the left eye-lids with eafe, and diftinguish clearly all the objects which furrounded her. The benefit did not, however, at all extend to the right eye or lids. I therefore electrified this eye, exactly in the fame manner, and for the fame length of time, as I had done the other. The confequence was, that, on the next day, the patient had fo far the use of the right eye, as to be capable of diftinguishing large objects; though not with the fame clearness as the did with the left. That night the complained that her head felt very heavy. February 9th, I paffed a stream of the electric fire through both eyes, and drew fparks from them; which I alfo accompanied with the application of fmall fhocks through the head in different directions. The application gave her more pain than it had done before; but fucceeded in the happiest manner: for, on the following day, the opened both eyes with perfect eafe, and faw very diftinctly. I thought it unneceffary to electrify her again, or to do any thing more, than order an opening medicine; which entirely removed the heaviness the complained of in the head; and her fight was perfectly restored.'If this disease was not cured by electricity, it must be owned, that the application of it, on two following days, was fingularly well timed.

ART. VII. An Essay on the Theory and Practice of Medical Electricity. By Tiberius Cavallo, F. R. S. 8vo. 3 s. 6d. Printed for the Author. 1780.

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HE good effects of electricity have been indisputably afcertained, from time to time, in various cafes, which have, through different channels, been communicated to the Public; fo that, though its powers may have been mistaken, or over-rated in particular inftances, no reasonable doubt can be entertained of its efficacy in many diforders; and particularly in the cure of fome which had refifted all the regular or usual modes of relief. The application of this wonderful power to medicine, almoft immediately followed the difcovery of the Leyden vial; the aftonishing effects of which on the human frame attracted the attention of all who were witneffes of them; and very naturally fuggefted the idea that the fame agent, which could thus diforder the human body, as other medicines are wont to do, might, like them too, poffefs the powers of remedying its diforders. In proof of the juftice of this remark, we may obferve, that the Leyden vial was difcovered in Holland in the year 1746; and one of the most celebrated cures of the -pally, produced by electricity, was effected by M. Jallabert at Geneva, towards the end of the year 1747 *.

See Dr. Priefley's Hiftory of Electricity, pag. 408, ift edition.

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The principal intention of the prefent performance is, to an nounce the improvements that have lately been made, in the adminiftration of this new and fingular medicine. The Author is advantageously known to the world, with respect to his skill in electricity, by a useful treatise which he formerly published on that fubject; an account of which was given in our 57th volume, November 1777, pag. 362.

The principal improvements, refpecting medical electricity, here recommended, confift in abftaining from the administration of strong shocks; and the employing in their room either the electrical ftream, iffuing from a metal or a wooden point, fmall or ftrong fparks, or fmall hocks; according to the nature of the diforder, and the fenfibility of the patient. The improvements in the machinery chiefly confift in the use of certain infulated directors; by means of which the electric matter is conveyed to any particular part of the body, either in the form of a ftream, or fparks, or fhocks.

It might very naturally be fufpected, that the electric aura, or Atream, proceeding from a metal or even wooden point, could fcarce be poffeffed of any confiderable efficacy: but the Author affirms that, to his certain knowledge, deduced from the practice of perfons who have had long experience in this subject, this method of electrization has often mitigated pains, and cured obftinate and dangerous diseases; which could not be removed by any other remedy that was tried.'

He afterwards obferves, that even the ftream iffuing from a wooden point, which is ftronger than that which proceeds from one of metal, may be directed towards the naked eyes of the patient, without any apprehenfion of hurting him. In this and other delicate cafes, however, care must be taken, especially if the machine fhould be powerful, that the wooden point be not too obtuse, split, or otherwise injured: left a strong and pungent fpark be excited, which might prove highly injurious to the part which it ftrikes.

After defcribing and delineating fome of these new members of the medico-electrical apparatus, and giving proper directions and cautions with refpect to their use; the Author enumerates, or briefly describes, thofe diforders to the removal of which electricity has been principally applied, in its various forms; giving a fhort account of its fuccefs.

Rheumatic diforders, even of long ftanding, have been relieved, and generally quite cured; either by ufing the wooden 'point, or drawing fparks through flannel from the part, for about four or five minutes, once or twice a day. Deafness, the tooth-ach, when the body of the tooth is not affected, and fwellings, in general, which do not contain matter, have been often relieved or cured. Inflammations, particularly of the

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eyes, are diffipated by a gentle electrization. The gutta ferena has been often cured; though electricity has frequently proved ineffectual in other cafes, notwithstanding it was administered for a long time, and with all poffible attention. One cafe of an opacity in the vitreous humour was fome time ago perfectly cured by electrization. We have in a preceding Article mentioned its efficacy in the fiftula lacrymalis.

Palfies, of long ftanding, though generally relieved, by employing the wooden point, or drawing fparks through flannel, are seldom perfectly cured: though various cafes of St. Vitus's dance have been cured. In this disease, fhocks of about onetenth of an inch, fent through the body in various directions, are recommended. To enable the Reader to judge of the ftrength of these fhocks, it will be fufficient to observe, that they are fuppofed to be produced from a coated furface of about 73 fquare inches.

The fciatica is faid to have been often cured; and incipient Scrophulous and other tumours to have been difperfed, by elec tricity. In cancers, the pains have been alleviated by the use of a metal point; while that of a wooden point aggravated them. In one cafe of a moft confirmed cancer, of long standing, the breaft has been confiderably reduced in fize. By the use of the points, nervous head-achs, even of long continuance, have generally been cured.

Without questioning the fufficiency or veracity of the teftimony on which the Author grounds the preceding as well as other obfervations, which we omit; we cannot help wifhing that he had specified the authorities, or named the fources, from which fome of the foregoing conclufions have been drawn, as well as the two following fingular observations.

The gout, extraordinary as it may appear, has certainly been cured by means of electricity, in various inftances. The pain has been generally mitigated, and fometimes the difeafe has been removed fo well as not to return again. In those cases, the electric fluid has been thrown by means of a wooden point, although sometimes, when the pain was too great, a metal point only has been used,'

Agues very feldom fail of being cured by electricity, fo that fometimes one electrization, or two, have been fufficient. The most effectual and fure method has been that of drawing fparks, through flannel, or the clothes, for about ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour;'-either at the time of the fit, or a fhort while before it is expected.

We have lately [See M. R. April 1780, pag. 308] had occafion to speak of the efficacy of electricity in female obftructions. The prefent Author affirms, that they are fuccessfully and speedily cured by means of electricity, even when the dif

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eafe is of long ftanding; and after that the moft powerful me dicines ufed for them have proved ineffectual. The cafes of this fort, in which electrization has proved ufelefs, are fo few, and the fuccefsful ones fo numerous, that the application of electricity for this difeafe may be juftly confidered as an efficacious and certain remedy.'

With refpect to the mode of applying this remedy, concern ing which we expreffed fome curiofity, in the article above referred to; Mr. Cavallo fays, that small shocks, i. e. of about one-twentieth of an inch, may be fent through the pelvis; fparks may be taken through the clothes from the parts adjacent to the feat of the disease; and also the electric fluid may be tranfmitted by applying the metallic or wooden extremities of two directors to the hips, in contact with the clothes; part of which may be removed in case they are too thick.—The number of fhocks may be about twelve or fourteen. The other applications may be continued for two or three minutes,' daily. But either ftrong fhocks, or a stronger application of electricity than the patient can conveniently bear, fhould be carefully avoided: for by these means, fometimes more than a fufficient difcharge is occafioned, which is not eafily cured.'

The Author next prefents us with fome authentic phyfical cafes, in which electricity was adminiftered.' The greater part of these have been formerly published. We fhall only give an abftract of the firft, communicated to him by Mr. Partington, which appears to be original.

The diforder was a violent inflammation of the eyes, attended with an inability of opening the eye-lids. When they were forced open, the coats of the eye appeared of a uniform red colour. The patient could not, with the right eye, distinguish any objects in a room; the whole of which appeared equally dark, When the eye was directed to the window, he could only perceive a red glare of light, like a wall.' The left eye was not in fo bad a state. The diforder was accompanied with excruciating pains darting to the back part of his head, or to the centre of his eyes. The complaint had continued two months, and had refifted all the ufual means of relief, adminiftered by Mr. Ford, the Surgeon of the Weftminster Difpenfary; who then recommended the patient to Mr. Partington.

The firft inftrument ufed in this cafe was one invented by the late Mr. Fergufon. The electric fluid was thrown upon the eye from the point of a brafs wire, which paffed through a cork fixed into the fmaller end of a conical or funnel-like glass; while the larger end of the glafs was fixed upon the eye the point reaching within about half an inch of it. Sparks, however, attended with extreme pain, being fometimes produced from the point; Mr. Partington greatly improved the apparatus,

and removed that inconvenience, by fixing a wooden point upon the metal wire.-[The directors defcribed in this treatife are mentioned as an ulterior improvement.]

After Mr. Partington had electrified the patient's eyes three days in this manner; the inflammation began vifibly to abate, and in a fortnight's time it was quite fubfided: but the pupil of the eye was fo nearly clofed, that fcarce any of it could be feen. He continued to be electrified every day for five weeks, and the pupil gradually dilated, till he attained a degree of fight sufficient to diftinguish objects on the other fide of the way. The pains had now intirely left him, fo that he omitted the ufe of electricity, and did not experience any farther inconvenience after it.'

In an Appendix, the Author has added a few experiments, in which certain appearances occur, analogous to fome effects produced by electricity upon the human body. The greater part, of them are well known to those who are converfant in elec tricity.

ART. VIII. Canadian Freeholder, Vol. III. CONCLUDED. See our last. UR Author makes a variety of obfervations, tending to fhew the dangerous confequences of all forcible attempts to establish Epifcopacy among the Americans. But he admits, that if it should ever happen that the body of the people in the colonies of Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina (in which the church of England is established), fhould earnestly defire to have a bishop refident amongst them, and should teftify that defire in a regular and conftitutional manner, by a petition of their affembly to the King to establish one amongst them; in fuch a cafe, the requeft ought to be complied with. But the American Affemblies have been fo far from being difpofed to make any fuch requeft, that, on the contrary, the Affembly of the province of Virginia returned thanks to an Epifcopal clergyman of the name of Henley, for having refufed to join with fome of his clerical brethren in petitioning for a bishop; as having, by the faid refufal, rendered a good fervice to the province, by preventing the further profecution of a meafure which they thought would have a pernicious tendency.

He takes notice, that it is only refident and permanent bishops the Americans are jealous of; and fays, the method of supplying the want of a refident Bifhop in America by fucceffive vifitations of the Bishops of England and Ireland, feems to me to be the very best method that can be taken for the purpofe: infomuch that I fhould be glad to fee an act of parliament paffed, that should in fome measure impofe fuch a vifitation of America upon them as a kind of duty, by making the performance of it a neceffary qualification to a tranflation to a better bishopric: after which, I have no doubt, there would alFf4

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