Hoivrah Hospital Report for 1846. 517 



with' groaning, pulse weak, tongue dry, skin moist ; he lapses at 

 times into a comatose state, and is not aroused by loud speaking, his 

 features remaining tranquil ; he was treated with calomel and opium, 

 sinapisms to the back, leeches applied high up on the chest ; locked- 

 jaw speedily supervened, attended by convulsive contraction of the 

 fingers, and throwing back of the head and gasping for breath ; severe 

 abdominal pain and constriction of the throat preceding these spasms. 

 During two days he took seven doses of tinct. hemp, the doses gra- 

 dually increased up to 30 drops, after which he slept ; other means 

 were used, such as aperients, turpentine enemata, setting him over 

 steam whilst enveloped in a blanket, blister to nape of neck. He 

 constantly refers to his throat as the seat of pain, pulse rapid, bowels 

 well moved. At times fits come over him, of a few minutes' duration, 

 and of frequent recurrence, in which, with closed eyelids and repos- 

 ing features, the teeth become closed and the fingers contracted, the 

 pulse during the time being slightly retarded, the pupils active, the 

 attention not to be aroused ; he then seems to awake out of the state, 

 sighing, and panting for breath, pointing to his throat as if feeling 

 sore : tinct. hemp was again administered on the 3rd day. On the 

 evening of the 4th day felt comparatively well, and recovered shortly. 



In two other cases occurring in Europeans, one aged 30, the 

 other 35 years of age, in both of which anxiety of mind and 

 much exposure to the sun and wet weather seem to have con- 

 curred in the production of the disease, the symptoms were 

 as follow : paroxysms of lancinating pain in the back of short 

 duration, recurring at short intervals, making the patient 

 scream out ; the slightest movement and the action of vomiting 

 bring on severe cutting pain in the dorsal spine, the pain dur- 

 ing the paroxysms extends upwards to the neck and occiput, 

 attended with constriction and uneasiness about the throat 

 and jaw, and with difficulty of breathing, speaking, and swal- 

 lowing ; there is heat of head, quickened pulse, incessant 

 thirst, vomiting, the skin perspiring. In one of the cases the 

 head and back were convulsively retracted during the pa- 

 roxysms of pain, and cramps in the muscles of the legs were 

 felt. Recovery took place in each of these cases, after a few 



