VOL. XLIV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 293 



ease for some time before and during her pregnancy ; but on the birth of this 

 child she was freed from that disorder. The child, though born dropsic^il, proved 

 otherwise healthy ; and notwithstanding the disease continually increased as she 

 grew up, she lived to be near 23 years of age. 



She was a tall well-proportioned woman, except with regard to the enormous 

 size of her belly ; and for one of so unwieldy a bulk, healthy, brisk, and active. 

 Her appetite was always good, and she was never more than ordinarily thirsty ; 

 had no remarkable difficulty of breathing, not even when she lay supine, nor did 

 her thighs or legs ever swell. Her menses, which appeared at the usual time of 

 life, continued regular, till within 8 months of her death. The only complaint 

 was now and then a pain in making water ; and the quantity she made was com- 

 monly about 4 or 5 oz. 



On the suppression of her catamenia, there succeeded a dyspnoea, loss of ap- 

 petite, emaciation of the superior parts, and a tumefaction of one of her legs 

 with ulcerations. These symptoms gradually increased till her death. 



On taking the dimensions of her body before dissection, they found the cir- 

 cumference of her abdomen to be just 6 feet 4 inches, and from the xyphoid car- 

 tilage to the OS pubis it measured 4 feet and 4- an inch. The cutaneous vessels, 

 distributed on the abdomen, were remarkably large, and distended with blood, 

 and the spurious ribs were pressed greatly outwards and upwards. 



The thorax being laid open, they observed that the diaphragm was forcibly 

 protruded into that cavity. The base of the heart lay under the right clavicle, 

 and its apex on the most convex part of the diaphragm ; which convexity ad- 

 vanced as high up as the 3d superior rib. The lungs were surprisingly small, 

 scarcely exceeding in magnitude those of a new-bom child. The right lobe 

 slightly adhered to the pleura, the left was free, and both were in a sound state. 

 Within the pericardium was found, as usual, a small quantity of liquor, but none 

 in the cavity of the thorax. 



They next perforated the abdomen in the most convenient depending part, 

 and evacuated from thence a surprising quantity of water, which was lightly 

 tinged of a coffee-colour, limpid as urine, and not in the least fetid. This water 

 was carefully measured, and found to be not above a pint less than 30 gallons 

 wine measure, which must weigh, according to the common calculation, near 

 240lb. 



They afterwards made an incision into the abdomen along the linea alba. The 

 integuments on the epigastric region were very thin ; the abdominal muscles 

 much extenuated ; and above the umbilicus the tunica cellulosa contained no fat ; 

 but from the navel to the os pubis, the panniculus adiposus was -i- an inch thick. 

 On dilating the incision, the large membranous bag that contained the water pre- 



