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Sometimes previous to thefe fymptoms, and fometimes along with them, the infants are obferved to be unufually greedy for fucking at the breaft, or feeding by the spoon; laxatives given, in fuch fituations, feldom fail to operate freely, fometimes bringing away greenifh, flimy, or knotty ftools; though not unfrequently they are of a natural yellow colour, as I myfelf have more than once feen.

Generally with one or more of thefe fymptoms preceding, but fometimes without any warning whatever, the infants are feized with violent irregular contractions and relaxations of the mufcular frame, but particularly of thofe of the extremities and face. These convulfive motions recur at uncertain intervals, and produce various effects. In fome the agitation is very great; the mouth foams; the thumbs are riveted into the palms of the hands; the jaws are locked from the commencement, fo as to prevent the actions of fucking and fwallowing; and any attempts to wet the mouth or fauces, or to adminifter medicines, feem to aggravate the fpafms very much; the face becomes turgid, and of a livid hue, as do most other parts of the body. From this circumftance, and from the fhorter duration of the difeafe, when it occurs in this form, the nurfes reckon this a different fpecies, and call it the black fits. The conflict in fuch cafes lafts from about eight to thirty hours, and in fome very rare cafes to about forty hours, when the powers of nature fink exhaufted and overpowered, as it were, with their own exertions.

It much more frequently happens, however, that the fpafmodic contractions are not fo ftrong as above defcribed; that the extremi ties are rather twifted than convulfed; that the power of fucking, but more certainly of deglutition, is not loft till near death; that the mouth foarus lefs; and that the paroxyfms recurring at more diftant intervals, continue to harafs the patient from three to five days, and in fome rare inftances to feven and even nine. During all this riod the face remains pale; and the body, from being perhaps very plump, is reduced to a moft miferable spectre by emaciation and difeafe. This the nurfes confider as a fecond fpecies, and call it the white fits.

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Both thefe fuppofed fpecies, which may perhaps be more juftly confidered as varieties of the fame difeafe, agree in conftantly attacking within nine days from birth, and most frequently about the falling off of the umbilical chord. This is an event which generally takes place from the fourth to the fixth or feventh day. Diarrhea is a conftant concomitant of both fpecies. Long and fad experience have found them alfo to be both equaily fatal, infomuch, that the memory of the oldeft perfon does not furnifh an inftance of one being cured.'

It is fhown, with great appearance of reafon, that clofe rooms and a neglect of cleanlinefs, have produced, in a great degree, the mortality of infants, particularly thofe of the

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Dublin

Dublin hofpital; that thefe caufes occafion the difeafe juft defcribed. We fhall add Dr. Clarke's conclufions.

• Upon the whole, from the evidence adduced, I hope the following inferences may not appear improbable.

1. That one effect of an impure atmosphere, on the human body, is to produce fpafmis and convulfions.

2. That all young creatures, and efpecially infants within nine days after birth, fuffer moft feverely by fuch a noxious caufe; and therefore,

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3. That in the contruction of lying-in hofpitals, and perhaps of all public buildings intended for the reception of children, lofty ceilings, large windows, and moderate fized rooms, fhould be efpecially attended to.

4. That in the arrangement of fuch edifices, no apartment fhould be completely filled with beds, if it can be conveniently avoided; and,

5. That in their management attention is especially neceffary to cleanliness, as well as to the constant and uniform admiffion of atmospheric air by night as well as by day; and,

Laftly, That by pursuing fuch measures with care, diseases may be prevented which it has hitherto been found difficult, and fometimes impoffible, to cure.'

Art. XII. Obfervations on certain horny Excrefcences of the human Body. By Everard Home, Efq. F. R. S.—Vidę Philofophical Tranfactions of the Royal Society of London, Vol. LXXXI. for the Year 1791. Part I. 4to, London. 1791.

Art. XIII. Experiments on Human Calculi. In a Letter from Mr. Timothy Lane, F, R. S. to William Pitcairn, M. D.F. R. S.-Vide Philofophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Vol. LXXXI. for the Year 1791. Part II, 4to. London, 1791.

Art. XIV. Experiments and Obfervations to investigate the Compofition of James's Powder. By George Pearson, M.D. F. R.S.-Vide Philofophical Tranfactions of the Royal So ciety of London, Vol. LXXXI. for the Year 1791, Part II, 4to. London, 1791.

Art. XVI. An Account of a Child who drinks a great Quantity of Water. By M. Vauquelin.-Vide La Medecine eclairée par les Sciences phyfiques, ou Journal des Décou vertes relatives aux differentes Parties de l'Art de guerir; redigé par M. Fourcroy. Tome III. 8vo. Paris, 1792.

Art. XVIII. An Account of the Experiments and Discoveries of Lewis Galvani, Profeffor of Anatomy at Bologna, relative to the Powers of Electricity in Mufcular Motion.-Vide

Aloyfii

Aloyfii Galvani de Viribus Electricitatis in Motu Mufculari Commentarium. 4to. Bologna, 1791.

Art. XIX. Two Letters on Animal Electricity. By Eufebius Valli, M. D. of the University of Pifa.-Vide Journal de Phyfique. 4to. Paris, 1792.-Thefe effays we have already noticed.

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Art. XV. Account of a Cafe of double Hare Lip, accompanied with a Fiffure of the Palate; with Remarks. By M. Chorin, one of the Surgeons of the Hotel Dieu at Paris.Vide Journal de Chirurgie, Tom I. 8vo. Paris, 1791.This deformity was more confiderable than any of the kind we have met with, where the operation fucceeded fo completely. We cannot abridge it, and therefore refer our readers to the volume.

Art. XVII. A Cafe of double Uterus. Bv Antonio Caneftrini, Physician to the Imperial Mines at Schwatz in Tyrol. Tranflated from the German.-This is, indeed, a most fingular cafe. From the cervix uteri arofe another uterus much smaller, refembling a pear. To each uterus was affixed one Fallopian tube, communicating with one ovarium. In the fecond finaller fubfidiary uterus, conception had taken place; the uterus burft, and the foetus efcaped into the abdomen. The woman had had two children before, but from what uterus either came, must remain unknown.

The fourth volume commences with,

Art. I. Obfervations on the Fevers and Dyfentery of hot Climates; and on the Ufe of Mercury in thofe Difcafes. By Mr. William Boag, Surgeon in the Service of the Honourable East-India Company at Bombay. Communicated in a Letter to William Saunders, M. D. Fellow of the College of Phyficians, London, and Phyfician to Guy's Hofpital; and by him to Dr. Simmons.-In this effay, Mr. Boag endeavours to fhow, that in all the fevers and dyfenteries of hot climates, the liver is generally difeafed; and confequently he thinks the ancients came nearer to the truth, in their doctrines concerning these fevers, than the moderns have fuppofed. The particular appearances on diffection, we fhall fubjoin:

In the cafes both of fever and dyfentery the liver was, with two exceptions, conftantly found diseased.

In moft cafes it was much enlarged, fometimes indurated, but more frequently very foft, fo as to tear upon a flight touch. · • Commonly an abfcefs had formed in it, fometimes of great extent, and fometimes fo fmall, as only to be detected by a minute infpection.

• The diameter of the blood veffels, through the whole fubftance of

- of this vifcus, was commonly found much increased, and their coats proportionably thickened. They were alfo obierved to be, for the most part, empty.

In two cafes of dyfentery, where the patients had coughed up matter for fome time before their death, a large abfcefs in the liver had made its way through the diaphragm into the lungs.

• The gall bladder was fometimes very much diftended with yellow ropy bile.

The fpleen was, in moft inftances, much enlarged, its texture loofened, and fometimes totally deftroyed; the fubftance remaining, having no other appearance than that of a dark coag lum of blood. This was particularly the cafe in the two inftances above mentioned, where no difeafe was apparent in the liver.

In fome instances the pancreas was confiderably enlarged and fcirrhous.

In patients who died of the dyfentery the bowels were conftantly found much inflamed. In the worst cafes, mortification had taken place, especially in the rectum and part of the colon.

In dyfenteric patients alfo the mefenteric glands were commonly feen enlarged.

A degree of inflammation, more or lefs confiderable, was ufually obferved in the inferior portions of the lungs, contiguous to the diaphragm, and was commonly moft remarkable on the right fide of the cheft.'

Mr. Boag feems fully of opinion, that dyfentery arises from vitiated bile, and doubts, though without fufficient reason, that the disease is infectious. Its infectious nature has been fully established in every variety of climate, by phyficians of every fchool. The cure is explained fhortly, and it does not differ from the mode, which experience has eftablished in warm climates. The very extenfive ufe of mercury is particularly infifted on.

Art. II. An Account of the fuccefsful Treatment of a Cafe in which the Brachial Artery was divided. By William Adair, Lfq. Surgeon General to the Garrison of Gibraltar. Communicated in a Letter to Everard Home, Efq. F. R. S. and by him to Dr. Simmons. In this cafe, though numerous arteries were taken up, in confequence of the emergency, with little attention in feparating the tendinous parts, no locked jaw took place.

Art. III. An Account of the Effects of Oil of Turpentine in a Cafe of internal Hæmorrhage. By the Same.--We can add nothing to what is faid in the title: it is an uncommon medicine, but not a fingular one. When however nature exerts herfelf, the particular medicine employed may be almost of any clais.

Art.

Art. IV. A Cafe of Imperforated Anus. By the SameThis cafe is in its fymptoms and termination of very little importance: the gut was opened, but the child died, perhaps from adhesions in the upper part of the inteftine.

Art. V. Obfervations on the Pathology, and Mode of Treatment of Calculi in general, but more particularly of Inteftinal Calculi; with a Defcription and Chemical Analysis of the Inteflinal Calculi of Horfes. By Mr. William Gaitfkell, Surgeon at Rotherhithe. Communicated in a Letter to Mr. William Babington, Apothecary to Guy's Hofpital, and by him to Dr. Simmons. This is a very extenfive and judicious eflay. We can warmly praife it, though in the principal doctrine we must differ from the author. He first gives a very extenfive, and we believe an accurate, hiftory of inteflinal and other calculi, in all the variety of animals fubject to the dif ease. In the theory of their formation, he agrees with Dr. Austin in attributing them to mucus capable of concreting, and endeavours to confute the doctrine of the author of The Treatife on Gout and Gravel,' we think with little fuccefsbut we cannot now refume this fubject; we fhall return to it when we examine the large edition of the Treatife,' now no longer anonymous.

In the cure of inteftinal calculi in horfes, he advifes diluents in large quantities, rendered mucilaginous. As lithontriptics, he recommends lime water and foap; above all, the cauftic mineral alkali, incorporated with bran into a math, or with oil into a foap. The beards of leeks have been faid to be highly ufeful, by infufing a handful in a pint of hot-water; the infufion to be taken in this quantity daily.

The fecond fecion contains the chemical analysis of the inteftinal calculi of horfes. In this analyfis, our author differs from Scheele, the author of the Treatife,' &c. but it may be fuggefted, that he has examined inteftinal calculi only. The defeription of the different calculi, illuftrated by plates, is full and accurate. The obfervations on the refult of the experiment with nitrous acid, we fhail tranfcribe:

As the nitrous acid, according to Bergman and Scheele, is capable of decompofing urinary calculi, and feparating an acid, fui generis, called the acid of calculus, in form of refe-coloured cryftals, foluble in water, and capable of ftaining animal fubftances red; and as thefe celebrated chemifts have attributed the formation of calculus to the prefence of this acid in union with animal earth, I have bestowed peculiar attention, in my analysis of inteftinal calculus, to look for the acid they defcribe. To difcover this, fome nitrous acid was faturated with inteftinal calculus, and hough the folution was tranfparent, and of a pale yello, yet, upon applica

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