9 8 Mr. Home’s Obfervations on 
opportunities of feeing the difeafe in its different ftages, and 
acquiring an accurate hiftorv of its fymptoms. 
Mrs. Allen, a middle-aged woman, refident in Leicefter- 
fhire, had an incyfted tumor upon her head, immediately under 
the fcalp, very moveable, and evidently containing a fluid. 
It gave no pain unlefs prefled upon, and grew to the fize of a 
fmali hen’s egg. A few years ago it burft, and difcharged a 
fluid ; this diminifhed in quantity, and in a fhort time a horny 
excrefcence, fimilar to thofe above mentioned, grew out from 
the orifice, which has continued to increafe in fize; and in the 
month of November 1790, the time I faw it, was about five 
inches long, and a little more than an inch in circumference at 
its bafe. It was a good deal contorted, and the furface very 
irregular, having a laminated appearance. It moved readily 
with the fcalp, and feemed to give no pain upon motion ; but, 
when much handled, the furrounding fkin became inflamed. 
This woman came to London, and exhibited herfelf as a fhow 
for money ; and it is highly probable, that fo rare an occur- 
rence would have fufficiently excited the public attention to 
have made it anfwer her expectations in point of emolument, 
had not the circumftance been made known to her neighbours 
in the country, who were much diflatisfied with the meafure, 
and by their importunity obliged her hufband to take her into 
the country. 
That the cafes which I have related may not be confidered as 
peculiar infiances from which no conclufions can be drawn, it 
may not be amifs to take notice of fome of the moft remarkable 
hiftories of this kind, mentioned by authors, and fee how far 
they agree with thofe I have ftated, in the general characters 
that are fufficiently obvious to ftrike a common obferver ; for 
the vague and indefinite terms in which authors exprefs them- 
felves 
