CLASS 1. 2. 5. 6. OF IRRITATION. 127 



and then repeatedly bringing their exterior edges into contact, 

 by which means very small electric sparks become visible in the 

 eyes. 



Mrs. T had for some weeks complained of imperfect 



sight. For the last fortnight she could not in less than a minute 

 spell out a single word in a large print. Her eyes black, and the 

 pupils large Very slight electric shocks, not sparks, were passed 

 through the forepart of her forehead twice a day, and the zinc 

 and silver pencils as mentioned below were used many times a 

 day. She took valerian and columbo internally, and regained 

 her sight very perfectly in about three weeks. 



I used in the above case a more convenient and efficacious 

 method of galvanism by employing two rods, one of them of zinc 

 about the size of a writing pencil, and the other a silver pencil- 

 case about the same size; and by putting the end of the zinc 

 rod in contact with the external corner of one eye, and the end 

 of the silver pencil-case in contact with the external corner of 

 the other eye, and then repeatedly making the other ends touch 

 each other, sparks will be visible in the eyes both at the time of 

 contact and at the time of separation of the two rods. This ex- 

 periment was published by Volta since the former one by Gal- 

 vani. See Sect. XIV. 5. of Vol. I. 



A foreign physician, professor Arneman, has lately recom- 

 mended the production of vertigo in gutta serena, as he says, to 

 accumulate more blood in the head. If this should be really 

 found of advantage, the patient might lie on a large mill-stone, 

 which might be suffered to turn slowly, but a very great velocity 

 of the whirling stone might occasion sleep, apoplexy, and death. 

 SeeSuppl. I. 15. 7. 



M. M. Minute electric shocks. A grain of opium, and a 

 quarter of a grain of corrosive sublimate of mercury, twice a day 

 for four or six weeks. Blister on the crown of the head. Er- 

 rhines, so as to induce violent sneezing twice a day for a week. 



6. Jluditus imminutus. Diminished hearing. Deafness is a 

 frequent symptom in those inflammatory or sensitive fevers with 

 debility, which are generally called putrid; it attends the general 

 stupor in those fevers, and is rather esteemed a salutary sign, as 

 during this stupor there is less expenditure of sensorial power. 



In fevers of debility without inflammation, called nervous fe- 

 vers, I suspect deafness to be a bad symptom, arising, like the di- 

 lated pupil, from a partial paralysis of the nerve of sense. See 

 Class IV. 2. 1.15. 



Nervous fevers are supposed by Dr. Gilchrist to originate from 

 a congestion of serum or water in some part of the brain, as many 

 of the symptoms are so similar to. those of hydrocephalus inter- 



