VOL. XXIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 41 



disordered in her breath than most other people. The easy discharge of the pas, 

 by her lying down in that posture, did undoubtedly very much preserve her 

 lungs, and prevented its breaking through the abscess, into the cavity of her 

 breast, and putrefying her lungs to a greater degree. Pus generat pus is a 

 noted aphorism ; and the air-bladders of the lungs are so very tender, that they 

 must have yielded to the pressure of the pus had it lain long in the abscess, and 

 been only discharged by violent coughing. By lying in a proper posture, 

 Sir Tho. Proby, Sarah Deeping, and others, have prevented a greater solution 

 in their lungs, and either prolonged their lives many years, or recovered their 

 healths by proper medicines. 



This and other instances, make me easily concur with some physicians in an 

 opinion, that in some families the lungs have originally, a more tender constitu- 

 tion than in others. Mrs. Terry's aunts are subject to great coughs and 

 phthisic. Her aunt Fowke's little daughter, of about 7 years old, having a little 

 fever, with some symptoms of the small-pox, but a great difficulty in breathing, 

 I advised her bleeding at the arm, but she was so fat they could not find a vein 

 that night ; next day the small-pox appeared, which eased her lungs a little ; on 

 the 6th night after, she raised at several times about 7 or 8 oz. of clear blood, 

 by violent coughing ; I was sent for and drew away about 6 oz. of blood by 

 leeches, which totally relieved her breath, and stopped the vomiting of blood. 

 This instance, being so like Mrs. Terry's, confirms what I said before, that so 

 great a loss of blood will not hinder the regular proceeding of the small-pox, 

 which she went through very regularly, and recovered perfectly. I have ob- 

 served the same effect in other patients, in whom bleeding after eruption was in- 

 dispensable. 



The continual motion of Mrs. Terry's breast in breathing, made the caustic 

 spread farther than it was designed, or could be prevented ; I have prevailed 

 with some patients to yield to an apertion by lancet, which I take, in some 

 cases, to be the better way; that little blood which may possibly get into the 

 cavity of the breast is easily thrown out again by the lungs in inspiration, as she 

 did the injection every time it was used. 



After the pus began t© flow at the orifice it lessened the discharge at her 

 mouth, and in a moderate time the purulent expectoration totally ceased. 



The same Case as the Foregoing, of the Cure of an Jlposthumation of the Lungs, 

 Addressed to Dr. JVright. By miliam Cowper, F. R. S. N" 285, p. 1386. 



The matter or pus which first flowed from Mrs. Terry's side, was so offensive 

 n its scent, as obliged the by-standers to quit the chamber ; and the nurse, 

 usually at the time of dressing, and afterwards, was wont to burn rosemary, &c. 



VOL. V. G 



