VOL. L.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 221 



to be applied in the evening, to that part of her right side which was pained. 

 Next morning, when the blister was removed, the pain of her side was gone, and 

 her pulse beat only 88 times in a minute, and in 2 days more it came down to 

 78. However, after the blistered part became dry, the pulse rose in one day's 

 time to gOj and continued between that number and QO for 4 days : after which 

 he ordered a large blister to be put between her shoulders. When this plaster 

 was taken off, her pulse beat under QO times in a minute; and next day it fell to 

 76, and the day after to 72. The cough and other symptoms, which were 

 relieved by the first blister, were quite cured by the second. 



2. John Graham, bookbinder, in Edinburgh, aged 37, of a thin habit of 

 body, formerly subject to coughs, and thought to be in danger of a phthisis 

 pulmonalis, having exposed himself unwarily to cold in the night time, was, 

 about the end of January 17 •''6, seized with a bad cough and feverishness ; for 

 which he was blooded, and had a diaphoretic j ulep, a pectoral decoction, and a 

 mixture with gum ammoniacum, and acetum scilliticum, given him by Mr. 

 James Russel, surgeon-apothecary in this place. On the 12th of February, 

 after he had been ill above a fortnight. Dr. W. was desired to visit him. He 

 seemed to be a good deal emaciated ; his eyes were hollow, and cheeks fallen in : 

 he was almost constantly in a sweat ; coughed frequently, and spit up a great 

 quantity of tough phlegm, somewhat resembling pus : his pulse beat from 112 

 to 1 16 times in a minute. In this condition he ordered immediately a blister to 

 be applied between his shoulders, which lessened in some degree his cough and 

 spitting, as well as the frequency of his pulse ; but the blistered part no sooner 

 began to heal, than he became as ill as before, and continued in this bad way 9 

 or 10 days, gradually wasting, with continued sweats, and a great spitting of a 

 thick mucus. During this time he used tinct. ros. and the mixture with gum. 

 ammon. and acet. scill. without any sensible benefit, and had 6 oz. of blood 

 taken away, which was very watery, and the crassamentum was of a lax texture. 

 In this almost desperate condition, another blister larger than the former was 

 put between his shoulders, which remarkably lessened his cough and spitting, 

 and in 2 or 3 days reduced his pulse to 96 strokes in a minute. After this he 

 continued to recover slowly, without the assistance of any other medicine, ex- 

 cept the tinct. ros. and the mixture with gum. ammon. and acet. scill. and he 

 then enjoyed good health. 



3. Mrs. , aged upwards of 40, who had for several years been subject 



to a cough and spirting in the winter months, was in October 17 06, seized 

 with those complaints in a much greater degree than usual ; to remove which 

 she was blooded, and got some attenuating and pectoral medicines from Mr. 

 John Balfour, surgeon-apothecary in Leith. Dr. W. was called on November 

 11th, after she had been ill several weeks, and found her in a very unpromising 



