Scrophula Cured hy Vital Air. <JJ 



&c. &c. and Dr. Saunck-rs. Mercury was ufed externally 

 and internally until the teeth became loofened, bark, and 

 ileel, and foda, or foffil alkali, given in profufion; but each 

 practitioner in turn relinquished the cafe, recommending fea 

 air, which was had recoune to at fundry times. This 

 voung lady was latterly referred to John Hunter, who em- 

 ployed hemlock to an uncommon extent ; and he alfo, as the 

 fea air had been before tried without advantage, advifed the 

 parents to do nothing farther, faying, with his ufual blunt- 

 nefs, that it was a cafe of that nature that whoever would 

 undertake the cure would do it only with the intent of 

 picking their pockets. When I fir ft faw the young lady, I 

 obferved the glands of the throat, even from the nape of the 

 neck, fo enlarged as to defeat all concealment, and forming 

 one apparently hemogeneous mafs, extended even over the 

 jaw-bones, which could not be felt, and fuffocation was 

 threatened by preffure on the wind-pipe. Her relations ri- 

 diculed the idea of any farther application for this difeafe : 

 but parental fondnefs urged an enquiry relative to the airs. 

 The Rev. Mr. Townfend, reftor of Pewfey, author of a very 

 excellent work on phyfic, the Guide to Health, happened 

 to be at my houfe when the lady arrived. Although he con- 

 ceived highly of pneumatic medicine, as may be feen through- 

 out this work, he told me, that he mutt confider me as 

 very bold if I could venture to undertake fuch a cafe, which 

 he acknowledged to exceed any thing he had ever before, 

 feen ; and Mr- Jones, an eminent apothecary in Mount- 

 itreet, declared, that if I produced a cure here, all he could 

 fay was " that miracles had not ceafed." I, however, was 

 not difcouraged, and the event has proved that we fhoujci 

 not, having inch new and powerful agents as the airs, rea-» 

 dily give way to defpair. 



In a month after commencing tUe inhalation of vital air 

 (fix quarts daily mixed with thirty of atmofpheric), the knot 

 of glands began to foften, yielding a litile to external pref-* 

 (ure : by degrees they Ceparated from each other, and thir- 

 teen, 



