112 TREATMENT OE DISEASES 



rid the system of poisonous and morbid material — and I felt that 

 no immediate danger was to be apprehended. I however attempted 

 to drench the animal with a small quantity of lime water and pow- 

 dered charcoal, merely to a^lkalize and deodorize the contents of the 

 intestinal canal, but I found it impossible to get a drop of it down 

 the oesophagus, in consequence of constriction at the upper portion 

 of the same, a condition of the parts that usually follows the admin- 

 istration of an overdose of arsenic. 



The symptoms, as observed on my previous visit, had undergone 

 but slight change, yet the surface of the body was warmer, and the 

 animal appeared to suffer slightly from intestinal pain. In view of 

 producing counter irritation, I applied mustard, liquified, to the 

 throat and abdomen. 



During the day the excremental discharges were very profuse, 

 and emitted an intolerable stench ; towards night an attempt was 

 made to drench the animal with a pint of port wine, which was at- 

 tended with success, the constriction at the upper pai't of the 

 oesophagus being somewhat relaxed. 



On the following day the discharges were less frequent, and the 

 patient appeared much better; he managed to swallow some flour 

 gruel, and was again drenched Avith a pint of port wine. 



The above comprises the whole of the medical treatment. By 

 means of good nursing, &c., the animal so far recovered as to be 

 able to resume work after a period of twelve days from the time of 

 the accident. 



For the benefit of the reader I would say that, "nature, who is 

 ever busy by the silent operation of her own forces," did more for 

 the restoration of this animal from the effects of a well known poison, 

 than the medicinal agents which were used ; and I take this oppor- 

 tunity to enter my protest against the orthodox method of treating 

 cases of this kind, which contemplates the use of large doses of the 

 hydrated peroxide of iron, which, unless it be expelled from the sys- 

 tem by the administration of active purgatives, is as destructive as 

 arsenic — the original poison. 



FUNGUS HiEMATODES OF THE PENIS. 



Preliminary. — Fungus is a term used in morbid anatomy, to ex- 

 press any luxuriant formation of flesh in the shape of a soft excres- 

 cence. Jlcemaiodes is derived from the Greek language, and signifies 

 bloody cippeartQice. In plain English, Fungus Haematodes is a lux- 

 uriant formation in, or on, the soft parts of the body, presenting a 

 bloody appearance — the bleeding fungus. 



The ancient writers describe this disease as a species of soft can- 

 cer or medullary — soft — sarcoma (a fleshy excrescence), and the prob- 

 ability is, that it is a cancerous affection, for I have several times 

 removed excrescences of this character, and they invariably re-formed 

 and acquired considerable magnitude, even although the most scien- 

 tific remedies were daily used for the prevention of their after-devel- 

 opment. 



The modus operandi of the development of those kind of tumors 

 is as follows : They commence with a soft enlargement, or tumor, on 



