VOL. XLVIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 481 



Immediately after the amputation, bits of agaric were applied to the mouths of 

 the vessels, and on them soft layers of lint ; all of which were covered with a 

 pledgit of tow spread with digestive, and were properly secured on by the com- 

 mon bandage. About 3 or 4 minutes after he was rolled up, and put to bed, Mr, 

 W. discovered the blood to discharge freely through the dressings; on which, he 

 tightened the tourniquet, in expectation of stopping the bleeding, but it ap- 

 peared evidently to increase it. Seeing this uncommon effect, Mr. W. quite 

 slackened the tourniquet; on which, the bleeding immediately ceased. This he 

 was led to from a supposition, that the veins had probably suffered so great 

 a compression from the instrument, as to be incapable of returning that blood, 

 which was carried to the neighbouring parts by the collateral arteries arising from 

 the principal trunk, above the ligature. But whether this was the true reason, or 

 not, he would not take upon him to determine : however the fact was, that the 

 bleeding immediately ceased, and did not return again. 



The patient was dressed on the 4th day after the operation, and the whole of 

 the agaric was removed. Since that time he had been treated in the common 

 method, without any further use of the agaric. The patient had very little fever, 

 or pain, after the operation. He had a fair prospect of doing well. 



Case 1. — Elizabeth Hillier, a very lusty woman, 38 years of age, had her 

 breast cut ofFon the 7th of May, 1754. The wound was large, and bled freely 

 from several considerable arteries. Mr. W. made use of no other method to 

 stop the bleeding, than the application of pieces of agaric to the mouths of the 

 vessels, which were properly secured on by a flannel roller, after being first co- 

 vered with lint, and a pledgit of tow spread with digestive. The symptomatic 

 fever was very slight • she had been quite free from those painful spasms which 

 constantly arise from ^e use of the ligature : there had not been the smallest 

 loss of blood since the operation. 



Her wound was dressed on the 4th day, when the whole of the agaric came 

 away: it was afterwards treated in the common method. She was in a very fair 

 way of recovery. 



Case 3. — George Whitmore, aged 12 years, had his leg cut off, below the 

 knee, on the 13th of May, 1754. The agaric and dressings were applied as in 

 the preceding cases, which has answered perfectly well in all respects. The tour.p 

 niquet was quite removed in 10 minutes after the operation ; he had very little 

 fever, restlessness, or pain. His wound was dressed on the 5th day, and the 

 whole of the agaric was removed. He was as well as could be expected. 



Case 4. — Richard Barnat, aged 54, had his leg cut off, below the knee, on 

 the 21st of May, 1754. Mr. W. made use of no other methods to stop the 

 bleeding than the agaric, which was applied as in the preceding cases. Imme- 

 diately after the operation, the patient was put to bed, antl the tourniquet let 



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