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THE EFFECT OF CAMPHOR. 
The V ET ERIN A RIAN, in which you will find that I attributed the 
pulse becoming wiry to the camphor which I had administered. 
I perceive that you are rather doubtful as to its either pro¬ 
ducing that or any other salutary effect; but as I am not at 
the present moment prepared to enter into any controversy re¬ 
garding camphor, or its effects, I shall content myself by briefly 
giving my opinion —an opinion deduced from actual observation, 
and from the habit of very frequently administering it. 
In the first place, I have been in the constant practice of 
giving it (for the last twelve years) in all cases of chronic cough, 
with a decided advantage over every other remedy, and, in fact, 
when every other had failed. It is also my practice to admi¬ 
nister camphor after the severity of pneumonic affections has 
in a great measure subsided ; and, in my opinion, in all the cases 
in which it has been given, great advantage has resulted from 
its exhibition. 
In these last cases I have remarked that the pulse has become 
wiry, from the effect of camphor; for when I have suspended 
the use of the camphor for twenty-four hours, I have observed 
the pulse restored to the state it was in previously to the admi¬ 
nistration of that drug, and I have likewise produced a wiry 
pulse in six or eight hours after the exhibition of camphor. 
I shall now proceed with the cases to which I have referred. 
CASE I. 
On the morning of the 14th January last, I was called up to 
go and see a horse belonging to Mr. W., coal-merchant of this 
town, which they said had hurt itself during the night, for they 
found the halter broken, and imagined he must have fallen in 
some way or other; but upon seeing the animal, I immediately 
perceived the case to be anasarca. The near hind leg and thigh 
were much swollen, and very hot, and painful to the touch. I 
ordered the smith to bleed him in the foot, which was, after 
great difficulty, accomplished, the parts being so sore and stiff 
as scarcely to allow the leg being lifted up. I gave ^ii of the 
common diuretic mass, and ordered continued fomentations of 
hot water, mash diet, &c. 
15M.—Tumefaction increased to a considerable extent, and 
the sheatff seven or eight times its natural size. I gave a quart 
of a strong decoction of the broom, and ordered the fomentations 
to be continued. 
16^^.—]Vo alleviation; tumefaction rather increased both in 
the extremity and sheath, and a slight effusion under the belly. 
Repeated the decoction, and the fomentations also to be con¬ 
tinued. 
