ling circumscribed; pulse 132. This gentleman was under
the care of my very worthy friend Dr. Ash, who, having tried various
modes of cure to no purpose, asked me if I thought the Digitalis would
answer in this case. I replied that it would not, for I had never seen
it effectual where the swelling appeared very tense and circumscribed.
It was tried however, but did not lessen the swelling. I mention this
case, to introduce the above remark, and also to point out the great
effect the Digitalis has upon the action of the heart; for the pulse
came down to 96. He was afterwards tapped, and continued, for some
time under our joint attendance, but the pulse never became quicker,
nor did the swelling return.

CASE CXXII.

_September_ 7th. Mr. L----, AEt. 43. After several severe attacks of
ill formed gout, attended for some time past with jaundice and other
symptoms of diseased viscera, the consequences of intemperate living,
was sent to Buxton; from whence he returned in three weeks with
ascites and anasarca. Under this complicated load of disease, I
prescribed repeatedly without advantage, and at length gave him the
Digitalis, which carried off the more obvious symptoms of dropsy; but
the jaundice, loss of appetite, diseased viscera, &c. rendered his
recovery impossible.

1784.

CASE CXXIII.

_February_ 12th. Mrs. C----, AEt. 54. A strong short woman of a florid
complexion; complained of great fullness across the region of the
stomach; short breath, a troublesome cough, loss of appetite, paucity
of urine; and had a brownish yellow tinge on her skin and in her eyes.
She dated these complaints from a fall she had through a trap door
about the beginning of winter. From the beginning of January to this
time, she had been repeatedly let blood, had taken calomel purges
with jallap; pills of soap, rhubarb and calomel; saline julep with
acet. scillit. nitrous decoction, garlic, mercury rubbed down, infus.
amarum purg. &c. After the failure of medicines so powerful, and
seemingly so well adapted, and during the use of which all the
symptoms continued to increase, it was evident that a favourable event
could not be expected. However, I tried the infusum Digitalis, but it
did nothing. I then gave her pills of quicksilver, soap and squill,
with decoction of dandelion, and after some time, chrystals of tartar
with ginger. Nothing succeed