482 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1779. 



3 or 4 times in the year. Various methods were tried to eradicate this complaint 

 without effect ; nor did the appearance of the menses, as there was reason to 

 hope, in the least turn out in her favour. It will be needless to relate here the 

 various medicines which had been given her with little or no success, except that 

 the most relief she found was from the use of salt water, which was thought to 

 make the intervals the longer in 2 or 3 instances, as well as the appearance of the 

 eruption milder. Things continued thus till the autumn 1773, when the menses 

 became obstructed, continuing so for some months, but appeared once more 

 very plentifully ; after which they never returned, neither did the eruption, ex- 

 cept in the most trifling manner. About Christmas 1773 she complained of a 

 weight in the abdomen, and fulness of the stomach ; which symptoms were re- 

 lieved by some gentle opening medicines. She then went on a visit to some 

 friends at a distance, after which Mr. L. saw her no more for 1 months. He 

 learned, that during that time the complaints had returned more violent, for 

 which sha consulted a physician on the spot, but without the relief she found at 

 first ; for the abdomen began to increase in size every day, and became painful, 

 the urine high coloured, and in small quantity, with thirst, and every other 

 symptom of an approaching dropsy. 



In a narrative of this kind it might be expected, that a detail of the medicines 

 she took during her illness might be noted ; but Mr. L. chiefly acted in his sur- 

 gical capacity, and as she was after this time, till the first operation, for the 

 most part in London, under the care of physicians of the first eminence, it was 

 out of his power to give such an account ; suffice it then to say, that she was 

 obliged to submit to the operation of the paracentesis the 27th of June, 1774. 

 The quantity he then drew off" was only 12 pints, somewhat fetid, but not very 

 dark coloured, nor was it ever after the least offensive. The operation was re- 

 peated in 6 weeks, when 29 pints were taken oft'; after that time once in 4 

 weeks to the end of the year. During the whole of the year 1775, Mr. L. 

 tapped her once in a fortnight more or less ; and in the year 177(> she for the 

 most part underwent the operation every 8 or 9 days, the intervals gradually 

 shortening, till by the end of the year she could go no longer than a week be- 

 tween, which continued to the day of her death, which happened May 14, 1778, 

 being then not quite 23 years of age. About a week before that tniie, she was 

 troubled with incessant vomitings, which nothing would relieve ; but was better 

 a few hours before her death, and went oft' pretty easy. 



Mr. L. had good reason to suppose the complaint originated from a disease of 

 the left ovary, for after the first tapping he felt a substance of the size oi a cricket 

 ball ; and, as the operations went on, this became more and more manifest, in- 

 creasing so much as at last to occupy the whole space of the abdomen forward, 

 being of a very irregular form, and he was clear of many pounds weight, for she 



