a6S DISEASES Class II. 2. %. 4 , 



fear of inability, he went with fears, that he fhould be poffeiT- 

 ed with too much defire, and too much power, fo as to become 

 uneafy to him, which really happened, as he would have been 

 happy to 'have fhortened the time; and when he had once 

 broken the fpell, his mind and powers went on together ; and 

 his mind never returned to its former ftate. 



A gentleman about 5 o years of age, who had lived too freely, 

 as he informed me, both in refpect to wine and women, com- 

 plained, that his defire for the fex remained, and that he occa- 

 sionally parted with femen, but with defect of a perfect tenfia 

 penis, and that he had tried 20 drops of laudanum, and 20 drops 

 of tincture of cantharides on going to bed without effect ; and 

 that as the debility or inirritability of the fyftem in this cafe 

 rather than any mental affection feemed to be a part of the 

 caufe, he was advifed to ftimulate the fphincter ani by the in- 

 troduction of a piece of the root of ginger, as is done by the 

 horfe-dealers to fale-horfes. And, however ridiculous the oper- 

 ation may appear, he afTured me, that it fucceeded ; which I 

 fuppofe might be owing to the fympathy between the fphincter 

 ani and the penis ; which is fo often the caufe of painful fenfa- 

 tion in the former, when a (lone at the neck of the bladder af- 

 fects the latter ; and converfely when painful piles affect the 

 rectum, a flrangury is fometimes produced by fympathy. 



For reitoring the venereal power M. Le Roy thinks phofpho- 

 rus taken in a dofe of a quarter of a grain rubbed with oil or 

 yolk of egg, or honey ; or even the acid of phofphorus, to pof- 

 fefs great efficacy. Med. Review, Vol. V. p. 204. The water 

 in which phofphorus has been kept fomc time, probably pof- 

 fefies fome of this acid, and is alfo recommended by M. Le 

 Roy. I ought here to add, that I have been lately informed,' 

 that a gentleman directed four grains of phofphorus to be made 

 into piils with conferve, with defign of increafing his venereal 

 power. He was feized with intolerable fenfe of heat at his 

 ptomach, pulfe feeble, but not quickened, livid countenance, 

 forenefs of his bowels to the touch, and inceflant vomitings, by 

 which he at laflt brought up fome blood. His illnefs lafted five 

 or fix days. He did not acknowledge any caufe of his fudden 

 illnefs, but faid he was certain emetics would cure him, and took 

 two by his own requeit. After his death, the apothecary men- 

 tioned his having directed the pills as above, which were made 

 three days before he was taken ill ; and he was believed to have 

 taken about half of them. 



. M. Chalybeates. Opium. Bark. Tincture of can- 

 f] (rides.. 



4. Steriiitaf. Barrenness. One of the ancient medical wri- 

 ters 



