cad 
230 OBSERVATIONS on rue TETANUS. 
with a diforder in his ftomach, of which he died in a few 
days. Upon opening him, he found his ftomach inflam- 
ed and mortified. I do not forbid the ufe of opium alto- 
gether in this diforder. I think fmall dofes of it may be 
given to eafe pain, as in other {pafmodic diforders ; but as 
its qualities are complicated, and its efficacy doubtful, I 
think it ought to yield to more fimple and more powerful 
remedies. 
To the cafes that have been mentioned, I could add 
many others, in which I have reafon to believe that the 
excitement of a topical inflammation by artificial means, 
has effe€tually prevented a Tetanus. 
To this account of the Tetanus, I beg leave to fubjoin 
a few words upon a diforder commonly called the jaw-fall 
in infants, or the Trifmus Nafcentium of Dr. Cullen, 
which is nothing but a f{pecies of Tetanus. 
I have met with three cafes of it in this city, all of 
which proved fatal. The ftage of the diforder in which 
I was confulted, and the age and weaknefs of the infants, 
forbad me to attempt any thing for their relief. I have 
introduced the fubje&t of this diforder in children, only 
for the fake of mentioning a fa&t communicated to me by 
the late Dr. Cadwalader Evans of this city. This gentle- 
man practifed phyfic for feveral years in Jamaica, where 
he had frequent opportunities of feeing the Tetanus in 
the black children. He found it in every cafe to be in- 
curable. He fuppofed it to be occafioned by the retention 
of the meconium in the bowels. This led him invaria- 
bly to purge every child that was born upon the eftates 
committed to his care. After he adopted this practice, 
he never met with a fingle inftance of the Tetanus among 
children. 
Perhaps it may tend to enlarge our ideas of the Teta- 
nus, and to promote a fpirit of enquiry and experiment, to 
add, that this diforder is not confined to the human {pecies. 
I have known feveral inftances of it in hories from nails 
running 
