[ r 9 6 ] 
either of which he was incapable of doing without 
being fupported. The left fide of the thorax inclined 
forwards, and protuberated in a peculiar manner, fo 
as to give the head and trunk an horizontal pofture ; 
in which pofition of the body, the weight of the con- 
tained fluid inofl certainly was, in part, prevented 
from prefling fo forcibly upon the left portion of the 
diaphragm, the mediaflinum, and the right portion 
of the lungs, as it muft neceflarily have done in a 
more ereeft pofition of the body. He had one fym- 
ptom, which I had never before obferved in patients 
labouring under this complaint ; that is, he was in- 
capable of lying on his back, without bringing on 
very alarming threats of fuftocation ; but he did not 
remember ever to have heard any noife or rattling of 
the pus upon motion. He could lie molt conveni- 
ently on his left fide ; but even that pofture was of 
late become very painful to him. In fhort, he could 
find no tolerable pofture to put his body into, but 
that of inclining it confiderably forwards, which (I 
have already obferved) he was under a neceflity of 
doing, to enable him to draw his breath ; and I dare 
venture to fay, that, upon attending to the fubfe- 
quent part of the hiftory of this poor mortal’s cafe, 
the reafon, why fuch effects fliould be produced from 
fuch a caufe, will very readily occur to thofe, who 
have a moderate degree of knowlege of the formation 
and ufes of thefe parts of the human body. Upon 
making an inciflon upon the moft prominent part of 
the fpace betwixt the ioth and i ith rib, in the cavity 
of the thorax of the left fide, at leaft eight Winches- 
ter quarts of a thin yellow matter, not at all foetid, 
was difeharged upon the fpot in a full ftream : the 
matter 
I 
