TOL. L.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 159 



XLIX. A Remarkable Case of the Efficacy of the Bark in a Mortification, 

 By Mr. Richard Grindall, Surgeon to the London Hospital, p. 379- 



June 28, 1757, Mary Alexander, aged 31, was brought into the London 

 hospital, having a mortification in both hands, which reached 1 inch and -l 

 above the wrists. All her toes, and about 1 inch of 1 foot beyond the last 

 joint, were mortified ; her nose was also destroyed by a mortification ; and all 

 these happened at the same time. On inquiry into the cause of this misfortune, 

 Mr. G. found, that on the 30th of May she was seized with a quotidian ague, 

 which usually began about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and lasted nearly 2 hours ; 

 succeeded by a hot fit, and then a violent sweat. And in this manner she was 

 afflicted 7 days without afiy material alteration ; when, being informed by a 

 neighbour, of a person who had an infallible remedy for the cure of an ague, 

 she applied to him. He brought her 2 phials, containing about 1 ounce and 4. 

 each, of a pale yellowish liquor ; one of which he directed her to take directly, 

 promising that she should have no return of the fit of consequence ; and that if 

 she had any small return, the 2d bottle should cure her effectually. In conse- 

 quence of which she took one dose, which was at the time the cold fit had been 

 on about ^ of an hour : she had no sooner swallowed it, but, as she said, her 

 stomach was on fire, and felt as if she had swallowed the strongest dram possible. 

 The cold fit left her instantly ; but she was immediately seized with so violent a 

 fever, as to make her burn, and be extremely thirsty, the following night, till 

 the next morning, when a sweat a little relieved her from the violent heat. 

 When she rose in the morning, she was much troubled with an itching in the 

 hands, feet, and nose ; and soon after all those parts began to feel numbed, or, 

 as she described it, as if her hands and feet were asleep ; which she took but 

 little notice of, till the evening of that day, when she found the nails of both 

 hands and feet were turning black, and, at the same time feeling great pain in 

 both, as also in her nose, and that they appeared of a darkish red colour, like 

 the skin in cold weather. Whereupon at 9 o'clock that night she sent for an 

 apothecary, from whom, Mr. G. had been informed, the person before menti 

 oned had bought the medicine which he gave her. The apothecary was not at 

 home ; his journeyman went, and finding the woman had a difficulty of breath- 

 ing, ordered her a mixture with spermaceti and ammoniacum to be taken occa- 

 sionally. The apothecary did not see her himself till the l6th of June, when 

 finding her in a very bad condition, that her hands, and feet, and nose, were 

 entirely black, and had many vesicles or small bladders on them, filled with a 

 blackish bloody water ; he opened them, and let out the fluid, and dressed them 

 with yellow basilicon ; and in this manner continued treating her till the 20th of 



