in the Cure of Putrid Difea/es. ^7 



ther, I obfervcd in a corner of the room a fmall tub of wort 

 working ; the fight brought to my recolle6lion an experiment 

 I had fomewhere met with, of a piece of putrid meat being 

 made fweet by being fufpended over a tub of wort in the aft 

 of fermentation. The idea inftantly flaflied into my mind, 

 that the yeft might correft the putrid nature of this diieafe, 

 and I inftantly gave him two large fpoonfuls. I then told the 

 mother, if {he found her fon better, to repeat this dofe every 

 three hours. I then fet out on my journey : upon my rec- 

 tum, after a few days, I anxioufly inquired about the bov, 

 and was informed he was recovered. I could not reprefs my 

 curiofity : though I was greatly fatigued with my journey, 

 and night was come on, I went direAly to where he lived, 

 which was three miles off, in a wild part of the moors ; the 

 boy himfeif opened the door, looked furprifingly well, and 

 told me he felt better from the inftant he took the yeft. 



After I left Brampton, I lived in Leicefterfliire : my pa- 

 riftiioners being then few and opulent, I dropped my medical 

 charaftcr entirely, and would not even prefcribe for any of 

 my own family. One of my domeftics falling ill, accord- 

 ingly the apothecary was fent for; his complaint was a vio- 

 lent fever, which in its progrefs became putrid : having great 

 reliance, and defervedly, on the apothecary's penetration and 

 judgment, the man was left folely to his management. His 

 diforder, however, kept daily gaining ground, till at lenath 

 the apothecary confidered him in very great danger; at lait, 

 finding every eifort to be of fcrvicc 10 him baffled, he told me 

 he confidered it as a lofl cafe, and that, in his opinion, the 

 man could not furvive four-and -twenty hours. On the apo- 

 fiiecary thus giving him up, I determined to try the efTefts 

 of yeft. 1 gave him two large table fpoonfuls; in fifteen 

 minutes from taking the yeft, his pulfe, though ftill feeble, 

 began to get compofed and full. He in thirty-two minutes 

 from his taking the yeft was able to get up from his bed, 

 and walk in bis room. At the expiration of the fecond hour 

 I gave him a bafon of fago, with a good deal of lemon, 

 wine, and ginger in it ; he eat it with an appetite : in an- 

 other hour 1 repeated the yeft ; an hour afterwards I g^ve 

 the bark as before; at the next hour he had food; next lie 



Vol. VI. I had 



