VOL. LXXXI.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 29; 



2 years and 3 months from its first formation, made desperate by the increased 

 violence of the pain, she attempted to tear it from her head; and with much 

 difficulty, and many efforts, at length broke it in the middle, and afterwards 

 tore the root from her head, leaving a considerable depression which still remains 

 in the part where it grew. Its length altogether is about 5 inches, and its cir- 

 cumference at the 2 ends about 1 inch; but in the middle rather less. It is 

 curled like a ram's horn contorted, and in colour much resembling isinglass. 



From the lower edge of the depression another horn is now growing, of the 

 same colour with the former, in length about 3 inches, and nearly the thickness 

 of a small goose quill; it is less contorted, and lies close on the head. A 3d 

 horn, situated about the upper part of the lambdoidal suture, is much curved, 

 above an inch in length, and more in circumference at its root: its direction is 

 backwards, with some elevation from the head. At this place 2 or 3 successive 

 horns have been produced, which she has constantly torn away; but, as fresh 

 ones have speedily followed, she leaves the present one unmolested in hopes ot 

 its dropping off. Besides these horny excrescences, there are 2 tumors, each 

 the size of a large cockle; one on the upper part, the other about the middle of 

 the left side of the head; both of them admit of considerable motion, and seem 

 to contain fluids of unequal consistence; the upper one affording an obscure 

 fluctuation, the other a very evident one. 



The 4 horns were all preceded by the same kind of incysted tumors, and the 

 fluid in all of them was gritty ; the openings from which the matter issued were 

 very small, the cysts collapsed and dried up, leaving the substance from which 

 the horn proceeded distinguishable at the bottom. These cysts gave little pain 

 till the horns began to shoot, and then became very distressing, and continued 

 with short intervals till they were removed. This case is drawn up by the sur- 

 geon who attended the woman for many years, which gave him frequent oppor- 

 tunities of seeing the disease in its different stages, and acquiring an accurate 

 history of its symptoms. 



Mrs. Allen, a middle aged woman, resident in Leicestershire, had an incysted 

 tumor on her head, immediately under the scalp, very moveable, and evidently 

 containing a fluid. It gave no pain imless pressed on, and grew to the size of 

 a ^mall hen's egg. A few years ago it burst, and discharged a fluid; this dimi- 

 nished in quantity, and in a short time a horny excrescence, similar to those 

 above-mentioned, grew out from the orifice, which has continued to increase in 

 size; and in the month of November 1790, the time Mr. H. saw it, was about 

 5 inches long, and a little more than an inch in circumference at its base. It 

 was a good deal contorted, and the surface very irregular, having a laminated ap- 

 pearance. It moved readily with the scalp, and seemed to give no pain on mo- 

 tion; but, when much handled, the surrounding skin became inflamed. This 



