who swallowed a large knife. $25 
copious black dejection. The wound was regularly dressed twice 
a-day ; he was allowed a very strict diet, and his drink was mo- 
derately warm : bowels were kept open by injections ; urine 
continued tinged with blood until the 13th. On the 15th of 
July, and the 7th after the operation, he was pronounced out 
of danger. On the 16th, he took a little infusion of rhubarb, 
with syrup, as an aperient. The same treatment and dressing 
were continued until the 23d of July, which was the 14th day 
after the operation, when the wound had healed, and nothing oc- 
curred afterwards worthy of notice. He was restored to the best 
of health,— gradually returned to his ordinary diet and employ- 
ment, and never afterwards complained of pains in his stomach. 
In the fifth volume of Jones’s edition of the Philosophical Trans- 
actions, Dr W. Oliver informs us, that, in 1685, he was at Ko- 
ningsberg in Prussia, where he saw the knife that was swallowed 
by the Prussian boor. It was kept in a velvet-bag in the King 
of Prussia’s library. According to the engravings given of it 
he says, it measured six inches and a-half long, English mea- 
sure, Beckher says, the knife “ decern pollicum latitudinem adse- 
quabat.” Dr Oliver met with a Mr Taylor, a Scotch merchant 
at Koningsberg, who told him, that Andrew Grunbeide was his 
particular friend and acquaintance; that he saw his wound 
several times when his surgeons dressed him, and was godfa- 
ther to one or two of his children afterwards. 
It is much to be regretted, that William Dempster could 
neither be prevailed upon to submit to an operation, nor to re- 
main in Carlisle. As an operation succeeded near two centu- 
ries ago, when surgery was in a very imperfect state, it is highly 
probable, that, under the present improved state of surgery, a 
similar operation would have been attended with success. The 
many valuable improvements that have been introduced into 
surgery, both in the opeiati\e part, and in the subsequent mode 
of treatment, must give the moderns a decided advantage over 
the ancients, in the success of their operations. Had he remain- 
ed in Carlisle, even although no operation had been performed, 
it is very probable, his life would have been spared much 
longer than it actually was. He became weak and emaciated ; 
but, as has been before stated, was able to walk about the town! 
and the stomach had, in some degree, become accustomed to 
