of great reputation ftill entertain of its efficacy in dropfical complaints, while others, of equal celebrity, are perfuaded of its general infalubrity, or of its hurtful effects in thofe cafes, fhews how extremely difficult it is to afcertain and apportion the merit of medicine in curing diseases, and the justness of the aphorifm of Hippocrates, experientia fallax.

ART. III. An experienced and fuccessful Method of Treating the Fiftula in Ano, by John Mudge, M. D. C. M. S. of Plymouth.

This experienced writer, having quitted the practice of furgery, in which he had acquired confiderable celebrity, thought it his duty to put the world in poffeffion of his improved method of treating the fiftula in ano, by which the operation of laying open finufes, lying upon the rectum, is performed with more eafe and certainty than by the ufual mode. The improvement confifts in using an inftrument, fhaped like the gorget, that is employed in cutting for the ftone. This is introduced on the forefinger of the operator, on the fide of the rectum, oppofite to that on which the incifion is to be made. The finger is to be then withdrawn, and the gorget ufed as a fpeculum, by which means the operator will be enabled to look into and examine the rectum for the fpace of four inches. A fimilar inftrument, of a smaller size, is to be used afterwards, to affift in applying the dreffings, and to give a view of the wound while healing. The paper is accompanied with a drawing of the inftruments.

ART. IV. An Account of the Medicinal Effects of the Refin of the Acaroides Refinifera, or Yellow Refin from Botany Bay. By Charles Kite, C. M. S. Surgeon, Gravefend.

The author found the gum extremely useful in a great variety of complaints in the ftomach, and fuccefsful where opium and other powerful medicines had failed. In naufea, fick nefs, heartburn, flatulency, pains in the ftomach and bowels, diarhoea, mild degrees of dyfentery, in fpafms of the ftomach, in the muscles of the trunk, and in thofe of the extremities; in gout, and in debility remaining after profufe evacuations, or tedious disease. A great number of cafes are related, to authenticate this opinion, which is corroborated by the 'testimony of fome neighbouring furgeons. The account is accompanied with a defcription of the plant by which the gum is produced, and an analysis of the gum.

On examining the cafes, it will be feen, that more virtues are attributed to this drug, than, we are afraid, any fingle medicine was ever found to pollefs. As from the event of ex

periments

periments made by the author and his friends, it was supposed to fucceed in almost every disease the stomach is li.ble to, which are known to be very numerous and frequent, and are amongst the most difficult cafes that occur in medical practice. If, on farther trial, it thall be found to poffefs half the powers here allotted to it, it will defervedly rank amongst the moft valuable articles of the materia medica.

ART. V. Cafe of Sphacelated Omentum, with Obfervations, by Mr. William White, Surgeon at Morpeth, and Member of the Corporation of Surgeons.

On opening the body, the omentum and peritonæum were found completely fphacelated; a large quantity of coagulated matter covered the arch of the colon, and filled up the folds of the inteftines, making a general and firm adhesion of them to each other.

The author thinks that the fymptoms and progrefs of inflammation of the omentum and peritonæum are not clearly enough defined by medical writers. The difeafe, contrary to the opinion of nofologifts, has frequently no diftinct febrile. paroxyfms, but approaches to a fatal termination, without any ftrongly characteristic fympton. In the cafe which is the fubject of the prefent, paper, a fcanty fecretion of urine, a continued nausea, and a fenfation of coldness in the lower extremities, were the most prominent fymptoms. Wherever these are prefent, he advifes to have immediate recourfe to cupping, or the application of leeches to the abdomen, which, in the early stage of the complaint, would, he is of opinion, prevent a fatal termination. But the fymptoms he has enumerated, indicated that the disease has already made a confiderable progrefs, the remedies, however recommended, are proper, and even in an advanced stage, likely to be useful.

ART. VI. Experiments and Obfervations on the external Abforption of Emetic Tartar and Arfenic, by William Gaitskell, Surgeon, Rotherhithe.

The author fhows, from numerous experiments, that emetic tartar, arfenic, lead, which have been fuppofed by fome late experimentalifts, to be abforbed, when applied in folution to the fkin, or to the furface of ulcers, and to produce their fpecific operations on the fyftem, are either not abforbed, or not fo regularly, as to enable the practitioner to place any dependance upon them, when administered that way, in the cure of difeafes.

ART.

ART. VII. Remarks upon Peculiarities in the Human Syftem, apparently arifing from Difeafes before Birth. By Mr. James Lucas, Surgeon to the Leeds Infirmary, &c.

This is a curious paper, and contains many inftances of imperfect or irregular conformation of different parts of the body, but will not adinit of being abridged. It concludes with an account of a dropfical foetus, by Mr. John Grimstone, Surgeon at Rippon.

ART. VIII. A Chemofis, or Tumour of the Tunica Conjunctiva, Cured by Excifion, by William Bird, Surgeon at Chelmsford.

The tumour was the fize of a pidgeon's egg, and of five years continuance. The patient was cured, and recovered his fight, by removing the tumour, which entirely covered the eye.

ART. IX. Hiftories of Three Cafes of Typhus, fuccessfully treated, by William Harrifan of Rippon, M. D. C. M. S.

The remedy on which this writer placed his principal dependence, was washing the patients with cold vinegar and water. This was done every day, and was fuppofed not only to contribute greatly to the cure of the patients affected with the fever, but, being ufed by the affiftants, to prevent the further propagation of the difeafe.

ART. X. An Account of fome Anomalous Appearances confequent to the Inoculation of the Small Pox, by Charles Kite, C. M. S. Surgeon at Gravefend.

ART. XI. An Inftance of a fatal Pulmonary Confumption, without any evident Helic Fever. By Anthony Fothergill.

M. D. F. R. S. & C. M. S.

On diffection the liver was found confiderably enlarged, and adhering to the ribs. The left lobe of the lungs was entirely destroyed, and the cavity filled with a purulent foetid fluid.

ART. XII. Hiftory of a Cafe of Croup terminating fatally, with a Diffection and incidental' Remarks. By Henry Field, F. M. S. Apothecary.

The fubject was a child, three years of age, who died on the fixth day of the difeafe. On diffection, the glottis and epiglottis, were found covered with a thick white opaque membranous cruft, extending about two inches down the tra

chea.

chea. The author has fubjoined fome ingenious obfervations on the nature and cause of the disease.

ART. XII. By mistake, instead of XIII. An Account of a fingular Cafe of Ifchuria, by Ifaac Senter, A. M. C. M. S. Aleciate Member of the College of Phyficians of Philadelphia, and Senior Surgeon in the late American Army.

The hiftory of this extraordinary disease, in the course of which, the patient voided not only urine, but confiderable quantities of gravel, both by vomit and stool, is published in the first part of the Tranfactions of the College of Physicians at Philadelphia, and ought not therefore to have found a place in this collection.

ART. XIII. Hiftory of a Second, or fuppofed Second, Small Pox, by Edward Withers, C. M. S. Surgeon, Newbury, Berks.

The patient had the fmall pox when an infant, which was of the confluent kind, and left large and evident marks on his face and other parts of his body, which remained at the age of fifty years, when he was again infected. Of the fecond difeafe, which was confluent and highly malignant, he died

ART. XIV. Some Account of Angustura Bark, by J. C. LettJom, M. Ď.

The Doctor found the Anguftura bark a powerful tonic and aftringent; and ufed it frequently with fuccefs, in cafes of extreme debility, where the Peruvian bark disagreed with the ftomach, or increased diarrhoea, although joined with opium and aromatics.

ART. XV. An Anatomical Defcription of a double Uterus, by Thomas Pole, F. M. S. Member of the Corporation of Surgeons, London.

An elegant engraving accompanies the defcription of this curious lufus naturæ.

ART. XVI. Abridgment of Mr. Robert White's Paper on Schirrbo-contracted Rectum. St. Edmond's Bury.

As mercury has been found ufeful in the fcirrho-contracted fophagus, the writer thinks it might be advantageously em-ployed likewife in this troublesome difeafe. In confirmation of this opinion, he relates the cafe of a lady who received much benefit from the ufe of mercury, for fymptoms which indicated

this difeafe; but leaving off the medicine too foon, fhe died. On diffection, the upper part of the rectum was found contracted, fo as totally to deny a paffage to the fæces. The glands, furrounding that part of the gut, were confiderably enlarged. This paper is alfo accompanied with an engraving reprefenting the appearances of the parts on diffection.

ART. XVII. A Cafe of Petechia unaccompanied with Fever, with Obfervations on the fame, by T. Garnett, M. D. C. M. S. Phyfician at Harrowgate.

As the blood in this cafe was pale, and seemed not to contain the ufual quantity of red globules, the author imagined it might be deficient in its proportion of iron. To restore that principle, he was induced to prefcribe the vinum chalybeatum. On the third day after exhibiting this medicine, the blood appeared to contain red globules in greater quantity, and was more florid. He then added the infufion of rofes with elixir of vitriol, to give more tone to the solid, which in a few days, he fays, effected the cure.

ART. XVIII. Obfervations on the External Use of Tartarifed Antimony, by Thomas Bradley, M. D. and F. M. S.

We have here the teftimony of an ingenious and attentive phyfician, in favour of Mr. Gaitskell's opinion, that emetic tartar applied in folution externally, does not produce its fpecific effect upon the conftitution, by increafing any of the fecretions, exciting naufea, &c. But he found it useful, applied in that manner, in rheumatic affections of the limbs, by irritating the skin, and occafioning rednefs and puftules. A fimilar effect we remember to have feen produced on the fkin, and often with advantage, in rheumatic pains, and in affections of the breast, by rubbing an ointment upon the parts, compofed of tincture of cantharides and hog's-lard.

ART. XIX. A Rupture of the Gravid Uterus, terminating favourably, by Mr. Charles Kite, C. M. S. Surgeon.

The arm of the child prefented. Mr. Stanton, who attended, turned the child. Paffing his hand afterwards into the uterus, to search for the placenta, he found feveral convolutions of the intestines had flipped through a fiffure of the pofterior part of the uterus, large enough to admit four fingers.