402 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO l66g. 



Extract of a Letter written to the Editor, from Plymouth, Nov. 2, 

 1669, bi/ TTiLLiAM DuRSTON, M. D. conceiving the Death of the 

 big-breasted Woman, (noticed in N° 52. J together with what was 

 observed in her Body. N" 53, p. IO68. 



Elizabeth Travers died on Thursday night, October 21, The next morning I 

 sent for a surgeon, and some others to be present at the opening, and taking 

 off her breasts ; though we only took off the largest, which was the left, and 

 having weighed it, we found it 64 pounds weight. Upon opening it, (which 

 we did in several places) we could find neither water, nor cancerous humours, 

 nor any thing vitious, more than the prodigious size; and the tubuli and 

 parenchymous flesh were purely white and solid, and no other than what we 

 see in the soundest breasts of women, or the best udders of other animals. 

 She had lost her appetite and rest several weeks before, and made great com- 

 plaints of her breasts from their excessive distension, and her whole body was 

 exceedingly emaciated. I have sent you inclosed one measure, which was the 

 breadth of her two breasts (as she was laid out on a table being dead ;) I mean, 

 from the farther end of the one to the other; which you will find three feet 

 two inches and a half; and another measure showing the dimension of the 

 breasts, longwise, viz. near four feet four inches; and a third, giving the 

 dimension of the breadth, viz. three feet four inches and a half. 



The right breast we took not off, but guess it might weigh 40 pounds. 

 Some weeks since I began a salivation with her, which lessened her breasts in' 

 circumference some inches ; but she proving not conformable, I durst not pro- 

 ceed to keep up the flux. But she was wonderfully revived afterwards for some 

 time. She being weary of that course, I caused a caustic to be applied ; upon 

 which the eschar fell off, yet nothing issued out of the breast. Then I caused 

 an incision-knife to be used, and made an incision two inches and a half deep 

 (supposing the caustic had not wrought deep enough) but to no more purpose 

 than the former. 



Jn Account of some Booh. N° 53, p. IO69. 



I. Certain Philosophical Essays, and other Tracts, by the Honourable 

 Robert Boyle, Fellow of the Royal Society. The second edition, enlarged. 

 An. 1669. 



This edition is chiefly increased by the addition of a very philosophical dis- 

 course on the absolute rest in bodies, wherein the noble author, with his usual 

 modesty and acuteness, delivers his thoughts concerning the intestine motions 



