e good and welfare of mankind, as well as to your own reputation
with respect to that medicine.

I remember an officer in the Staffordshire militia, who died here of a
dropsy five years ago. The Digitalis relieved him a number of times in
a wonderful manner, so that in all probability he might have obtained
a radical cure, if he would have refrained from hard drinking. I
understood it was first ordered for him by a medical gentleman, and
its sedative effects proved so mild, and diuretic operation so
powerful, that he used to prepare it afterwards for himself, and would
take it with as little ceremony as he would his tea. It is said, that
he was so certain of its successful operation, that he would boast to
his bacchanalian companions, when much swelled, you shall see me in
two days time quite another man.

CASES communicated by Mr. J. FREER,
jun. Surgeon, in Birmingham.

CASE I.

_Nov._ 1780. Mary Terry, aged 60. Had been subject to asthma for
several years; after a severe fit of it her legs began to swell, and
the quantity of urine to diminish. In six weeks she was much troubled
with the swellings in her thighs and abdomen, which decreased very
little when she lay down: she made not quite a pint of water in the
twenty-four hours. I ordered her to take two spoonfuls of the infusion
of Foxglove every three hours. By the time she had taken eight doses
her urine had increased to the quantity of two quarts in the day and
night, but as she complained of nausea, and had once vomited, I
ordered the use of the medicine to be suspended for two days. The
nausea being then removed, she again had recourse to it, but at
intervals of six hours. The urine continued to discharge freely, and
in three weeks she was perfectly cured of her swellings.

CASE II.

_December_, 1782. A poor woman, who had been afflicted with an ague
during the whole of her pregnancy, and for two months with dropsical
swellings of the feet, legs, thighs, abdomen, and labia pudenda; was
at the expiration of the seventh month taken in labour. On the day
after her delivery the ague returned, with so much violence as to
endanger her life. As soon as the fit left her, I began to give her
the red bark in substance, which had the desired effect of preventing
another paroxysm. She continued to recover her health for a fortnight,
but did not find any diminut