VOL. LXXV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 6'27 



one, from there being an opening in the side of what appeared at first the only 

 cavity, which led to another cavity, almost equally large with the first, so that if 

 all the water in any operation had not been evacuated, it must probably have been 

 owing to a difficulty in its passage from the 2d into the first or more external cyst. 

 From the size, however, of the woman after each operation, it is evident that 

 there being 2 sacs did not prevent the total drawing off of the water. The other 

 viscera appeared all in a natural state. The intestines were quite empty, and 

 pushed up under the ribs, so as to have left but very little room for the expan- 

 sion of the lungs within the thorax. The bladder was contracted, or rather it 

 appeared lessened. The kidneys were healthy, and both ureters in a natural state. 

 The sac is in the collection of John Hunter, esq. 



In reflecting on this case, an obvious question arises ; whence proceeded this 

 immense collection of water ? At different periods of this woman's life the quan- 

 tity drawn off, without considering the urine she made, was much greater than 

 the fluids she drank, which appeared from measuring whatever she took. It ap- 

 pears then pretty certain, that this superabundant quantity must have been taken 

 into the body by absorption ; and if we allow the bodies of animals to have this 

 power of absorbing, which we very well know vegetables are possessed of, it will 

 account for many appearances in the animal economy. Hence also appears the 

 reason why this woman collected faster in the wet moist months of winter, than 

 in summer. From all, this happy conclusion may be drawn, that though human 

 art is at present insufficient to the perfect cure of diseases similar to this woman's 

 case, yet nature is continually defending herself from sudden death ; and such 

 relief may be granted as to protract life a long time without much pain, and often 

 with intervals of great ease and comfort. 



XL. Method of finding Curve Lines from the Properties of the Variation of the 

 Curvature. By Nicholas Landerbeck, Adjunct Professor of Mathematics at 

 Upsal. p. 477- 



This is a 2d part to the paper on this subject noticed in p. 456 of this vol. ; 

 but omitted for the same reason as there given. 



END OF VOL. SEVENTY-FOUR OF THE ORIGINAL. 



/. Of an Artificial Spring of Water. By Erasmus Darwin, M. D. F. R. S. 



Vol. 75, Anno 1785. p. 1. 



Near my house, says Dr. D., was an old well, about 100 yards from the river 

 Derwent in Derby, and about 4 yards deep, which had been many years disused 



4 L 2 



