On the 27th of November, 1807, I first visited Mr. W. and found his pulse very frequent, weak, and threadlike; his extremities cold, and very much swelled; respiration so laboris ous as to oblige him to sit erect night and day; his abdomen contained a large quantity of fluid, and a large tumour could be traced from under the scrobiculus cordis, below the umbili cus, and a little to the right side.

The urine was in small quantity, and very high coloured; bowels slow, appetite bad, with occasional nausea, and a dull pain about the stomach.

Calomel, nitre, and tart. antimon. were tried in small doses, but disagreed with his stomach so much that they were changed for a weak decoction of digitalis, with carbonas soda, which was also immediately rejected by the stomach.

After trying every formula of medicine I could devise, and each proving equally offensive to the stomach, and the system sinking under the disease, with a pulse scarcely to be perceive ed, and too frequent to be counted; cold, clammy sweats, and the breathing so obstructed as to give the skin a livid hue, I determined to unload the system by puncturing the legs and feet. These punctures discharged very freely, and gave con siderable relief to the breast. A blister was applied over the stomach, and dressed with mercurial ointment, also 3i of vitriolic ether was given every two hours. On my next visit I was astonished to find his pulse at sixty strokes in a minute, regular, somewhat full, but rather corded. The stomach was so well as to retain drinks, medicines, &c. The respiration was much less laborious, and the anasarcous swelling greatly diminished by the free evacuations from the punctures.

The ether was continued, but in smaller doses.

Blisters were applied to the legs; they, and the punctures, soon assumed a livid appearance, and threatened mortification; the yeast poultice reduced the inflammation, in two or three days, to the most simply suppurative kind; the patient hid been for the last three days taking sp. nit. dulc. in parsley tea, which proved very diuretic. The dropsy was now entirely removed, and the patient approached nearer the figure of a skeleton enveloped in skin, than that of a man in ordinary health.

The pulse was small, but frequent and very tense; the excretions were in very diminished quantity and slow, unless urged by medicine. A yellowness began now to appear on the skin, with such excretions as are common in jaundice. A strong decoction of the berbaris vulgaris was administered, and continued for some days, without any benefit to the patient. The pulse continued small, corded, and about 90 strokes in a minute; the yellowness of the skin had arrived at the deepest shade.

From the good effects of blood-letting in the two former cases, I was induced to try it in this. The first bleeding produced no change, but the second did in the colour of the skin, and excretions; the third and fourth bleedings removed most of the yellowness and other symptoms, except a most incessant cough, which had recently come on, and soon disappeared by a copious expectoration. By the free use of mercurial ointment to the skin, and blisters, a gentle salivation was induced. The tumour in the abdomen disappeared, with every other appearance of disease but debility; when a course of gentle tonics was advised.

I now concluded my patient was quite well, but in that Į was mistaken; for, on the 5th of January, 1808, Mr. W. complained of a pain in the region of the liver, head-ach, and some oppression at the breast; his feet and legs began to swell considerably, and his pulse was more than usually corded. I drew 3x of blood from his arm, and directed sp. nit. dulc. in parsley On the 6th and 7th, his pulse was very irregular ; he was bled each day. By examining the abdomen, I found the spleen hard, and very much enlarged; a blister was applied over it, and dressed with mercurial ointment. This had a very good effect in dispersing the tumour.

tea.

Between this and the 15th, several diuretic medicines were taken, but without any benefit; the pulse was generally about 95 strokes in a minute, small, and a little tense. The 15th January I examined his abdomen, and found his liver very much enlarged and hard; nitric acid was administered very freely, and continued till the 19th instant. The pulse was 110 in a minute, with an aggravation of all his symptoms; B. pulv. fol. digital. gr. ij cal. ppt. gr. iss three times a day, 23d inst. his mouth was sore, pulse 100 and a little corded, but fuller; tumour in the abdomen diminished in size, and the other symptoms all abated.

From this till the 31st, he took his medicine in less quantity, on account of sick stomach; I found the salivation alternate with severe pains of the bowels several times.

His pulse was reduced between the 19th and 31st, from 110 to 60 strokes in a minute. February 2d, the pulse was at 40 strokes in a minute, and regular. The medicine was omitted till the 4th, when the pulse had risen to 60. He was directed

to take one powder every night. The pulse rose to 120 the 11th, but sunk to 84 strokes by the 16th. Every symptom of indisposition had disappeared; the pulse was soft, regular, and fuller than at any previous period.

Mr. W. continued to mend from this time, and I had the satisfaction to see him in the enjoyment of perfect health last August.

I have been thus particular with the last case, in order to show how low a patient may sink in these complaints, and still be restored to health.

Woodhouse's Reply to Seybert's Strictures on his Essay concerning the Perkiomen Zinc Mine.

I

To the Editor of the Philadelphia Medical Museum.

SIR,

Na work dedicated to the interests of science, it ought certainly to be expected that those whose leisure or opportunities permit them, occasionally, to throw in their contributions to the general stock of knowledge, would discard every thing like asperity in their remarks on the opinions advanced by others; and that the little passions of envy and jealousy would never actuate the minds of those, whose real object is the pur

suit of truth.

It was, therefore, with surprize, mingled with regret, that I perused the paper inserted in your last number by Dr. Seybert, on the subject of the Perkiomen mine.

As it is of little consequence to the public whether or not Dr. S. knew that blende or the sulphuret of zinc was found near Perkiomen in 1806; and, as it is equally immaterial, whether or not, in 1807, when shown a specimen of this same ore, he declared it to be lead ore; I shall proceed to show that his essay, improperly entitled "Facts [when it entirely consists of quotations] to prove that this metallic ore can be worked to advantage in the United States," proves nothing, except the doctor's misplaced rancour against myself, and which my former essay has furnished him a pretext for exhibiting.

Without entering into a comparison of the doctor's patriotism with my own; without pretending that my attachment to my natale solum is as strong as his; or that I should be disposed to make as great sacrifices, either personal or pecuniary, for my native country as Dr. Seybert would, I shall show,

1st, That there is an evident want of candour in the conclu sions he has drawn from my publication.

2d, That some of his quotations from chemical writers are unfairly given.

3d, That what he has advanced bears no direct relation to the subject in question.

4th, That the observations in his concluding paragraphs are highly personal and improper; and

Lastly, I shall annex correct extracts from the best modern writers to show that the blendes, though they abound, are seldom worked in Europe.