and contained several articles of diet in a half digested state. I will here remark that in four instances of this disease, to my knowledge, death occurred in the same sudden and unexpected manner. One of these cases I examined, and found, in addition to the usual extensive tubercular deposits in the viscera of the thorax and abdomen, a highly diseased condition of the heart. The pericardium was filled with a reddish serum. The external surface of the heart had the appearance of being blistered, and around the apex was coagulable lymph of recent deposit; the muscular substance was very soft, so that the finger could be readily pushed through it. In this case disease of the heart was predicted, from the unusual throbbing and uneasy feeling about its seat, upon very slight exertion, and also from the very tremulous pulse, and sometimes almost pulseless condition of the wrist. I was assisted in this examination by Drs. Law and Davidson, of Columbia.

I will mention a circumstance connected with another case, which as it gave rise to much doubt as to the true nature of the patient's complaint, may possibly aid others in their diagnosis. A negro man, aged about 20 years, who had the usual symptoms of negro consumption 'applied to me for assistance, stating that he had tried others without benefit, and that he was poisoned-he was somewhat emaciated, with a quick and tremulous pulse, great debility, shortness of breath, and abdomen distended with a dropsical effusion; appetite tolerably good; but that which distressed him most was "something beating in his belly." Upon examination I found a pulsating tumour about the size of an orange, a little above and to the left of the umbilicus, but which could be very indistinctly felt at the time in consequence of the fluid in the abdomen. This tumour was thought by many to be aneurism of the aorta, and gave rise to much doubt in the minds

of all. I regarded his case however as hopeless, and put him upon a mild palliative course of treatment; but with this he soon become dissatisfied and in a few days applied to a Root Doctor, who agreed with him that he was poisoned, and treated him for poison several weeks, during all which time he become more and more emaciated. He at length applied to a Steam Doctor by whom he was very speedily despatched. I accidentally heard of his death, and Dr. A. H. Brown of this place and myself opened him in his grave two nights afterwards, and by moonlight dissected out the tumour, which we found upon examination to be a mass of tubercular matter in the mesentery, which pressed upon the aorta, with sufficient force to receive and transmit its pulsatory movements through the parietes of the abdomen. It is scarcely necessary to detail the appearances of another case. Certainly in all instances the tuberculous deposits are not so great as in the first case above mentioned, but it is a very fair representative of all. I will further mention that in all cases where the stomach was examined its internal structure appeared sound, but in all the instances, (six in number,) where I have examined the intestinal mucous membrane, it has presented extensive and deep ulcerations. In one case the ulcerations had perforated the serous coat in several places, but these perforations were prevented from opening into the cavity of the peritoneum by adhesions of false membrane and tubercular lumps, which projected into the cavity of the bowels. I was assisted in the examination of this case by Dr. Brown, of this place. In another case the duodenum, through its whole length, was dotted with small superficial ulcerations, the size of a ten cent piece or smaller; the coats of this bowel however were very much thickened and indurated, and in the remainder of the intestines were ulcers, but particularly numer

ous in the last twelve or eighteen inches of the small intestines. Dr. Law was present at the examination of this case. The last case of this disease which I examined was during the last summer. I rode twelve miles to see it in order to satisfy the mind of the master, who was under the impression that his slave was poisoned. The case was a negro man, aged about 35 years; I was accompanied by three or four students of medicine who were anxious to see the cavity of the abdomen and its contents, which I had promised to shew them. I made the common crucial incision through the parietes of the abdomen, but could find no cavity. The opposite surfaces of the peritoneum adhered so firmly, and the spaces between the convolutions of the intestines were so filled with lymph, false membrane, tuberculous, and dark colored matter, that the whole presented a mass of disease impossible to describe, and which time did not permit us to investigate. It would have taken hours of tedious and careful dissection to have even separated the abdominal parietes from the intestines. I was more lucky in showing the viscera of the thorax, for here I found them less diseased than is common. contained some tubercles and small abcesses. There were no remarkable symptoms in this case that authorized the belief of such extensive disease in the abdomen, and what is a remarkable fact, he bore pressure upon the abdomen without complaint. He suffered from ascites in the course. of his disease, but the water was purged off some weeks before he died.

The lungs Heart sound.

Treatment. I have nothing to offer as a remedy for this complaint, every article that I have tried having seemed but to aggravate the symptoms, at least doing no good. Bleeding and purging are highly injurious as they prostrate at once, and counter-irritants, as blisters, setons, issues, and tartar emetic

pustulations, have all been tried without any benefit. Tonics have had a better effect than all other remedies; but I have never known them to cure a case. Perhaps in the earliest stages of the disease, when unfortunately we are never consulted, some of the preparations of iron might be used with benefit.

October, 1840.

ART. II.-Cases Illustrative of the Beneficial Effects of the Oil of Turpentine. By Dr. JoHN BENNETT, late of Newport, Kentucky.

HÆMORRHOIDS. In July, 1830, having charge of the health of the troops, at the United States Arsenal in Newport, a recruit who labored under piles of long standing and aggravated character, was attacked with colic. The abdomen was much distented. I ordered him ol. ricini i. combined with 3ij. of oil of turpentine. On my visit the next day, I found him relieved from colic and decidedly better of the piles. The turpentine was continued for a few days, and the patient returned to duty free from the disease.

Since that time I have given the castor oil and turpentine, in that disease with uniform success.

WORMS. For several years I have laid aside the usual vermifuges, and given the turpentine exclusively in cases of worms, and it has rarely disappointed my expectations. In the convulsions of children, ascribed to worms, I have given the turpentine and oil with the happiest effects, when no worms passed off. If the convulsions of children arise from some other irritation of the mucous membrane of the stom

ach or bowels, the turpentine and oil are, so far as my experience goes, the most efficient remedy. Their action is twofold-they soothe the irritated membrane, and at the same time carry off the irritating matter.

Since writing the above, I was called to see a child of Mr. H. It had been attacked with convulsions. Gave a portion of oil and turpentine. The medicine operated well, and it had no return of the fits.

CHRONIC CHOLERA INFANTUM. In July last, I was called to the country, some miles distant, to see several patients laboring under the fever. I was there informed, by a lady, that Cholera Infantum was rife in her neighborhood, and that it was universally cured by the turpentine and oil. In the acute stages of that disease, I have not tried it; but in the chronic form, it has succeeded better than any other remedy, to which I have resorted. I select out of my note book the following, from among a number of similar cases.

July 11th. Called to Mr. D.'s child, aged 18 months, with cholera infantum. Directed strong coffee without sugar or cream, to be given every fifteen or twenty minutes, with an occasional enema of salt and water, and a sinapism to the region of the stomach and bowels. Visit at night. Stomach less irritable. Frequent watery discharges from the bowels. If water is taken it is instantly thrown up. R. sub. mur. hydr., grs. iij.; sacch. alb. 3ss., mix and divide into twelve powders. One to be given hourly. 12th. Stomach still irritable, thirst great, pulse quick, extremities cold, discharges frequent and watery. Continue the calomel; cold applications to the head, which is hot; drink, slippery elm tea; diet, arrow root. 13th. Vomiting has ceased; discharges from the bowels frequent. Calomel and Dover's powder, in small, repeated portions. 15th. Purging continues. Gave chalk