340 ANNUAL R E G I S T E R, 1794. 



scab generally in a lump the third 

 or fourth dressing, and a very ten- 

 der bleeding sore was thus expo- 

 sed, which 1 instantly laid very 

 th'ck over wiih scraped chnlk and 

 poultices. After this, the very same 

 method was observed which I now 

 follow, and the sores healed M'ith- 

 out a seci;nd scab or incrustation, 

 and without mark or scar, as they 

 do now. As I know little of the- 

 ories, I cannot say, whether these 

 circumstances when duly consider- 

 ed, will confirm or contradict, or 

 throw any new light on the re- 

 ceived opinion cohceming the use 

 of suppuration in the production 

 of new flesh: but this I can safely 

 atfirni, that I have neither advan- 

 ced any thing that has not actually 

 happened in the course of my long 

 experience; nor have I exaggei'a- 

 ted, to my knowledge, any of the 

 circumstances of the cases I have 

 related, as I tryst, you will in due 

 time be convinced of from your own 

 experience. 



With regard to diet, I allow my 

 patients to cat boiled or roasted 

 fowl, or, in short, any plain dress- 

 ed meat they like ; and I do not 

 object to their takitig (with mode- 

 ration however) wiuc, water and 

 spirits, a'e, or porter. My appli- 

 cations, as have been already ob- 

 served, allay pain and inflamma- 

 tion, and also always either pre- 

 vent or remove fcverishness ; and 

 as at the same time (if one may 

 judge from their effects) they have 

 powerful antiseptic virtues : 1 have 

 never had occasion to order bark, 

 or any internal medicine whatever, 

 and I have only once thought it 

 recessary to let blood. When a 

 patient is costive. I order boiled 

 pot barley and prunes, or sortie 

 other laxative nourishing food, and 



sometimes an injection, but never 

 any purgatives. It is distressing for 

 a patier.t with bad sores to be of- 

 ten going to stool. Besides, 1 re- 

 marked that weakness and langonr 

 (\\hich never in my opinion hasten 

 the cure of any sore) arc always 

 brought on more or less by purga- 

 tives. From the effects too I have 

 felt them have on myself, and ob- 

 served them to have on others, 

 they do not seem to me to have so 

 much tendency to remove heat and 

 feverishness as is generally imagin- 

 ed ; and I suspect that, contrary to 

 th.' intention of adrainisteringthem, 

 they oftener carry offuseful humours 

 than hurtful ones. But 1 am going 

 out of my depth, and exposing my- 

 self to criticism, by speaking on a 

 subject that I surely must be very 

 ignorant of; 1 will, therefore, re- 

 turn to my vinegar. I have al- 

 ready said, that I always prefer 

 wine vinegar, when it is to be had, 

 I have however, used, with very 

 good effect, vinegar made of sugar, 

 gooseberries, and even alegar; but 

 whichever of them is taken, it ought 

 to be fresh and lively tasted. 



I once made som.e trials (on a 

 burn I met with myself) of oil of 

 vitriol diluted with water, and of 

 different degrees of strength ; but 

 I found its effects to be the very 

 reverse of vinegar, for it increased 

 the pain and heat even when it 

 was pretty much diluted. I make 

 no doubt, that distilled vinegar 

 might do ; but since the common 

 sort, when fresh and good, has in 

 every case been so efficacious, there 

 seems to be no occasion to attempt 

 improving upon itj and, as acids 

 are of a pungent penetrating na- 

 ture, perhaps it would not be safe 

 to apply one too strong to a raw 

 and tender sore. Even the com- 

 mon 



