Some Account of a remarkable Case of Tetanus 357 

 ceeds in acidifying the charcoal of the prussic acid ? Either 

 this oxygen will be, like hydrogen, azote and carbon, one 

 of the constituents of the prussic, and which is destroyed ; 

 or it must be supposed that there is a decomposition of 

 water. It is not time vet, as I think, to choose between 

 these two opinions ; but until we have some more light on 

 the subject, I shall say that if we reflect on the circumstances 

 accompanying the production of the prussic acid, we shall 

 adopt in the mean time the opinion of Berthollet in preference 

 to every other hypothesis. " It appears difficult," says that 

 author, " to suppose the existence of oxygen in a substance 

 which contains elements so disposed to form peculiar com- 

 binations with it, as hydrogen and carbon are, and which 

 can frequently support so great a degree of heat, without 

 undergoing decomposition." In truth, in order to admit 

 thai this acid is an oxygenated product, we ought to suppose 

 that such an acid is capable of disputing the oxygen with~ 

 the carbon which envelops it on all handSj and we can/* 

 not do less than place it at the head, not of the acids, but 

 of the oxides, which are known to be the most' ""difficult of 

 reduction. 



L. Some Account of a remarkable Case of Tetanus *. 



^5» C, set. 22, thin and delicate, a glass-cutter by trade, 

 says, that he accidentally trod On a nail which penetrated 

 the bottom of his foot about half an inch.— -It inflamed, 

 continued painful two or three days, and then healed without 

 further trouble. 



Nine days after the puncture, he was attacked with pain 

 in his bowels, with frequent and copious evacuation by 

 stool. This complaint continued till the next day at noon, 

 when it ceased, but left him muoh weakened by the p&rgrnif. 



11th day. — Still sensible of weakness. In the evening 

 returning from his work he got wet through his clothes. 



12th day. — Obliged to put on his wet clothes in the morn- 

 ing; and in returning to his work was again drenched with 



* Communicated by John "JTaiftitbn, Esq, 



Z 3L rain. 



