LASS!. 2. 3. 25. OF IRRITATION. rot 



Mr. Tfime has publifhed a very ingenious and ufefu* work, en- 

 titled, u Diflertation on Strkl tires of the Urethra, in which he has 

 recorded many eales fuccefsfully treated by lunar cauftic, initrt- 

 in tlie end of a bougie, and applied to the contracted part of 

 the urethra, fo as to deilroy the ftridl lire. 



From the form of the caviiy of the urethra, taken by injecting 

 wax into it, there appears naturally to exift a kind of valve im- 

 mediately behind the bulb of the urethra, which when the penis 

 is creel, liiuts up the orifice, and prevents the reg.urgitation of 

 the femen into the bladder during the action of the accelerator 

 mufcles in the act of its expjulfion ; and this natural conflriction. 

 or valve appears generally to be the firil feat of ftricture. 



Above the bulb, about two or three inches from the orifice 

 of the glans, the cavity of the urethra appears allo lefTened j and 

 in fome cafes the orifice of the very extremity appears lefs than, 

 other parts of the canal ; thcfe parts are therefore more contract^ 

 ed during the emiilio ferninis, and add to its velocity at its exit ; 

 and are thence more liable to fcirrhofity or ilriclure. And by 

 fome observations, Mr. Home has (hewn, that a fympathy exifts 

 between the ftrictures of thefe parts ; and that the more for- 

 \vard ftrictures are frequently produced in confequence of that 

 behind the bulb ; and finds it neceiTary to deftroy them all, by- 

 frequent application of the cauftic. 



By the ufe of which, (which .was firfl propofed by Wifeman, 

 firft applied by John Hunter, and fo greatly improved by Mr. 

 Home) the lives of great numbers are rendered happy, who oth- 

 erwife gradually periih by a mod painful and hopelefs malady. 



25. Srirrbns aefiphagi. A fcirrhus of the throat contracts the 

 pafiiige fo as to render the fwallowing of folids impracticable, and 

 ,of liquids difficult. It affects patients of all ages, but is probably 

 molt frequently produced by (wallowing hard angular fubflan- 

 when people have loft their teeth ; by which this membrane 

 is over-diftended, or torn, or otherwile injured. 



M. M. Put milk into a bladder tied to a canula or catheter ; 

 introduce it palt the ftriclnre, and prefs it into the ftomach. 

 Diftend the liriclure gradually by a fponge-tent faftened to the 

 end of whalebone, or by a plug of wax, or a fpermaceti candle, 

 about two inches long ; which might be introduced, and left 

 there with a Itring only fixed to it to hang out of the mouth, to 

 keep it in its place, and to retract it by occafionally ; for which 

 purpofc the firing mull be put through a catheter or hollow pro- 

 bang, when it is to be retracted. Or laftiy, introduce a gut 

 fixed to a pipe ; and then diftend it by blowing wind into it. 

 The fwallowing a bullet with a firing put through it, to retract 

 iv on the exhibition of on emetic, has alto been propofed. Ex- 



tern ally, 



