bly aggravated, and the powers of the system sinking
to the lowest degree of exhaustion.

* * * * *

CASE 1. George Davidson, collier from his youth. When I first saw him
professionally, in May 1834, he was aged thirty-two. From his earliest
years he was employed about the coal-works in Pencaitland parish, and
when very young, he went down the pit to assist in conveying coals to
the shaft, and ultimately became a coal-miner. For a considerable length
of time, he enjoyed good health, having neither cough, nor any other
affection. He was well-formed, and robust in constitution. A few months
previous to my seeing him, he had taken to the employment of
stone-mining in the pit at Huntlaw, where he was accustomed to labour,
and soon after being so engaged, he began to complain of uneasiness in
the chest, and troublesome short cough, quick pulse, especially at night
and in the morning, for which he sought medical advice, and was treated
for bronchial affection. He continued to prosecute the employment of
stone-mining in this coal-pit so long as his strength would permit,
which was a little more than two years, when (August 1836) he was
entirely disabled, from general exhaustion. By this time his cough had
much increased, and there was considerable dyspnoea, accompanied with
sharp pain in the thoracic region, both in walking quickly, and when
lying down. Pulse 80. He expectorated bloody tough mucus without any
tinge of black matter. All remedial means were adopted with a view to
the removal of the irritation of the chest, without producing any very
decided effect. The thoracic pain was occasionally subdued, but the
cough became incessant; loss of appetite, rapid emaciation, and cold
nocturnal sweats, with slow weak pulse, supervened. After a severe fit
of coughing, during one of his bad nights, the black expectoration made
its appearance, in considerable quantity, by which his sufferings were
for a few days alleviated, when the cough returned in the same degree of
severity, and was again mitigated by the black sputa, which was
expectorated without difficulty, and from this time (October 1836) there
was no interruption to a free carbonaceous expectoration.

In the early part of this man's illness, the stomach, the alimentary
canal, biliary and urinary secretions, continued unimpaired; but as the
cough advanced, gastric irritation, which was followed by vomiting
during the paroxysms, annoyed him;