122 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1757. 



It will perhaps be needless to take notice, that the lingering nervous tever, 

 of which Lord Walpole died, cannot, with any colour of reason, be ascribed to 

 the large use of soap and lime-waxer ; since, if they could have produced such 

 an effect, they must have done it in much less time than 8 years and a half. 



It may not be amiss to observe, that though soap and lime-water taken in 

 large quantities are no way injurious to health, yet in some cases they may be- 

 come improper, on account of the particular state of the patient. Thus, in a 

 scorbutic or putrid disposition of the humours, soap at least ought to be totally 

 omitted ; and such patients, as are much troubled with the haemorrhoids, ought 

 to be sparing in its use, as the alkaline salt with which it abounds will scarcely 

 fail to exasperate their pain. Where the patient is naturally very costive, less 

 lime-water and more soap ought to be used ; and on the contrary, where the 

 body is too loose, little or no soap is to be taken, but the cure is to be trusted 

 to lime-water alone ; which in this case ought to be drank to the quantity of 2 

 English quarts a day." 



III. Dr. Pringlts Paper read after Dr. fFhytt's Letter, p. 219 



Dr. Pringle begs leave to inform the Society, that having read the copy of 

 his letter, within these few days, to Dr. Shaw, Mr. Hawkins, and Mr. Graham, 

 those gentlemen found his account agreeable to their several observations ; only 

 Mr. Graham took notice that of late years Lord Walpole, in his journies to 

 Norfolk, had twice voided some blood with his urine, but with little uneasiness; 

 and that at other times he had passed some sand and stony particles, though 

 never larger than the head of a small pin, attended with frettings of the parts, 

 scarcely painful. But Mr. Graham was not sure whether these accidents were 

 prior or subsequent to the sequel of the case, communicated to the Society by 

 his lordship. 



Dr. Pringle thinks it may be also proper to acquaint the Society with another 

 circumstance in Lord Walpole's case, which he had both from Dr. Shaw and 

 Mr. Graham, viz. that after using the soap and lime-water for some time, his 

 lordship was freed from a very obstinate dry and scurfy eruption, which had re- 

 sisted several other medicines. But as there were no marks of a putrid scurvy, 

 that species expressly alluded to towards the end of Dr. Whytt's letter, the So 

 ciety will easily understand how the lithontriptic medicines may be prejudicial to 

 one troubled with the true putrid scurvy, such as is most incident to sailors, and 

 yet not be improper for those that are subject to the scurfy eruptions, which are 

 commonly, though erroneously, called scorbutic. 



yiXVll. On the Virtues of Soap in Dissolving the Stone, in the Case of the Rev. 

 Mattliew Simpson. Communicated by John Pringle, M. D., F. R. S. p. 221. 

 This paper gives an account of the relief obtained in the case of the Rev. 



