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XL An uncommon Anatomical Ohfervation 
addrejjed to the Royal Society^ by John 
Baptift Paitoni, Phyjician at Venice : 
Tranjlated from the Italian. 
Y duty as phyficlan to the ma- 
giftrate of health obliging me to 
be prefent at the opening of the bodies of thofe who 
die fuddenly, in order to examine into the hidden 
caufes of their deaths, gives me frequent opportuni- 
ties of obferving remarkable and lingular ph^enome- 
na j one of thefe, which (amongft many others) I 
remarked in the courfe of the prefent year at the 
dilTeilion of a young woman, I do myfelf the honor 
of communicating to this Society; nor do I doubt its 
being received with indulgence by them, when I con- 
lider that the Royal Society was inflituted for the 
moft laudable end of the improvement of arts and 
fciences, and that of rendering them feviceable to 
mankind. As the Pbilofophical Tranfadions are fuf- 
ficient proofs of this, I cannot but believe that an 
uncommon anatomical ohfervation mull be accepta- 
bfe to them. 
The fubjed of this ohfervation was a woman of 
about 25, of a fwarthy complexion, who had from 
her infancy been fubjed to a troublefome convuhive 
cough, and fhortnefs of breath upon any extraordinary 
exercile ; notwithftanding which, (he was to all out- 
ward appearances of a hale and (Irong conffitution, 
having a regular and plentiful difcharge of her men- 
ftruaj 
Read Feb. 14, 
1765. 
