About this time, Mr. Coxe alfo communicated an account of the fame kind. He took an old mongrel cur all over-run with the mange, and provided himself at the fame time with a young healthy land fpaniel. As well as he could judge, he transfufed from the difeated as much blood as the found dog loft. The refult was, that in the latter no vifible alteration was made; but the former was in a fhort time perfectly cured thereby. Mr. Coxe concludes, therefore, that a fudden and confiderable evacuation of blood is the proper and effectual remedy for the mange. Mr. Denis, too, in this fame year, transfufed from three calves into three dogs. After the operation the latter ate as well as they had done before. The fame year Mr. Denis transfufed the blood of four wethers into a horfe twenty-fix years old. From the operation the horfe derived new vigour, and more than ordinary appetite for his food. Mr. Denis's experiments were made in France. Similar experiments were made alfo in Italy. On the 8th of May, at S. Caffini's, in Bologna, the blood of one lamb was transfufed into another. Before the operation a confiderable quantity of blood was taken from the lamb who was to receive. Nearly as much, it is fuppofed, was thrown into him during the operation as he had loft before it. Immediately after the operation, the lamb into whom the blood had been introduced went about the room without the appearance of feeblenefs. This lamb did not die till the 5th of January enfuing. Some time afterwards another experiment of this kind was made by an Italian philofopher. This gentleman transtufed from a lamb into a fpaniel, which was thirteen years old, and was quite deaf. It is faid, that this dog, who could hardly walk before this experiment was made upon him, not only was able to go about with the other dogs after the operation, but, what will appear aftonishing, that he was thereby, after a while, cured of his deafnefs. Befides thefe which we have already related, feveral other experiments were made upon the fame kind of animals, both by perfons of our own and other countries: but, having already mentioned thofe which to us appeared to be the molt curious, we think it would be tedious and unneceffary to enter into a particular detail of the rett: we fhall, therefore, immediately proceed to take notice of the trials which were made of this practice upon men. Soon after Sir Edmund King had defcribed the method of transfuting blood into the veins of men (in the Philofophical Tranfactions) he had an opportunity of putting into practice this method, in conjunction with Dr. Richard Lower, upon one Arthur Coga, in London. They performed the operation on the 23d of November, 1667. For the fpace of two minutes the arterial blood of a young fheep was conveyed into the veins of this man. At the end of two minutes the operation was stopped, at the request of the man. It was conjectured that this man received about nine or ten ounces of the theep's blood. He continued well after the operation. Before this, however, tran-fufion had been tried upon men in France; and in the Journal des Scarvans, Dr. Denis publifhed, in the fame year 1667, an account of two experiments which had beer. made upon the human fubject. The firit was upon a boy, between fifteen and fixteen years old, who had been deprived of his fenfes by a fever two months before. This lad was almost conftantly fleeping. Before the operation about three ounces of blood, which was extremely black, were taken from him; and, as well as could be gueffed, about eight ounces of the arterial blood of a lamb were afterwards infufed into him. The only accident which he had after the operation was a light bleeding at the note: he was foon afterwards restored to perfect health. The fecond experiment was performed upon a chairman, who, for a trifling fum, confented to undergo the operation. He was 45 years of age. About ten ounces of blond were taken from him, and as much was transfufed into him from the crural artery of a lamb. This man went with his companions after the operation; boiled the lamb whofe blood had been thrown into him; and carried his chair again as ufual. The next day he came and requested he might be made ufe of again, whenever they fhould be inclined to repeat the expe riment. The other experiment which was made at Paris the next year did not terminate fo favourably. The cafe was as follows:-Anthony Mauroy, 34 years old, had been for feveral years in a flate of infanity. He was fometimes fo furious, that it was found neceffary to contine him, left he thould do harm. He had lucid intervals; and his fits were periodical. Bleeding, bathing, and other means had been tried in vain. It was at laft refolved upon, when he was in one of his fits, in which he ran naked about the streets of Paris, and was without sleep for feveral months, to make trial of transfufion, which was accordingly performed upon him on the 19th of December, 1668, in the prefence of a great number of phyficians and furgeons. About ten ounces of blood were taken from his arm, and about five or fix ounces (for more could not be thrown into him, on account of the crowd of fpectators) of blood were transtufed into his vellels from thofe of a cait. The man felt, it is faid, a great heat all along his arm. He fainted a little; but took fome food foon after the operation. He continued to be rather ftupid and drowfy; and paled the night as ufual in finging and whiftling. A few days after, the operation was repeated again. Only three ounces of blood were taken from his arm; and it was conjectured that he received more than a pint of blood from a calf. Immediately as the blood entered his veins, he felt, as before, a heat along his arm. His pulte rofe, and his face was covered with fweat. He complained of a pain in his loins, and of a great fickness at his stomach; and faid that he thould be futtocated if they did not let him loofe. He vomited, and felt a preiling deûre to go to tool. The vomiting continued two hours; after which time he slept; not waking till the next morning, when he complained of pains and weaineis which affected the whole of his limbs. He was calm, and thewed much prefence of mind. He 3 L filled filled a chamber-pot with urine as black as if there had been foot in it. The next morning he filled another chamber-pot with urine, al moft as black as that which he had made on the preceding day. He bled largely from the nofe; on this account he was let blood from the arm. In a few days afterwards every bad fymptom difappeared, and he became perfectly fentible. He remained fentible for two months, at the expiration of which time, by excefs in living, and by other irregularities, he was thrown into a very dangerous fever. Whilft he was in this ftate, at the earnett entreaties of his wife, transfution was attempted a third time upon him. The man died the next day. It was fufpected that the wife had given him poifon; for the hattened his funeral as much as the could, to grevent his body from being opened With the like ill fuccefs was transfufion performed upon a Swifs nobleman, who laboured under an ardent fever. He was defpaired of by his phyficians. One of them, however, recollecting an aphorifm of Kippocrates, in which it is faid, that in doubtful cafes doubtful remedies are to be tried, propofed transfufion. It was accordingly tried. The exchange of blood in this operation was very incontiderable: the patient did not appear to be in the leaft hurt by it, but, on the contrary, was thought to be fomewhat better for it. A fecond transfufion was therefore attempted. During the operation the patient died, a victim, fays Boerhaave, to medical curiofity By thefe two failures the practice of transfufion was brought into difrepute phyficians and philofophers would doubtlefs have ceafed of chemfelves to have made further experiments upon it; left, however, this should not be the cafe, it was publicly prohibited by royal edict; and from that time to the prefent it has been almott univerfally forgotten. Having now given fome hiftory of the expements of transfufion upon brutes and upon men; may not be amifs to confider, in the next place, what were the expectations which, at the time of its introduction, were formed from fuch a practice; with what reafon fuch expectations were entertained; and whether transfufion, in any cafes, can be a fute und falutary operation. As inventors are ever ready to cry up the value and importance of their difcoveries; fo they by whom transtution was firit practifed did not will abundantly fhow. We fhall not take no tice in this place (intending to do that in another) of the probable difference between the blood of man and other animals, and of the effects which, if there is any real difference, muft neceffarily take place upon the introduc tion of the blood of a theep into the veffels of a man; we fhall only obferve, that fuch expectations must have proceeded from mistaken ideas concerning the animal economy. The blood and other fluids of the body were at that time fuppofed to be the feat of difeafes. A better understanding of the nature of difeafes, and of the operation of the caufes by which they are produced, has now convinced pathologifts that the folids are the general feat of difeafe. It is folly, therefore, to expect that the injection of a quantity of blood into the veels of one who, as they fpeak, has not blood enough, will re move the caufe of that penury of blood. The organs of fanguification may be impaired, obftructed, and difeafed in a thoufand ways; and if fo, it is not likely that transfufion will fet them aright. Another notion was entertained ftill more abfurd than this, namely, that if a man had bad blood, all that the physician need do would be to let this bad blood run out, and to fupply its place with better blood from fome other animal!-Would not the fame cause which occafioned the vitiation or corruption of the man's own blood equally vitiate and corrupt the healthy blood poured into him from fome other animal-If the ftomach is unable to digeft, it is in vain to attempt to nourish the body by forcing food into it. It is enough to mention their expectations concerning the prolongation of life, to thow the absurdity of them. If difpofition or temper depended much upon the state of the blood, Mr. Boyle might have reasonably fuppofed that transfufion would have produced a change therein. As this, however, is not the cafe, no such alteration can be expected. We are now to confider, whether transfufion, in any cafes, can be a fate and a falutary ope ration: and in doing this we thould obferve, that all freth matter, which, in a confiderable quantity, is carried into the blood along the courfe of the abforbents in the alimentary paffage, does occafion fome commotion when it mixes with the blood. If this, then, be true of that which enters the blood in this natural way; how much greates a disturbance muft there be occationed by the immediate injection of even the blandet fluids into the veifels Perhaps, indeed, the advocates for transtution may fay, that whatever be the difturbances which arife from the injection of other fluids, no fuch mifchief can be produced by the introduction, in fuch a manner, of the blood of a lwing animal. This blood, they will fay, requires no concoction, no affimilation,, being poffelled of the fame nature and qualities with that with which it is mixed. If they do fay this, they must be thought to go to too great a lengthCan they alert that the blood of a theep or a calf has the very fame qualities with the blood Thefe were the expectations which were en- of a man, when the former feed upon herbs tertained from transtufion. Wide what little only, and the latter chiefly upon fleth Cerseaton they were formed the Austell reflexion tainly there is a difference, and thate cafes of il to promile many and the greatest advanLages therefrom. It was believed that by this means difeafes might be cured, fince the phyfician would have it this power, from this operation, to give more blood to thofe who had not enough, and to give better to thofe who had bad blood: nay, fome were even perfuaded, that a perpetual vigour and youth, a fort of cefeitial immortality, might by thefe means be fecured to mankind. Mr. Boyle himlelf, as hould appeas from fome queries of his which were published in the Philofophical Tranfactions, imagined fome change might be wrought in the angotitions of animals in this manner. transfufion upon men of which we have a clear and circumftantial relation prove it fufficiently The fickness of the ftomach, the pains in the loins, the fenfe of fuffocation, the vomiting, the drowsiness, the bloody urine (for the blacknefs of it must have been owing to the blood which was mixed with it) all afford the most incontrovertible proofs of a commotion in the circulation in particular, and of a violent difturbance in the fyftem at large. But in the inftance of Arthur Coga, and in the two cafes related by Dr. Denis, no fuch effects it will be faid, followed. Why it fo happened it is eafy to perceive. The quantity of blood thrown into him was too inconfiderable to caufe any material injury. It was conjectured, indeed, that nine or ten ounces paffed into him in the space of two minutes; perhaps, however, he might not actually receive the fame number of drachms. The fame may be obferved of the other twe cales related by Dr. Denis. As to the experiments which were made upon animals from their fuccefs we cannot pretend to infer that transfufion will ia like manner prove at deaft harmless, if not beneficial, when practifed upon men. Befides, it is to be noticed, that in fome inftances the animals were purpofely deftroyed very foon after the operation; and therefore it remains a matter of uncertainty how long these, had they been left to themselves, would have furvived the operation. Of the furprising cures which have been said to have been wrought upon brutes by transfufion, we fall leave our readers to form an opinion for themfelves; confeffing, at the fame time, that they almost furpafs our belief. After an attentive confideration of the whole of this fubject, we think we may, with juftice, make this remark: That transfufion, when practifed upon healthy perfons, in fparing quantity, may not, in fome inftances, give rife to much harm but that danger must always attend the trial of it upon those who are of a weak conftitution, or who are in å ftate of difeafefo true is the oblervation of the celebrated Boerhaave-Quemque mortalem fibi ipfi fanguinem fuum parare debere, neque poffe mutuo ab alio quocunque aut bomine, aut animali, accipere That every perfon fhould prepare for himfelf his own blood, and that no perfon can [with fatety] reciprocally exchange his blood with any other creature, whether it be man or brute. Although it will be feen from thefe reflec tions that we are of opinion that little good can ever, and that much mischief may often be produced by transfufion: yet do we nevertheless think that it is a matter which should be inquired into till further by phyficians: and hence, therefore, we cannot but be fenfible that the author of the pamphlet, entitled Some new Hints, &c. is to be commended for having now brought it before the confideration of the public. P. P. ON THE USE OF THE DRY VOMIT, AND THE SUCCESS ATTENDING THE METHOD OF TREATING INTERMITTENTS RECOMMENDED BY DR. LIND. BY DR. THOMAS HOULSTON, PHYSICIAN TO THE LIVERPOOL INFIRMARY, &c. N a collection of empty ftomach, in about half a meat fponful of water. papers lately pub Ilifhed, under the title of Obfervasions on Poifans, I have made curfory mention (in the laft) of two remedies I have often found of great ufe, and to the beneficial effects of which I wish to bear more ample teftimony. And I conceive it would be rendering fervice both to the faculty and to the community, if thofe of the profeffion who have had frequent occafions of obfervang the good effects of any particular medicine, or mode of treatment, would embrace fuch opportunities as may offer to communicate and recommend it to the public; efpecially, when fuch remedy, or practice, is not generally adopted, which I believe is the cafe with thofe of which I am now fpeaking. "The dry vomit is a compofition of equal parts of tart. emet. and vitr. A quantity of it is mixed at once, and the dofe of this mixture commonly given is five grains, on an · roman. The patient is directed to drink nothing after it. In a fhort time after fwallowing it, fick nefs is produced, and a quantity, of bile is generally thrown up. To take off the ficknefs, a fpoonful of brandy, or of any fpirit, may then be given, and if that thould come up, a fecond. "This was a favourite medicine of the late Dr. Maryatt, whofe practice, to judge from the account he himself gave of it, appears more empirical than rational. I own, I entertained very great doubts of the propriety of giving in common two grains and an half of emetic tartar and the fame quantity of blue vitriol, as a vomit, having feen feveral inftances of a violent vomiting produced by a much fmaller quantity of tartar emetic alone; particularly in the prefent Earl of Arran, to whom, when at Naples, I gave a fingle grain (prepared at Apothecaries-hall, in Lon3L 2 don don) which operated to a degree extremely alarming and diftrefling. I did not choose, therefore, to make a trial of the dry vomit, 'till I was affured by a gentleman of great ingenuity and veracity, who had given it to feveral, and even taken it himfelf, that its operation was far from fevere. Since then I have given it in a variety of cafes, and it has acted fo mildly, that I fcarcely recollect an inftance where it was complained of as too violent; but I have met with feveral, wherein five grains were not fufficient to produce any effect, and where I have found it neccffiry to increafe the dofe to feven or eight grains of the mixture. The reafon why the compound acts more mildly than one of the ingredients would do alone-whether fome decompofition takes place on their being combined together-it is not eafy to afcertain. But it is fufficient for medical purposes to know, that it is not only a fafe but even a mild vomit. "The nature of the difeafe, or the ftate of the ftomach, may often render it more eligible to give a dry vomit. It is the ftimulus to the whole fyftem from the action of vomiting which, in many cafes, we would wish to excite. In this refpect, and in evacuating bile, the dry vomit anfwers the fame purpofe as fea-fickness. Drinking largely of warm water after taking a vomit, as is commonly practifed, befides leffening thefe effects, tends to leave the ftomach in a relaxed flate, and thus may frequently do as much harm as it was expected to do good. "A prattics of which I have great reafon to fpeak well, and which I should wifh alfo to recommend to the notice of others who may not have experienced it, is that of the ingenious Dr. Lind in the cure of intermittents:-the giving a vomit an hour before the cold fit, and a fufficient dofe of tinét. thebaic. half an hour after the fit commences. In many intermittents of long continuance, both tertians and quartans, I have known this method fucceed to put a stop to them the very first time it was made ufe of. But though this will often not be the cafe, and it will be neceffary to repeat the tinct. thebaic. on each ac 3 ceffion of the hot fit, and to increase the dofe of it, yet the great relief it occafions, and the gradual diminution in the ftrength of the fits, are ftrong inducements to perfevere in the use of the remedy, untill they are completely removed. That this will be the confequence of fuch perfeverance, even where no other medicine is exhibited, experience will evince. I very rarely indeed have had occafion to recur to the bark for the cure of agues, though I fometimes give it after the complaint is removed, with a view to strengthen the habit. Indeed, we receive into cur Infirmary numbers of poor Irish, returning home from the fens after harveft, labouring a long time under agues, having begged their way, half-ftarved, and greatly debilitated. In fuch, a cure is not to be looked for, untill they are a little recruited, by enjoying, for fome time, the neceffaries and conveniencies of life, to which they have long been ftrangers. It is eafy to ob ferve the gradual good effects produced in them by better living only. To perfons in this fituation, I fometimes give, with advantage, a glafs of spirits a little before the paroxyfm. I remember, many years ago, feeing a German foon cure himself of an obitinate ague, by drinking every morning a glass of brandy, in which a fmall quantity of myrrh, aloes, and faffron was infufed, and it proved equally fuccefsful in fome cafes of long ftanding, where I recommended a trial of it after the bark has failed. To the fpirit, however, I conclude the fuccefs is chiefly to be attributed. I have alfo given twenty drops of tinct. thebaic. before the cold fit, and the fame quantity during the hot one, in fome cafes, with evident advantage. "There is one circumftance more I fhould wish to mention, now I am upon this fubject. It is a cafe of accidental recovery, in one of thefe poor Irishmen, whom I had taken into the Infirmary, labouring under an ague of long continuance, anafarca, extreme debility, and emaciation. His complexion was very fallow, and his belly prominent; the effect, as appeared on examination, of enlarged and indurated vifcera: ifcera: a frequent confequence of gues amongst those who live in low, narthy fituations, to which they give he name of the ague-cake, and which, ogether with the fubfequent ill health, s often wrongfully attributed to the ife of bark. I tried the above, and other means for fome time, without iny permanent good effect. The ague indeed would ftop for a while, and the patient feemed to acquire a little ftrength, but he foon relapfed. At length it happened that mercurial inunctions, directed for another patient, were, by mistake, given to him. He had ufed them only a few times, when, to my great furprize, I found him in a falivation. I was the lefs diflatisfied at the mistake, as I thought it probable he might thence receive effential benefit: and the event juftified my opinion, for the man foon got quite well. An inftance this, which might be adduced as a further proof of the good effects of mercurials in cafes of obftructed vifcera; though fuch was the degree of weaknefs of this patient, that, however defireable a mercurial treatment might have appeared, few practitioners would have ventured to advise it for a man fo extremely reduced: and though the event was favourable, it would fcarcely be a fufficient juftification for adopting fo hazardous a practice, in fimilar cir cumstances." THE FOR THE MISCELLANY. LONDON MAGAZINE. AN ESSAY ON MISANTHROPY. Am fure that I may, confcientiouf Ily, and I hope I may, without vanity, affert, that in my literary productions I have always been ardent and open in the cause of truth. To this conduct, as an author, I have invariably adhered, without any indulgence to the narrow paffions and prejudices of mankind; and, as I know, by painful experience, with too little regard to my own private intereft and emolument. Therefore, as I have been unfortunate, from the selfish and imitative part of the world, from the great majority of mankind, I expect no esteem. From their eyes, even the moft tranfcendent merit is always concealed, by the impenetrable and baleful fhade of adverfity. Such is the obduracy of their hearts, and the confidence of their language, that they will give no credit to the unprotected and perfecuted fcholar, for being an honeft and zealous advocate for useful and momentous truth. But from the noble-minded few, from the liberal and generous part of man kind, I thould be ungrateful, I fhould be infenfible, if I did not anticipate more quarter. Whatever my abilities are, they will rank them in the clafs they deferve. For my uniform oppofition to fuperftition and defpotifm, they will give me the laurel of the good citizen; and if they cannot prefent me with the palm of prudence, they will applaud my fincerity. I intend, in this little pamphlet, to offer to the public my impartial and difpaffionate thoughts on Mifanthropy; to endeavour to redeem the penetrating, experienced, and ingenuous judge of human nature, from that precipitate or artful obloquy which hath fo often been thrown upon him: accurately to diftinguish between acrimonious declamation and philofophical decifion; which, in difcuffing the prefent fubject, have been moit perverfely confounded by two very different forts of men: by the worthlefs; who were naturally enemies to a theory which promoted * In our Magazine for April laft, p. 315, we gave an account of three poems by this ingenious and fpirited writer. In that article we mentioned, with commendation, a Sermon on Self Knowlenge, and an Effay on Mifanthropy, and we are now happy that it is in our power to lay the latter compofition before our readers, who, we doubt not, will receive entertainment from it. |