Notices respecting New Books. 305 
first daily for a fortnight, and twice: afterwards for a week each 
time. t s 
“‘ As far as I can judge from having observed the course of 
many cases ‘of this kind, her recovery would neither have been 
so speedy nor complete if she had not used galvanism. 
‘© Rachel Hooper, zt. 29, a servant, had laboured under se- 
vere habitual asthma for about a year, with considerable inflam- 
matory tendency. Her breathing was relieved in a few minutes 
by galvanism, but not completely. For about eight or ten days, 
during which she was galvanised daily for about ten minutes, 
she derived from it considerable relief, both immediate and per- 
manent. It then began to fail to give relief, and in a few days 
gave none. The epigastric region was now very tender on pres- 
sure. This symptom was relieved in the space of a few days by 
local blood-letting, blistering, and small does of calomel. The 
relief afforded by the galvanism was now greater than at first, 
which seemed to arise from the disease not being so severe as 
on the first use of the remedy, for some part of the good effects 
of the galvanism had remained. After this she was always re- 
lieved by it as long as she continued to use it, which was for se- 
veral weeks. The permanent relief she experienced from it was 
also great, although she still at times laboured under a consider- 
able degree of dyspnoea. About half a year ago, she left Wor- 
cester with a promise to return, if she should get worse. I have 
heard nothing of her since. 
“* She said nothing else had giyen her so much, either imme- 
diate or permanent relief, as the galvanism had done. She had 
been for several months in the Infirmary under other plans of 
treatment before she used the galvanism. All the patients whose 
cases I have mentioned were'galvanised at the Infirmary. 
. © The followiug is a remarkable instance of permanent, though 
imperfect relief from galvanism, in the disease before us, A 
woman who had for many years laboured under severe habitual 
asthma was incautiously galvanised with such a power as occa- 
-sioned severe pain. No entreaty could induce her to submit to 
a repetition of the galvanism, although it had immediately re- 
lieved her breathing. ‘The dyspnoea svon recurred, but she told 
me many months afterwards that it had never been so severe 
since she was galvanised, and that she had ever since been able 
to carry water in buckets from the river, which the state of her 
breathing had not for a long time previously allowed her to do. 
_.© If the reader will compare these cases with the general ob- 
servations which [ have had occasion to make on the effects of 
galvanism in habitual asthma, he will be enabled to form a pretty 
correct estimate of what he may expect from it in this disease. 
“* When we compare them with the experiments laid before 
the reader in the preceding Inquiry, the question naturally arises, 
Val. 50. No. 234, Oct, 1817. U Whence 
