440 M E M O IK S of tbe 
An Argiment for the Ufe of Laryngotomy, by 2>r. William 
Mufgrave. Phil.Tranf. IS1°. 258. p. 398. 
LAryngotomy is highly to be valued, becaufe that in the 
greateil extremity, where a perlbn is in mcft imminent 
danger of futFocation, and to ait appearance within a very few 
minutes of his lad, by opening a new paiTage for the breath, 
it gives fpeedy and certain relief, and that, when all other me- 
thods fail, and without any confiderable injury from the inftru- 
ment. That laryngotomy may be put in praflice in dangers of 
IhfFocation, and that the wound is curable will appear by the 
following cafe, communicated to Dr. Mufgrave by Mr. Keen, 
Mc tolas Hobb of St. Enodor in Cornwal, aged 53, or there- 
abouts, was fet upon by ruffians, who firft by a blow on the 
Occiput^ knocked him down to the ground, then cut the trachea 
or wind-pipe through, fomewhat beneath the '^omum Adamiy 
together with fcvcral of the adjacent mufcles, and fome large 
blood-veffels, from which he loft a vaft quantity of blood 5 
and {^o the ruffians left him ; after fome time, the wounded 
man recovered fo much fenfe and ftrengtb, as to thruft his 
neck-cloth into the large gaping wound, and by degrees crawl 
home ; lipothymies or fainting fits came frequently upon him, 
efpecially upon every the leait motion of his body 5 thefe were 
after Ibme time fucceeded by convulfions : Mr. Keen the fur- 
geon having examined the wound, found that the parts of the 
trachea were at a great diftance from each other, the lower 
part being on every turn of infpiration funk deep into the neck 
as low as the Clavicul<£^ and juft appeared upon every exfpira- 
tion : The furgeon direded a lufty ftrong fellow to hold the 
legs of the patient over his (boulders, and by this means raife 
them together with the Abdomen^ above the ^Ihoraxy Collumy 
^c. in which pofture the divided parts came fo near to each 
other, that with ftrong waxed thread he fewed together feveral 
of them 5 but as to the divifions of the Trachea ^ he joined 
them, by paffing large needles deep into the flefh on each 
fide, and twifting ftrong waxed thread about them, as in Zabio 
Fiffo ^ over all, for the greater fecurity he applied a reftri6tive> 
e^ 'Ptih. reflritJg.Clo'wss ^ covering the greateft part of the neck 
with a dcfenfative ex Solo cum albumine ovor. advifing the 
patient to lie as quiet as he could 3 the patient now began to 
fpeak foftly and with a low voice, as the cough, difficulty of 
breathing and his weaknefs would allow: Tiien an arteriac 
was 
