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termed, obtained by infusing scorpions in olive oil, and employed with much confidence by the Spanish physicians, as an embrocation to the back in the treatment of ague.

The great naturalist Pliny speaks in terms of commendation of the virtues of tortoise broth in king's evil, and swelled spleen. This broth, he says, has a power "Strumas discutere, ac lienes tollere."*

Other cold-blooded animals were, for many centuries, supposed to possess remedial efficacy. The flesh of the viper, for example, was employed from the very commencement of the Christian era. It was administered by the physician of Julius Cæsar. Galen believed it to be efficacious in elephantiasis; and our distinguished countryman Roger Bacon describes the case of a young German lady, whose constitution was so impaired that her hair and nails came off, but who, by a persevering diet of viper's flesh, became in appearance younger and more beautiful than before. Dampier, in his Voyages,† mentions that the people of Tonquin use, as a cordial, vipers and scorpions infused in wine. The learned Mead‡ observes that the physicians of France and Italy commonly prescribed the broth and jelly of viper's flesh to invigorate and purify the mass of blood; and he adds, that this remedy has an efficacy to scour and cleanse the glands from the stagnating juices which, turning to acidity, are the origin of many of those troublesome diseases called scrofulous, leprous, &c.; and that British physicians were too sparing of its use. Dr. Mead's

* C. Plinii Sec. Hist. Nat. Lug. Batav. 1669. Lib. xxxii. c. 4. Vol. ii. part i. p. 53.

Med. Works, London, 1762.

recommendations were apparently disregarded, for not long afterwards viper flesh ceased to have a place in our Pharmacopoeia; but, even if this long popular remedy was superstitiously introduced, it is quite possible that it may have possessed useful properties, and have been somewhat capriciously dismissed.

With a view to determine whether remedial efficacy was inherent in animal oil generally, as well as in that from fish, it occurred to me, some time since to try the effect of the oil obtained from the foot of the young heifer (neat's-foot oil). In the first half of the year 1849, I recorded the weights and other important particulars of fourteen phthisical patients who were put under the use of this oil. Three of these patients derived essential benefit, the disease being arrested; four were slightly relieved, five received no obvious advantage, and two retrograded rapidly. You will find, on comparing these results with those obtained from the employment of other modes of treatment, that the benefit was greater than under any remedy previously employed excepting the cod oil; and the similarity of the effects in favourable cases to those produced by the last-named medicine, will be rendered obvious by a brief narration of two of the most remarkable.

J. K., a tailor, aged thirty-four years, unmarried, square built, of middle stature, and dark complexion, was admitted as an in-patient November 20th, 1849. He was born in Cork, but had lived for fifteen years in London; and was accustomed to sleep in a close room, and to work in a confined apartment with from forty to sixty companions; always feeling faint and weak in the evening, and occasionally indulging in drinking bouts

which much impaired his appetite. He had for three years been unemployed during the winter months; and had suffered from syphilis and gonorrhoea. His brother, who was accustomed to work with him, lately died in this hospital. He lost a sister, aged sixteen, from phthisis; and his mother died at the age of thirty-eight, probably from the same disease. His father is living, aged sixtyone; and a sister, aged thirty-six, with a family of five children.

Physical signs on admission.-Respiration abdominal, with much tilting up of the lower part of the chest; little movement of the upper part. Left side at the apex: expiratory murmur equal in duration to the inspiratory. Right side percussion dull over the whole side. Amphoric voice above the mamma; amphoric respiration below. Legs much swollen from oedema. Has profuse night sweats, and expectorates about a pint in twentyfour hours, but has never had hæmoptysis. Four years since he weighed nine stone, five pounds, but since that time has gradually, and for some months rapidly, lost weight.

Treatment.-Ordinary diet, with eggs, and an extra allowance of milk; cod-liver oil externally and internally. For the cough, blisters were applied, and he took in succession hydrocyanic acid, four minim doses of tincture of aconite in spermaceti mixture; and afterwards morphia, with which gallic acid was combined, with a view to moderate the perspirations; acetate of potash and decoction of broom were also given, on account of the oedema.

On the 29th of December he was still unable to leave his bed; and, as the symptoms were aggravated, and his

weakness increasing, I determined to give a trial to neat'sfoot oil, thus combined: two ounces of neat's-foot oil, a drachm of solution of potash, and six ounces of peppermint-water; of this mixture, an ounce thrice a day. Under this treatment, the pulse, which on the 29th of December was 100, gradually improved, being on January the 9th, 84 and fuller, and on the 4th of February, 80. At this latter date he was sufficiently improved in strength to go down stairs to be weighed, and was found to weigh seven stone, five pounds, and three-quarters. The weight steadily increased, being on February 13th, seven stone, six pounds; March 1, seven stone, six pounds, and a half; March 16, seven stone, seven pounds, and threequarters; April 16, seven stone, nine pounds, and a half. Three grains of tannic acid, in infusion of cascarilla, were given twice or thrice daily with apparent advantage; and the expectoration was gradually reduced to half the previous quantity. The respiration on the left side improved, and amphoric sound superseded the gurgling previously heard on the right side. In the third week of April he left the hospital, so much improved as to be able to resume his work. His blood was obligingly examined for me by Mr. Rodgers, who reported that it contained fully the healthy average of red corpuscles; but that, as the bottle had been covered with animal membrane, some allowance should be made for the possible escape of a little serum.

T. G., aged twenty-four, admitted into the Le Blanc ward, June 24, 1850. Hereditary liability to phthisis on the paternal side. For eighteen months subject to cough, and occasional hæmoptysis. Physical signs: chest flattened; left side, upper part, expiratory mur

mur nearly equal to inspiratory; right side, defective expansion; dulness on percussion; humid crepitation (clicking) in infra-clavicular region; dry crepitation (crackling) near the base of the scapula.

He had taken cod-liver oil for eighteen months; but, as he was losing ground, I substituted the neat's-foot oil, at first in doses of two drachms, subsequently halfan ounce three times daily. His weight increased as indicated below.

June 25th, eight stone, eight pounds; July 1st, eight stone, eleven pounds; August 15th, nine stone; September 7th, nine stone, two pounds. He was dismissed generally improved.

It will be observed that, in the two instances just related, the good effects of the neat's-foot oil were manifested after cod oil had been given in vain.

The cases now tabulated of patients whom you have examined, and who have been taking other oils, would not alone be sufficient to authorise any positive conclusion; but the harmony of the results with previous observation, enables me to present them with more confidence, as a fair representation of what you may expect from the use of these remedies.

H. D., a patient whose symptoms you have formerly investigated, is, you perceive, improving in appearance. She has gained nearly five pounds' weight in less than a month. The principal medicine which she has taken is sperm oil, in doses of two drachms twice or thrice daily.

The same treatment has been adopted in the case of P. J., in whom pectoriloquy, gurgling cough, and cavernous respiration, testify to the existence of vomica at the apex of the right lung. In about seventeen days

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