397 



MEDICAL 



PAPERS. 



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died under an atigma''^. Dr. Monro^ fen. found it in feve-. 

 ral he diilected, z.n6. ^^ Rolandus Martin'^ Profeffor of Ana- 

 tomy at Stockholm, mentions a very remarkable Inftance 

 of it, where this mucous membrane dcfcendcd into the 

 minuted branches of the trachea arteria, growing thinner 

 as it defcended deeper into the lungs, until it refembled the 

 membrane which lines the fhell of an egg- He adds, that 

 the lungs were not inflamed, nor in the leaf! injured, fo 

 that the infant died merely from the fufFocation. And 

 even thofe who have written of the ulcerous fore throat, 

 as Drs. Huxham and Doug las j and have not given the ap- 

 pearances from difledion, yet have mentioned many mu- 

 cous linings being expedorated, which Douglas compares 

 to the cuticle raifed by verfications, and Huxham con- 

 ceived to be really pieces of the internal membrane of the 

 the trachea. So that this is a circumftance which feems 

 to be peculiar to the difeafe; and I believe thofe who die, 

 on thefecond or third day, with the flrangulated breathing, 

 are generally fufFocated by this membrane. The afFedion 

 therefore, of the mucous glands, muft be confidered as 

 the proximate caufe of this difeafe, and readily accounts 

 for all the other fymptoms; and from it only, efpecially 

 in the beginning of the complaint, can we fafely draw our 

 Indications of cure; paying at the fame time a conftant at- 

 tention to any fymptoms of putrefcency that may occur. 

 z\nd it is from viewing the difeafe in this light only, 



that we can account for the ufe of Mercury in it; a medi- 

 cine, which if we coafider it as a fpafmodic complaint, 

 cannot poffibly have any good efFed:; or if v/e look upon 

 it merely as a putrid difeafe, feems diredly contrary to every 

 intention of cure; but w^hich, neverthelefs, undoubted ex- 

 perience has proved to be highly beneficial. And indeed, if 

 we confider the peculiar acrimony vvdiich this difeafe oc- 

 cafions in the fluids in general, independent of putrefac- 

 tion, and the infpiSation of the mucus of the trachea, wc 

 might reafonably conclude a prior e-^ that Mercury, which 



in general correds acrimony in a very remarkable manner, 



thins 



* See Dr. Withcrii)g'.r Thefis on the Angina Gran^rcnofa. 

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