VOL. XXIV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 265 



physicians were amazed at it, and every one much wondered how a dog could 

 be drowned without water in him. This the author says was the first occasion 

 of his dissenting from the ancients in cases of drowning. 



The next observation is of a countryman, who having-been missing for some 

 weeks, was afterwards found drowned in a very shallow place. The body being 

 cleaned from mud, some livid spots appeared externally, though we could not 

 perceive any violence had been used. On opening the abdomen, the intestines 

 appeared to be full. After we had tied up the gula and duodenum, that we 

 might more easily judge of the contents of the stomach, we took it out, and 

 by the weight of it judged there must needs be a very considerable quantity of 

 water in it, neither were we mistaken in the quantity ; but upon cutting into it, 

 it appeared to be the liquor he had been too freely drinking of ; we thought 

 there might be much about the same quantity in the lungs, by reason of their 

 great distension ; but this was a mistake, it happened we were out in our guess- 

 ing, for on cutting into the trachea the wind rushed out, and the lungs sunk 

 down immediately. We understood by some persons present that they saw the 

 deceased at a fair very much in liquor, and fancied that in passing over that 

 river, in his way home, he unfortunately fell in, and was suffocated. 



The next subject was a woman, who unfortunately fell into a well ; after the 

 body was taken out, there appeared several large contusions : there were two on 

 each arm, about the breadth of two fingers, but longer, which appeared as if 

 made with a stick ; the blood was extravasated between the ©s bregmatis and 

 panniculus carnosus on the left side ; there were two fissures on the os frontis, 

 and one on each orbit of the eye ; under the pia mater of the left side was some 

 black grumous blood ; the stomach and intestines were distended, which upon 

 incision sunk down ; the lungs were cutinton severa 1 places, but not the least 

 drop of water was found in them. Now if this woman had fallen into the water 

 alive, it is plain she died for want of respiration ; but if the fall occasioned her 

 death, it proves those to be mistaken, who think that water can get into the 

 passages after death. 



A man, after 5 days search, was found standing upright in the bottom of a 

 fish pond ; he was carefully taken out and viewed, and not the least mark of 

 any violence appeared. I myself, with the assistance of a surgeon, opened the 

 thorax and abdomen : the intestines were very much distended, and contained in 

 them a whitish liquor like chyle. The stomach was so swelled as induced the 

 spectators to think it was full of water ; we tied up both the orifices, and took it 

 out, that we might more easily measure the contents: it was so very light, that 

 none but those that handled it could ever have imagined it ; on opening it, a 

 great blast of wind rushed out, and it sunk down again immediately ; neither 



VOL. V, Mm 



