COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTRACTS 79 



Such seems to be the case in the opinion at least of the 

 so-called " First Surgeon in Europe/' 



96. The best marked case of pyaemia is that of Cree^ 

 occurring from the perineal section, which is detailed in 

 my Practical Observations on the Treatment of Stricture 

 of the Urethra. Professor Syme must have preserved 

 in his note-book a few similarly fatal cases. From these 

 two instances of pyaemia supervening to excision of the 

 tongue, and those following the perineal section, it is 

 evident how pyaemia occurs so often after wounds in 

 vascular tissues, especially veins — inflammation is first 

 set up, and suppuration rapidly following, the pus be- 

 comes absorbed by the veins, acts as a poison in the 

 circulating system, and hence proves rapidly fatal. For 

 a full detail of the first case, the reader is referred to 

 two unanswerable letters by Dr. John Renton, in the 

 Medical Times and Gazette for the 20th February and 

 13th March, 1858. The two patients, more especially 

 the second, Richard Ratcliff, are stated to have been 

 great- smokers of tobacco. 



97. Ike following is an interesting case of amaurosis, 

 or blindness, from smoking tobacco: — J. W., a coach- 

 builder, upwards of fifty years of age, had smoked for 

 thirty years, generally two ounces of tobacco a week, 

 ■when he became so blind as to be unable to work, or 

 even walk through a crowded street. He applied to an 

 ^ye dispensary, where the medical man, who is consid- 

 ered a good oculist, told him that he labored under 

 amaurosis, and prescribed accordingly. After following 

 his treatment for some time, and finding himself no 

 better, he visited a neighboring city, and consulted an- 



