190 Sir Everard Home on the coagulation by heat 
orifice was marked by a single drop of coloured serum. In 
half an hour intense pain was felt in the thigh ; but this was 
not only removed in ten minutes by 20 drops of laudanum, 
but the thigh and leg became more easy than they had been 
for the previous twelve hours, and the throbbing in the sac 
was reduced to an undulation. 
This application of heat was not resorted to till the 28th 
day after taking up the femoral artery, in which time the 
swelling had increased in size very considerably. The man 
was 43 years of age, had served 18 years in the 14th dragoon 
guards, and was a hard drinker. For two days the tumour 
was easy, and the pulsation had become less under the punc- 
tured part than higher up towards the belly. The tumour 
not diminishing, the operation was repeated on the 34th day 
from tying the artery ; the needle and bar of steel double 
the size of those before used, and the application continued 
35 minutes. The internal heat was greater than before, and 
the pulsation in the tumour much diminished. The needle 
was with difficulty withdrawn, a coagulum as hard as sealing- 
wax the size of a pin's head being firmly attached to the 
middle of the needle. The pain the operation produced sub- 
sided in ten minutes ; the internal heat continued 24 hours, 
and the tumour had now a solid feel : he was quite easy for 
two days, but on the third the pain and pulsation returned, 
also the inward pain in a still greater degree than while the 
needle was immersed, and the tumour was extremely tense. 
Under these circumstances, on the 44th day after tying the 
femoral artery, I repeated the application of the acu puncto- 
rium with a needle and steel double the size of those last 
employed : the heat felt internally was very great, but the 
