VOL. XLI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 493 



and soon after the whole abdomen swelled, but more in the left than in the 

 right side. She complained frequently of severe pains in her bowels, which 

 in time became so violent, that she had neither ease nor sleep, but by taking 

 large quantities of opium. During her illness, she made very little urine, and 

 was so costive, that she had seldom any stools but by the help of purges or 

 clysters : the former gave her always pain, and the greatest relief she found 

 was from emollient clysters that emptied the intestines. Her thighs and legs, 

 were not swelled, but these and other parts of the body were much emaciated. 

 In this unhappy condition the poor woman lived about 2 years Q months, and 

 died on the 17th of November. Dr. G. adds, that before this accident of the 

 strain, she had always enjoyed a tolerable good share of health ; and seldom 

 made any complaint, but of missing her menstrua. 



On viewing the naked body, the abdomen was vastly distended, and most at 

 the navel. The swelling was unequal, the left side being more swelled than 

 the right ; and there appeared a very distinct protuberance all along the left epi- 

 gastrium : this protuberance was much softer than the other parts of the belly, 

 which were so hard, that on pressure, they did not pit. 



On opening the body, the following observations were made : 

 The membrana adiposa was very thin, and the abdominal muscles were much 

 extenuated by the great distention, as is usual in like cases. 



The peritonaeum, which was the chief seat of the distemper, and the princi- 

 pal part to be taken notice of, was grown to so monstrous a thickness, that its 

 section at the navel was 5 inches and -rV ths ; and it was of the same thickness 

 below, but somewhat thinner above it. All over the peritonaeum, and through- 

 out the whole, there appeared a prodigious number of glands ; and the space 

 between one gland and another was filled with a white spongy flesh. Some of 

 these glands were round, others oblong ; many of them were as large as a 

 goose's egg, others about the size of a pigeon's egg, and some less ; the largest 

 being on the left side. Their internal substance was destroyed, and only the 

 external membranes left, whose cavities were full of liquors of different colours 

 and consistence : some contained a thin whitish humour, others a pellucid 

 viscous gelly, like the white of an egg, and some a white thick matter, like 

 pus. As the contents of these glands thus differed, so did their membranes ; 

 some were very thin, others thicker, and many of them were become cartila- 

 ginous. In general, those having thin membranes, contained a thin whitish 

 liquor ; and those that were cartilaginous, a thick white matter like pus. Their 

 internal surface was quite smooth, and none of their cavities had any communi- 

 cation with each other ; nor could the matter be pressed out, without opening 

 them with a knife. 



