pz DISEASES Class!. 2. 3. 16- 



of people, feemed to have been much weakened by the hardfhip 

 of a cold floor, and little or no bed, with bad food *, and who to 

 thefe evils had to bear the unceafing obloquy of her neighbors, 

 and the perfection of pariih officers. 



The following is abftracted from a letter of my friend Mr. 

 Power, furgeon, at Bofworthin Leicefterlhire, on examining the 

 body of an elderly lady who died of this difeafe, March 29, 

 1793. " On opening the abdomen I found a large cy(t attach- 

 ed to the left ovarium by an elaftic neck as thick as the little fin* 

 ger, and fo callous as not to admit of being feparated by fciflars 

 without cpnfiderable difficulty. The fubftanceof the cyft had 

 an appearance much refembling rhe gravid uterus near the full 

 period of geftation, and was as thick. It had no attachment to 

 the peritoneum, or any of the vifcera, except by the hard callous 

 neck I have mentioned ; fo that the blood muft with difficulty 

 have been circulated through it for fome time. Its texture was 

 extremely tender, being eafily perforated with the finger, was of 

 a' livid red colour, and evidently in a fphacelated ftate. It con- 

 tained about two gallons of a fluid of the colour of port wine, 

 without any greater tenacity. It has fallen to my lot to have 

 opened two other patients, whefe deaths were occasioned by en- 

 cyfted dropfy of the ovarium. In one of thefe the ovarium was 

 much enlarged with eight or ten cyfts en its furface, but there 

 was no adheficn formed by any of the cyfts to any other part ; 

 nor had the ovarium formed any adhefion with the peritoneum, 

 though in a very difeafed ftate. In the other the difeafe was 

 more fimple, being only one cyft, without any attachment but 

 to the ovarium. 



" As the ovarium is a part not neceflary to life, and dropfies 

 of this kind are fo generally fatal in the end, I think I (hall be 

 induced, notwithstanding the hazard attending wounds, which 

 penetrate the cavity of the abdomen, to propofe the extirpation 

 of the difeafed part in the fir ft cafe, which occurs to me, in 

 which I can with precifion fay, that the ovarium is the feat of 

 the difeafe, and the patient in other refpefts tolerably healthy ; 

 as the cavity of the abdomen is often opened in other cafes 

 without bad confequences." 



An argument, which might further countenance the opera- 

 tion thus^propofed by Mr. Power, might be taken from the dif- 

 eafe frequently aiFecling young perfons ; from its being gener- 

 ally in thefe fubjecls local and primary j and not like the afcites, 

 produced or accompanied with other difeafed vifcera ; and laft- 

 ly, as it is performed in adult quadrupeds, as old fows, with 

 fafety, though by awkward operators. 



16 Ar.afcircd pulmorium* The dropfy of the cellular mem- 

 brane 



