92 APPENDIX. 



quiries' is published a paper on the emphysema, in which I 

 proposed the operation of the paracentesis of the thorax, to 

 let air out of the cavity of the chest, which air I endeavoured 

 to show was the cause of the worst symptoms attending that 

 disease. Not long after this, I was informed that Dr. Monro 

 had declared publicly he had mentioned that observation in 

 his lectures, both at the time and before I attended them, 

 which was in the winter 1761, and complained that I had 

 omitted doing him justice in this particular. 



When I heard this I made inquiries of some of his pupils, 

 who I found had taken notes at his lectures, and by two of 

 these gentlemen I was favored with excerpts from their notes, 

 which convinced me that he had anticipated me in proposing 

 that improvement. I then determined to let him know that 

 my omitting to mention his name on that occasion was en- 

 tirely owing to my ignorance of his claim. This I was the 

 more desirous of doing, from having heard that he had ex- 

 claimed against me with some acrimony, on the supposition 

 that I had got the hint from him, and was conscious of it, 

 which being far from the truth, I determined to show him in 

 what manner I had really made the observation, and thereby 

 stop his exclamations. I determined likewise to show him that 

 I was desirous of giving him the credit of having had the idea 

 before me, and thereby to prevent all dispute about the matter. 

 The following is a copy of the letter which I sent him on that 

 occasion : 



" Sir, Being informed that you have publicly complained 

 of me ' for having, in a paper printed in the third volume of 

 the Medical Observations and Inquiries, omitted doing you the 

 justice of mentioning your having proposed the operation there 

 recommended, in the same circumstances, long before -,' and as 

 I am confident I deserved not to be complained of on that ac- 

 count, I have taken this opportunity of stating the manner of 

 my making the observation, and at the same time of letting 

 you know that since I have learned that you likewise had 

 made it, I am willing to do you justice. The thought first 

 occurred to me in reading Mr. Cheston's Pathological Inqui- 

 ries and Observations, in which he gives a case of the emphy- 

 sema; this case is told in such a manner that I think it is 

 hardly possible any unprejudiced person should read it and not 



