1821.] 
Medical and Agricultural Reports , 
drama. 
Drury Lane. The success at this 
theatre of the petty pieces of Monsieur 
Tonson and Geraldi Duval, together 
with the long continued repetitions of 
the Coronation , leave us little more to 
say respecting its late career, than that 
its representations during the past 
month have attracted respectable audi¬ 
ences ; and that the state of its treasury 
is consequently improved much beyond 
any expectations that certain periods 
of the two last seasons would have insti¬ 
lled. ? 
Covent Garden. Here, again, un¬ 
fortunately for those who visit the thea¬ 
tres for rational amusement and food 
lor meditation, the raree-show of a eo- 
363 
ronation has been deemed an eligible 
sueeedaueum for the sensible vivacity 
and solid riches of the comic or tragic 
muse, and has been made the apo¬ 
logy for reviving, under the title of 
The Exile , a piece little interesting in 
its plot and incidents, and by no means 
entitled to boast of the brilliancy or 
elegance of its dialogue. The addi¬ 
tional music thrown into this almost 
forgotten opera, and the new scenery 
and decorations, which for the repre¬ 
sentations ol a royal solemnity could 
not be too glittering and gaudy, have, 
however, given a new gilding to this 
dull drama, and furnished it with a 
passport to public encouragement which 
till now it never enjoyed. 
MEDICAL REPORT. 
Report of Diseases and Casualties occurring in public and private Practice 
of the Physician who has the care of the Jf estern District of the City Dispensary. 
C l HOLER A still continues prevalent, and 
/ in some cases, the collapse which at¬ 
tends this disease in its state of urgent spasm, 
is succeeded by an inflammatory irritation, 
especially of the peritoneal investment of 
one or other of the viscera which modifies the 
malady to the extent almost of changing its 
character. It is seldom in these cases that 
large and general detractions of blood arc 
admissable, since the inflammatory affection 
still partakes of the spasmodic essence by 
which it has been engendered, and copious 
blood-letting rather serves to lessen power 
than diminish impetus. 
Rheumatism, also, is another disease that 
still continues prevalent, notwithstanding that 
we are so far removed from the vernal period. 
The reporter has now tried pretty extensively 
the effects oi colchicum seeds in this intracta¬ 
ble disease ; and occasionally with signal 
success. According to his own observations 
on this valuable addition to the articles of the 
materia medica, he would state that its effi¬ 
cacy is either so remarkable as to call forth 
expressions oi gratitude from the recipient, or 
that it is administered with almost no effect 
—and he has been surprised at this wide dif¬ 
ference in result irom its exhibition under ap¬ 
parently similar circumstances, both of ma¬ 
lady and patient. One decided advantage 
that the seeds possess over other parts of the 
plant, is that to which Dr. Williams so parti¬ 
cularly alludes, viz. its innoxious nature upon 
the constitution, even when it removes the 
complaint. 
A gentleman is at this moment sitting by 
the writer, who has experienced decided bene¬ 
fit in a violent face ache, (most probably 
originating from a carious tooth) by putting 
a drop or two of the Prussic acid into the 
hollow of die tooth affected, and taking two 
drops of the same internally upon retiring to 
rest. Tins is not the first nor the second case 
in which the potent medicine referred to 
has effected relief from tooth-ache, and its 
success has been so great as to induce this no¬ 
tice and recommendation of its virtues. 
Among his dispensary patients, the reporter 
has one who is at the same time affected with 
the leprosy, and t he itch—the Lepra vulgaris 
and scabies of authors. Are these, in the pre¬ 
sent instance, children of one family, or are 
they the results of two specific contagions? 
To the former opinion the writer inclines, and 
with all liis respect for the talents and industry 
of those individuals who have attempted to 
draw the demarking lines between dermoid 
affections, he cannot help thinking that their 
geographical charts are occasionally mapped 
out with nn ideal minuteness. 
Let the reader who wishes to he instructed 
on the subject of nosological assumption, and 
is moreover desirous of obtaining correct views 
respecting the nature of pestilential distem¬ 
pers, consult an admirable work on these 
points, just published by Dr. Hancock—a work 
which is rich in research, and satisfactory in 
reasoning. I). UYVINS, M.D. 
Bedford Row, Oct. 24 , 1821 , 
MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
T HE barn floor having been in exten¬ 
sive use since our last, the crops may 
be spoken ot, both in respect to quality and 
hull;, witJj considerably greater certainty, 
Few samples indeed, of the new wheats 
have proved fit for the miller's use, being- 
generally, the best of them, cold in hand 
and soft, and wanting many months sweat- 
