VOL. L.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 73 



his coat button-holes, he often held up with his hand, as a signal where he was< 

 Just before the boat came up to him he began to be faint, his eyes became dim, 

 and he thought himself on the verge of sinking. This youth, who by his pru- 

 dence saved himself from drowning, must at that time have been specifically 

 lighter than water. 



F7. An Instance of the Gut Ilmm, Cut through by a Knife. Succes.fuUy 

 Treated by Mr. Peter Tr avers, Surgeon, at Lisbon. Communicated by John 

 Huxham, M. £)., F. R. S. p. 35. 



Aug. 3d, Antonia Josee da Costa, one of the king's messengers, was attacked 

 by 2 men, and, after receiving 2 blows on the head, was stabbed with a knife 

 in the right hypogastric region, about 3 fingers breadth above the os pubis ; the 

 external wound being larger, as the knife was- drawn obliquely towards the navel, 

 and might be an inch and half in length, the perforation through the peritonaeum 

 about 4- of an inch; the intestine ileum hanging out about 10 or 12 inches, and 

 quite pierced through, the wound in the gut being large enough to admit a 

 finger. After clearing the grumous blood with warm water and Hungary water, 

 the uninterrupted suture was made on both perforations ; then dilating the com- 

 mon integuments of the belly, the intestine was reduced, leaving the ends of 

 the 2 threads at the superficies of the wound ; and the external incision was 

 sewed up by the interrupted suture, and common dressings of lint and bandage 

 applied. A clyster was given him immediately after the above operation, of oil 

 of olives, the yolk of an egg, and warm water. 



4th. This day Mr. T. found he had passed in the most excruciating pains, 

 attended with continual vomitings : his fever very high, pulse full and irregular : 

 he was bled 10 oz. this morning, and the like quantity this evening. The 

 clysters were continued thrice a day, with a decoction of wormwood and ca- 

 momile, instead of the warm water, and an anodyne mixture of mint-water, 

 liquid laudanum, and sugar to be taken occasionally ; also 3 oz. of syrup of 

 rhubarb, with an ounce of the fresh drawn oil of sweet almonds, to be taken, a 

 common spoonfull every 2 hours. 



5th. The bleedings were continued twice this day, 3 oz each time, and the 

 clysters were administered as yesterday. His pulse and fever very high ; he 

 vomited some excrements ; and towards night complained of a singultus. 



6th. His bleedings and clysters were continued as before. Finding his sin- 

 gultus and vomiting so very troublesome, he ordered him Dr. Huxham's tinc- 

 ture of the bark ; which was taken, a tea-spoonful, 6 times a day, in a little 

 mint-water ; which greatly relieved him : his singultus and vomiting became 

 less frequent. 



7th. Mr. T. found his skin moist, and pulse . softened. He remained with 



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