ART. II. 2. 3. i. INCITANTIA. 27 



nearer each other than at the other, and the knobs were pufhed 

 out fo far as exactly to include the tumour. 



Inflammations of the eyes without fever are frequently cured 

 by taking a ftream of very fmall electric fparks from them, or 

 giving the electric fparks to them, once or twice a day for a 

 week or two ; that is, the new veffels, which conftitute inflam- 

 mation in thefe inirritable conilitutions, are abforbed by the ac- 

 tivity of the abforbents induced by the flimulus of the electric 

 aura. For this operation the eafieft method is to fix a pointed 

 wire to a flick of iealing wax, or to an infulating handle of glafs? 

 one end of this wire communicates with the prime conductor, 

 and the point is approached near the inflamed eye in every di- 

 rection. 



III. Externally the application of ether, and of efiential oils, 

 as of cloves or cinnamon, feems to poflefs a general flimulating 

 effect. As they inftantly relieve tooth-ach, and hiccough, 

 when thefe pains are not in violent degree- ; and camphor in 

 large dofes is laid to produce intoxication ; this effect however 

 I have not been witnefs to, and have reafon to doubt. 



Ether dropped into the ears of fome deafifh people, feems to 

 poflefs a two-fold effect, one of diflblving the indurated ear-wax, 

 and the other of flimulating the torpid organ, but it is liable to 

 give fome degree of pain, unlefs it be freed from the fulphurous 

 acid, fome of which arifes along with it in diitillation ; to pu- 

 rify it from this material it fhould be rectified from manganefe. 

 See Clafs I. 2. 5. 6. Lime added to impure ether may alfo 

 unite with the fulphuric acid, if fuch exilts in it, and form fele* 

 nite, and fubfide. 



The manner in which ether and the efTentlal oil operate on 

 the fyflem when applied externally, is a curious queftion, as 

 pain is fo immediately relieved by them, that they mud feem to 

 penetrate by the great fluidity or expanfive property of a part of 

 them, as of their odoriferous exhalationor vapour, and thus ftim- 

 ulate the torpid part, and not by their being taken up by the ab- 

 forbent veffels, and carried thither by the long courfe of circula- 

 tion , nor is it probable, that thefe pains are relieved by the 

 fympathy of the torpid membrane with the external (kin, which 

 is thus flimulated into action ; as it does not fucceed, unlefs it 

 is applied over the pained part. Thus there appears to be three 

 different modes by which extraneous bodies may be introduced 

 into the fyflem, befides that of abforption. ift. By ethereal 

 tranfition, as heat and electricity ; 2d. by chemical attraction, 

 as oxygen ; and 3d. by expanfive vapour, as ether and eiienV 

 *ial oils. 



IV. The perpetual neceffity of the mixture of oxygen gas 



with 



