ach or bowels, the turpentine and oil are, so far as my experience goes, the most efficient remedy. Their action is twofold-they soothe the irritated membrane, and at the same time carry off the irritating matter.

Since writing the above, I was called to see a child of Mr. H. It had been attacked with convulsions. Gave a portion of oil and turpentine. The medicine operated well, and it had no return of the fits.

CHRONIC CHOLERA INFANTUM. In July last, I was called to the country, some miles distant, to see several patients laboring under the fever. I was there informed, by a lady, that Cholera Infantum was rife in her neighborhood, and that it was universally cured by the turpentine and oil. In the acute stages of that disease, I have not tried it; but in the chronic form, it has succeeded better than any other remedy, to which I have resorted. I select out of my note book the following, from among a number of similar cases.

July 11th. Called to Mr. D.'s child, aged 18 months, with cholera infantum. Directed strong coffee without sugar or cream, to be given every fifteen or twenty minutes, with an occasional enema of salt and water, and a sinapism to the region of the stomach and bowels. Visit at night. Stomach less irritable. Frequent watery discharges from the bowels. If water is taken it is instantly thrown up. R. sub. mur. hydr., grs. iij.; sacch. alb. 3ss., mix and divide into twelve powders. One to be given hourly. 12th. Stomach still irritable, thirst great, pulse quick, extremities cold, discharges, frequent and watery. Continue the calomel; cold applications to the head, which is hot; drink, slippery elm tea; diet, arrow root. 13th. Vomiting has ceased; discharges from the bowels frequent. Calomel and Dover's powder, in small, repeated portions. 15th. Purging continues. Gave chalk

and pulverized cinnamon. 16th. Discharges from the bowels variable in color and consistence. Directed the chalk mixture. Evening; some tumefaction of the abdomen; manifestation of pain. Give hyd. cum. creta and morphine. 17th. Belly tumid; discharges slimy and bloody. Directed oil and turpentine. 18th. Swelling of the abdomen subsided; discharges this morning more natural. From this time the convalesence was rapid and my little patient now enjoys excellent health.

DYSENTERY. About the 1st of July, this disease began to prevail in this place and its vicinity. A number of cases which came under my notice assumed a chronic form, in most of which, I gave the oil and turpentine with unequivocal suc

cess.

Case. A child of Mr. T.'s was attacked with cholera infantum, which terminated in dysentery, with a tympanitic state of the bowels, emaciation, &c. Gave the oil of turpentine, which afforded relief in a short time.

Case. A little son of Maj. T. of Newport, had an attack of dysentery, which was treated by Professor Harrison, of Cincinnati. After he had recovered from that disease, he was attacked with diarrhoea, when he became my patient. The usual remedies were put into requisition, without permanent relief, when I directed a portion of olive oil and oil of turpentine mixed. On my next visit, Mrs. T. informed me that the turpentine had acted like a charm, in removing the disease.

Case. A highly respectable lady in Covington was attacked with dysentery in July last. Her disease assumed a chronic character, and was removed by a few portions of the oil and turpentine. In short, I have found no remedy equal to the oil of turpentine, in chronic dysentery; and I am decidedly of opinion that its effects would be equally beneficial in the acute

form of the disease, or in any other diseased action of the mucous membranes.

IN GONORRHOEA I have lately given the following preparation, which has removed the disease in less time and more effectually, than the bals. copaiva has ever done in my hands. B. Oil of turpentine 3i.

Refined sugar 3i.

Powdered gum Arabic 3ij.

Mint water viij. Mix.

Of this, I give a table spoonful three times a day.

IN DUODENITIS attended with jaundice, I have uniformly succeeded with the turpentine.

Case. On the 30th October last, I was requested to prescribe for a young man, who labored under jaundice, with tenderness in the region of the duodenum. Tongue coated in the middle, and red round the edges. I directed him to take a blue pill every night for three nights, to be followed, the next morning, with a dose of oil and turpentine. The three portions removed the disease.

Case. I was this day, 14th of November, requested to visit a servant girl of Major T.'s of Newport. She was attacked on the 12th with pain in the epigastrium, and occasional vomiting. Her mistress, supposing she had colic, gave her a portion of calomel and afterwards a dose of castor oil, which procured several stools with little or no relief. She now had violent periodical pain in the epigastric region; great tenderness on pressure; tongue with white fur, red on the edges; pulse full, slow and soft; skin dry; whites of the eyes yellow. Directed calomel and Dover's powder, followed by castor oil and turpentine. 15th. Less pain; the medicine has acted on the bowels, but not freely. Direct a continuation of the medicine. 17th. Mending; free from pain. 20th. Well.

I could enumerate many other cases, proving the utility of turpentine. Perhaps there is no one medicine which can be applied with equal advantage in such a variety of diseases. I have usually combined it with oil, either castor or olive. November, 1838.

ART. III.-Cases of Gangrene of the Mouth. Reported to the Fairfield Medical Association, Ohio, by JAMES WHITE, M. D. Communicated for publication by the Secretary.

This serious disease has attracted less attention than it deserves. It is in vain that the young physician seeks for a satisfactory account of it in our systematic works, and the cases published in our journals are not as numerous as they should be considering the frequency of its occurrence. If it be a secondary instead of a primary affection, it is not on that account the less interesting.

It is not my design to present to the Society an essay on this grave malady, but to read the notes of a few cases which may serve as data for its historian. All the cases which have

occurred in my own practice, or to which I have been called in consultation, were preceded by constitutional disease, of a febrile kind, such as intermittent and remittent fever, measles, scarlatina, or some other affection. I have thought those fevers which have an epidemic character, more apt to generate it, than those which are purely sporadic. I have not -seen it in a child under two years of age, or during lactation. It is peculiarly apt to attack children after protracted fevers and mucous inflammation. The following cases present all the varieties I have met with in practice.

Case 1. August, 1823. Called to see Miss G., aged eight

years—a fine healthy little girl previous to the present attack. Her mother informed me that she had been ill of fever five days, which was an intermittent of the quotidian type. On examining her mouth I discovered a foul, sloughing ulcer, on the lower lip, one fourth of which appeared scooped out by a process of sloughing, rather than ulceration. The surface of the ulcer was jagged, and covered with a dark, cream colored offensive slough; her gums were sound. The teeth were visible through the ulcer, when the mouth was closed; and there was a considerable discharge of saliva. The progress of this local affection was very alarming. Every time I visited the patient, which was twice a day, a sensible increase of it was visible, not only to myself but also to the family, who beheld it with emotions of grief and horror.

I cannot say how this little girl was treated before I saw her, or whether she had, indeed, any treatment at all. Her physician I suppose gave her no calomel, as, at that time, he was preaching against mercury and mercurial doctors.

A variety of topical means were used to arrest the sloughing: diluted muriatic acid, privet tea and alum, camphorated alcohol, a fermenting poultice, and lastly, a carrot poultice, but all to no purpose. The destruction of parts went on, apparently without the least interruption. After having prepared the system well by the employment of mercurial cathartics, the force of the fever being subdued, and a perfect apyrexia established, I commenced the use of tonics-gave bark freely, and Fowler's arsenical solution. The last was given in double doses, for both the mother and sister undertook its administration without each other's knowledge. The consequence was, gastric distress and vomiting ensued, and the tonics were, for the time, discontinued, but she appeared benefitted by the mistake.