288 
was a woman rather advanced in life, there 
was reafon to believe, had been addiéted to 
habits which particularly injure the hepatic 
fyftem. In feveral, the difeafe terminated 
within the fir week: in the greater part of 
thefe, there had been an opportunity of admi- 
niftering an emetic foon after its commence- 
ment. The decided power of emetics, in 
cutting fhort the féver, or in rendering it 
more mild in its fymptoms, was ftrikingly 
exemplified in a variety of inftances. A ftate 
ef watchfulnefs and irritation was more than 
ufually common, and proved exceedingly aif- 
trefling. During the firt ftage of the fever, 
st was feldom removed, and often aggravated, 
by remedies, particularly by opium. This 
medicine, however, about the middle or end 
of the fecond week, was employed with the 
very belt effeéts, efpecially when given in 
dofes not exceeding a quarter of a grain, re- 
peated at intervals of about five or fix hours. 
In one cafe, the tn. opi, with a fuitable 
quantity of /inim. faponis, was rubbed on 
the legs and thighs, and was fucceeded 
by profound fleep, after it had been admi- 
niftered internally without any foporific ope- 
gation whatever. In fome patients there 
Were excruciating pains of the limbs, fo that 
they cried out as though they had been affect- 
ed with acute rheumatifm. In fome alfo, 
efpecially about the beginning of Novem- 
ber, there were confiderable apthous ulce- 
rations of the throat. A cough was a 
moft common attendant, and not unfre- 
guently was fo violent and harrafling as to 
require particular attention. In a few, 
pheumonic inflammation fupervened, forming 
2 combination of fymptoms than which there 
are few more embarraffing to the phyfician in 
the hiftory of acute difeafes. ‘To abate the 
inflammation in thefe circumftances, it is 
feldom that more powerful means are admif- 
fible, than the application of leeches and 
bliftersabout the thorax. The cautious ufe of 
antimonials and opiates may be joined to that 
of demulcents and diluents, and a gentle 
emetic may fometimes be had recourfe to 
wich advantage, if there be not too great. 
debility. Perhaps calomel, in alterative 
dofes, jotned with opium, as recommended 
by Drs. Hamilton, Duncan, and Wright, is 
here efpecially indicated. In one cafe 
which ended favourably, it was tried to the 
amountof about 5 grains in forty-eight hours, 
joined with a {mall quantity of opium and 
antimonial powder. 
Lift of Difeaps 
What was its precife. 
[ April rt, 
effet, or whether it had any effe& at allin 
removing the inflammation, could not be de- 
termined from a fingle inftance, when other 
means, as blifters and an emetic, had alfo 
been employed. 
The bark,although it did not appear pofitively 
hurtful, was certainly attended with no ad- 
vantage in the early ftage of the difeafe; im 
the later periods, however, it was, manifeftly 
ufeful in fupporting the ftrength, and appa-~ 
rently in accelerating the extin@tion of the 
fever. , 
The wafhing the body with cold water 
was tried on a few patients, in fome of whom 
it feemed to bring on fevere catarrhal fymp- 
toms, and it was very unpleafant to the feel- 
ings of others ; it was_prefcribed only when 
there was a preternatural -degree of heat, 
and an increafed action of the arterial fyf- 
tem; circumftances pointed out by Dr. Cur- 
tie as demanding and rendering fafe its ad- 
miniitration. Blifters were not employed, 
except for the relief of topical affections. 
The fever, as it has prevailed during the 
prefent month, has affumed the character of 
the typhus mitior. 
It is not wonderful, that, of all difeafes, 
thofe affeéting the organs of refpiration fhould 
{till continue the moft numerous, when it is 
confidered how much they are influenced by 
the fenfible qualities of the atmofphere, 
which for a long time paft have had a peculiar 
tendency to produce them. 
Of the cafes of fcarlatina, noticed in the 
lift, four were fucceeded by anafarca, which 
yielded with difficulty to the. remedies em- 
ployed. The patients were’children. 
A diarrhea has lately been very common, 
and has fupervened on many other diforders, 
both chronic and acute. 
The cafe of paraplegia occurred in a deli- 
cate girl, between thirteen and fourteen 
years of age, without any obvious caufe. It 
took place in the night during fleep, on 
awaking from which, fhe found herfelf total- 
ly deprived of the power of motion, with 
fome diminution of fenfation in the lower 
extremities. At the expiration of a fortnight, 
on awaking again from fleep, fhe was agree- 
ably furprifed at being aie to get out of bed, 
and walk about the room. She has been 
fimilarly afteéted three or four times within 
the la%t two years. During the complaint 
fhe is low-fpirited, and lofes her appetite ; her 
bowels alfo are remarkably torpid. 
March 20, 1800. W. W. f. Re 

THE NEW_PATENTS LATELY ENROLLED. 

MR. BURNS FOR FIRE GRATES. 
PATENT was granted to JaMES 
“\. Burns of the city af Glafgow, 
~ Builder, for an invention of certain -im- 
provements applicable to fire grates, ftoves, 
&c. ‘The principal circumftance in this 
invention is that of bringing the air which 
fupplies the fire through a pipe which com- 
municates with the external air out of the 
room, which is warmed by the fire place, 
in 
