Mr. H. Earle on the re-establishment of a portion , &c. 301 
John Whitaker, whilst serving on board his Majesty’s 
ship Pylades, off the island of Sardinia, in May 1813, when 
returning on board from Magdalina, fell with one leg on each 
side of the boat, the stem of which injured his urethra so 
much in the perineum, that he was obliged to have the ca- 
theter introduced for above six weeks. From that time he 
continued to experience more or less difficulty in discharging 
the contents of the bladder until the beginning of May, 1819, 
when he was attacked with a sudden retention of urine, which 
was soon followed bv extensive effusion into the cellular 
substance. Before he could obtain surgical assistance morti- 
fication had taken place, and the integuments in the perineum, 
with above an inch of the canal of the urethra, had sloughed 
away. A free vent being thus obtained, the mischief did not 
extend itself to the scrotum. During the healing process, 
the medical gentleman who attended him, made several un- 
successful attempts to unite the integuments over a catheter. 
He came under my care the following August, in Saint 
Bartholomew’s Hospital ; at which time a large smooth 
cicatrix occupied the place of the urethra, no vestige of 
which remained at that part. The mucous membrane of the 
canal was distinctly visible, terminating above, and recom- 
mencing below, the cicatrix. Through the posterior aper- 
ture the whole of the urinal and seminal discharges came 
away, while the anterior portion of the urethra, particularly 
that part which passed behind the scrotum, was encreased in 
density and much contracted, and probably would ultimately 
have been completely obliterated by disuse. 
The man was by trade a carpenter; and, as he was obliged 
to work, it was a very serious inconvenience to him every 
