool in-
flead of hair ; and in one inftance in that ani-
mal, where they gave rife to an horny excre-
fcence, he found it lefs compact in its texture,
and lefs brittle than fimilar appearances in the
human fubjecl ; upon being divided longitudi-
nally, the cut furface had more the appearance
of hoof, and was more varied in colour, than
nail.
Encyfted tumours being capable of produ-
cing horns, upon the principle here laid down,
is contrary, Mr. Home obferves, to the ufual
operations of nature ; for horns are not a pro-
duction
[ "9 ]
duction from the cutis, and although not always
formed upon a bony core, but frequently upon
a foft pulp, that.fubftance differs from common
cutis in its appearance, and extends a confidera-
ble way into the horn : it is, therefore, he thinks,
probable, that this pulp requires a particular
procefs for its formation. In fupport of this
opinion he gives the following fact :
" A fheep, about four years old, had a large
" horn, three feet long, growing upon its flank.
" It had no connection with bone^ and appear-
" ed to be only attached to the external ikin.
u It dropped off in confequence of its weight
<c having produced ulceration in the foft parts
cc to which it adhered. Upon examining it
" there was a fiefhy fubftance, feven inches long,
<c of a fibrous texture, filling up its cavity upon
" which the horn had been formed."
Towards the conclufion of his paper Mr.
Home obferves, that the cafes of horns, as they
are commonly termed, upon the human head,
are no more than cuticular productions arifing
from a cyfl, which in its nature is a variety of
thofe tumours defcribed by Mr. Hunter under
the general name of cuticular encyfted tumours.
The principle upon which the production of
thefe excrefcences depends being once explain-
I4 ed,
[ 120 ]
cd, the modes of preventing their formation,
and removing them when formed, will, he
thinks, be readily underftood, the deftruction
of the cyft being all that is required for that
purpofe. This, he obferves, may be done be-
fore the tumour opens externally, or even after
the excrefcence has begun to moot out, and
will be better effected by difledion than efcha-
rotics, fince the fuccefs of the operation de-
pends upon the whole of the bag being re-
moved.
Thefe encyfted tumours, he obferves, when
confidered as varieties of the fame difeafe, form
a very complete and beautiful feries of the dif-
ferent modes by which the powers of the ani-
mal oeconomy produce a fubftitute for the com-
mon cuticle upon parts which have been fo
much affected by difeafe as to be unable to re-
flore themfelves to a natural ftate*
XIII. Ex-
C 121 ]
XIII. Experiments on Human Calculi. In a Let-
ter from Mr. Timothy Lane, F. R. S. to Wil-
liam Pitcairn, M. D. F. R. $.— Vide Philofo-
phical Tr an factions of the Royal Society of Lon-
don, FoLL.XXXl.for the Tear 1791. Partll.
4to. London, 1791.
THE lixivium faponarium of the late Lon-
don Pharmacopoeia, prepared with the
addition of fo much lime as nearly to free the
fait of tartar of its fixed air*, having been ufed
as a medicine for the ftone and gravel, and its
effects found very unequal, Mr. Lane was in-
duced, twenty years ago, to examine different
calculi, both as to the effect of the above lixi-
vium and of fire upon them.
Great difparity was obferved, fome being dif-
folved, and others fcarcely altered in their
figure.
When tried by fire, fome, we are told, were
nearly evaporated by a red heat, while others
retained their form.
Different parts even of the fame calculus, he
obferves, varied confiderably.
* See Letter to Dr. Heberden, Medical Tranfadtions,
Vol. I. p. 112,
For
[ **» J
For the fake of greater accuracy the experi-
ments were carefully repeated ; and for this pur-
pofe fourteen fpecimens were colle&ed, fome
of which were of the fame calculus, and others
different calculi.
In the experiments by fire our author was fa-
voured with the afMance of Mr. Stanefby Al-
chorne, of the Tower, to whom were fent ten
grains of each fpecimen, in feparate papers,
which were numbered.
The contents of each paper were placed in
feparate cupels, under a muffle, the fame as is
ufed by him for allaying gold and filver. The
fire was raifed gradually till the furnace was
fully heated : the time from raifing the fire to
the taking them out again was three hours, when
it was concluded that whatever volatile matter
they contained was expelled.
The fame quantity, as above mentioned, of
each fpecimen being put into feparate numbered
phials, with one ounce meafure of the lixivium
in each, continued forty-eight hours, the phials
being frequently fhaken to forward the folution.
The clear liquor of each phial was decanted
into frefh phials, and a quarter of an ounce
more lixivium was added to fuch of the fpeci-
2 mens
[ I23 1
mens as were undiflblved ; after twenty-four
hours they were poured out of the phials into
feparate filtering papers, each numbered, and
the phials wafhed with diftilled water, which
was alfo poured into the papers, fo that all that
remained undiflblved might be detained by the
papers, which, with their contents, were care-
fully dried.
The following table fhows the remains of
each :
Unfublimed. Undiffolved.
N
To
Grains.
Grains
I
1!
2
4-
2.
2
3-
1
4
1
4«
ii
2
5<
1
4
O
6.
31
zi
7
3*
6
8
6
H
9-
6i
H
IO
61
7i
n.
I
5
L
Z
12,
I
O
*3'
• Si
4
14
6
sK
The
[ "4 3
The appearances of each after calcination
were as follows :
N° i, 3, 7, 8, left a fine white and foft
powder.
N° 4, 5, ii, 12, left a white and gritty
powder,
N° 2, 6, 9, io, 14, were partly in powder
white and gritty, with fome lumps of a dark
colour, as if not fully calcined.
N° 13. Of this the figure, it is obferved,
was not greatly altered ; it remained hard, and
part of it appeared as if inclined to flux.
After being in the lixivium forty-eight hours,
Ne 8, 9, 13, 14, were found foft.
N° 7 and 10 remained hard.
Thefe fix, Mr. Lane obferves, were fepa-
rately taken out of the lixivium and put into a
mortar, and rubbed or broken, and then care-
fully returned to their feparate phials before the
fecond addition of lixivium, in order to for-
ward the folution,
Mr. Lane gives the following defcription of
the different fpecimens :
N° 1 was the external part of a laminated
calculus, of a light yellowiih brown colour.
The
[ i*s ]
The nucleus, fo called, as being the central
part, was, he obferves, of a much deeper colour,
and had been found not fo foluble in lixivium
as the light-brown part.
Ne 2 was the external part of a calculus, in
colour like dirty tobacco-pipe clay.
The nucleus of this, we are told, was of a
bright yellow, and more foluble in lixivium than
the whitiih part.
N° 3 was a light-brown laminated calculus.
N° 4 and 5 were twofpecimens from one cal-
culus ; of which N° 4 was the external coat, of
a dirty tobacco-pipe-clay colour.
N° 5 was the internal part of N* 4, yellowifh
likeN* 1.
N° 6 was a calculus taken out of the urethra;
of a greyifh white, inclining to yellow, and of
a porous texture.
N* 7 was a calculus about the ilze of a nutmeg,
taken from a child of a year old ; it was afh-
coloured, in waves of different fhades, lamina-
ted and hard.
N° 8 was a dark-brown and very hard calcu-
lus, of the mulberry kind.
N° 9 and 10 were two fpecimens from one cal-
culus; of which N* 9 was the external whitiih
part,
[ 126 ]
part, which appeared like a coat of calcareous
earth, covering an irregular mulberry calculus.
The covering of this calculus induced our
author to fufpect that lime or lime-water might
have been taken, and, by being decompounded
by frefh urine, containing fixed air, have form-
ed this covering. Other calculi, he obferves,
have afforded the fame fufpicions.
This circumftance leads him to fuggefl that*
in future, an account of medicines taken might,
in thefe cafes, afford much information, when
joined with the examination of different parts of
large calculi taken out of the bladder.
N° 10 was the brown mulberry part covered
by N° 9. The three following were parts of
one large, laminated calculus ; of which
N° 11 was the external lamina, of a brown-
iih yellow.
N° 12 was the Central part, called the nucleus,
of a pale orange colour.
N° 13 confuted of fome of the laminae, be*
tween the nucleus and the external coat, of a
fparkiing appearance.
N° 14 was a whitifh, porous, and eafily broken
calculus.
The experiments by fire explain, Mr. Lane
thinks,
[ "7 3
thinks, the different accounts of authors, re-
specting the component parts of calculi.
He obferves that, in general, thole which
contained the largeft proportion of volatile parts
were mod foluble in lixivium.
The infolubility of fome of them explains,
he thinks, the want of fuccefs in feVeral cafes,
where lixivium, foap, and lime-water, have
been given as remedies.
The folubility of others, however, joined
with the teftimony of reputable authors, and his
own experience for near thirty years, confirm,
in his opinion, the falutary effects of lixivium in
many cafes.
It frequently happens, he obferves, that, in
fits of the gravel and ftone, gravel or fmall
pieces of calculi are difcharged, which mould
be examined.
If they are found to be perfectly foluble in
lixivium (aq. kalipuri), the remedy, he remarks,
will be obvious; if imperfectly, doubtful; if
infoluble, lixivium will only irritate, without
benefit.
XIV. Ex-
C »» ]
XIV. 'Experiments and Obfervations to inveftlgate
the Compojition of James's Powder. By George
Pearfon, M. D. F. R. S —Vide Philofiphical
Tranfatlions of the Royal Society of London,
Vol LXXXI. for the Tear 1791, Fart II.
4-to. London, 1791.
ALTHOUGH the powder, which is the
fubject of the paper before us, has for
more than thirty years been very extensively
ufed in the cure of continued fevers, the Public
have not been accurately informed of the parti-
cular nature of this fubftance. It was origi-
nally a patent medicine; but it is well known
that it cannot be prepared by following the di-
rections of the fpecification in the Court of
Chancery. Dr. Pearfon has, therefore, been
induced to make it the fubjecl: of chemical in-
veftigation, and by a great number of judicious
experiments, fynthetical as well as analytical,
has attempted to afcertain the nature and man-
ner of preparing this medicine.
He begins with defcribing its fenllble pro-
perties. Some parcels of this preparation, he
obferves, are white, but in general it has a yel-
lowifli call ; and this (hade is more evident in
1 fome
[ I29 J
fome fpecimens than in others. It is faid, that
this powder cannot, in general, be made at dif-
ferent times of precifely the fame (hade of yel-
low or degree of whitenefs. Sometimes with the
aid of a lens a few very fmall (hmmgfpicula are
feen mixed with powder. When prefied be-
tween the fingers it feels fmooth, with fome ra-
ther rough particles, and it is gritty in the mouth.
Mo ft parcels at firft are taftelefs ; but in about a
minute there is a flight brafly tafte. It is per-
fectly inodorous.
Dr. Pearfon next fpeaks of its fpecific gravity.
He obferves that it feels much heavier than any
of the common earths and (tones in a pulverized
ftate. One of the phials, nearly full, in which
it is fold,, reckoned to hold a quantity equal to
twelve packets, or 480 grains, contained 470
grains troy weight of James's Powder. This
phial, filled with diftilled water to the fame
height that it had been by the powder, was found
to contain nearly four drachm-meafures, or about
240 grains, of this liquid.
In another experiment made in a different
manner, for the purpofe of afcertaining the fpe-
cific gravity of this powder, the quantity which
nearly filled a phial weighed 437 grains; and
upon filling the fame phial, to the fame height,
Vol. III. K with
C 130 ]
with diftilled water, the temperature of which
was 6$°9 the water weighed 250,2 grains. The
reafon of the variation in thefe remits, in making
ufe of different parcels of this medicine, our
author thinks, will be obvious, from the account
he gives of its preparation, and the great diffi-
culty of determining, with accuracy, the fpecific
gravity of powders.
After defcribing the effects of fire- on this
fubftance, and obferving that the experiments
made for this purpofe indicated the prefence of a
metallic calx, a part at lead of which was that
of antimony, mixed with earthy matter, he pro-
ceeds to experiments with different menftrua, viz.
water, the acetous, nitrous, and marine acids.
From his experiments on James's powder with
the firft of thefe menftrua, viz. water, he thinks
we may conclude,
1. That the whole, or a part of it, is foluble,
or at leaft may be fufpended, in about 2000
times its weight of pure water, cold ; and in about
half this quantity of boiling water.
2. That this folution contains calcareous earth
united to an acid, or fome other fubftance, from
which it cannot be difunited by cauflic or mild
fixed alkalies.
3. That
[ i3i ]
3- That thisfolution contains a metallic calx,
a part of which at lead is that of antimony un-
combined, or at lead not united to any acid with
which it forms a compound folublein water.
4. That the fubftance in a nitrous folution of
the part of James's Powder that had been difTolv-
ed in water, which was obferved to precipitate
lime from lime-water, and which percipitate was
not foluble in a large quantity of vinegar, is,
probably, phofphoric acid from phofphorated
lime decompofed by nitrous acid.
The precipitation by muriated barytes and
nitrated lilver, which is defcribed as having taken
place in two of the experiments, could not, our
author thinks, be from vitriolic and marine acids
confidently with the preceding experiments; and
he could not have conjectured what was the in-
gredient in James's Powder which occafions it,
if he had not found, that muriated barytes is
not only a ted of vitriolic but of phofphoric acid
United to lime and alkalies ; and that the acid of
phofphorus will alfo produce a turbid appearance
with nitrated filver.
The pre fence of calx of iron was detected in
thefe experiments, but in fo fmall a quantity
that our author is inclined to confider it only as
an accidental fubdance.
K 2 His
[ *3* 3
His experiments with the acetous acid indicate
the fame kind of fubftances as the experiments
with water, namely, calcareous earth in a com-
bined ftate; phofphoric acid ; calx of antimony,
and calx of iron. It appears alfo from thefe
experiments that James's Powder is either wholly
or partially foluble in about 300 times its weight
of concentrated acetous acid.
It appears from the experiments with nitrous
acid, that this menftruum, by two affufions, in a
large proportion, aided by trituration, digeftion,
and heat, diflblved |Jf of James's powder that
had been expofed to the action of water and
acetous acid ; but our author obferves, that from
the fmallnefs of the quantity which was contain-
ed in the nitrous acid the fecond time it was ap-
plied, and from its being principally calcined
antimony, not more than two of the fix grains
afforded by the folution, perhaps, mould be
confidered as diflblved, for the reft may befuppof-
ed to have been merely fufpended.
The firft folution alfo in this menftruum, it
feems, was not filtered, and the acid was consi-
derably redundant, and there were found in it fe-
veral grains of calcined antimony. The real
quantity diffolved might, therefore, our author
thinks, probably be eight grains lefs than the
3 above
[ itt ]
above 108 ftated. According to this mode of
calculation, the proportion of the foluble part
of James's Powder in nitrous acid is J°°, or
about -s4 .'. .
2. The whole of this foluble part, except a lit-
tle calx of antimony, he thinks, is decifivelv
phofphoric acid and calcareous earth : which
two fubftances, he obferves, may reafonably be
fuppofed, from thefe experiments, to have been
united together, and to have been in the ftate
of phofphorated lime in this powder. Confe-
quently the proportion of this phofphorated
lime, confidered as the foluble part of James's
Powder in the experiments in queftion with ni-
trous acid, appears to be 40 per cent, making a
deduction of 1 per cent, for the antimonial calx
contained in the nitrous acid, in thefe ex-
periments. He fufpe&s, however, that the
powder which refilled folution in this menftruum
may contain more phofphorated lime; and this
confideration prevents him aligning at prefent
the above 40 per cent, as the whole quantity of it
in James's Powder. It cannot, however, he
thinks, be a fmaller proportion.
He does not reckon the calx of iron in thefe
calculations, becaufe it is in too fmall a quantity,
and is apparently only to be looked upon as an
accidental extraneous fubitance. He fuppofes
K 3 too,
[ 134 3
too, that the water and acetous acicl applied tq
the James's Powder ufed in thefe experiments,
carried off a proportion of its ingredients equal
to that in the remaining powder.
From the experiments the author next relates,
we learn, that by repeatedly digefting and boil-
ing in marine acid, and in aqua regia, that part
of James's Powder which refitted folution in ni-
trous acid, which was i?l, 77 grains were car-
ried off by thefe menftrua ; but confidering the
fmall proportion contained in thefe acids after
the two firft affufions, which afforded 57,15
grains, and fuppofing the calx to be neither in-
creafed nor diminifhed in weight by the. acids,
the real quantity of foluble and fufible calx of
antimony, he thinks, may be ftated to be that of
the Algaroth powder which he obtained in thefe
experiments ; for the other kind of antimonial
calx procured by fubfequent affufions was pro-
bably only fufpended. It appears, therefore,
that 240 grains of James's Powder, afforded,
by thefe experiments with marine acid, 57,15
grains of Algaroth powder, and 19,85 grains
of a lefs foluble and more difficultly fufible calx
of antimony, with a fmall proportion of phofpho-
rated lime. The refiduum, amounting to ^
grains, was next examined ; from his experi-
ments.
C *35 ]
ments, however, on this infoluble matter, he
could 01 \y conclude that it contained calx of
antimony; but as to the proportion of this calx,
and the other fubftancc with which it is joined,
he conjectures that it may be about half the
quantity of the infoluble powder ; and that the
other half is antimonial calx and phofphorated
lime, fo highly calcined and vitrified together
as to 1 efift folution in acid menftrua, decompofi-
tion by charcoal, and fufion with fixed alkalies,
but not by phofphoric acid.
Our author obferves, that he fhould not have
been fatisfied with here terminating this analyfis
without enquiring further into the nature of this
infoluble matter; but he difcontinued this ana-
lytic invefligation in order to derive light from
fynthetic experiments.
His experiments on this infoluble matter fcem
to (how, that the proportion of antimonial calx
is not fo great as might have been affigned
from the experiments with nitrous acid, marine
acid, and aqua regia.
The fubflances and proportions of them, ob-
tained from 240 grains of James's Powder, were
as follow :
K 4 Phof-
[ 136 ]
Grams..
Phofphorated lime, with a little anti-
monial calx, - - ioo,
Algaroth powder, - - ShlS
Infoluble antimonial calx, with a lit-
tle phofphorated lime, - - 19,85
yhe fame infoluble calx, with, proba-
bly, a little phofporated lime, - $$9
Wafte, - - - 8,
240,0
As it might be objected, that conclufions
drawn concerning the nature of calces might be
erroneous if nitrous acid had been applied pre-
vioufly to fubftances containing them, our author
made an experiment with marine acid applied
to James's Powder, which had not been ex-
pofed to the action of nitrous acid, or any other
menftruum. From this experiment he thinks it
may, perhaps, be fairly concluded that the pro-
perties of the calx in James's Powder are not
altered by nitrous acid to affect its folubility in
marine acid.
To know whether James's Powder contained
any fubftance that could be decom pofed by mild
fixed alkalies, 100 grains of James's Powder
f/ere boiled in fix ounces of water, with fifty
grains
[ 137 ]
grains of mild alkali of tartar, for three hours,
and then the remaining liquid was filtered, and
evaporated to drynefs ; but the matter left after
evaporation was nothing but the alkali ufed in
the experiment, with a little of the powder it-
felf.
The refult, we are told, was the fame on
making the experiment with cryftallized mineral
alkali inftead of alkali of tartar.
Although the inability to prepare James's Pow-
der would not prove the above conclufions, with
refpect to its compofition, to be erroneous, the
being able to compofe a fubilance poflemng all
the fame properties as James's Powder, by unit-
ing or mixing together the fubftances (hewn by
the prefent analyfis to enter into its compofition,
would afford, our author thinks, all the proof
and demonftration which can be had from che-
miftry.
His analyfis, he obferves, (hewed no efTcntial
ingredients of James's Powder but antimonial
calces, phofphoric acid, and calcareous earth,
which two lad fubftances appeared to be united
together; but it would, he contends, have been
vain and unneceffary labour to have attempted to
make this powder by mixtures of any of the
commonly known calces of antimony and phof-
phorated
C '3» ]
pboratcd lime ; becaufe none of them, from
their well-known qualities, could form a powder
of the fame colour and fpecific gravity as James's
Powder, and like it partially foluble in acids.
From his experiments, however, the probability,
he obferves, was evident, that this fubftance
might be made by calcining together antimony
and bone-afhes ; which operation produces a
powder called Lile's and Schawanberg's fever-
powder; a preparation difcribed by Schroder *
and other ch em ills more than a century ago.
The receipts for this preparation differ in the
proportion of the antimony to the bone afhes,
and in the ilate of the bone ; Tome directing bone
(havings to be previoufly boiled in water ; others
ordering them to be burnt to afhes before calcin-
ing them with antimony ; while in other pre-
scriptions the bone fhavings are directed to be
burnt with the antimony. According to a re-
ceipt in the pofieiiiori of Mr* Bromfeild, by
which this powder was prepared forty five years
ago, and before any medicine was known by
the name of James's Powder, two pounds of
hart's-horn (havings muft be boiled to diffolve
• Pharmacop. Med. Chymic. Svo. Lug. Bat. 1672,
P. 428.
all
[ m 3
ail the mucilage, and then, being dried, be cal-
cined with one pound of crude antimony, rill the
fmeli of fulphur ind a light grey powder
is produced. The fame p ef< w< are told,
was given to IN Ir. Willis, about forty years ago,
by Dr. John Eaton, with the material addi-
tion, however, of ordering the cala, : ure
to be expofed to a great heat in a clofe veffel to
render it white. Mr. Turner, it feems, made
this powder above thirty years ago by calcining
together equal weights of burnt hart's horn and
antimony in an open veffel, till all the fulphur
was driven off, and the mixture was of a light
grey colour. He likewife was acquainted with
the fact, that by a fqfficient degree of fire in
a clofe veflel this cineritious powder turned
white *. Mr. Turner alfo prepared this powder
with a pound and a half of hart's-horn (havings
* Dr. Pearfon thinks it probable that this powder was made
for feverai years with merely the heat neccflary to carry off
the fulphur and calcine the bone, in an open veffel over a
charcoal fire in a common grate, and confequ.ently it was of
a light clay or afh colour. In this manner, Mr. Bromfeild
told him, he prepared Scbawanberc 's Powder 46 or 47 years
ago. Iti property of turning vobitt in a greater degree of
fire appears to have been a fubfequcnt difcovery.
and
[ *4° ]
and a pound of antimony,, as well as with final-.
ler proportions of bone. Schroder prefcribes
equal weights of antimony and calcined hart's
horn ; and Poterius and Michaelis, as quoted
by Frederic Hoffman, merely order the calcina-
tion of thefe two fubftances together (affigning
no proportion), in a reverberatory fire for feveral
day?. In the London Pharmacopoeia of 1788,
this powder is called Pulvis anUmonlalh ; and it
is directed to be prepared by calcining together
equal weights of hart's-horn (havings and anti-
mony.
' Our author obferves that powders made from
various proportions of antimony and bone allies,
after folution in nitrous acid, left a refiduum
of antimonial calx much lefs or greater in
quantity than James's Powder did by the fame
menftruum, except two of Mr. Turner's pro-
portions, viz. two parts of antimony and one of
calcined bone, and equal weights of bone {hav-
ings and antimony. The quantity of this calx
\*as, however, greater, it feems, in the powder
from the former of thefe two laft proportions
than the latter of them; which latter corre-
fponded fometimes exaclly, and always nearly,
with the weight of the calx from a given weight
of James's Powder. This calx afforded alfo,
we
[ Hi ]
we are told, the fame proportion of Algiroth
powder as the calx in James's Powder; and
the infoluble part of the calx afforded metallic
grains like thofe from the infoluble part of the
calx in that powder.
Dr. Pearfon found then an exacb correfpon-
dencc between what he confiders to be the eflen-
tial and peculiar properties of James's Powder,
and the properties of a powder made by uniting
or mixing together the ingredients of James's
Powder found by analyfis. But, in order to
mow the identity or difference of the qualities
of thefe two fubftances, he made comparative
obfervations on them, and repeated his ana-
lytic experiments on James's Powder with the
preparation made by calcining together equal
weights of bone (havings and antimony, in an
open vefTel, to carry off the fulphur, and then
in clofe veffels, applying fuch a degree of fire as
to render them white, that is, on the fame pre-
paration as the Pulvis anthnonlalh of the Lon-
don Pharmacopoeia.
Firft, he compared, more particularly, the
fenfible qualities of feveral different fpecimens
of James's Powder with various parcels of the
Pulvis antimomalls made by different chemifts.
All of thefe, he obferves, would be called white
powders,
[ J4* ]
powders, but not two of them were fo in the
fame degree* Moft of the papers of the Pulvis
antimcnialh were whiter than thofe of James's
Powder ; but others were of a very light ftone co-
lour, and fome had a Qiade of yellow, fo as to re-
femble very exactly James's Powder ; but all the
parcels of James's Powder had either a fhade
of yellow or of (lone colour, and none were
perfectly white, or fo white as fome fpecimens
of the Pulvis antimonialis. Some of the parcels
of James's Powder and of the Pulvis antimoni-
alis tailed braffy ; and other fpecimens of both
powders had no tafte. All of thefe powders
were gritty. Mod of the parcels of the Pulvis
antimonialis were a little fpecifically heavier than
thofe of James's Powder. The fpeciflc gravity
of both powders was increafed by expoflng them
to fuch a degree of fire as brought them into
almoft a femi- vitrified flate ; and on the con-
trary, the fpeciflc gravity of the Pulvis antimoni-
alis was lefs than it is in its ufual ftate, wheri
made in fuch a degree of fire that the mixture
preferves the powdery form.
The experiments with water on the Pulvis an-
timonialis produced, we are told, the fame kind
of appearances, but more flightly than thofe
with James's Powder ; for the hot folution of
i the
£ 43 J
the former grew Lefs milky on cooling than that
of the latter, and on evaporation to dryneis lefs
fediment was found of the folution of Pulvis an-
timonialis than after that of James's Powder.
The experiments with acetous acid on the
Pulvis antimoniaUs fliewed that this menftruum
difTolved fometimes a greater, and fometimes a
fmaller proportion of it than of James's Powder ;
and the difTolved matter was found to be anti-
monial calx, phofphorated lime, and calx of
iron, and no other fubftance.
The proportion of foluble matter in nitrons
acid was the fame, it is obferved, or nearly fo,
of the Pulvls antimoniaUs as that of James's
Powder; and this difTolved matter was phof-
phoric acid, calcareous earth, with a little anti-
monial calx, and a minute portion of calx of
iron, as exactly as could be expected from the
nature of the fubftances and the experiments,
in the fame proportion as thofe in James's Pow-
der.
The Algaroth powder, which our author ob-
tained by means of folution of the Pulvls anti-
moniaUs in marine acid, was in the lame propor-
tion, as nearly as could reafonably be expected
from the nature of the experiments, as that ob-
tained from James's Powder. And the part that
refilled
[ J44 ]
refilled folution in this menftruum was partially
reducible to a metallic form, and had otherwife
the fame properties, as far as difcovered, as the
infoluble part of James Powder.
Dr. Pearfon, having now formed a powder
pofTelTed of properties fimilar in kind to every
one of thofe afcertained in James's Powder, with
fcarcely any difference in the degree of them,
contends, that, if it be thought that among thefe
properties are thofe which are elTential and pecu-
liar ones of James's Powder, the conclufion that
thefe two are the fame kind of things muft be
admitted to be jufl. The nature of one of the
ingredients of James's Powder, viz. the irredu-
cible part of the infoluble matter, he conferTes,
is not fully elucidated by his fynthetic experi-
ments ; but in fo far as they (how, that this part
equally exifts in the powder formed by calcining
together antimony and bone, which is conclud-
ed to be James's Powder, the objection againft
the conclufion with refpect to the identity of
the two fubftances, on the ground of this in-
confiderable part of James's Powder not being
well underftood, muft, he thinks, be of little
Weight.
We come now to the fynthetic experiments
which our author made with the view of con-
firming
[ H5 3
firming -or invalidating the conclufions drawn
from the above analyfis, with refpect to the in-
gredients and proportions of them in James's
Powder.
From one of thefe experiments (the 3d), which
confided in calcining together equal weights of
antimony and hart's-horn (havings, it appears
that the calcination of antimony with bone
afhes is much more fpeedy than when by itfelf ;
and from another of them (the 5th) we learn
what degree of fire is necefTary to render the
antimony calcined with bone of a white co-
lour ; and that this whitenefs does not depend
on the air, but on the fire. We (hall here give
the whole of this experiment.
" (a) 1500 grains of the calcined mixture
u of antimony and bone, Exp. 3. were kept
" red hot in a clofe veffel for half an hour. On
u cooling, I found the powder changed from
" a cineritious or clay colour to a whitifh colour
" with a made of yellow. The fides of the
" crucible were not glazed. The pyrometer in
" the middle of the powder had contracted to
" 400. This powder was much inferior in
" whitenefs to James's Powder, being much
" yellower.
" (b) Another parcel of the fame powder,
** Exp. 3. was expofed in the fame manner,
Vol. III. L " but
[ 146 3
" but to a greater degree of fire, in which the
u crucible was almoft white hot for half an hour.
f ( After cooling, the powder was found changed
u toa loofely cohering, fhow-white, heavy mafs,
" and the fides of the crucible were covered
" with a yellow glaze. This mafs, which was
" eafily detached from the veflel, was found
" covered with a yellow vitreous coat over the
" whole furface of it that had been in contact
" with the crucible. In the white folid, on
u breaking it, many argentine fpicula were feen.
" The pyrometer ufed in all thefe experiments
<* indicated 710.
" (c) 1500 grains of the fame parcel, Exp. 3.
<w were expo fed in an open crucible to the fire
" of a melting furnace ; no fumes arofe till the
i,i crucible began to be almoft white hot. Af-
u rer inverting another crucible, with a fmall
" hole in its bottom, the fumes continued to
u afcend at times through the aperture for a
€i quarter of an hour. The crucible was then
" taken out of the hre, and on cooling a whitifh
" powder was found, but no glazing, and the
" pyrometer indicated 280. On again expof-
" ing this crucible with one inverted over it in
" the melting furnace, but to a greater degree
" of fire, ftill more fumes arofe ; but, on cool-
" ing, the charge was ftill in the ftate of apow-
" der,
it
[ 147 ]
" der, though whiter than before ; and the in-
" fide of the inverted crucible was covered with
H filvery particles, and the hole of it was fur-
'* rounded with argentine fpicula, in a flellated
" form. The pyrometer indicated 390. On
,( reducing a little of this powder to a greater
16 degree of finenefs, it was as white as James's
powder, with a yellowifh caft like it, but in-
Cl rerior in whitenefs to a fpecimen of pulvis
" antimonialis. This crucible, containing its
" charge, with a cover clofely luted on it, was
" put again into the fire, which was raifed much
" higher than before; and, after being expofed
w in it twenty minutes, the powder in the cruci-
" ble became a loofely cohering folid, as white
" as fnow, with a vitreous yellow coat, as be-
(( fore obferved; the infide of the crucible was
" glazed and covered with fpicula. The p>yro-
" meter-piece in the middle of the powder was
iC alfo covered with a yellow coat, but not glaz-
" ed, and it indicated 81 °. This loofely coher-
*' ing folid, being pulverized, afforded a whiter
(C powder than James's powder.
(d) The crucible, with its charge (b), hav-
(i ing a cover well luted on it, was again put
<f into the furnace, and the fire raifed to almoft
" as great a degree as I was able. This intenfe
L 2 M heat
L 148 3
" heat was kept up above an hour. After cool-
" ing, a white hard folid mafs was found with-
" in the crucible. On breaking the veffel, to
" detach from it the charge, this folid mafs was
" found as hard as marble, and to have received
" its figure from the crucible. Its furface was
" covered with a yellow vitreous coat, and the
" whole infide of the veffel had a beautiful
" gold -coloured glaze with many argentine
" fpicula. The pyrometer piece in the middle
<f of the charge was alfo covered with a fine
" yellow glaze, and indicated 1660. This
<c folid, hard mafs weighed only twenty-one
" grains lefs than before the experiment,
" though the whole infide of the crucible was
" glazed, and had fhining fpicula upon it. A
u piece of this hard mafs being pulverized, it
" afforded a whiter powder than James's pow-
" der is in general."
Our author thinks it will not be difficult, from
his experiments, to give a probable reafon for
the James's powder being generally pf a yellow-
i(h caft, and for different parcels of it, as well
as of the pulvis antimonialis, being generally of
different degrees of whitenefs and fhades of yel-
low. The colour of this preparation is, how-
ever, he obferves, a very delicate one. He
once
[ H9 ]
once directed a perfon to calcine together anti-
mony and bone (havings, in the ufual manner,
to that (late in which the white powder may be
produced by a due degree of fire; but, inftead
of a fnow-white mafs, he could not by any de-
gree of fire obtain any colour but a dirty whitifh
or light (lone colour ; though repeated calcina-
tions were employed. The reafon of the failure
was, that the earthen difh had been broken dur-
ing the calcination, and a few very fmall pieces
of it had fcaled off, and being mixed with
the powder occafioned this difappointment with
refpect to colour. The fame difappointment,
it feems, has been alfo occafioned by ufing a
rufly iron rod in calcining the mixture.
The bone-afhes procured fiom the fal ammo-
niac and fpirit of hart's horn manufactories, fre-
quently failed, he tells us, in producing a white
powder; and fo did fometimes the bone afhes,
called prepared hart's horn, fold by druggifts.
Even after a fine white-coloured mafs had been
made, if it was pulverized in an iron mortar
that had extremely little calx upon its furface,
or dirt, the powder was not white.
Dr. Pearfon has been told by fome of the
perfons who prepare the pulvis antimonialis,
that the whiteft colour is obtained by firft boil-
L 3 ing
[ **» ]
jng the bone (havings to diiTblve their mucilage,
and then calcining them with antimony as above
fhevvn. Mr. Lile's receipt, he obferVes, directs
previous decoction of the hart's horn.
He thinks that the yellow coat and glaze on
the fides of the crucible and fiirface of the cal-
cined mixture of bone and antimony, winch,
he obferved in his experiments, fhould be afcrib-
ed rather to the fufion of the clay of the cruci-
ble with the antimonial calx, than to the grea-
ter degree of fire in the part of the crucible
in which it takes place; or than to the calx
of iron and filiceous earth of the vefTel; becaufe
the fame yellow coat and glazing are produced
on the Wedgwood pyrometer pieces, which are
placed in the middle of the charge, and where
the degree of heat cannot be fo great as nearer
the fide of the crucible, and yet a fnow-white
mafs is produced between thefe clay pieces and
the fides of the crucible. This yellow coat, he
oberves, is one reafon for the powder being of a
lhade of yellow in fome fpecimens.
From an experiment which he relates, he
thinks it very probable, that no degree or dura-
tion of fire, applied in open or clofe vefTels to
antimony alone, can produce a calx of the fame
kind as that in James's powder : nor, perhaps,
3 tnat
[ r5l ]
that fuch a powder can be compofed by fire ap-
plied, in clofe veffds, to calx of antimony mix-
ed with calcined bone ; but if antimony duly
calcined be mixed with calcined bone, and ex-
pofed to air, in a due degree of fire, for a {uf-
ficient length of time, and then a ftill greater
degree of fire be applied to it in clofe v effete,
fuch a compound, he obferves, may be formed
as James's powder. The fame experiment, he
thinks, alfo proves, that the fulphur in antimo •
ny is no ways neceffary to the formation of this
compound.
Dr. Pearfon concludes his paper with obferv-
ing that, from the whole of his analytical ex-
periments, it appears :
i. That James's powder confifts of phofpho-
ric acid, lime, and antimonial calx ; with a
minute quantity of calx of iron, which is to be
confidered as an accidental fubftance :
2. That either, thefe three effential ingre-
dients are united with each other, forming a tri-
ple compound ; or, phofphorated lime is com-
bined with the antimonial calx, compofing a
double compound in the proportion of about
fifty-feven parts of calx and forty-three parts of
phofphorated lime :
L 4 3. That
C tfi 3
3, That this antimonial calx is different from
any other known calx of antimony in feveral of
its chemical qualities. About three fourths of
it are fcluble in marine acid, and afford Alga-
roth powder ; and the remainder is not foluble
in this menftruum, and is apparently vitrified;
And from rhe fynthetic experiments he has
related, he thinks, it appears, that bv calcining
together bone-afhes, that is, phofphorated lime,
and antimony in a certain proportion, and after-
wards expofing the mixture to a white heat, a
compound was formed 'confiding of antimonial
calx and phofphorated lime, in the fame pro-
portion, and pofTeffing the fame kind of chemi-
cal properties, as James's powder.
Befides the preparation, which is more imme-
diately the fubject of this paper. Dr. Pearfon
has examined another medicine fold under the
title of " James's powder for horfes, horned
cattle, hounds, &c." It is a light clav-colour-
ed, gritty, taftelefs fubftance, in which are feen
imdlXfpicuiai and it appears to him to be nothing
more than James's powder for fevers, or Lile's
powder, made by calcining antimony and bone-
afhes together in open veffels.
XV. Ac-
[ J53 3
XV. Account of a Cafe of double Hare Up, ac~
companied with a Fijfure of the Palate ; with
Remarks. By M. Chorin, one of the Surgeons
of the Hotel Dieu at Paris. — Vide Journal de
Chirurgie, Tom I. 8vo. Paris, 1791.
rpHE patient, whofe cafe is here related,
JL was a healthy girl, five years old, who was
admitted into the Hotel Dieu at Paris, on the
7th of September, 1790, for the cure of a hare
lip, the appearances of which are reprefented
in fig. 1. of the annexed plate. In the upper
lip, under the noftrils, there were two fifTures,
one third of an inch in width, which extended
into the fojfa nafales, and were feparated from
each other by a fmall roundifh protuberance
(b. fig. 1.) connected with the nofe, and fhorter
than either of the two portions of the divided
lip. Behind this protuberance was a portion of
the upper jaw, half an inch wide, which pro-
jected more forwards than the reft of the maxil-
lary bones, from which it was feparated on each
fide by a fiffure of about a quarter of an inch
wide. This bony projection, which at its lower
part was on a level with the alveolar procefs,
fupported the two middle incifors, (which were
fmaller
C *54 ]
fmaller than ufual, and moveable in their loc-
kets) and at its upper part corresponded with
the feptum narium, near the lower edge of which
was a fiflure, three quarters of an inch wide,
which divided the roof of the mouth and the
velum palati from before backwards.
The patient could take hold of her food only
with the canine teeth and the bicufpides, fo that
(he chewed it with difficulty, and when (lie at-
tempted to fwallow, a part of the aliment was
forced into the fojf^e nafales, and another part
came out through the fi flu res in the lips. Ex-
perience, however, it feems, had taught her to
leffen, in fome degree, thefe inconveniences,
by taking into her mouth only a very little: food
at a time ; and M. Chorin remarks, that (lie
could fwallow liquids with much lefs difficulty,
as by inclining her head a little backwards (he
was able to pour them, in fome meafure, imme-
diately into the pharynx.
With refpedt to her powers of fpeech, it is
obferved that all the founds fhe uttered were
nafal, or, as is commonly faid, through the
nofe ; and that fhe was able to pronounce
vowels pretty diftinctly, but that her articulation
of confonants was fuch, that fhe could be un-
derftood
[ 155 ]
derftood only by perfons who were much accuf-
tomed to her.
In order to bring the protuberance already
defcribed to a level with the lip, and to deprefs
the projecting portion of the maxillary bones,
M. Default^ who, as the principal furgeon of
the Hotel Dieu, undertook the treatment of th«
cafe, had recourfe to a linen bandage, which
paifed over the upper lip and was fixed at the
back part of the neck. The good effects of
this bandage in comprefling the parts in ques-
tion were fo obvious, that its ufe was continued
till the 1 8th of September, when the operation
was performed.
As the patient was in good health, no other
preparation was deemed neceiTary than that of
regulating her diet for fome days previoufly to
the operation. M. Chorin has thought it right
to obferve, however, that before this was per-
formed care was taken that her hair mould be
well combed, and likewife that mercurial oint-
ment mould be applied to it, in order that, by
preventing any uneafinefs to the patient from
vermin, the bandage might be more likely to
remain the neceiTary time undifturbed. At the
fame time lint was placed behind the ears, and
in the cavities formed by the cartilages of the
ears.
C 156 ]
ears, that the preflure of the bandage might be
more conveniently fupported by the patient.
During the time of the operation the patient
was feateJ on a high chair, with her head againft
the bread of an adiftant, whofe hands, applied
to the cheeks, pufhed the failures of the lips
forwards, and at the fame time comprefTed the
external maxillary arteries at the part where they
pafs on the lower jaw. M. Default, who placed
himfelf before the patient, and a little to the
right, began the operation by taking hold of
the edge of the left portion of the lip with the
thumb and fore finger of his left hand, and
then with a pair of fciffars, rounded on both
fides, and very (harp, cut out the whole of the
red part up to the openings in the nofe, per-
pendicularly to the thicknefs of the lip, taking
care to remove a fomewhat larger proportion of
the lower part where the edge was rounded
(c. fig. 1.). He next took hold of the lower
part of the protuberance (b. fig. 1 .), and, (hatch-
ing it, cut away the left edge of it with the
fame precautions he had ufed with relpedt to the
lip. After this he removed, in a fimilar man-
ner, the right edge of the protuberance and the
portion of lip that correfponded with it. He
now held the angle of the wound, correfpond-
ing
C hi 3
ing with the left fiflure, between his thumb and
fore finger, while he pafled into the lip, at the
diftance of the twelfth of an inch from its loofe
edge, and of a quarter of an inch from the
wound, a gold pin (fig. vi.), befpread with ce-
rate, and, pufhing it backwards and a little up-
wards, brought it out in the fiflure. The pro-
tuberance (b. fig. i.) being now fo placed as to
be on a level with the lip, the pin was pufhed on
through this alfo, at about its middle, and from
thence carried in the fame manner through the
right portion of the lip.
While M. Default was employed in bringing
the parts together by holding the two ends of
the pin, an afliftant introduced behind the lat-
ter, and before the protuberance (b.) and the
lip, a loop of waxed thread, which he drew
downwards, in order to keep thefe parts on the
ftretch and in contact. Upon this loop the
operator introduced another broader piece of
waxed thread, which he carried feveral times
crofs and round the pin, taking care to bring
the thread fometimes acrofs and at others under
the protuberance (b.)
He next introduced a fecond pin (fig v.) a
quarter of an inch above the firft, and pafled it
through the two portions of the lip and through
i the.
[ i5» 3
the intermediate protuberance with the fame
precautions he had ufed with the former one.
He likewife twifted a piece of waxed thread
about this fecond pin in the fame manner as he
had done about the other, and afterwards car-
ried the thread alternately from one pin to the
other, in the manner of what is called the twill-
ed future, till he had covered the whole furface
of the lip, (fee fig. 11.). The ends of the
thread were then fecured by a knot, and the
loop which had ferved to keep the parts in con-
tact, and, on the ftretch, was cut off as high
as polTible.
M. Default now placed on the cheeks two
comprelTes (dd. dd. fig. in.), each of them an
inch thick, and extending from the mafieter
mufcle to near the junction of the lips, and
from the os mala? to the lower jaw. Thefe
compreffes were prefTed forwards, and fupport-
ed in this pofition by an affiftant. Small com-
prefTes were likewife placed between the extre-
mities of the pins and the fkin, and the lip was
covered with a pledgit of lint, over which was
laid a comprefs (cccc.) moiftcned with vegeto-
mineral water.
The patient's head, previoufly to the opera-
tion, had been covered with a cotton cap, which
came
[ **9 ]
came down prerty low ; over this a bandage,
three ells long, and of the fame breadth as the
lip, was now carried from right to left feveral
times round the head immediately above the
eyebrows, and being fattened by a pin behind
the right ear, and on a level with the upper
lip, was brought over the comprefs of the fame
fide, and from thence under the nofe and over
the comprefs of the left fide to behind the left
ear, where it was fecured by another pin : the
remainder of the bandage was carried round
the head. In order to prevent the comprefles
and bandage, juft now defcribed, from being
difturbed, another fmaller bandage (ii. ii.) was
placed on each fide. The middle of this patted
obliquely under the chin, and one of the heads
of it was brought over one of the comprefles,
while the other was carried behind the ear of
the oppofite fide to the top of the head, where
they were fattened, care being taken to fix
them to the comprefs on each fide, and to the
firft bandage, by means of pins. The motion
of the lower jaw was prevented by a fling ban-
dage (ft.), the heads of which crofied each
other at the back part of the head ; and the
whole was rendered ftill more fecure by feveral
turns
[ i6o J
turns of a bandage (aa. aa.) carried round the
head.
The operation, M. Chorin obferves, was not
long, nor the introduction of the pins very
painful. The patient, who was put to bed im-
mediately after it, flept during a part of the
day, and the next morning fhe complained of
no pain, nor was any teniion of the parts ob-
fervable. The fmall comprefs was then re-
moved from the lip, and a frefh one, moiflened,
as before, with vegeto-mineral water, applied
in its ftead. On the third day the patient was
allowed to eat fome panada. On the fourth
the pins were withdrawn by the point, their
blunt ends having been previously cleaned, and
fmeared with cerate. On the fifth the threads
fell off, and the reunion and conformation of
the parts feemed to be perfect, (fee fig. iv.) ;
and the patient's pronunciation was obferved to
be much more eafy. On the feventh the punc-
tures occafioned by the pins fuppurated a little ;
but on the tenth they were cicatrifed, fo that
the marks of them could hardly be perceived.
On the thirty-eighth the patient quitted the
Hofpital. M. Chorin adds, that he has fince
had occafion to fee her repeatedly, and has
found that (he articulates difrinctly; that the
[ I«l ]
Up is of its natural length ; that the fifTure of
the palate is diminished one third; and that
the alveolar circle is regular.
M. Chorin is aware that feveral inftances of
deformity, nearly fimilar to that which is the
fubject of the prefcnt cafe, are to be met with
in books. The ancients, he obferves, always
confidered the cure of fuch cafes as abfolutely
impoflible ; while, on the other hand, the mo-
derns, from an opinion that the projection of
the middle portion of the maxillary bones is to
be confidered as the greateft obftacle to the re-
union of the lips, have advifed it to be cut
out : but experience, he contends, has mown
that it is always eafy either to bring together
the lips over this bony projection, or to reduce
the latter, by the preflure of a bandage, to a
level with the lateral parts of the jaw, fo that
its excifion mull: confequently be ufelefs. Be-
fides, he obferves, fuch an operation is liable
to many objections : it can hardly fail to occa-
fion inflammation of the neighbouring parts;
it will leave a confiderable fpace between the
maxillary bones ; it will deprive the lip of its
point of fupport at the place where it is di-
Vol. III. M vided ;
L 162 ]
vided ; and if the reunion takes place, in fpite
of the difad vantages of fuch an arrangement,
the action of the mufcles will foon lefTen the
fpace between the maxillary bones, and the
upper jaw will become contracted enough to
fall within the under one, a circumftance which,
at the fame time that it renders maftkation
very difficult, will occafion a frefh deformity.
With refpect to the operation of this fpecies
of hare lip, furgeons, he obferves, are of dif-
ferent opinions concerning the manner of per-
forming it, and the inflrument fitted to be em-
ployed ink, as well as the means that are molt like*
ly to procure or facilitate the reunion of the parts.
For while fome have thought to render the opera-
tion more fimple by reuniting one of the fides of
the lip to the middle part, and waiting till this
mould be completely healed before they pro-
ceeded to operate on the other fide ; others have
t given the preference to the method adopted in
the prefent cafe by M. Default, by performing
the operation on both fides at the fame time.
Although Severinus, in his Treatife de effi-
caci Medicina, long ago recommended the ufe
of the biftoury in operations of this fort, yet
there are (till, our author obferves, many fur-
geons who, in thefe cafes, give the preference
to
[ i63 J
to the fciftars, and, in his opinion , not without
reafon ; for with the fciflars the operation, he
contends, is performed more fpeedily and ea-
fily : in ufing them the furgeon is never under
the neceffity of feparating the lip from the gums,
becaufe he does not cut upon paftcboard, as
with the bifloury, and he himfelf can hold the
part that is to be cut : with the fciflars alfo the
incifion is more regular than with the biftoury,
the parts with the latter being almoft always
unequally divided ; and experience has fhown
that the edges of the wound reunite with the
fame facility and quicknefs after an operation
with the fciflars as when the knife has been
employed.
The future, M. Chorin obferves, was for a
long time fuppofed to be the only means of ob-
taining the reunion of a hare lip, and many
furgeons, he adds, ftill confider it as the molt
certain and fuitable method to be adopted in
difficult cafes. The inconveniences which are
fomettmes thought to be occafioned by it often-
times depend, he is convinced, on the manner
of performing it, or on the dreflings that are
made ufe of. A great number of hare lips,
fuccefsfully treated by future at the Hotel Dieu,
might be brought, he tells us, in fupport of
M 2 this
C 164 ]
this aflertion. Befides, the bandage alone,
however perfect it may be fuppofed to be, can
never, he contends, keep the parts together fo
exactly and fecurely as the future ; it cannot
prevent the blood and the faliva from infinua-
ting themfelves between the edges of the wound;
neither can it lengthen parts that are too mort,
or afllft in elevating fuch as are too much de-
preiTed, advantages, he obferves, which cannot
be denied to the future in the hands of a dex-
terous and experienced operator.
M. Chorin learns from Heifter * that fome
German empirics were in the habit of uniting
the parts in thefe cafes by flrong threads intro-
duced at fuitable intervals, in the manner of
what is called the interrupted future ; but the
infufficiency of this method, our author ob-
ferves, has long been known, and furgeons have
adhered to the ufe of pins in thefe cafes, but
have differed much about the compofition and
fhape of thefe inftruments. M. Chorin gives
the preference to thofe made of gold, becaufe
they are not liable to ruft, and it is polfible to
render their points as (harp and nearly as cutting
as thofe of fteel.
* Inftitut. Chirurg. 410. Amftelaedami, 1739, p. 674.
Speaking
Tr fact l'i,/, My
Medical 2ac& &• <?&/. VolM. PI. j.
C i65 ]
Speaking of the bandage employed in the
cafe which is the fubjedt of this paper, M.
Chorin obferves that it is more fimple than any
of the other uniting bandages which have been
invented for the fame purpofe ; that it acts folely
on the comprefles and cheeks ; that it lies fmooth
and without preffing on the lip, and of courfe
does not endanger the cutting of the latter by
the pins ; and that if the comprefles are pro-
perly prefled forwards at the moment it is ap-
plied, it will be found to a& in the fame man-
ner as another bandage will do, the heads of
which are made to crofs each other under the
nofe.
Explanation of Plate I.
Fig. i. State of the patient when admitted into
the Hofpital.
a. projecting portion of the jaw.
b. the protuberance between the
two portions of the divided lip.
c. c. rounded angles of the divifion
of the lip.
Fig. n. The twilled future.
p. p. points of the pins.
t. 1. their blunt ends.
M % Fig.
C 166 ]
Fig. m. Shows the apparatus employed in the
cafe.
cccc. a fmall comprefs placed on
the wound,
dd. dd. thick comprefTes ferving to
prefs the cheeks forward,
bb. part of the uniting bandage
pairing over the comprefTes of
the lips and cheeks,
ii. ii. bandages f importing the com-
prefTes of the cheeks.
ff. the fling bandage.
aa. aa. turns of the roller fixing the
whole of the apparatus.
Fig. iv. State of the lip after the cure.
Fig. v. and vi. Shape of the pins,
XVI. An
[ i67 ]
XVI. An Account of a Child who drinks a great
Quantity of Water. By M. Vauquelin. — V ide
La Medecine Eclair ce par les Sciences phxfiques,
ou Journal des Dccouvertes relatives aux dijfe-
rentes Parties dc V Art de Guerir ; redige par
M> Fourcroy. Tome III. 8vo. Paris, 1792.
WE have here another inftance of polydip-
fia in addition to the two we have alrea-
dy recorded *. The fubject of the prefent cafe is
a boy, five years old, who is faid to be of a
lively difpofition, and (this preternatural third
excepted) apparently in good health. His
pulfe, we are told, beats from eighty to eighty-
five times in a minute ; and he refpircs from fif-
teen to eighteen times within the fame period.
In. the courfe of twenty-four hours, during
which our author remained with him in a room,
the temperature of which was from 500 to $$°
of Fahrenheit's thermometer, he drank ten
quarts of water, at about 50°, and voided
twelve quarts of urine. He commonly fleeps
ten hours of every twenty four. In the day
time he generally requires a fupply of drink
* Vol. II. page 73.
M 4 every
C 168 ]
every half hour ; and at night his fleep is in-
terrupted once, at leaft, in every hour by his
thirl!, and an inclination to make water ; and it
is obferved that, notwithflanding thefe frequent
interruptions of his fleep, he every night voids
urine in bed.
When he drinks it is with evident marks of
greedinefs; his eyes and countenance are ex-
preffive of the comfort he experiences ; and the
moment he has done drinking he appears lively
and happy. If drink be at any time refufed
him, when his inclination for it returns, he be-
comes affected with a tremulous motion of the
heart, wlv'ch ceafes the moment he has drank ;
and fo great is his eagernefs to allay his third,
that he fuzes with avidity any thing within his
reach that has the appearance or liquor, and, if
not prevented, will even drink his urine. Soon
after he has drank he has a fenfaiion of coldnefs,
wirh a flight fhiv' ring ; his countenance, at the
fame time, acquir ng a bluim tint, and his
breath feeling cool.
At the time this account was drawn up the
patient had laboured under this complaint four
months. It was flrfl obferved a little beiore the
period of his being feized with the fmall pox.
The urine he voided, while M. Vauquelin
was
[ 169 3
was with him, was as clear as water, but had a
disagreeable fmell. It raifed the mercury in the
thermometer to ioo°. It did not fenfibly red-
den tincture of tournefol ; and was rendered
but in a flight degree turbid by the addition of
lime water. Volatile alkali produced no change
in it. In its fpecific gravity it did not fenfibly
differ from water. On being expofed to the air
it was oblerved to be much fooner decompofed
than human urine, in a healthy Rate, ufually is.
This decompofition manifefled itfelf by a milky
colour, and by a very difagreeable fmeli. When
expofed to heat, in an open vefTel, it acquired
a reddifh colour in proportion as it evaporated,
and its difagreeable fmell was gradually diffi-
pated. When about three fourths of it were
evaporated it reddened tincture of tournefol;
and, by completely evaporating it, our author
obtained fixty-three grains of a refiduum which
contained phofphoruied ibda, volatile alkali, a
large proportion of fea fait, a mucous extract,
and phofphoric acid in an uncombined ftate.
We have feen that this child drank ten quarts
of water, the temperature of which was about
50°, in twenty-four hours, and that in the fame
fpace of time he voided twelve quarts of urine
at ico°. This great lofs of the principle of
heat
[ i7° 1
beat ferves, in M. Vauquelin's opinion, to ex-
plain why the patient experiences coldnefs and
Ihivering immediately after he has drank ; and
alfb why his breath is cold, and his face and
lips appear of a violet colour.
As he voids by urine as much and even more
than he drinks, and the difcharge by the fkin
feems to be preternaturally diminifhed, our au-
thor is difpofed to think that the exceflive thirft,
in this cafe, may be occafioned by fome change
that has taken place in the functions of the fkin.
This, he acknowledges, is merely an hypothecs;
but it is an hypothefis, he obferves, which
would become realifed, if, by reftoring the per-
fpiration to its natural ftate, the immoderate
ihirft mould be relieved. He is aware, how-
ever, that feveral analogous facts muft be col-
lected, and compared with the prefent and the
other few inftances we have of this difeafe, be-
fore we can hope to afcertain its caufes. For
this reafon he earneftly recommends it to his
readers to avail themfelves of every opportu-
nity that may occur to them of obferving the
phenomena of affections of this kind, and to
mark with accuracy, in fuch cafes, the tempe-
rature of the fkin and urine, and likewife the
Hate of the pulfe and refpiration.
XVII. A
[ i7i ]
XVII. A Cafe of double Uterus *• By Antonio
Caneftrini, Phyfcian to the Imperial Mines at
Schwatz in Tyrol. TranJIated from- the Ger-
man.
MARIA ANNA VOKON, wife of the
Overfeer of a Foundry at Fernetz, fmall
of flature, but of a healthy conftitution, was
married in the twentieth year of her age, and
before the end of a twelvemonth was delivered
of a female child, which died two days after
its birth. A year and a half afterwards (he was
delivered of another girl, which fhe fuckled,
but which lived only five weeks. During each
of thefe pregnancies (lie was in good health,
and in both went her full time. The menfes
never appeared during pregnancy, but at other
times (lie was fubjeel: to them rather profufely,
and they generally continued eight days.
* This curious cafe is extracted from the firfl volume of
a rcfpeclable periodical work, entitled " Oberdeutfche Bey-
" trage zur Naturlehre und Oekonomie, gefammelt und
" heraufgegeben von Karl Ercnbert von Moll, Oefterreichi-
" fchern Landmanne, der Gefellfchaft Naturforfchender
" Frcunde in Berlin, &c. Mitgliede." 8vo. Salzburg,
1787. — Editor.
Two
t '7* J
Two months after the birth of her fecond
child, being then in her twenty -fourth year, (he
again became pregnant. In the fourth month
of this laft pregnancy [he fell down as ihe was
carrying fome wood, and immediately felt much
pain of her left thigh, but which foon fubfided.
A few days afterwards, however, when, accord-
ing to her reckoning, fhe had completed the
fourth month of her pregnancy, fhe was fud-
denly feized with pains of the belly, which
made her cry out violently. This happened on
the 19th of May, 1781. Her hufband imme-
diately carried her to bed, and called in one of
his female neighbours, who rubbed the abdo-
men with oil, but this did not at all mitigate
the pains, which refembled labour pains, though
without being accompanied with any difcharge
from the vagina. In the evening of that day
Ihe had a ilool, after having been three days'
without fuch an evacuation. The pains, how-
ever, dill continued ; and (lie was twice feized
with vomiting. At fix o'clock the next morn-
ing (he appeared to be in a dying flate, and
about feven (lie expired.
The relations of the deceafed, ftruck with
the fudden and fatal termination of the cafe,
and obferving that the pains had been confined
to
[ »73 1
to the abdomen ; that flie had twice been feized
with vomiting, and that the abdomen fwelled
after her death, were fufpicious that her death
might have been occafioned by poifon. They,
therefore, refolvcd to have the body opened,
and I was called upon for this purpofe.
After dividing the inreguments from the fter-
num to the pubis, and opening the cavity of
the belly, I found therein a coniiderable quan-
tity of extravafated blood, of which about two
pounds were removed before it was poffible for
me to examine the ftate of the vifcera.
The omentum was of the ufual rlze, and
moderately fat ; the ftomach exhibited no marks
of inflammation, and the liver, gall bladder,
and interlines, appeared to be in a found ftate.
In order to examine thefe parts properly, it be-
came neceffary to remove about three pounds
more of extravafated blood, and in doing this
my hand met with a round and very eiaftic
body, which was carefully extracted, and proved
to be an ovum with its membranes entire. I
next difcovered that the uterus was lacerated on
the right fide, at its fundus, to the extent of an
inch and a half; and in order to examine this
pirt more accurately, I made an incifion into ir,
from
£ i?4 ]
from the place where it was torn to its neck,
(fee the reference at g. Fig. i. Plate II.)
Upon laying open the cavity of the uterus I
found the placenta {till fo firmly adhering to its
inner furface, that I was unable to detach ic
without tearing it. The uterus was three inches
and a half long ; its breadth,* at its upper part,
was two inches and a half, and at its lower part
one inch and a half; near its neck it was of the
thicknefs of a little finger; but at its fundus,
where it was torn, it was not more than a fourth
part fo thick. Externally it was only flightly
red, but internally it was much more fo, and
covered with innumerable frhall vefTels and
fibres ; but it no where exhibited any appea-
rance of gangrene. The laceration extended
exactly acrofs the fundus uteri.
It had only one Fallopian tube, and that was
on the right fide, and contiguous to the lacera-
tion. Through its outer extremity I was able to
introduce a probe, which palled into the cavity
of the uterus. There was likewife only one
ovarium, but it was larger than ufual, and
weighed two drachms and twenty two grains.
The broad and round ligaments, which likewife
were to be found only on this fide, were of their
natural fize and figure. On the left fide I
3 could
C i/5 ]
could difcover no appearance of ovarium, Fal-
lopian tube, or ligaments. This uterus did not
feem to be connected with the vagina, nor was
there any appearance of an os uteri, but it ter-
minated in a fort of round ligament, or neck,
which in length was about a finger's breadth,
but in circumference only of about the fize of a
little finger. At the upper end of this neck,
where I had cut through it, I difcovered two
fmall orifices, through which I could with diffi-
culty introduce the probe I had before uied for
the Fallopian tube ; but this pafTed too little a
way to enable me to trace thefe channels to their
termination. In other refpecls this neck ap-
peared like the reft of the uterus. A confide-
rable number of blood vefTels pafled through it
to the body of the uterus, and in cutting through
it I divided two of the fize of a common wri-
ting pen.
This Angularity of ftructure could not fail to
excite my aftonifhment, and a queftion natu-
rally arofe in my mind, How had this woman
twice been delivered, when the ftate of the
parts feemed to render delivery impoflible ? —
That I might leave nothing unexamined, I
carefully removed from the pelvis all that re-
mained of extravafared blood, and fought for
the
[ i76 ]
the place where I had cut through the uterus ;
and in fo doing I found that I had only feparated
it from another uterus, which I now took out,
together with part of the vagina connected with
it, and remarked what follows :
This fecond uterus was fix inches in length ;
at its upper part four and at its under three
inches and a half in breadth, and about half an
inch in thickhefs. Its appearance was natural,
but its blood vefTels were empty, and its orifice
was fo firmly clofed, that it was with difficulty
I could introduce a probe into its cavity. The
vagina was likewife in a natural flate. Here
alfo there were only one Fallopian tube and one
ovary. The former was connected with the
uterus at its fundus, and on the left fide, and
was of the ufual fize and appearance. The
latter was fomewhat flatter than the ovary of
the other uterus, and weighed only one drachm
and forty-two grains. The round ligament here
was of the fame thicknefs as that of the firit,
and the broad ligament was perfectly natural.
On the right fide there was neither ovarium,
tube, nor ligaments.
Upon cutting open this uterus there flowed
out between two and three ounces of a vifcid,
reddifh fluid ; and its inner furface exhibited
i the
[ *77 ]
the appearance of numerous and large blood
VefTels, but they were empty. In future, to
avoid miftake, I [hall call this the larger uterus,
to diftinguifh it from the other in which the
foetus lay, and which, from its fize, I mail ftyle
the fm alter uterus.
On the right fide of the neck of the larger
uterus, an inch above the os uteri, was the place
where the fmaller uterus adhered to ir, and
which I had overlooked, and cut through. I
now fought for the origin of the two channels,
the orifices of which I had obferved in the neck
of the fmaller uterus, and which I now conjec-
tured might pafs through this neck to the larger
uterus. The clearing up this matter took me
up feveral hours. I attempted to pafs firft a
probe, and afterwards merely a hog's bridle,
through this neck into the cavity of the larger
uterus ; but failing in thefe attempts, I cut
through the middle of the larger uterus, in
order the better to difcover the communication.
When I had done this, upon carefully exami-
ning the place on the inner furface of the ca-
vity, immediately oppofite the part where the
outer openings were to be feen, I difcovered,
about an inch above the os uteri, a fmall open-
ing, through which I was able to introduce a
Vol. III. N hog's
[ '78 j
hog's brittle. This palled from the cavity of
the larger uterus to the neck of the fmaller
one ; but ftill the courfe of the other channel
remained to be afcertained, and this proved a
fubject of greater difficulty ; for even quick-
filver, with which I filled the larger uterus after
carefully fecuring the os uteri by ligature, failed
to point it out, the quickfilver making its way
out either through the little opening, juft now
mentioned, or through the Fallopian tube. At
length I examined carefully the outer furface of
the orifice of the larger uterus, the form of
which was perfectly natural ; a portion of the
vagina was ft ill connected with it, and as I was
drawing this and one of the lips of the os uteri
from each other, 1 difcovered, at the part where
the vagina embraces the latter, between the fides
of the vagina and the os uteri, a fmall funnel-
lhaped orifice, which opened into the vagina.
Its orifice was wide enough to admit the head
of a large probe ; but the channel foon became
fo narrow as to allow only a hog's briftle to go-
through it. This pafTed under the outer coat
of the larger uterus towards the neck of the
fmaller one, where I had before introduced a
briftle into it.
3 . 'The
[ i79 ]
The foetus was a male, and feemed to be per-
fectly formed.
Explanation of Plate II.
Fig. i.
a. The larger uterus.
b. The laceration of the fmaller Uterus, through
which the foetus efcaped into the cavity of
the abdomen.
r. r. The ovaria.
d. d. The Fallopian tubes.
r. e. The broad ligaments.
f.f. The round ligaments.
£•. The neck or ftem of the fmaller uterus cut
through by the knife.
/:. The part at which one of the two fmall chan-
nels that pafled through the neck of the
fmaller uterus opened into the cavity of the
larger one.
i. The orifice of the other fmall channel, by means
of which a communication was formed be-
tween the fmaller uterus and the vagina.
k. The orifice of the larger uterus.
/. The vagina cut open lengthwife, anteriorly,
fo as to fhow its communication with each
uterus.
Fig. ii.
The foetus furrounded by its membranes.
N 2 XVIII. An
[ i8o ]
XVIII. An Account of the Experiments and Lif-
coveries of Lewis Galvani, Profejfor of Ana-
tomy at Bologna, relative to the Powers of Elec-
tricity in Mufcular Motion, — Vide Aloyfii Gal-
vani de Viribus Eleclricitatis in Motu Mufcular i
Commentariunu 4to. Bologna, 1 791.
FROM a fad: mentioned in a periodical
work, .published in the year 1786 at Bo-
logna, relative to a Student of Phyfic, who, in
difTec"ting a moufe alive, was much furprifed,
on touching the intercoflal nerve with his fcal-
pel, to experience an elecftric fhock of confide-
rable ftrength in his hand, the Abbe VafTalli,
ProfefTor of Natural Philofophy at Tortona,
conjectured that Nature had fome means of ac-
cumulating and retaining electricity in fome
parts of an animal body, and of making ufe of
it occafionally. He was confirmed in this opinion
by fome experiments, an account of which he
publifhed in 1789; but ProfefTor Galvani, (to
whom the Public are already indebted for feve-
ral valuable communications * on different fub-
jects of Anatomy) led on by an accidental cir-
cumftance, has gone much farther, and has
* Vide De Bonon. Inftiu Comment. Tom. V. et VI.
opened
[ i8i j
opened to phyfiologifts a fource of new idea.s
relative to mufcular motion.
As he was diffecting a frog in a room in which
fome of his friends were amufing themfelves with
electrical experiments, at the very inftant he hap-
pened to touch a nerve of the frog with his knife
fome one drew a fpark from a chain connected
with the electrical apparatus, and the body of
the animal immediately became convulfed.
The Profeffor, attributing this effect to his
having accidentally wounded the nerve, pricked
it in reality, but excited no motion. He then
touched it at the moment another fpark was
drawn from the electric chain, and the contrac-
tion again took place. He made the fame ex-
periment a third time, but without any fuch
effect. He now perceived that he held his
knife by the handle, which was of bone, and,
of courfe, a bad conductor. He repeated the
experiment feveral times with different non-
conducting fubftances, and no contraction en-
fued ; but it constantly took place whenever
metallic bodies were applied to the nerves.
He now fattened to a nerve an iron wire of
confiderable length, and upon a fpa-k being
drawn from the electric chain the convulfive
motions were renewed : he therefore called this
wire the nervous conductor.
N 3 Inftead
[ >3z ]
Initead of a wire he afterwards fubftituted an
iron hook fixed to the fpinal marrow of the
frog. In fome of his experiments he brought
the frog itfelf near to the electrical machine,
and in others the conductor alone, the animal
itfelf remaining at a confiderable diftance, and
in either way contractions were always pro-
duced. They were even obtained, we are told,
by an infulated conductor of more than two
hundred feet long. They were found to be
ftronger if, by means of a conducting body,
the feet of the animal were made to. communi-
cate with the earth ; and under thefe circum-
flances the phenomenon, it feems, was con-
front, whether the animal was infulated or not.
The effect produced by conducting bodies,
which communicated with the feet of the ani-
mal, led him to fufpect that conducting bodies
applied to mufcles might occafion this contrac-
tile motion. He therefore faftened to a mufcle
metallic wires, which he diftingnimes by the
name of mujcular conductor s> but without effect,
for, if the nervous conductor were wanting, no.
motion could be excited.
A frog, prepared for the experiment by
removing its integuments, was laid on a non-'
conducting furface, on which the nervous, con-
ductor was fo placed as to be at the diftance of
feveral
L i83 ]
feveral lines, or even an inch from the nerve.
The moment a fpark was drawn from the elec-
trical apparatus the limbs of the animal con-
tracted. The fame thing happened, we are
told, on placing the animal on a conducting
furface, and the nerves with their conductor on
a non-conducting furface. No difference was
obferved when the nervous conductor was co-
vered through its whole length with fealing wax.
The animal was afterwards placed on the ma-
gic picture, and a ftrong fpark was drawn, but
without exciting any contraction.
All thefe experiments having been made with
pofitive electricity, the ProfefTor was defirous of
feeing if the fame effects would be produced by
negative electricity.
With this view he infulated a frog, pre-
pared as in the former experiment, and a man.
The latter drew fparks from the furrounding
bodies, and this produced the fame effects as
before on the animal. The fame thing hap-
pened when he made the nervous conductors
communicate with the negative furface of a
Leyden phial, in whatever way the fparks were
drawn. He experienced the fame effects, i.
with the electrophorus upon bringing the animal
near the electrometer; 2. on placing the animals
in veflels, at a great diftance, by means of ner-
N 4 vous
[ iJ84 ]
vous conductors connected with the nerves that
are diftributed to the furface of the body.
He feparated the crural nerves of a frog from
the {unrounding parts, and having removed
them from the mufcle, he applied the conductor
to the latter, and when fparks were drawn from
the electrical apparatus a motion was excited in
the correfponding limb of the animal.
In all thefe experiments the animals had com-
municated, by means of the furrounding air,
with the electrical apparatus. He therefore
tried if there would be any difference in the
refult by interrupting this communication, or
fuppreffing it altogether.
For this purpofe the animal was placed under
a glafs vefTel, and upon fparks being drawn was
found to contract as before. Other veffels were
placed over this, and the fame contractions were
obferved to be weaker and weaker in proportion
to the number and thicknefs of the veffels.
The animal was even placed under the receiver
of an air pump, and whether the air was drawn
out or not, at the moment fparks were- drawn,
fome degree of contraction was obfervable.
When the nervous conductors were brought
near the electric chain, though no fpark was
drawn, the animal was ftrongly agitated.
Hitherto
C !»5 ]
Hitherto the experiments had been made on
animals of cold blood. He now repeated them
on fowls and fheep ; the refults were the fame;
and from thefe experiments he is led to con-
clude, that the animals the bed calculated for
them are the older ones, and thofe whole muf-
cles are the whitefl. He has found that the
flefh of animals which have been fubject to thefe
trials corrupts fooner than that of others.
After numerous experiments with artificial
electricity , he was induced to have recourfe to
natural electricity, drawn from the atmofphere
by means of a conductor fixed to the top of his
houfe, and communicating with his chamber
by a metallic wire connected with it. On this
wire he fufpended animals of cold blood, and
others, properly prepared, and bv means of
wires fattened to their legs formed a communi-
cation between them and the ground. Every
time there was lightning the animals were af-
fected with ftrong contractile motions, which
preceded, and were obfervedto correfpond with
the intenfity and frequency of the thunder.
Even when there was no lightning fimilar move-
ments were excited as often us ftormy clouds
patted over the houfe; but when theie was
lightning,
[ .86 }
lightning, wish a ferene iky, the animals exhi-
bited no appearance of contraction.
In thefe different experiments the Profeflbr
had confidered only the electricity which is ex-
traneous, as it were, to the bodies of animals;
but in the courfe of his inquiries an accidental
circumftance directed his attention to the elec-
tricity which is peculiar to, and inherent in,
animals.
He had fufpended, by means of metallic
hooks fixed to their fpinal marrow, feveral
frogs on an iron balcony in his garden, and had
repeatedly obferved that thefe animals gave
iigns of contraction. At fir ft he thought this
might be owing to fome changes in the atmof-
phere : but a more accurate inquiry convinced
him he was miftaken ; for having placed in his
chamber, on an iron plate, an animal, properly
prepared, with the hooks fixed to its fpine, on
preffing it againft the plate he faw, with fur-
prife, the fame motions he had obferved in the
animals fufpended on the balcony. Making
vxie of different metals, he tried them at diffe-
rent times, and on different days, and always
with the fame refults, except that the contrac-
tions varied according to the diverfity of the
metals. He found that filver was better than
any
I 187 ]
any of the others for thefe purpofes. He made
fimilar experiments with non-condu<fling bodies,
but always without fuccefs. Hence he began
to fufpect that the animal had really an electri-
city peculinr to itfelf. This fuipicion was con-
firmed when he found that the circulation of the
nervous fluid from the nerves to the mufcles,
at the time the phenomenon happens, is nearly
fimilar to the circulation of artificial electricity
in the Ley den phial. The following fade led
him to this difcovery :
While he was holding with one hand, by
means of a hook, a prepared frog, in fuch a
manner that its feet touched a fmall filver bafon,
he happened accidentally with his other hand to
touch the bafon ; violent contractions imme-
diately took place in the whole body of the ani-
mal, which were renewed every time the fame
mode of communication wras repeated. When
one perfon held the frog, and another touched
the dim, the animal remained immoveable.
Having thus perceived the neceflity of a
communication to excite motion, he engaged in
frefli experiments on this fubject. He placed,
on a non-conducting furface, a prepared frog,
and applied one end of a bent wire to the hook
connected with the nerve, and the other end to
the
[ ,38 ]
the feet, or to the mufcles of the legs of the
animal, and there was immediately a contrac-
tion. If the bent wire was interrupted by a
non-conducting fubftartce, the frog remained
motionlefs.
When a frog, properly prepared, was fuf-
pended by the extremity of the foot, if the
Look touched a metallic plate, and at the fame
lime the other leg- of the animal touched this
plate, this leg immediately contracted.
The ProfelTor found that different metals
were productive of different effects in thefe ex-
periments. If the plate, the hook, and the bent
wire, were all of iron, the motion was more
feeble, or even altogether wanting; but if one
of thefe was of iron, and the reft were of cop-
per, or, what anfwered ft ill better, of filver,
the contraction immediately took place, and
continued a much longer time.
As the circulation of the Leyden phial fup-
pofes two contrary electricities, the one more
condenfed, or poutive, and the other lefs fo,
or negative, fo Profeffor Gal van i concludes,
that a fimilar diftinction takes place in the bo-
dies of animals, and that one of thefe electri-
cities, viz. the condenfed, or pofitive, is feated
in the nerves, and the other in the mufclcs.
He
C i89 ]
He was led to thefe conclufions by the following
experiments :
He applied, in fome inftances, glafs cylin-
ders, and in others fealing wax, to the fpi-
nal marrow of frogs : with the former he ob-
tained no motion in the animal, but the lat-
ter contlantly excited it. If the fpine of the
frog was covered with tin foil, the fealing wax,
though at the diftance of the third part of aa
inch, or more, excited mufcular contraction ;
and upon bringing the frog near the electrical
machine, and turning the latter feveral times,
the animal exhibited no fign of motion. This
proves, he thinks, that the electricity of the
nerves is pofitive.
He made, in the fame minner, experiments
to afcertain if it were poflible to excite motion
in the mufcles ; but in thefe no fuch effect took
place.
He next coated a nerve with tin foil, and
obtained flrong movements upon touching this
coating with different bodies. Similar effects
took place when the brain was coated in like
manner ; but when the mufcles were coated,
inftead of the nerves, the animal remained im-
moveable, or afforded only very feeble figns of
contraction.
Profeflbr
I 1CJ0 j
Profeiibr Galvani endeavoured to afcertaiti
whether the electricity is propagated from the
nerve through the whole nervous fyftem, or is
confined to the nerve which is the fubject of the
experiment ; and he found that when the nerve
is not feparated, but only laid bare, the elec-
tricity fpreads itfelf through the whole body.
To prove that thefe phenomena are really
the effects of electricity, he had recourfe to Dr.
Franklin's magic picture, fo that the nerves
touched one of its furfaces, and the mufcles the
other, and upon applying the conductor a very
fenfible contraction took place.
XIX. Two Letters on Animal Electricity. By
Eufebius Valli, M Z). of the Univerjlty of
Pifa. — Vide Journal de Phyfique* 410. Pa-
ris, 1792.
THE facts relative to animal electricity, de-
fcribed in the preceding article, appeared
to Dr. Valli of fo much importance, that he was
induced to repeat the experiments of Profeflbr
Galvani, and to inltkute many new ones on the
fame fubject, which fcrve confiderably to illuf-
trate
[ 19* 3
trate and extend the difcovery in queftion. The
following account of his refearches cannot fail,
therefore, of being highly acceptable to our
readers ; and we give it to them with the more
fatisfaction, as the candid and ingenious author,
who is at prefent in London, has more than once
gratified us with a repetition of many of his ex-
periments :
Experiment I.
The author opened the belly of a frog, fo as
to lay bare the fpine, and difcover the crural
nerves that irTue from it. Two lines above
their infertion he cut the frog in two, and,
palling his fcifTars under the origin of thofe
nerves, removed the remainder of the vertebral
column, leaving only the vertebra that united
the bundle of nerves. He furrou tided this
vertebra with a piece of thin lead, which form-
ed a coating, and he removed the integuments
of the lower part of the frog, fo as to lay
bare the mufcles. Having thus prepared it, he
touched at the fame time with an iron wire,
difpofed as a CQndn&or3 and infulated (by
means of a piece of fealing wax, which ferved
as a handle to it) the leaden coating and the
mufcks of the frog, and he obferved all the
phenomena.
[ *9* ]
phenomena defcribed by ProfefTor Galvani.—
Thefe phenomena, he tells us, take place equal-
ly whether the animal be infulated or not, He
employed conductors of different metals, having
obierved that by fo doing all the electrical
phenomena become more apparent. Tbofe of
filver feemed to him to be the befh
Experiment II.
Two frogs, prepared in the manner above
defcribed, after having ceafed to give any figns
of life, experienced a very great tremor when
touched by the conductor;
Experiment III.
While he made thefe experiments on one
frog, he left another at reft that he had pre-
pared at the fame time. When the fir ft had
ceafed to move, and was entirely extinct, he
took the fecond, which in an hour and a half
had loft none of the faculties that he had ex-
haufted in the firft, and, notwithftanding this
delay, he made on this the fame experiments
as with the other, and obtained the fame re-
fults.
ExPERI>
[ i93 1
Experiment IV.
He had a frog, the crural nerve of which,
and the extremity of the body correfponding
with it, fhewcd no figns of feeling. On in-
quiring into the caufe of this, he found that the
filaments of the nerve were ruptured. Ha-
ving brought them together, he coated them at
the point of reunion, and, on applying the
conductor, a tremor was excited in the leg.
When this motion had ceafed he divided the
oppoflte nerve, and after collecting the fila-
ments, and placing them at a diftance from the
limb, touched it feveral times with the con^
icjuctor, but without exciting any movement.
Experiment V.
He prepared two other frogs, taking care to
feparate the nervous filaments of each crural
nerve. In making the experiment they were as
much agitated as thofe whofe nerves remained
in their natural pofition.
Experiment VI.
After having fatigued for an hour and a half
two frogs, prepared as ufual, he left them at
reft an hour and ten minutes. He then at-
Vor..IIL O tempted
[ *94 ]
tempted to excite motion with a conductor made
of copper covered with filver ; one of them
fprang from the plate of glafs on which it was
placed, and remained afterwards twenty minutes
affording only flight tremors. The firfl move-
ment in the other was lefs violent, but it was
neverthelefs much agitated, and continued to
be fo full as long as the other.
Experiment VII.
WilTiing to afcertain how long frogs are ca-
pable of fupporting this ftate, he prepared two
at ten o'clock at night. At feven the next
morning he found them feeble, but not without
motion. Both of them, on being fubjedred to
the ufual experiment, afforded a flight tremula-
tion. An hour afterwards they ceafed to give
figns of electricity to any of the means that were
employed.
Experiment VIII.
At other times he has left, in the fame man-
ner, during the night, frogs prepared as ufual,
but in the morning has found them dry, and
yielding no ilgn of electricity.
Experi-
[ '95 1
Experiment IX.
After feparating fome mufcles from the body
of a frog, and lacerating them, it was not pof-
fible to excite their irritability by a mechanical
flimulus, but the conductor excited it. — " Does
" the motion of the mufcles produced by the
" irritation thus excited, or by the nerves that
" are diftributed to them," afks our author,
" differ from that which refults from the dif-
" charge of elediric matter ? And which of
" thefe motions approaches the nearefl to the
#c voluntary motions ? "
Experiment X.
The brain of a frog having been laid bare,
and irritated, it died apparently in convulfions;
but on applying the conductor the mufcles of
the animal immediately contracted.
Experiment XL
The preceding experiment, our author tells
us, was repeated in order to compare it with
what would happen to frogs dying without con-
vulfions; comparifon, he remarks, being the
rule we ought to follow when we have no other
that is better or more accurate. No difference
O 2 was
C 196 ]
was perceptible ; and therefore he concludes
that the animal loft nothing in the convuliions,
and that the principle of life was preferved.
But a man, he obferves, agitated by convulfions
and nervous affections is excemvely debilitated.
This leads him to offer a query, which he thinks
we (hall fome day be able to folve — " Does
'• there exiit in the animal ceconomy another
" agent befides electricity ? "
Experiment XII.
He applied opium to one of the crural nerves.
The limb feemed to fuffer by it a little, as did
-alfo the other limb ; but after fome time both
recovered their former vigour.
Experiment XIII.
Opium applied to the extremity of a divided
nerve produced no apparent diminution of
electricity in the part.
Experiment XIV.
After having kept for ten minutes one of the
extremities of a prepared frog in a tepid bath of
opium, the limb, on being fubjected to the
uiual experiments., became fatigued in lefs than
a quar-
[ *97 ]
a quarter of an hour, and when it Teemed to
have loft its electricity he proceeded to the other
limb, which moved vigoroufly on applying the
conductor, and gave figns of electricity for at
lead an hour and a half.
Experiment XV.
Three frogs were made to fvvallow a folution
of opium in warm water; and at the* end of
an hour were prepared, and placed in a folu-
tion of opium ; notwithstanding which they itill
continued to move when excited.
Experiment XVI.
After bathing with a fimilar folution the ad-
ductor and triceps mufcles of the thigh of a
frog, their motions feemed to be ftronger than
ufual ; but the author thinks that this might be
accidental.
Experiment XVII.
A folution of opium was poured between the
ikin and the mufcles of the thighs of two frogs,
but without impairing their electricity,
O 3 Expe-
t 198 3
Experiment XVIII.
A folution of opium was introduced between
the fibres of the triceps mufcle of a frog, the
extremities of which were already impregnated
with the fame folution. This frog remained
immoveable.
Experiment XIX.
In fix other frogs the phenomena were diffe-
rent,, the opium having neither weakened nor
fufpended their electricity.
Experiment XX*
Opium applied to the infulated mufcles of
frogs extinguifhed their electricity only in one
inftance out of twenty, but in that one the ef-
fect, we are told, was inftantaneous. Thefe
fads, the author obferves, embarrafs him.
Experiment XXL
The mufcles of living frogs ceafed to be ex-
cited by mechanical ftimuli after opium had
been applied to them, or to their nerves, and
yet were excited by the conductor as often as ic
was employed.
ExPERl-
[ x99 ]
Experiment XXII.
The author laid bare the brains of four frogs,
and applied opium to them. They fell down
as if ftruck with lightning. He prepared them
for the experiments, leaving the lower extremi-
ties united to the trunk and the head. The
fpine was cut off, and feparated below the crural
nerves. Upon coating them, and applying the
conductor, the ufual phenomena enfued.
Experiment XXIII.
Inflead of opium, other extraneous fubftances
were applied to the brains of different frogs,
but without feeming in the lead to impair their
electricity.
Experiment XXIV.
Six frogs wepe made to fwallow a confiderable
quantity of opium ; but in none of them was
the electric principle apparently weakened by it.
Experiment XXV.
Tobacco, in powder, rendered five frogs pro-
foundly ftupid and infenfible ; neverthelefs they
gave the ufual figns of electricity with the con-
ductor.
O 4 Exps-
[ 200 ]
Experiment XXVI.
The author coated the nerves of the legs o«
iizards, and obtained flight contractions ; but
on coating the marrow of the tail the motions
he excited were more violent, and lafted longer.
Experiment XXVII.
Lizards that had been poifoned with tobacco,
and died in convulfions, were found not to have
loft their electricity. In numerous experiments
to afcertain this fact, not one, we are told, was
contrary to it.
Experiment XXVIII.
The author coated, near the head, the fpU
nal marrow of two tench, each of which weigh-
ed about an ounce and a half. They railed
their fins five or fix times when excited, but in
lefs than two minutes ceafed to yield any mo-
tion *
Experiment XXIX.
An eel was cut in two, and the fpinal marrow
of each of the two portions was coated with tin
foil. On applying the conductor the tail /truck
violently, as if it had been in water; and on
continuing to touch it it turned different ways ;
but
[ 201 ]
but infenfibly grew weaker, and in lefs than
three quarters of an hour its electricity was ex-
tinct.
This principle was lefs ftrong in the part
next the head, but it laded about five minutes
longer.
Experiment XXX.
The wing of a lark, prepared in the ufual
way by laying bare the mufcles, experienced
flight movements for three minutes, but the
legs could not be excited. The author afcribes
this failure to the fmallnefs of the crural nerves
in this bird.
Experiment XXXI.
A kitten, juft born, was carefully prepared,
and contractions were excited in it for feven or
eight minutes ; but no movement could be pro-
duced in the mufcles of the tongue ox larynx.
Experiment XXXII.
The author prepared two dogs. The firft,
from a want of proper precaution in the experi-
ment, afforded nothing ; but the fecond, which
he killed by a blow of the head, yielded ftrong
motions, and in particular one of its fore paws
bent
[ 20* J
bent five or fix times, as in walking. The hyo-
giofli and genioglofli mufcles trembled feveral
times. Thofe of the larynx alfo, the nerves of
which had been coated, were affected in the
fame manner.
The heart did not palpitate, although the
eighth pair of nerves were coated while that
vifcus was reeking and warm. In an hour all
was over,
We now come to the author's fecond letter.
From fome of his firft experiments he had
been led to affert that a ligature pafled round a
nerve prevents the paffage of the electric fluid ;
but one of his friends (Mr. Fattori) having in-
formed him that this is not always true, he re-
peated the experiment, and found that by ma-
king the ligature on the nerve clofe to its infer-
tion into the mufcle the motion is entirely pre-
vented ; but that, on the contrary, if the liga-
ture be at a diflance from the mufcle, the expe-
riment fucceeds very well.
There is no part of an animal, he obferves,
that is not a conductor of electricity, and he is
unable to fay which is the bed, becaufe he has
feen an infinite number of anomalous appear
ranees.
The
t 203 ]
The (hocks, he allures us, are, in general,
ftronger if the conductor is carried from the
mufcles to the coated nerve, inftead of its be-
ing carried from the latter to the mufcles.
— If this laft method is adopted, when the
electricity is fo weak that it is nearly extinct,
no motion enfues ; yet even then it may be ex-
cited by the other procefs. This fact, as the
author obferves, is fingular, and merits the at-
tention of philofophers.
Slight wounds of the brain in frogs, fome-
times, we are told, occafion convulfions or palfy,
and at other times produce no ill effect.
When the wound of the brain is more consi-
derable, the animal fometimes dies fuddenly ;
but the author has feen frogs furvive for feveral
days the deftruction or laceration of this organ.
In general, however, he has found that frogs
whofe brain has been lacerated have yielded elec-
tric movements only for about two minutes.
He fufpected that this might be owing not to
the want of electricity, but to the nerve be-
coming a non-conductor, or to fome change in
the flate of the mufcular fibre : and having in
one inftance obtained movements by fubftitu
ting, in the place of the nerve, a very fmall
and highly-polifhed iron wire, and in another
obferved
[ 204 ]
obferved a manifeft alteration in the (late of the
mufcles, his opinion on this fubject was ren-
dered lefs doubtful.
Frogs that he had deprived of their electricity,
by means of the conductor, corrupted fooner
than others which had not been deprived of it.
In a note to this paflage the author afks, Am
I not miftaken ? Repeated difcharges, do they
really deprive the animal of its natural elec-
tricity ? or do they onjy put it in equilibrium ?
I know not, he fays, which of thefe to believe.
It is certain, however, he adds, that frogs fa-
tigued by the conductor, particularly in water,
foon become putrid. What a curious difco-
very, he obferves, it will be if it fhould here-
after be afcertained that the electric fluid retards
the putrefaction of bodies. Before the prefent
difcovery he knew, he tells us, that the fluid
which circulates in the nerves is a powerful an-
tifeptx.
Several frogs killed by the difcharge of the
Leyden phial gave the fame figns of electricity
as others that had not experienced fuch a fhock.
The fuccefs of this experiment, however, the
author obferves, mud depend on care being
taken that the difcharge be not ftrong enough
to diforganize the whole machine.
Frogs
C *°5 ]
Frogs live fevcral days in confined air with-
out their electric quality feeming to fuffer*
Neither inflammable nor nitrous airs have been
found to affect it ; but it Teemed, we are told>
to experience a little diminution from phlogifti-
cated air ; and it was much injured by air vi-
tiated by the combuftion of fulphur. This ef-
fect, however, the author obferves, was lefs
perceptible in frogs that were only expofed to it
after being prepared, than in fuch as had breathed
and died in it. Under fuch circumflances the
mufcular fibres were fometimes found in a re-
laxed, and at others in a rigid and tenfe Hate ;
and in the experiments the fhocks were very
weak, and after a few feconds could not by any
means be excited. Is it a portion of electricity,
the author afks, which in this cafe is diflipated ?
or is it the fibre which has loft its natural
ftrength ?
He has found that inflammable air extin*
guiflies the life of a linnet or a Canary bird,
but not their electricity, although it is naturally
very weak.
He killed two kittens in phlogifiicated air;
and having prepared their fore legs, found the
ufual figns of electricity,
A dog
[ 206 ]
A dog was made to fvvallow arfenic, and died,
but the poifon was not found to have weakened
his electricity. In other experiments hemlock
was employed, and the refult was the fame.
If experiments mould fhow that poifons do
not leflen the electricity of animals, or, more
properly, the capacity of parts to contain it, it
will be neceffary, our author thinks, to inquire
why poifoned animals corrupt more fpeedily
than others ? It mult be another principle of
life, he obferves, that has been offended. But
where, he afks, does it exift ? Probably in the
nerves, fince miafmata and venomous fubflances
exert on them their firfl action. But our data
on this fubject are, he acknowledges, as yet too
few to reafon on.
Some frogs expofed to the exhalation of pu-
trid flefh retained, after their death, weak figns
of electricity.
Frogs killed by being placed under the ex-
hauftcd receiver of an air pump, and afterwards
fubjected to the ufual experiment, exhibited only
feeble contractions, and thefe were excited with
difficulty. In all of them an extravafation of
blood had taken place in the cellular membrane
of the mufcles, fo as to render their fleih of a
lively red colour. The blood being a conduc-
tor
[ *°7 3
tor of electricity, it in this cafe, the author ob»
ferves, had difperfed a portion of it at the ex-
pence of the nerves, which are the road the
fluid takes to reach the mufcles. On repeating
the experiment with prepared frogs no fuch ef»
fufion was produced, and the electricity fhowed
itfelf pretty well. — For thefe two experiments
the author acknowledges himfelf indebted to
Mr. Mofcati.
To a friend who had undertaken to explain,
by means of the Leyden phial, all the pheno*
mena of animal electricity, our author, after
pointing out the difficulties of fuch an hypo*
thefis, offered his own theory on the fubject,
which is as follows :
The electric fluid, fays he, is either fent from
the fenforium commune to the mufcles through
the nerves, or returns to the fenforium through
the infinite ramifications of thefe fame nerves
from the whole furface of the body, or is dif-
fufed through the body according to certain
laws. In a word, electricity acts in the body in
the manner phyfiologifts have fuppofed the ner-
vous fluid to do.
To confirm this theory he contrived feveral
experiments ; among which the following, he
thinks, appears of fome weight :
He
[ 208 ]
He took a frog, and, after removing its inte-
guments, laid bare the vertebral column, which
he divided above the origin of the crural nerves,
and alfo at the origin of the lower extremities.
The animal was thus divided into two parts,
which communicated with each other only by
the crural nerves. He coated thefe nerves, and
placing one of the branches of the conductor on
the coating, and the other on the trunk, the
lower extremities were at that inftant agitated as
well as the upper parts and the fore feet.
If the experiment be repeated by tying the
lierve, there is, he obferves, no movement in
the lower extremities.
If inftead of placing the conductor on the
trunk, it be placed on the ovaries, liver, lungs,
head, or feet, the phenomenon, we are told,
takes place equally. In this cafe, fays the au-
thor, we do not efhblilli a communication
between the external and internal furfaces of
the mufcles, which are below the coating, and
which notwithstanding exhibit movements : it
is the electric ftream that pafles from above
downwards. Profeffor Galvani himfelf, it feems,
had remarked, that on making the experiment
in a contrary direction the electricity of the
lower extremities moved upwards ; confe-
3 quentlvj
[ 2°9 3
qucntly, obferves our author, the electric fluid
circulates between the nervous filaments in all
forts of directions. This, he thinks, is much
in favour of his theory.
It is eafy, he remarks, to prove that, with-
out increafing the degree of electricity, we may
increafe its celerity, as appears from the follow-
ing experiment : — He took a frog, prepared as
ufual, and directed againft it a ftream of elec-
tricity by means of a chain that communicated
with its nerves. The animal, which at firft was
agitated, became after fome little time immove-
able. When it was in this ftate, upon remo-
ving the conductor a little the frog renewed its
motion, but foon fell into its former ftate of in-
activity. The current of electricity was then
accelerated by applying an infulated conductor
to the mufcles of the frog, and the animal im-
mediately began to move again. When it again
ceafed to move, by communicating with the con-
ductor, he was again able to excite movements.
This fhows, he thinks, that electricity is al-
ways the fame, and that we only vary the man-
ner of applying it.
We are not to fuppofe, however, he obferves,
that the fame thing happens precifely to the
animal in full life. But he is convinced that
Vol, III. P them
[ 21° ]
there exifl in the animal caufes capable of re-
tarding or accelerating the decline current. He
thinks we muft feek for thefe caufes in the dif-
ferent modes of fenfation to be obferved in the
nerves ; in the different properties of their cor-
tical and medullary fubftances ; and perhaps alfo
in another principle, which exifts in the nerves
along with the electric fluid, and which is more
or lefs combined with it. The fubject, he is
aware, is full of obfeurity. We (hall, he ob*
ferves, perhaps never fee it clearly difplayed,
or, if we do, it will not be till after long and
immenfe refearches, and probably not till after
we have been indulging in many erroneous ideas
concerning it.
One great flep, however, he contends, is al-
ready made. The exigence of electricity has
been demonftrated in the animal machine ; and
this important difcovery, he thinks, will tend
to the explanation of many phenomena, among
which he contents himielf with mentioning the
following :
Man and animals live a long time without re-
frefhing the blood with frefh chyle. If the
blood were the fund which fhould furnifh the
principle that animates all the parts, and with-
out which no movement or function of the ani-
mal
[ AW J
mal ceconomy could be executed, fo great a
wade of life could not be of long duration.
But now, he thinks, the myftery is unfolded.
The animal who takes no food attra&s from the
earth, and from the atmofphere, this precious
and neceflary principle, the electric fluid.
It having been fuggefted to our author, that,
in order to determine whether the nervous fluid
be really the electric fluid or not, he fhould have
recourfe to the electrometer ; and not happen-
ing at that time to be pofferTed of one fufli-
ciently fenfible, he made the following experi-
ment :
He prepared feveral frogs, the crural nerves
of all which he united in a fingle coating. Ha-
ving put in order this battery, and eftablifhed
a communication, by means of a conductor, be-
tween the nerves and the mufcles, he excited
the electricity, and confequently the movements.
At the moment of the difcharge two very fmall
bits of ftraw, at a little diftance the one from
the other, but almoft touching the apparatus,
immediately approached each other. This ex-
periment, he obferves, proves the fame thing
as the electrometer would have done ; but he has
fince, it teems, (as we are told in a note) em-
P % ployed
[ «* ]
ployed the electrometer, and found that it gave
figns of electricity.
On the day he wrote this account he, for the
firft time, he tells us, coated the mufcles inltead
of the nerves, and in this way obtained ftrong
movements ; but of this he propofes to fpeak
more fully hereafter.
XX. Additional Obfervations on Animal Electri-
city. Communicated in a Letter to Samuel
Foart Simmons, M. D. F. R. S. by Eufebius
Valli, M.D.
SINCE the publication of my two letters in
the Journal de Phyfique, I have made a con-
flderable number of new experiments on animal
electricity, many of which you, my dear Sir,
and feveral of your friends, have had the good-
nefs to fee me repeat, on different days, at
your houfe and other places. Thefe additional
facts are defcribed in a feries of letters on the
fame fubjedt, which before I left Paris I put
into the hands of our worthy friend M. De la
Metherie, in order to their being inferted in his
valuable Journal. But I fhall here give you the
principal refults of thefe, and of fome other ftill
later
[ 2I3 1
later inquiries, to be added, if you think proper^
to the account of my firft experiments, which
I find you mean to do me the honour of infert-
ing in the volume of Medical Fa6ts and Obfer-
vations about to be publifhcd.
I now, as you have repeatedly witneffed, ob-
tain mufcular movements by coating the muf-
cles inftead of the nerves.
Movements may likewife be excited by efta-
blifhing a communication between mufcle and
mufcle, or between nerve and nerve.
By uniting in one coating the nerves of feve-
ral frogs, and exciting their electricity, fome
fat's hairs, placed for this purpofe in the appa-
ratus, were obferved to recede from and ap-
proach each other.
Even in the living frog I am able fometimes
to excite electricity, in a very fenfible man-
ner, by employing two coatings, one under the
t>elly, and the other on the back.
The different metals, whether employed in
the way of coating, or as conductors, afford re-
markable differences in their effects. With gold
and filver, for inftance, the experiment will,
in general, not fucceed, if one of them be ufed
as a coating, and the other as a conductor,
though either of them will ferve as a good con-
P 3 ductor
[ *H 1
ductor when employed with another metal. 1
have, however, fametimes excited movements
in a pullet's wing with filver and gold.
What has been obferved concerning the dif-
ferent metals will be found to hold good with
refpect to different fluids alfo ; fome of which,
as, for inftance, water, will be found to be
good conductors ; while others will conduct
lefs perfectly, or not at all. It is an obferva-
tion of ProfefTor Galvani, that oil, which, as
we know, is not a conductor of common elec-
tricity, is likewife not a conductor of animal
electricity.
The experiment in water may be made in the
following manner : — The legs of a frog being
prepared in the ufual way, and the crural nerves
coated, two giaffes filled with water are to be
placed clofe to each other. The legs of the ani-
mal are to be put into one of thefe giaffes, and
the nerves with their coating muft hang over fo
as to be immerfed in the water in the other glafs.
You mud now, with a piece of filver, or fome
other metallic conductor, touch the coating of
the nerves, while with your other hand you
touch the water in the other glafs, in which are
the legs of the frog; thus forming a commu-
nication between the two furfaces of the muf-
cles,
[ "5 ]
cles, and violent movements will inftantly take
place. If, inftead of touching the nerves with
the conductor, you touch them only with your
bare hand, and put the conductor into the water
in the other glafs in which are the legs of the
frog, no motion will be excited ; but if the
conductor be made to communicate with the
water in both glafTes, it is not necefTary for the
fuccefs of the experiment to bring it into con-
tact either with the nerves or with the mufcles.
When the electricity of the animal is weak, a
conductor made of a fingle metal is not always
fufficient to excite it ; and it then becomes ne-
cefTary to have recourfe to a conductor made of
two metals, as, for inflance, of iron and filver.
The membranes of the nerves are bad con-
ductors.
The different intenfity of electricity in diffe-
rent animals will certainly occafion a great dif-
ference in its effects.
I have fometimes obferved that frogs have
fpontaneous motions ftronger than thofe excited
by the metallic conductor ; at other times the
conductor has failed to produce any movement;
but to inveftigate all the various phenomena of
animal electricity would require more experi-
ments than I have at prefent leifure to undertake.
P 4 This
[ 2i6 ]
This principle has probably a great mare it*
the production of animal hear.
Frogs killed by being plunged into hot water,
and immediately taken out of it and prepared,
haVe given figns of electricity ,' but if the limbs
of the animal, after being prepared, be placed
in Very hot water, the experiment does not
fucceed.
The vitriolic and nitrous acids applied to the
nerves, or rather to the mufcles, did not pre-'
vent the movements.
Opium applied to one of the crural nerves
deprived the animal of the power of moving
the correfponding leg; but did not prevent
movement in it when the conductor was applied
to it.
Inflammable, nitrous, and phlogifticated airs
act in different manners both on the living frog
and on mufcles that are expofed to them.
The wings of a pullet, prepared for the ex-
periment, after having given feveral (hocks, re-
mained immoveable, notwithstanding I conti-
nued to apply the conductor; but upon my ir-
ritating the nerve fpontaneous motions imme-
diately took place.
Fowls have little fenfibility; yet their muf-
cular power feems to be considerable. Perhaps
tbc
[ 217 ]
the irritability of animals is in an inverfe ratio
to that of their fenfibility.
Fowls killed by drowning have, in general,
afforded me figns of electricity ; and fome of
them, after having been apparently deprived of
life in this manner, have been reftored by exci-
ting their electricity.
Animals that die of hunger have no fenfible
electricity.
Fowls that have died after inflammation or
gangrene of the inteftines have afforded no
ligns of electricity.
The equilibrium of animal electricity is not
always broken, notwithstanding circumftances
which feem favourable to fuch an effect. My
experiments on this head are decifive. I will
here mention one of them. I prepared the
limb of a frog, and after coating the nerve with
lead, placed it on a half-crown piece. At firft
I obferved fome movements, but afterwards
the limb remained immoveable. By making
the table on which the apparatus was placed,
the (hocks were renewed ; but after this, in
order to obtain any movement, it became ne-
ceffary to fhake the coating itfelf. This expe-
riment fucceeds likewife in water.
I have
E «8 ]
I have reafon to think that the nerves con-
tain another fluid which i the vehicle of elec-
tricity. My conjecture on .this head is founded
o different experiments. For inftance, acter
having coated a nerve, and apparently exhauft-
ed the electricity of the corresponding limb, if
the coating be removed a little higher up to a
frefh part of the fame nerve, movements will
again be excited. This feems to (how that the
vehicle only of the electricity in the part, and
not the electricity itfelf, is exhaufted.
O&ober n, 1792.
CATALOGUE of BOOKS.
1. QURGICAL TRACTS, by the late
K.J J. 0. Jujlamond, F. R. S. Surgeon to
the Weftminfter Hofpital : confiding of, 1.
Outlines of the Hiftory of Surgery, from the
earlier! Antiquity of the Art, pointing out the
particular Improvements, and fixing them where
due. 2; An EfTay on Inflammation and Ab-
fcefs, with their proper Modes of Treatment in
different Parts of the Body. 3. A DifTertation
on the Effedts of Motion and Reft, and their
3 Application
[ 2I9 3
Application to the Purpofes of Surgery; from
the French Prize Memoir, by M. David, with
copious additional Annotations on the original
Text. 4. Obfervations on Counter Strokes, and
an Account of their various Confequences,
Treatment, &c. from the lame. 5. On the
Methods employed in treating Cancerous Dif-
eafes, including Remarks on the Cure of Indu-
rations of the Bread. The whole collected, and
interfperfed with occafional Notes and Obferva-
tions, by William Houlflon, Member of the
Corporation of Surgeons, Fellow of the Society
of Antiquaries, and of the Medical Society of
London. 4to. Cadell, London, 1790.
2. Experiments and Obfervations on the
Horley-Green Spa, near Halifax. To which
is added a fhort Account of two other Mineral
Waters in Yorklhire. By Thomas Garnett, M. D.
late Prefident of the Royal Phyfical and Na-
tural Hiftory Societies, and Member of the
Royal Society at Edinburgh. 8vo. Knott,
London, 1790.
3. The Anatomical InftrucTor ; or an Illuf-
tration of the modern and mo ft approved Me-
thods of preparing and prefcrving the different
Parts of the human Body, and of Quadrupeds,
by Injection, Corrofion, Maceration, Diftention,
Articu-
[ 220 }
Articulation, Modelling, &c. with a Variety of
Copper Plates. By Thomas Pole, Member of
the Corporation of Surgeons in London. 8vo-
Darton, London, 1790.
4. A Treatife on the Difeafe commonly called
Angina Pectoris. By William Butter, M D.
Fellow of the Royal College of Phyficians, and
Member of the Medical Society, both of Edin-
burgh. 8vo. John/on, London, 1791.
5. Tran fact ions of the Linnean Society.
Vol. I. 4to. White, London, 1791.
6. Select Evidences of a fuccefsful Method
of treating Fever and Dyfentery in Bengal. By
John Peter Wade, M. D! of the Hon Eaft-Indi*
Company's Bengal EftabliQimenr. 8vo. Mur-
ray, London, 1791.
7. A Treatife on the Cataract ; with Cafes to
prove the Neaffity of dividing the tranfparent
Cornea, and the Capfule of the cryftalline Hu-
mour, differently, in the different Species of this
Difeafe. By M. de Wenzel, Junior, Baron of
the Holy Pvoman Empire, Phyfician of the Fa-
culty of Nancy, and Regent Doctor of the Fa-
culty of Medicine in the Univerfity of Paris,
Translated from the French, with many addi-
tional Remarks. By James Ware, Surgeon.
8vo, Lilly, London, 1 791.
8. A Plan
[ 221 3
8. A Plan of a.Charitable Inftitution, intend-
ed to be eftablilhed upon the Sea Coaft, for the
Accommodation of Perfons afflicted with fuch
Difeafes as are ufually relieved by Sea-Bathing.
By John Latham, M. D. Fellow of the Royal
College of Phyficians, and Phyfician to the
Middlefex and Magdalen Hofpitals, 8vo.
Longman, London, 1 79 1.
9. The great Importance and proper Method
of cultivating and curing Rhubarb in Britain,
for medicinal Ufes ; with an Appendix. By
Sir William Fordyce, M. D. F. R. S. 8vo. Ca-
delly London, 1792.
10. Pharmacopceia Collegii Regalis Medico-
nta Londinenfis. 8vo. Londini, 1 79 1.
1 1 Pharmacopceia in ufum Nofocomii Man-
cunienfis. i2mo. Mancunii, 1 791 .
12. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Rheumatifmo
acuto. Auctore Carolo Angler, Anglo. 8vo.
Edinburgh 1 791.
13. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Variolis. Auc^
tore Gulielmo Barrow, Anglo. 8vo. Edin. 179 1.
14. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Epifpafticorum
Ufu. Auctore Thoma Bradley, Anglo. 8vo.
Edin. 1791.
15. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Idtero. Auc-
tore Gulielmo Briggs, Anglo. 8vo. Edin. 179 1.
jo. Dif-
[ 222 j
1 6. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Aflhmate Spaf-
medico. Auctore Joanne Clendinlngy 'Hiberno.
8vo. Edin. 1 791 .
17. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Epilepfia. Auc-
tore Adamo Douglafs, Hiberno. 8vo. Edin.
1791.
18. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Dyfpepfia.
Auctore Thilippo Elliot , Cambro-Britanno. 8vo.
Edin. 1791.
19. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Somniis. Auc-
tore Jofepho GaJ:agan7 Hiberno. 8vo. Edin.
1791.
20. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Pneumonia.
Auctore Gulklmo Girod, Anglo. 8vo. Edin.
1791.
21. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Hsemorrhagiis.
Auctore Joanne Langford, Hiberno. 8vo. Edin.
1791.
22. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Framboefia.
Auctore Jonathan Anderfon Ludford, Jamaicenfi.
8vo. Edin. 1791.
23. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Hydrope Ana-
farca. Auctore Thoma Story, Anglo. 8vo.
Edin. 179T.
24. DifTertatio Inauguralis de Calculi et Po-
dagras Nexu. Auctore Gulldmo Tatterfally An-
glo. 8vo. Edin. 1791.
25. DiT-
[ 223 ]
25. DifTertatio Inanguralis de Scrofula. Auc-
tore Jacobo IVood, Britanno. 8vo. Edin. 1791.
26. Pharmacopoeia Collegii Rcgii Medico-
rum Edinburgenfis. 8vo. Edin. 1792.
27. De Fcetu humano DifTertatio Anatomi-
co-Phyfiologica. Auctore Onuphrio Agnefe Scajfi,
Genuenfi, Philofophice et Medicine Doctore,
Regias Societatis Medicse Edin. Membro, .So-
ciet. Chirurgo-Phyficas Hon. Soc. et Prasfide.
Svo. Edinburgh 1792.
28. Libellus Pharmaceuticus compofita et
praeparata praecipua praeparandi Modum et
Excheirefes exhibens ; cui accedunt Tabulae pro
Compofitionum pharmaceuticarum Profpectu fa-
ciliori : cdidit Johannes Bernardus Keup, Med.
Docl. Urbis et Satrapia? Solingenfis in Ducatu
Montenfi Medicus ordinarius. 8vo. Duifburg.
1789.
29. Aloyjii Suarefu Barb 0 fa, R. Philofoph.
ProfefTor. emerit. ac Leirenfis Medici, de An-
gina ulcerofa, ab anno 1786 ad annum 1787
apud Leiriam epidemice graflante Commentatio.
Svo. Lifbon, 1789.
30. Flora Lipfienfis fiflens Plantas in agris
Circuli Lipfici tarn fponte nafcentes quam fre-
quentius cultas fecundum Syftema fexuale revi-
ium atque emendatum defcriptas a Joanne Chrif-
tiano
L 224 ]
tiano Gottlob Baumgarten, Med. Bacc. Tabulis
IV. aeri incifis. 8vo. Lipfiae, 1790.
31. Defcriptio Febrium acutarum ordinaria-
rum et Febrium catarrhalium ordinariarum, et
Dilucidatio Centum et Triginta Aphorifmorum
Hippocratis ad Febres acutas ordinarias perti-
nentium, data a Ferd. Saalmanny Med. Doctore.
4to. Munfter, 1790.
32. Defcriptio Febrium malignarum in Genere
et fpeciatim fie diclarum catarrhalium ma-
lignarum fimplicium et exanthematicarum item
Petechiarum verarum, deinde Peftis, five Pefli-
lentise vera?, denique Rabiei canin«e5 data a
Ferd. Saalrnann, Med, Do&. 4to. Munfter,
1791.
33. Car. Godofr. Hagen, Med. D. et Prof.
ord. Programma primum de Plantis in Prufiia
cultis. 8vo. Konigfberg, 1 79 1.
34. Collectio Differtationum feleclarum in
variis fcederatj Belgii Acacjemiis editarum ad
omnem Medicine Partem pertinentium quam
imprimis curavit W. X. Janfen. Tom. I. 4to.
Duffel dorf. 1791.
35. Theodorici Leonhardi OJkamp, A. A. L. L.
Magift. et Phil. Dod. Veteris ad Rhenum Tra^
jecto-Batavi, Difquifitio Chemico-Medica de
Calcinatione Meullorum per Aquas Analyfm,
corum-
[ 225 ]
corumque perejufdem Flutdi Synthefin Reduc-
tionc. 8vo. Marpurgi. 17 1.
36. Jofua Banniann, Woefchbachio — Thur-
govienfis Helveti, Mifcellanea * Medico-Bota-
nica. 8vo. Marpurgi, 1791.
37. Memoire fur les Moyens de perfeclio
ner l'EtabliiTement public forme a Lyon en Fa-
veur des Perfonnes noyees, avec des Remarques
fur la Caufe de leur Mort, et le Traitement qui
leur convient. Par M. T>efgrangesy Medecin et
Chirurgien a Lyon, de l'Academie Royale de
Chirurgie, et de la Societe Royale de Mede-
cine de Paris, des Societes Litteraires de Rome,
d'Arras, de Valence, de Bourg (au Departe-
ment de l'Ain), de Ville Franche, et Chirur-
gien Major de la Garde Nationale. 4to. Lyon,
1790.
38. Supplement au Memoire fur les Moyens
de perfedtionner rEtablifTement public forme a
Lyon en faveur des perfonnes noyees, ou Ton
demontre de nouveau Textreme neceffite de fur-
veiller cet EtablifTement, et ou Ton traite des
* Viz. 1. de utili ac honefto Botanices fludio, ex mo-
numentis veterum. 2, De pollinis energia, atque fexu
plantarum. 3. De Cy ftematc Gleditfchii a fitu ftaminum
exarato.
Vol. III. Q_ moyens
[ 226 ]
moyens de fllmuler les Organes internes pour
les rappeler a leurs Fon&ions ; fuivi de Recher-
chcs fur l'Emploi des L^vemens de Fumee de
Tabac dans les diverfes Efpeces d'Afphyxie,
notamment dans eelle de SubmcrMon, et dans
le Traiteqaent de plufieurs autres Maladies ; ou
Reponfe a la Lettre de M. Cohidre, du College
de Chirurgie de Lyon, Intpecleur des Secours
pour les Noves. Par M. Defgranges, D, M, et
Chirurgien, &c, 4(0. Lyon, 1790.
40. Mineralogie Homerique; ou EfTai fur
les Mineraux dont il eft fait Mention dans les
Poetries d'Homere. Par Aubin Louis Millin,
8vo, Paris 790,
106. Del vario Modo di curare l'lnfezzione
Venerea, e fpecialniv nte del ufo vario del Mer-
curio. Scoria generate e raggionata di Pieran-^
tonio Perenetti, di Cigliano, Chirurgo Mag-
giore del Regimento deile Guardie di fua Maeftc
il Re di SaHegna. 8vo. Turin, 1790.
45. Storia generale e raggionata dell' Origine,
deli' Effenza o fpecifica Quaiita dell'Infezzione
Venerea, di fua Sede ne Coipi, e de* principall
fuoi Fenomeni ; di Pierantonio Perenotti, di
Cigliano, &c, 8vo. Turin, 1790.
INDEX.
C 227 3
INDEX.
A.
ANASARCA, Diflertatijn on, — 222
Andrews, John, Cafe of Injury of the Brain, 12
Angier, Carol, de Rheumatifmo, — 221
Angina. See Sore Throat.
Animal Electricity. See Electricity.
Arbuthnot, Dr. his Obfervations on the Air of Cities
quoted, — — 89
Aretaeus, recommends an aftringent Diet in Haemorrhages, 7 5
Afthma, fpafmodic, Difiertation on, ■ 22Z
B.
Baker, Sir Geo. his Account of a convulfive Difeafe among
fome poor Children, — ~— 99
Barbarofa, A. S. de Angina Ulcerofa, — 223
Barrow, Gulielm. de Variolis, 221
Baumann, Jof. Mifccllanea Medico- Bo^anica, 225
Baumgarten, J. C. Flora Lipfknlis, — . 223
Bengal, a Work on the Fevers and Dyfentery f, 220
Bradley, Tho. de Epifpatlicis, __ 22i
Brain, Injury of, without a Fracture, relieved by the Tre-
phine, — • — — 12
Briggs, Gul. de Iftero, 221
Butter, Dr. W. on the Angina Pedoris, ~ 2-20
C.
Calculus, urinary, Experiments on, — 121
■, Diflertation on its Connexion with the
Gout, 222
Caneftrini, Ant. Cafe of double Uterus, — 171
Catalepfy, hyfterical, Inftance of, ■ 52
Cataradt, Treatife on, — — 219
Chorin, M. Cafe of double Hare Lip, — 1C3
Clarke, Dr. Jofeph, on a Difeafe which has been very fatal
to Infants in the Dublin Lying-in Hofpital, 78
Cleghorn, Dr. his Account of the Triimus nafcentium, 96
Clendining, Joann. de Afthmate fpafmodicq, 222
0^2 Copper,
[ 228 ]
Copper, Remarks on the Poifon of, — — 66
Cow, Cafe of Hydatids extracted from the Brain of one, 17
Cullen, Dr. his Practice in Haemoptyfis objected to, 76
D.
Davidfon, W. Cafe of a lingular cutaneous Affection, 6 1
— — — , Remarks relative to the Poifon of Copper, 66
— — — , Cafes of pulmonary Haemorrhage, 68
Defgranges, M. fur les Noyes, — — — — 22C,
Douglafr, Adam, de Epilepfia, 222
Dreams, Differtation on, — — ibid.
Drowned Perfons, Works relative to the Recovery of, 224
Animals, fometimes recovered by exciting their
Electricity,
217
Dublin Lying-in Hofpital, Account of a Difeafe that haa
been fatal to Infants there, ■ 78
Dyfpeplia, Differtation on, — — 222
E.
Electricity, its Eflicacy in a Cafe of fpafmodic Affection, £2
— , animal, how firft diicovered, — 180
■ , Exp. relative to, by Prof. Galvani, 180
— , by Dr. Valli, 191, 212
Elliot, Phil, de Dyfpepfia, 222
Encytfed Tumours, the Nature of, confidered, 114
Epilepfy, Differtation on, — — 222
Epifpaftics, Differtation on, 221
Excilion recommended as the only certain Preventative of
Hydrophobia, ■ 33
Excrefcences, horny, of the human Body, Obfervations on,
103
1 Inftances of, 104, 107, ic8, 109, no,
in
, their Mode of Formation explained,
112
F.
Fits, nine-day, a Difeafe of Infants fo called, 80
, Fatality of, in the Lying-in Hofpital at
Dublin, — — — ili J.
, Hiftory of, — — - 81
, Obfervations on the Caufes of, 83, 102
— , S uccefs ot Ventilation in preventing them, 90
Fits,
[ 229 ]
Fits, nine-day, Remarks on their nofological Arrangement,
, their Affinity to the Trifm. Nafcentium, 96
Foetus, human, Diflertation on, 223
Foot, Jefle, on the Prevention of Hydrophobia, 33
Fordyce, Sir W. on the Cultivation of Rhubarb, 221
Frambroefia. See Yaws.
G.
Gahagan, Jof. de Somniis, 222
Galvani, Lewis, Experiments on animal Electricity, 180
Garnett, Dr. Thomas, on the Horley-green Spa, 219
Girod, Gulielm. de Pneumonia, 222
Gout, Diflertation on its Connexion with urinary Calculus,
222
H.
Haemorrhages, Diflertation on, 222
, pulmonary, Remarks on, — 68
, to be reftrained by Abftinence
from Liquids, — — 75
Hngen, C. G. de Plantis Pruflicis, — 224.
Hare Lip, Cafe of, — — 153
. , Obfervations on the Cure of, — 161
Hcifter, his Obferv. on Spafm of the Jaw in Children, 96
Hofer, his Account of a Species of Tetanus in Children, 97
Home, Ev. on horny Excrefcences of the human Body, 103
Homer, Effiy on the Minerals mentioned by, - 226
Horny Excrefcences. See Excrefcences.
Houlfton, W. his Edition of Mr. Juftamond's Works, 218
Hughes, T. Cafes of Fracture of the Jaw, — 36
Hunter, Mr. his Theory of the Nature of encyfled Tu-
mours, 115
Hydatids extracted from the Brain of a Cow, Cafe of, 17
-, different Species of, defined, — — 19
Hydrophobia, Facts relative to the Prevention of, 33
I.
James's Powder, its Compofition inveftigated, 128
its fenfible Properties, — ■ ibid.
fpecific Gravity, ■ 129
■ the Ingredients of, enumerated, 1 ci
for Hories, a Preparation fold under that
Name, defcribed, — — 152
1 Janfen,
[ 230 ]
Janfen, W. X. Collectio DifTcrtationum, — 224
Jaundice, Diifertation on, ■ 221
Jaw, Cafes of Fracture of, 36
Jebb, Dr. John, his Defcription of a Cafe of Catalepfy
quoted, cc.
Infants, Mortality of, in different Places, 8 c,
Ifchuria Renalis in Children, Cafes of, t
; — ■ , Symptoms of, - ibid.
, afcribed to mefenteric In-
flammation, 7
Juftamond, J. O. Surgical Tracts, ■ ■ ■' 218
K.
Keup, J. B. Libellus Pharmaceuticus, 223
L.
Lane, Timothy, Experiments on Human Calculi 1 1 1
Langford, Joann. de Hcemorrhagiis? 222
Latham, Dr. John, Plan of a Charitable InfHtution for Sea
Bathing, ■ — ■ 221
Lieutaud, M. his Opinion of Catalepiy, — 61
Lile's Fever Powder, Account of, ■ 138
Linnean Society, Tranfactions of, — 220
Liquids, Abftinence from, recommended in pulmonary Hae-
morrhage — — 7 £
Ludford, J. A. de Framboelia, _— . 222
Lungs, Remarks on their Structure, ■, ■■■ 77
Lying-in Hofpitals, confidered as Inftitutions of recent Date,
78
M.
Mefentcuitis, Defcription of, by Riverius, — — 8
Millin, A. L. Mineralogie Homerique, — 226
Minorca, Account of the Trijmus Nafcentium as it prevails
there, ■ — 96
Moorcroft, William, Cafe of Hydatids, extracted from the
Brain of a Cow, ■ ■ 17
Morlen, William, Cafe of an enlarged Nympha, Co
Mufcular Motion, (hewn to depend on Electricity, 180
• N.
Nympha, enlarged, Cafe of, . ■ .,.. . 50
O. Oeftrus
L *3l J
o.
Oeftrus, different Species of mentioned, 23
O&, Th. Leon, de Calcinationc Metallorum, 224.
P.
Pearfon, Dr. Geo, Experiments on James's Powder, 128
Pemphigus, Cafe of, — ■ 10
Perenotti, P. dell' Infezzione Venerea, 226
Pharmacopoeia, Colleg. Reg. Med. Lond. — 221
. Edin. — 223
„,». Mancunienfis, — — 22t
Pneumonia, Differtation on, • — — 222
Pole, Thomas, the Anatomical Inftruclor, — 219
Poly dip fia, Cafe of, -. 167
R.
Rheumatifm, Differ tation on, — — 221
Rhinoceros, Remarks relative to its Horn, — 117
Riverius, his Description of Mefenteritis, — 8
Rowley, Dr. recommends AbfHnence from Liquids in Me-
norrhagia, - — - ■ 76
S.
Saalmann, Ferd. Defcriptiones febrium acutarum et ma-
lignarum, ■ ■ 224
Scaffi, O. A. de Fcetu Humano, — — 223
Schawanberg's Fever Powder, Account of, — 138
Schrccder's Fever Powder, Account of, ibid.
Scrofula, Differtation on, — 22^
Severinus, recommends the Biftoury in Cafes of Hare Lip,
162
Short, Dr. his Obfervations on the Mortality of Children
in different Places, — ■ — $t
Small Pox, Differtation on, ■■ . — 221
Sore Throat, ulcerated, Work relative to, — 222
Sponge, its Utility in certain Circumftances of fractured
Jaw, — — — — 32. 44
Stone. See Calculus.
Story, Tho. de Anafarca, — — 222
Suture in the Operation for the Hare Lip, Obfervations on,
163
T. Tat-
[ *3* ]
T.
Tatterfall, Gal. de Calculi ct Podagrae Nexa, 222
Tetanus, Inthmce of as an Hyftericai Affection, 56
. in Infants. See Trifmus.
Thirft, Exceffive, Cafe of, — — 167
■ Theory of the Caufes of, — 169
Trifmus Nafcentium, Observations relative to, 96, 97, 98
U.
Valli, Dr. Eufebius, Obfervations on Animal Electricity,
191, 212
Vaffalli, Abbe, his Conjectures relative to Animal Elec-
tricity, — — 180
Vauquelin, M. Cafe of a Child who drinks a great Quan-
tity of Water, 167
Ventilation, good Effects of, in the Lying-in Hofpital at
Dublin, % 90
Venereal Difeafe, Works relative to it, — 226
Urine, Analyiis of in a Cafe of Polydipfia, — 169
Uterus, Double, Cafe of, — - — 171
W.
Wade, Dr. J. P. on the Fever and Dyfentery of Bengal 220
Ware, James, a Treatife on the Cataract, — ibid.
Witters, Mineral, Work relative to, 219
Weeks, J. C. Facts relative to Hydrophobia, — 35
Wenzei, Baron de, on the Cataract, — 220
W»lkinfon, Geo. Cafe of Spafmodic Affection, - 52
Willan, Dr. Robert, Cafes of Ifchuria Renalis, - 1
Winterbottom, Dr. T. M. Cafe of Pemphigus, 10
Wood, Jac. de Scrofula, — — 223
Yaws, DifTcitation on,
ND OF THE THIRD VOLUME,
>