SECT. XXIX. 5. 2. ABSORBENTS. 259 



weaken him. He became after fome weeks univerfally dropfical, 

 and died comatofe. 



6. A young lady of delicate conftitution, with light eyes and 

 hair, and who had perhaps lived too abftemioufly both in refpe6t 

 to the quantity and quality of what (he ate and drank, was ieiz- 

 ed with great difficulty of breathing, fo as to threaten immedi- 

 ate death. Her extremities were quite cold, and her breath felt 

 cold to the back of one's hand. She had no fweat, nor could 

 lie down for a fingle moment ; and had previoufly, and at pref- 

 ent, complained of great wcaknefs and pain and numbnefs of 

 both her arms ; had no fwelling of her legs, no third, water in 

 due quantity and colour. Her filter, about a year before, was 

 afflited with fimilar fymptoms, was repeatedly blooded, and di- 

 ed univerfally dropfical. 



A grain of opium was given immediately, and repeated every 

 fix hours with evident and amazing advantage ; afterwards a 

 blifter, with chalybeates, bitters, and efiential oils, were exhibit- 

 ed, but nothing had fuch eminent effedt in relieving the difficul- 

 ty of breathing and coldnefs of her extremities as opium, by 

 the ufe of which in a few weeks (he perfectly regained her 

 health, and has fuffered norelapfe. 



df cites. 



7. A young lady of delicate conftitution having been expo- 

 fed to great fear, cold, and fatigue, by the overturn of a chaife 

 in the night, began with pain and tumour in the right hypo- 

 chondrium : in a few months a fluctuation was felt throughout 

 the whole abdomen, more didindtly perceptible indeed about the 

 region of the ftomach \ fince the integuments of the lower part 

 of the abdomen, generally become thickened in this difeafe by a 

 degree of anafarca. Her legs were not fwelled, no third, water 

 in due quantity and colour. She took the foxglove fo as to in- 

 duce ficknefs and ftools, but without abating the fwelling, and 

 was obliged at length to fubmit to the operation of tapping. 



8. A man about fixty-feven, who had long been accultomed 

 to fpirituous potation, had fome time laboured under afcites ; 

 his legs fomewhat fwelled ; his breath eafy in all attitudes ; no 

 appetite \ great third ; urine in exceedingly fmall quantity, very 

 deep coloured, and turbid \ pulfe equal. He took the foxglove 

 in fuch quantity as vomited him, and induced ficknefs for two 

 days ; but procured no flow of urine, or diminution of his fwell- 

 ing ; but was thought to leave him confiderably weaker. 



9. A corpulent man, accudomed to a large potation of fer- 

 mented liquors, had vehement cough, difficult breathing, ana- 

 farca 



