VOL. LXVI.] PHILOSOJ'HICAL TRANSACTIONS. IQ 



in perfect good health, immediately, almost even before it was got quite into the 

 bottle, called out that she felt the ipecacuanha affect her throat; on which she 

 was immediately seized with the stricture on her breast and difficulty of breathing. 

 She was advised to walk out into the air, to try if that would remove it; but it 

 had little or no effect. She went to bed some little time afterwards; was exceed- 

 ingly ill all night; and between 2 and 3 o'clock next morning, June 4, Dr. S. saw 

 her when she was gasping for breath at a window, was as pale as death, her pulse 

 hardly to be felt, and in short she seemed evidently to be in the utmost danger 

 of suffocation. Seven or 8 oz. of blood were taken from her arm, her feet put 

 into warm water, an anodyne draught with 7 or 8 drops of laudanum given her, 

 and she took frequentlv a table spoonful of oil of almonds. None of these 

 seemed to have the least effect: and she continued much in the same way, with 

 few or no intervals of ease, till about Q o'clock that morning ; when, being in a 

 manner almost exhausted, she fell into a kind of disturbed sleep, the difficulty of 

 breathing with a wheezing noise still continuing with little abatement. She slept 

 some little time, and got out of bed again about i 1 o'clock that forenoon; her 

 breathing still very difficult, and her eyes looked red and a little inflamed. After 

 she got up, she became easier towards the afternoon, and it was then supposed it 

 would go off. Dr. Brown, an eminent physician of Newcastle, happening to 

 be in the neighbourhood, called on Mrs. S. ; and being told what had happened, 

 said he had known a case, pretty much similar, from the same cause; and hoped, 

 as she then seemed better, it would soon go off; recommended to her riding out 

 as soon as she was able, and to be kept open. Towards bed-time the same even- 

 ing, June 4, the difTiculty of breathing returned, and she was again exceedingly 

 ill all night; had flannel cloths wrung out of warm water applied to her feet, 

 breast, and throat, with little or no advantage; was blooded again about 4 o'clock 

 next morning, June 5, and had also a blister applied to the back part of her 

 neck, still continuing to take now and then a spoonful of the oil of almonds. 

 She again fell into some sleep about g in the morning, and continued in bed till 

 between 11 and 12: got up, and was again a little easier during the day; but at 

 night was as bad as ever. And the same scene was continued for 8 days and 

 nights successively; that is, she was generally a little easier from about 1 1 o'clock 

 of the forenoon, though still far from well, till towards 10 or 11 at night, when 

 the shortness of breathing always returned very violently. However, after 8 

 days she began to get better rest at nights; the asthmatic fits were neither so 

 long nor so violent; and in about 14 days from the accident were almost entirely 

 gone off; and at the date of this letter, Aug. 1, 1775, though she was in very 

 good health, she had not then quite recovered her usual flesh, strength, and 

 colour. Besides the abovementioned medicines, she took at times, during the 

 tirst 8 days, small cjuantities of an emulsion of spermaceti, lac. ammon. and 



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