Dr. Hamilton’s Account , Sec. 57 ^ 
bleeding, purging, and the warm-bath had been the 
means ufed for his relief. He added, that the catheter 
could never be introduced into his bladder from the firft 
attack; that the firft figns of relief were a few involun- 
tary drops of urine iffuing from the urethra, after which 
followed a fmall thread-like ftream, which continued to 
run until the bladder was a little more than half emp- 
tied; tor he did not think that his urine had at any time 
been perfectly difeharged, during the thirteen years he 
had been afflicted with this painful diforder. He con- 
cluded with telling me, that in other refpe< 51 s he had 
enjoyed good health; and that the prefent fuppreffion 
had been brought on by hard riding on a journey he had 
undertaken to go exprefs. 
This man was in a very diftreffed condition... His- 
bladder was diftended. to an enormous fize, refembling 
the gravid uterus at that late period of geftation, when 
the fundus reaches above the navel ; to luch a degree was 
it dilated by the repeated fuppreflions of urine for fo 
many years. His pulfe. was fmall and quick ; he had 
been troubled . with a hiccup for many hours, and had 
vomited every thing he had taken from the firft day of 
his illnefs. His head and face. were emphyfematous from 
ftraining ; and the cellular membrane, was fo much in- 
flated, that he could . not open his eye-lids. He was at- 
tended by two furgeons, who had ufed bleeding, opiates, 
clyffers, fomentations,. and the warm-bath, without any 
benefit; and. they had repeatedly attempted to intro> 
duce catheters of different fizes, without fuccefs; that 
inffrument, having palled without refinance to the neck 
Vol, LXVI. 4 G of. 
