790 
NEURALGIA, OIl RHEUMATISM, 
tive of a deep groan, and an aggravation of his pain. In a minute 
or so this would die away, and he would lie reposing at apparent 
ease for some time, accompanied by a lowering of the pulse of 
some ten or twenty beats per minute. His appetite was remark- 
ably good, and the mastication quick and ravenous. Still, from the 
high degree of constitutional irritability present, and the length of 
time that had elapsed, I regarded the case as hopeless, and felt re- 
luctant to prolong the poor brute’s sufferings. The owner, however, 
urged me to try some experiment. At last, the full assurance that 
T could not aggravate his misery overcame my better feelings, and, 
marking the unusual fulness of the vascular system, the strong tone 
of the pulse, and unimpaired appetite, I bled from the jugular vein, 
to the amount of six quarts, in a full stream, which proved very 
difficult to arrest. I next proceeded to place a rowel in each thigh, 
and gave him drachm doses of opium every twelve hours, in com- 
bination with digitalis a scruple, Barb, aloes half a drachm, and gen- 
tian root two drachms. I also applied a strong blister extensively 
over the loins, and afterwards turpentine liniment. In a week 
there was an evident amendment; the system was more tranquil. 
I now substituted for the Barb, aloes half-drachm doses of the chlo- 
ride of mercury, and continued the other treatment. 
July 10/A. — The amendment continues. The breathing is com- 
paratively tranquil, and the pulse lowered to 110 beats per minute. 
There still remains the spasmodic action of the hind limbs, and 
inability to stand tranquil. Omit the digitalis, and add to the 
other medicine drachm doses each of the sulphate of iron and 
copper. 
14/A. — No very important change has taken place since the 
last report. Continue the medicine, substituting for the calomel 
half-drachm doses of Barbadoes aloes. 
19/A. — Decidedly worse ; pain almost unbearable ; perspiration 
profuse ; pulse and breathing fearfully increased ; urine, which all 
along has been high-coloured and voided at frequent intervals in 
small quantities, is now ejected more frequently, the bowels dis- 
charging a bloody sanious fluid. I now determined, as a dernier 
resort, to try the effects of the vomic nut in powder, and proceeded 
to give drachm doses of it in combination with the extract of 
belladonna 5 j, camph. 3 ), carb. ammon. ^ij, gent. p. sij, zingib. p. $j, 
ever } 7 twelve hours, in the form of ball. 
At the expiration of three days there appeared as if some magic 
had been wrought, for my patient was no longer the poor, helpless, 
dying brute he was some few days before. His pulse had fallen 
to somewhat under 100 ; the breathing w r as comparatively tranquil ; 
the gait steady, and the bowels, which had been stimulated with 
chloride of soda, and afterwards with a solution of chloride of lime, 
