45^. Report of Chemistry^ Natural Philosophy, Sfc. [Dec. 1, 



the neck ; the pain excited by it was soon manifested by the restlessness of the patient, 

 who made many attempts to remove it. In cases, therefore, of obstinate sciatica, 

 which have resisted the several means I have before reromniended, when it may be 

 thought adviseable to have recourse to this remedy, these facts should be borne in 

 mind; itslionid be particularly observed, that, when the vesication has been produced, 

 it must be taken off, or the subsequent ulceration will be exceedingly painful and 

 difficult to heal. In the case of sciatica, just related, its application was continued for 

 the space of thirty-six hours, and the consequences were severely felt. 



A lady, under my care for Rheumatism, has comninuicated to me the instructive fact 

 of her having been formerly cured of a cancer in the breast by drinking the juice of 

 clivers, or goosegrass. On enquiry into the particulars, I have no reason to doubt that 

 the disease was a real cancer ; and, as her case is not unsupported by others, of which I 

 have casually heard, I am strongly disposed to recommend a trial of this remedy in 

 similar circumslancns. My patient was led to employ it on the suggestion of a Dr. 

 Bateman, a rlergyuian. who transmitted to her the tollowing accoimt, the re-publication 

 of which may be useful. 



" An old woman, in my parish, wlio had a bloody cancer, continuing to eat away the 

 flesh for many years, her shrieks were terrible ; I recommended the diver to be tried in 

 the following manner :— 



*' She first took a mercurial purge, abstained from salt-meat, lived on a thin diet, and 

 twice a day, between meals, (or, better, one should be taken fasting,) drank a pint of 

 the juice of clivers, which she got by pounding and squeezing them. I ordered her t» 

 take of the juice, boiled and mixed with hog's-lard, so as to make a soft ointment, and 

 conftantly apply it to the wound, and lay the bruised clivers over it, and refresh as 

 often as it dried, and to keep the wound very clean. It was immediately done, and 

 continued for six months, partly by compulsion, for the amendment was so gradual I 

 could hardly persuade her she was better. I began to be in doubt; only, as the offensive 

 smell abated and she was still alive, I thought a cure might in time be effected, and 

 accordingly pressed the continuance of the regimen. The winter-was mild, and there 

 were plenty of clivers to he found under hedges to a warm exposure. In three months 

 after, the wound was perfectly healed; she took it every spring, and never had a return. 



'• Another case was that of Dr. Bidlman, of Lincoln College, who was afflicted with 

 go violent a himiour all over his arms, that it was like a leprosy; he tried it on my re- 

 commendation, and wa* cured in three months. He improved the prescription by eating 

 clivers as salad, with oil, and confined himself to white meats. 



" A poor man, who had so much of his face eat away by a cancer as not to be a fit 

 •bject to come to the hou>e, took the clivers as directed, and is well. 



" Tlte OintmetU. — To one pound of fresh hog's-lard, melted, without salt, put as much 

 as the diver liquor will moisten ; boil it over a slow fire, often stirring it till it looks a 

 little brown ; then strain it through a cloih, and, when cold, take the ointment from off 

 the water that will be at the bottom. The bruised leaves often stop the effusion of 

 blood from the wound. Take physic, and drink the juice, at least a week before the 

 ointment is applied. Lavin;; on the bruised leaves is of use. but it heats the part pro- 

 digiously, and should be taken off when the pain is too violent, and apphed us the pa- 

 tient can bear it." 



John Want, 

 Late Surgeon to the Northern Dispensary. 



REPORT OF CHEMISTRY, NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, &c. 



DR. Balfour, of Edinburgh, cures At Epelsheim, near Alzey, in digging 

 gout.for instance in tliefcetjby com- forsaiul, there was lately found the ske- 

 pression to tlie balls of the toes; friction letoii of a rhinoceros, above 15 feet un- 

 to the oedeiiiatous parts; percussiou to der ground, on abed of stone, and co- 

 the ankles; and friction and percussion vered in sand; a large tooth was found, 

 to the legs ; — surrounding all the parts, the form of wliich shewed it belonged to 

 afterwards, with a roller; with brisk some foreign animal. Tiie place was 

 purgati\es of decoction of semia and examined, and they found, as was ex- 

 Ej)som salts. pected, the bones of an immense animal. 

 The same gentleman lias published Oidy pieces could be got out, because 

 tliirty-thice cases of the immediate cure tiiey easily broke, but when brought 

 of Rheumatism by compression, j)cr- into llie air turned as hard as stone. At 

 cussion, and frictioD; with slight lax- last they found the point of the Iiom 

 Sjitivcs. broken Icu^^thways, rounded at tlie top, 



by 



