Dr. Thornton on Pneu?natic Practice. I21 



Fig. 20. This figure represents a longitudinal section of 

 the stem of the white poppy, the utriculus oi" which exhi- 

 bited in a very striking njanner the points considered by 

 C. Mirbel as the pores of his cellular tissue : their form ig 

 elongated, and I saw ihcm placed constantly in the direc- 

 tion of the breadth of the utricuius or of the stem. 



XX. Communication from Dr. Thornton relative to the 

 Pneumatic Practice. 



July 20, 1 S03, 



IVIr. John Grey, merchant, living at Newport iii the 

 Isle of Wight, was attacked by spasmodic asthma four-' 

 teen years ago, and has had paroxysms of this dreadful 

 disorder, returning at first at uncertain intervals, until the 

 year 1797, when these fits of difficult respiration recurred 

 usually once, sometimes twice a week, leaving him in the 

 intervals very languid and dispirited. The smallest exertion. 

 was a pain to bin;, and, to use his own expressions, life a 

 burthen. Various physicians had been applied to without 

 any essential benefit, and he despaired of ever getting free 

 from this disease, when he was advised to come to London 

 to be under my care. Upon his arrival in town, tonic me- 

 dicines, such as he had taken before, were ordered, and he 

 commenced with daily inspiration of four quarts of oxygen 

 or vital air mixed with thirteen of atmospheric air. The 

 immediate effect was a diminution of the violence of the 

 paroxysms, which before lasted from two to three davs ; 

 the expectoration was earlier, and the fits subsided sooner. 

 Continuing this plan for a few weeks, the paroxysms of asth- 

 ma wholly disappeared, and Mr. Grey was recommended 

 to return home, and take down with him an eighteen gallon 

 cask, with a tin pneumatic apparatus for. inhaling the same; 

 which arrived safe by the Newport waggon, the air being 

 found to hav'C lost none of its peculiar properties ; as re- 

 kindling a match when blown out, and burning iron like 

 wood. Another cask was sent down, medicines disconti- 

 nued, and for six months Mr. Crcv continued perfectly free 

 from asthma, at the expiration of which time he had a 

 slight return ; but resuming again the OKVgcn air ucnt for 

 from town, he was again re-established in health. For live 

 years Mr. Grey has continued free from asthma, except in 

 the month of August, when he is slightlv Indisposed ; but 

 having always had recourse to the inhalation of the oxygen 

 air^ sent to him in an eighteen gallon task, the disorder has 



been 



