Essential Oil of Lemons. 77 
: Such is the difference of sensibility in different individuals; 
and I may add, that both experienced benefit fromit. I have 
deemed it necessary, in general, to administer aperients and 
other medicines, in some of the cases in which I employed it, 
according to the severity of the symptoms indicating general 
irritation. ; 
: M. Werlitz does not apply the oil at all in a scientific or 
satisfactory manner. His method of squirting the essence 
from the rind appears to me to be both rude and coarse, and 
could searcely be employed in private practice ; I have there- 
__ fore adopted another way, which I shall shortly mention. In 
_ strumous ophthalmia, it is exceedingly difficult, from the 
tumefaction of the eyelids and the restlessness of the child, so 
to separate the eyelids as to obtain a view of the eye itself, 
and, under such circumstances, it would be next to impossible 
to keep them open a sufficient length of time, until the ope- 
rator shall have properly injected the drop. In the trials to 
which | have subjected it, 1 have invariably used the essential 
oil of lemon of the shops, and have dropped it in the eye in 
the same manner that the vinum opii is applied, namely, with 
a quill cut in the shape of a pen, but rounded off, instead of 
‘ having a point. It requires to be dropped in very speedily, 
as it rapidly volatilizes. I have always, when it has been in 
my power, applied the essence once a-day, but it has occa- 
» sionally happened that the patients have neglected attendance 
for two, three, or more days, and have then returned much 
worse than they were previously. I may also add, that 
occasionally, even when they were regular in their attendance, 
a relapse would take place; and this occurred in a most 
remarkable manner, on Saturday the Ist of June. On the 
preceding day, several cases were reported as rapidly 
improving, or nearly convalescent, and yet, on the Ist, with 
“nga one exception, they returned with a fresh attack. 
only one or two cases relapsed, 1 might have attributed 
it to negligence and inattention to my directions on the part 
_ of the patient, or to exposure to cold; but, as by far the ma- 
jority of the cases were similarly affected, I could not avoid 
considering it as something remarkable, and dependent on 
_ some change in the atmosphere. 
In summing up, I may say, I have employed the essence of 
lemons in various acute and chronic inflammations, in opacity 
of the cornea, and the purulent and muco-purulent anhihale 
mia, but not in pannus, pterygium, or albugo; cases of the 
latter description not having come under my care latterly. 
I should consider, from the nature of the complaints, that it 
may prove advantageous in albugo, butin regard to the other 
