4p9 PMILOSOPmCAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1748. 



diflferent people. The Doctor says, that at Bologna, the electrical power has 

 been applied to the cure of diseases, as follows. 



A man, who had been for ] 2 months deaf of one ear, with a continual noise 

 in it like the running of water, attended with most violent pain whenever he lay 

 with that ear uppermost, coming to Dr. Verati for advice, the Doctor electrified 

 him, bringing out abundance of fiery sparks around the distempered ear, which, 

 in about 5 minutes that the electrification was continued, became as red as if a 

 blistering plaster had been applied to it. But the redness disappeared in a few 

 minutes after, the patient passed the night with less pain and noise, and was 

 perfectly cured of his disorder. 



A footman belonging to the said Doctor, being taken suddenly ill of a violent 

 pain in the head, which continued many hours, he was electrified, the Doctor 

 causing the sparks of fire to issue from the temple where the pain was felt. The 

 part appeared red, the pain abated, in 3 hours it was entirely gone, and has 

 never returned since. 



A woman that nursed one of the Doctor's children, having had a most grievous 

 disorder in her eyes for some months, with a continual running of water from 

 one of them, and a constant pain over the eye-lid, came to the Doctor for advice, 

 who immediately electrified her, bringing out the fiery sparks about the eye and 

 eye-lid, by which the eye appeared very much blood-shot; but that went off in 

 7 or 8 minutes. The woman felt less pain the following night, and opened her 

 eye in the morning more easily, and without being obliged to wipe it, as she did 

 before : the watery humour and pain were much diminished ; and the Doctor 

 hoped that by repeating the operation twice more, he should be able quite to 

 cure her. 



Dr. Bruni gives next his information from Rome ; that a gentleman there co- 

 vered the internal surface of a cylinder of glass (which some use instead of a 

 globe) with a purgative medicine ; and that a man, electrified with it, found on 

 the spot the same effects as if he had swallowed the medicine. 



A Proposal for Checking in some Degree the Progress of Fire. By the Rev. 

 Stephen Hales, D.D., F.R.S. N° 487, p. 277- 

 Dr. H. placed on 1 garden-pots a dry fir board, of half an inch thick, and Q 

 inches broad , and covered 9 inches length and breadth of it with an inch depth 

 of damp garden earth ; fencing this earth on each side with 1 courses of bricks, 

 to make a fire-place to contain the wood fuel and live coals ;_ which were fre- 

 quently blown with bellows, to keep the fire to a vigorous heat : this was done 

 for 1 hours' continuance, before the fir-board was burnt through ; when there 

 was only a weak lambent flame at the under part of the board ; for it could not 

 flame out for want of proper fuel; because the substance of the board was reduced 



