232 THILOSOrHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1728. 



which there is a sensible pulsation, cotemporary with the pulsation of the artery, 

 to which it adheres. As it is certain, that any tumour of what kind soever, 

 lying on, or adhering to any considerable artery, must necessarily be moved by 

 every pulsation of such artery, so this pulsation can nowise be admitted as the 

 true diagnostic by which to specify the difference between this kind of tumour 

 and any other. 



An aneurism is found most commonly to succeed falls, vomitings, labour- 

 strains, and such other motions or indisjxjsitions of the body as, by compressing 

 the great branches of an artery, any ways stop the progressive motion of the 

 blood. It is obvious that, as the section of the artery above the compressure 

 must, in its natural state, be sometimes very incapable of containing at once 

 the whole quantity of blood, which ought only to have passed through it suc- 

 cessively; and as the force of the heart may frequently exceed the resistance it 

 may meet with from the coats of the artery; so the consequence of such a stop 

 to the progressive motion of the blood, may occasion either a rupture of the 



sanguineous fluid. Beside this. Dr. N. read at different years two other Gulstonian lectures, one 

 relating to the structure and function of the urinary organs, the other to the causes, symptoms, and 

 treatment of calculous affections. In 1736 appeared his Compendium Anatomico CEconomicum, 

 4to. In 1739 he delivered before the college the Harveian oration. In 1748 he was chosen reader 

 on surgery to the college. This appointment gave rise to his treatise De Anima Medici, which is to 

 be considered rather in the light of a physiological and pathological, than of a metaphysical perform- 

 ance. For so much and such valuable infonnation which Dr. N. had communicated to the college 

 and the world, it was to be expected that no honours would have been thought too great for him by 

 his colleagues ; yet, (such is too often the triumph of envy and intrigue over talents and worth,) on the 

 death of one of the elects, a younger physician from among the fellows tlian himself, much inferior to 

 him, not only in general science, but in every branch of professional knowledge, was chosen to fill up 

 the vacancy. Disgusted at this conduct, he resigned his office of lecturer on surgeiy, and seldom after- 

 wards attended the meetings of the college. On the death of Sir Hans Sloane in 1753, he had the 

 honour of being appointed physician to George II. and when that monarch died, he was present at 

 the examination of his body, and drew up an account thereof. This account is inserted in the 52d 

 vol. of the Phil. Trans, from which it appears that the immediate cause of that sovereign's death was 

 a rupiure of the heart. After this Dr. N. grew weary of practice, and retired to Epsom, where he 

 amused himself with agricultural and botanical pursuits. Although he was always considered to be 

 of a delicate constitution, and was subject to pulmonary complaints, yet the world was not deprived 

 of this ornament of the medical profession until 1778, by which time he had attained his 80th year. 

 Dr. N.'s various communications to the Royal Society are inserted in the 35th, 36th, 37th, 49th 

 and 52d vols, of the Phil. Trans. His life has been written in elegant latinily by Dr. Lawrence,* 

 who has given a full and connected view of Dr. N 's writings, and done ample justice to his various 

 merits in philosophy, anatomy, physiology, and medicine. From that life the above memoir has 

 been abstracted. 



* Franci Nicholkii M. D. Vita; cum Conjeciuris cjusdcm de Nat. et Usu I'artium Hum. Corp. similar. Sctiptore Th. 

 Lawrence M. D. 4to. 1780. 



