Mr. Children on some alvine concretions , &c. 25 
afforded him great relief. Medicines of an astringent nature 
were first prescribed, which seemed for a time to be of ser- 
vice, but the diarrhoea ere long increased, extreme emacia- 
tion took place, and a hard circumscribed tumour was dis- 
covered on one side of the abdomen, which, from the thinness 
of the abdominal parietes, Mr. Coultate could distinctly 
feel was an alvine concretion. Clysters were then adminis- 
tered, castor oil given, and the abdomen ordered to be rubbed 
with oil, under the idea of pushing the concretions forward, 
but in vain ; the patient daily became more and more emaci- 
ated, and after about three months attendance he died, on the 
6th of May, completely worn out. His appetite was good, 
or rather almost voracious, even to within a very short time 
of his death. He always felt himself worse after meals. His 
stools, especially for some weeks before he expired, were 
like blood and water. He was confined to his bed for about 
three weeks before he died. On opening the body, the con- 
cretions were found lodged in the arch of the colon, three 
closely compacted together, rather high up on the left side, 
the fourth considerably lower, approaching the termination 
of the colon. The coats of the intestine were much thickened 
and formed into a sort of pouch, where the concretions lay. 
The peritoneum was but little inflamed, the other viscera 
were healthy. The concretion which lay by itself was sawed 
asunder by Mr. Coultate, and contained a plum stone in the 
centre. The body was opened in the presence of the friends 
of the poor boy, and under circumstances which, unfortu- 
nately, prevented Mr. Coultate from making so minute an 
examination as he could have wished, and from pressure of 
business and other unavoidable interruptions, he did not at 
mdcccxxii. E 
