Il8 ON THE POISON 



In this bath, which fhould be made fufficlently ftrong to 

 produce a very fenfible irritation on the Ikin, the 

 wounded limb, and a great part of the body, might be 

 placed for half an hour, and repeated as circumftances 

 might direct. We are informed by Font an a, that he 

 found a bath of very warm water exceedingly ufeful ; 

 he fays that it leffened the pain, abated the inflam- 

 mation, and the part bitten did not become fo Hvid 

 and changed. I apprehend that the moderate addition 

 of the nitric acid to this bath, would be a great im- 

 provement : it has been made ufe of fuccefsfully in 

 this place, by Mr. Scott, in fome cafes oi Lues Venerea, 

 and 1 have ufed it in fome bad fores, in this country, 

 with great effect. 



There are a variety of other methods of oxygen- 

 ating the blood, but all of them may not be fo well 

 adapted to remove the difeafe, nor of fuch eafy appli- 

 cation and attainment. I fliould hope, if the fore- 

 going plan be dihgently purfued, it would, in almoft 

 every inftance, be fufficient to effe6ta cure. The blood 

 may be oxygenated through the medium of the lungs, 

 either by expofingthe patient to an atmofphere loaded 

 "with nitric vapours, in the manner recommended by 

 Dr. Charmichael Smyth in contagious difeales *, 

 or a more highly oxygenated atmofphere might be 

 breathed by means of a pneumatic apparatus, adapted 

 lor the purpofe, as recommended by Dr. Beddoes. 



But as this paper has already extended to a greater 

 length than I at firft intended, I, content my felf with 

 barely mentioning thefe methods, and muft refer to the 

 authors tlicmfelves for a particular account of the 

 pra6lice here alluded to. 



• It may be proper to remark, that at the time Dr. C. Smtth 

 made the experiments above alluded to, he was not fufficiently ac- 

 quainted with the materials he was uling, to draw the proper conclu- 

 lions from them ; this, however, cannot affed the utility of the prafticc 

 he recommends. 



I HOPE 



