Account of William Dempster ~ 
stomach, and a syringe. Another plan, was to make the knife 
force its own way through the parietes of the stomach and ab- 
domen, and to assist it ultimately by a chirurgical operation. 
This was to be accomplished by the patient’s lying entirely on 
one side, or on his face, when his stomach was empty, so that 
inflammation and suppuration might be excited ; and after ad- 
hesion had taken place, might be aided by the scalpel. We 
know, that a mulberry calculus has repeatedly forced its way 
through the bladder and rectum, through the bladder and peri- 
neum, through the bladder above the pubes, by the patient ha- 
ving been confined for years to bed, and lying in the relative 
postures favourable for such operations of nature; also, that 
many gall-stones have forced their way through the abdominal 
parietes. The only other plan of treatment that I shall men- 
tion, is that which was proposed by the surgeons of the Carlisle 
Dispensary, and was also recommended and sanctioned by one of 
the first surgeons in Europe ; it was, that an incision should be 
made into the patient’s stomach, and the knife extracted. The last 
report of the Carlisle Dispensary contains the following observa- 
tions concerning Dempster. u The surgeons of the Dispensary 
were unanimously agreed as to the best mode of treating this extra- 
ordinary case: they were of opinion, that nothing but an operation 
could save the patient’s life, but he could not be persuaded to 
submit to it.” Heremained in Carlisle until the 28th of December, 
when he left it, with the intention of proceeding to his friends at 
Hammersmith, in the neighbourhood of London. It is proper 
to remark, that his journey was neither recommended nor sanc- 
tioned by the medical officers of the Dispensary ; it was contra- 
ry to their advice ; they apprehended dangerous and fatal con- 
sequences from it, and anxiously wished him to continue in Car- 
lisle. It appears from the public prints, that what they appre- 
hended has, in reality, happened. This unfortunate man was 
prevented from pursuing his journey further than Middlewick 
in Cheshire, where he died on the 16th of January. Inflam- 
mation and gangrene of the stomach having been produced by 
the irritation of the knife and the jolting of the conveyance in 
his journey.” The celebrated surgeon above alluded to, who 
recommended an operation, stated, that he was decidedly of 
©pinion, that an incision should be made into the person’s 
