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it my duty to make ufe of remedies that are established.

"I have, with the best effect oxygenated several people with the nitric acid, who were much reduced by tedious intermittents. That kind of fever is often connected with difeafed liver or fpleen. In confequence. I think, of this reme dy, I have feen them recover their natural colour from a leaden or bilious hue, and regain their ftrength from a long continued weaknefs. I believe, if given in a fufficient quantity, it would be very ufeful in the fever of this country, which has been called bilious, or nervous, or putrid, and for which mercury appears to be a specific.

"I have met with two inftances only in this country of diabetes. They were both natives, and in the decline of life. I cured them both by mercury, after many other remedies had been tried. One of thefe men had a relapfe of his disease, which I removed a fecond time with the nitric acid. I thought this a fatisfactory correfpondence in the effects of the two remedies. May they not both be useful in that difeafe?

"The great refemblance that I perceived in myfelf, betweeen the effects of mercury and of the nitric acid, made me anxious to know if the acid would remove the various fymptoms of fyphilis. In September 1703, it was adminiftered, at my defire, by my friend Mr. Anderfon, furgeon of the 77th regiment, to a person who had a headach that came on every night, and which had long been fofpected to arife from lues. He had taken feveral courfes of mercury on this account, which carried away all the uneafy fymptoms; but they as conftantly returned after a certain period. On ufing the acid for about a fortnight, he got perfectly free

from his head-ach, and he remained very well for a few months, as was ufual to him after mercury.

"I have now had a pretty extenfive experience of the good effeets of the nitric acid in fyphilis; and I have reafon to believe, that it is not in general lefs effectual than mercury in removing that disease in all its forms, and in every stage of its continuance. I think that in fome cafes it has even fuperior powers; for I have fucceeded completely with the acid, when mercu ry, adminiftered both in this country and in Europe for years toge-. ther, had failed of fuccefs. We appear to be able to carry the degree of oxygenation of the body to a greater length by means of the ni tric acid, and to continue it longer than we can do by mercury.

"A mafs of mercury, in the circulation, produces many difagreeable effects, that make it often neceffary to give over its ufe before it has answered its intention: but the ni tric acid may be taken a long time without any material injury to the health; nor are its effects on the mouth, in producing inflammation, and a flow of faliva, fo difagreeable as from mercury.

"A man could hardly offer to his fpecies a greater blefling than a new remedy against any of the hoft of difeafes that affail us; but the reputation of fpecifics, with the exception of a few inftances, has arifen only from the weakness of the human mind. Am I too deceiving myself and attempting to lead others into error?

"As the acid that I diftil is not ftrong, and is of unequal ftrength at different times, I am regulated chiefly by the tafte in giving it. I put half or three fourths of a Madeira glafsful of it in two pints of water, or I make two pints of water as acid as it can well be drunk, This quan

tity is finished every twenty four hours, taking about a Madeira glass ful only at a time.

"I have fometimes removed fyphilitic fymptoms with the acid in five days; more commonly, I think, they give way in a fortnight; but fometimes, though feldom, they continue for twenty days without any apparent relief. I muft confefs, that in fome cafes I have failed altogether; but in thofe cafes, mercury had long been given to little purpofe; the bones were highly difeafed, and the habit probably of a peculiar kind. I have cured fyphilis with the acid, under a variety of forms, where no other remedy had ever been employed, and for above two years I have feen no relapfe in thofe cafes. I have adminiftered it against the primary fymptoms of the difeafe, and I have given it for exoftofes, for carious bones, for nocturnal pains, for eruptions and ulcers

of the fkin, and for all the train e mifery that is attendant on lues. I have the pleasure to fee, that feveral of my friends have begun to ufẹ the nitric acid in fyphilis, and in ther diseases. An account of their experience, which every body will efteem the moft refpectable autho rity, will make the fubject of a future paper.

"I hope this flight account will induce medical practitioners to try the effect of the nitric acid in fyphilis, a difease which, in this climate, is fo frequently the difgrace of their art.

Too often the miferable wretch is but worn down fooner by the very remedies that are called in for his relief,

"Quæfitæ que nocent artes; ceffere ma-
giftri,
"Phyllirides Chiron, Amythaoniufe
Melampus.

"VIRG. GEORG. IIL"

LETTER defcribing the good EFFECTS of infpiring VITRIOLIC THER in CASES of PHTHISIS PULMONALIS.

[From the fame Work.]

R. Richard Pearson, of Bir- lay before the public a report of the

Dmingham, has tranfmitted to cales in which it has been given,

many of his friends the following circular letter, dated July 1, 1796, respecting a particular practice in phthifis pulmonalis, which, he thinks, he has employed with great benefit.

"Having, for the last two years, prefcribed the vapour of vitriolic xther to patients labouring under phthifis pulmonalis, and having, both in hofpital and private practice, experienced the best effects from its ufe in this frequent and formidable difcafe, I am preparing to

accompanied with remarks on fome other remedies that may be employed with advantage in the cure of confumptions. Being defirous, in the recommendation of a new medicine, to have my own evidence fupported by the concurrent teftimonies of other practitioners, I take the liberty of calling your attention to this subject, and of submitting to your notice my method of ufing this application, which is fimply this: I direct the patient to pour one or two tea-fpoonfuls of

pure

pure vitriolic æther, or of æther impregnated with cicuta in the manner hereafter described, into a teacup or wine-glass, and afterwards to hold the fame up to the mouth, and draw in the vapour that arifes from it with the breath, until the æther is evaporated. This is repeated three, four, or five times, in the course of a day, for a month or fix weeks, more or lefs according to circumftances. The first effects of this application are, an agreeable fenfation of coolnefs in the cheft, an abatement of the dyspnoea and cough, and, after ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, cafier expectoration. The ultimate effects, provided other proper meatures be not neglected, for this is not to fuperfede the ufe of other medicines, but to be employed in conjunction with thein, are, a removal of the local inflammation, a cleanfing and healing of the ulcerated lungs, and a fuppreflion of the hectic fever. To affert that all these beneficial confequences will flow from its application in every fpecics and degree of phthifis pulmonalis, would be adopting the language of quacks, and infulting the underftanding of every one experienced in the profeflion: but to fay that fome of thefe good effects are likely to refult from its ufe in most inftances, and moft of them in a great number of inftances, is afferting only what an experience of two years, in a fituation where the opportunities of making trial of it have been very frequent, has fully confirmed.

"The falutary operation of the æther applied to the lungs in the form of vapour, I have found to be greatly promoted by feveral volatile fubftances that are foluble in it but, by none more fo than the cicuta. By macerating a fufficient quantity of the dried leaves of this plant in ather; for the space of three or four

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'ays, or at moft a week, and occafionally fhaling them together, a very faturated tincture is obtained, which may be inhaled in the fame manner, and in the fame doses, as the pure æther. My proportions are a fcruple or half a dram of the powdered leaves to every ounce of æther. The narcotic particles of the cicuta, conveyed in this manner, along with the ather, to the difeafed lungs, act as a topical ap plication with the beft effect: hence æther, thus impregnated, fucceeds in moft inftances better than when it is employed alone. The only unpleafant circumftance attending the inhalation of this æthereal tincture of cicuta, is a flight degree of ficknefs and giddinefs which, however, foon go off.

"It cannot be expected that Ì fhould here point out every fymptom, or fet of fymptoms, which indicate or forbid the ufe of this application: I thall only remark, that it appears to be beft fuited to the florid, or what is commonly termed the fcrophulous confumption. Where the pulmonic affection is complicated with the mefenteric obftruction, or difcales of the other vifcera, or a dropfical condition, it affords but tranfitory relief: and in the very laft ftage of the diforder, the proper time of ufing it is paft.

"Should you be induced, fir, by this addrefs to make trial of the vapour of vitriolic ather, impreg nated with cicuta, in phthifical cafés, I fhall be glad to be favoured with your remarks and obfervations upon it, whether in its favour or not. All communications on this fubject are requested to be sent before the 1ft of January next, as after that time the treatife will be printed.

"(Signed)

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CURIOUS FACT in the HISTORY of the common MOLE, by ARTHUR BRUCE, Efq. &c.

[From the third volume of the TRANSACTIONS of the LINNEAN SOCIETY.]

THAT

HAT the mole does, in common with other quadrupeds and man, poffefs that fpirit of curiofity which prompts to emigration and even to tranfmarine expeditions, I found out last fummer from the beft authenticated facts.

"In vifiting the Loch of Clunie, which I often did, I obferved in it a small island at the diftance of 180 yards from the nearest land, measured to be fo upon the ice. Upon the ifland, lord Airly, the proprietor, has a caftle and a mall thrubbery. I obferved frequently the appearance of fresh mole-cafts, or hills. I for fome time took it to be the water-moufe, and one day afked the gardener if it was fo? No, he faid, it was the mole; and that he had caught one or two lately. But that five or fix years ago he had caught two in traps; and for two years af ter this he had obferved none. But about four years ago, coming afhore in a fummer's evening in the dufk,

the 4th or 5th of June, 10 o'clock P. M. he and another refpectable perfon, lord Airly's butler, faw at a fmall distance upon the fmooth water fome animal paddling to, and net far diftant from the island. They foon, too foon! clofed with this feeble paffenger, and found it to be our common mole, led by a moft aftonishing inftinct from the nearest point of land (the castle hill) to take poffeffion of this defert ifland. It was at this time for about the space of two years quite free from any fubterraneous inhabitant; but the mole has for more than a year paft made its appearance again, and its operations I was witness to.

"In the history of this animal I do not at prefent recollect any fact fo ftriking; especially when we confider the great depth of the water, both in fummer and winterfrom fix to ten, fifteen, and fome places as deep as thirty or forty feet, all round the island."

ANTIQUITIES.

REMARKS on the OPINIONS entertained by different COMMENTATORS with respect to the SITUATION of the HELL of HOMER.

[From the first Volume of COUNT STOLBERG'S TRAVELS.]

BE it granted that Virgil was were at the lake of Avernus; and

tradition, and profiting by the na-called the dam of Hercules: that

leads from the Tyrrhene fea to the
Lucrine lake.*

"In his treatife on the wander-
ings of Ulyffes, he fays, By the
'ocean, Homer here understands
the Lucrine lake and that of A-

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tural gloom of the places, and the
dismal ideas of the religion of the
people concerning thefe places, the
religio loci, as he elsewhere terms it:
let it be proved, and nothing more
can be proved, that the entrance to
his hell was at Avernus: it yet ap-vernus.'
pears to me, however great the au-
thorities may be to the contrary,
that the opinions of thofe are un-
founded who fuppofe the hell of
Homer to have the fame fituation.
There is fcarcely any hypothefis
which acutenefs may not render
probable: as this feems to have been
rendered. Cluverius himfelf, a very
intelligent reader and commentator
of the antients, encourages this
dream.

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"Various circumftances are thus brought together; and, in a certain fenfe, it would give me great plea fure now to be perfonally prefent on the places where thefe fcenes have paffed. How interefting would it be, for a paffionate admirer and lover of Homer, to vifit thofe countries that have been honoured by his boldeft flights! But the moft interefting of all things is truth.

"By the ocean of Homer, we now generally understand the ocean properly fo called. Our learned Vois has taught us that Homer, and other poets, who lived long after Homer, by the word oceanus, underftood the great ftream: which, according to their opinion, flowed round the earth. Now, in whichever fenfe we understand it, we

fhall

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