£ 2o6 ^ 



of fixed air in many putrid diforders, efpecially -as 

 it may be fo eafily adminiftered by way of clyfter, 

 where it would often find its way to much of the 

 putrid matter. Nothing is to be apprehended from. 

 the diftention of the bowels by this kind of air, 

 fince it is fo readily abforbed by any fluid or moift 

 fubftance. Since fixed -air is not noxious perfe, but, 

 like fire, only in excefs, I do not>think it at all ha- 

 zardous to attempt to breathe it. It is however 

 •eafily conveyed into the ftomach, in natural or 

 artificial Pyrmont water, in brifkly fermenting li- 

 quors, or a vegetable diet. It is poffible, however, 

 that a confiderable quantity of fixed air might be 

 imbibed by the abforbing veflels of the fkin, if the 

 whole body, except the head, mould be fufpended 

 over a veflel of ftrongly fermenting liquor ; and in 

 fome putrid diforders this treatment might be very 

 falutary. If the body was expofed quite naked, 

 there would be very little danger from the cold in 

 this fituatron, and the air having freer accefs to 

 the fkin might produce a greater efFecT:. Being 

 no phyfician, I run no rifk by throwing out thefe 

 random, and perhaps whimfical, propofals. 



Having communicated my obfervations on fixed 

 air, and efpecially my fcheme of applying it byway 

 of clyjler in putrid diforders, to Mr. Hey, an in- 

 genious furgeon in this town, a cafe presently oc- 

 curred, in which he had an opportunity of giving 

 it a trial ; and mentioning it to Dr. Hird and Dr. 

 Crowther, two phyficians who attended the pa- 

 tient, they approved the fcheme, and it was put 

 m execution: both by applying the fixed air by 

 way of clyfter, and at the fame time making the 

 4 patient 



