44 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO J750. 



mouths, and perhaps so early in some, that the disorder was scarcely complained 

 of, till the slough was formed, so quick had it been in its progress. Others 

 again, without any of the preceding symptoms, had only complained of a slight 

 pain in swallowing, succeeded with a hot flesh, feverish pulse, never quick and 

 weak, but as to the stroke quick, and sufficiently full and strong, a short, low, 

 becking, hoarse cough, the patient generally so hoarse as to be difficultly under- 

 stood after a day or two's illness, which sooner or later, for he never could ob- 

 serve any certain period, was productive of a difficult, noisy, and strangulating 

 respiration. These last, especially the former of them, he esteems as the pathog- 

 nomonic symptoms of the real morbus strangiilatorius : the above-mentioned 

 were rather symptomata causae, quam morbi. 



He had not mentioned a foetor oris, which, when it happened, was usually an 

 early symptom, because, though some had it, others had it not. 



This respiration, however agonizing it appeared, had, especially in the begin- 

 ning, its remissions and exacerbations. Its cause could not of course be perma- 

 nent. He took it to be owing to a lodgement of some matter in or about the 

 glottis, and larynx, through which the inspired air is obliged to pass ; while this 

 matter was capable of being expectorated, and happened to be coughed off, the 

 breathing for a time became free, and the patient' was delivered from the utmost 

 seeming distress ; but, on its recollection, which, if the progress of the disorder 

 could not be stopped, never failed to happen, this symptom again occurred, and 

 the patient either died suddenly, or being worn out, or quite dispirited, sank 

 away gradually, or, falling into convulsions, in these expired. 



He was called to a girl of 5 years old. Her tongue was quite clean ; she could 

 move it every way as in health. Nothing morbid was seen in her mouth, or 

 indeed fauces: she had a trifling pain in swallowing, it was felt on depressing 

 the epiglottis for the passing the bole, not sufficient to prevent her from eating 

 bread and butter, biscuit, figs. It was on the 4th day of her disorder she had 

 the strangulating respiration, with a cough exceedingly hoarse. After the use of 

 a stimulating gargle, &c. her cough became stronger, and she threw off a large 

 quantity of white rotten flesh, or membranes, mixed with a slimy adhesive 

 matter; her respiration became so easy, that she seemed to ail nothing. In 3 

 hours it grew again difficult, and gradually increased till it arrived at its former 

 violence. Those about her fancied there was somewhat in the passage which 

 ought to come off: the child gargled, and provoked her cough as far as she was 

 able, but in vain. Her agonies increasing, she said, as well as she was able 

 " I shall be choaked," and in a few minutes died. This case shocked Dr. S., 

 being satisfied, that somewhat very extraordinary and uncommon could only occa- 

 'Sion so sudden, and seemingly, violent a death. 



He had frequently examined the matter those patients had at times spit. 



