in preventing and curing Gangrene. 259 



He was afterwards bled according to the state of his 

 pulse, and treated in the usual way ; in a short time he 

 was entirely recovered, and William Black (a taylor) 

 is now working at his trade. 



I have not the smallest shadow of doubt, as to the fa- 

 tal termination of this case, had not the blister been ap- 

 plied ; and I must here add, that, on the 23d, I judged 

 it expedient to commence with that practice which is 

 commonly pursued in cases where sphacelus is feared. 

 But these, in my opinion, might have been given to the 

 end of the chapter, without having the effect ; and the 

 perseverance m them was more in conformity to vulgar 

 prejudice, than any good effect I observed in the pre- 

 sent instance. I must confess, however, I have seen 

 them often do good, yet I have known them frequently 

 fail ; nor can I think them entitled to the appellation of 

 specific, which some philanthropists, in the overflowings 

 of their goodness, have been pleased to bestow upo« 

 them. 



The second case is that of J S , a cooper, in 



Giles-county, about twenty. five miles from this. In 

 August last, being a little drunk, and shaving at his 

 horse, cut his leg with a drawing knife. He continued 

 drinking, and paid no attention to it until it got in a 

 very alarming way, with slight symptoms of mortifica- 

 tion appearing. I ordered a blister over it; a small 

 part soon sloughed off, and the place soon healed. He 

 took but little medicine, 1 being desirous, in this case, 

 to determine, for the satisfaction of others, what in my 

 own mind I was so clearlv convinced of. 



