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West on the 20th; Westerly from the 21st to the 24th; North West from the 25th to the 27th; Northerly on the 28th and 29th ; and North East or the 30th and 31st.

We had strong gales from South West or North West on the 6th, 18th, 21st, 23d, 25th, and 27th, and hard gales on the 12th and 14th. The latter was a tremendous day.

There has been rain on sixteen days of this month, but on the 3d, 6th, 10th, 12th, 18th, 20th, and 22d, much more than on any of the others. A hard frost commenced in the night of the 28th, and continued till the end of the month. In the night of the 31st there was a considerable fall of snow, the first we have had this December 1.The season has hitherto been so mild that several of the field flowers are yet in bloom. Among them I observe the hedge Lychnis, (Lychnis dioica), common fumitory, (fumaria officinalis) and Gorse.

year.

December 6.-A great quantity of herrings were caught in the evening of this day; and to the westward of this neighbourhood, herrings have continued to be caught during the greater part of the month. December 7.-The weather was so warm that a large blue fly came in at the window of my sitting room, and buzzed about upon the glass in the same manner as these flies do in summer.

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No pilchards have hitherto, this year, migrated so far eastward as to Our shores.

December 13.-Ewes have yeaned some days ago, and lambs are now, in several places, to be seen in the fields.

December 16.-So warm does the weather still continue, that a snake was this day seen out of its hole; and in the evening I observed black beetles of various species (scarabeus stercorarius, &c.) flying about in every direction.

December 17.-Spiders appear upon their webs, and seem to be unaffected by the lateness of the season. The black long legged insects which run upon the surface of the water, and are usually denominated by the common people, water spiders (Cimex lacustris and stagnorum of Linnæus) continue to be seen.

Bats are still to be seen flitting about in the evenings. December 21.-The following plants are in flower, sweet-scented violet, wall-flower, mezereon, and hepatica.

Snipes have in a great measure left the marshes, and are found on the dry lands.

December 25 and 27.-In the evening of each of these days there was much lightning.

December 31.-No wild fowl, except a very few ducks and geese, have yet visited us. The variable weather has no doubt been the cause A tolerably severe frost with the wind from the eastward, are the usual prognostics of the arrival of these birds.

of this.

Hampshire.

METEORO.

METEOROLOGICAL TABLE.
From Dec. 29, to Jan. 27.

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0527 28 29 30

1028 32 36 299

1142 43 38

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14 17 12 clou...rain ... fair . SW... 1 fair.. rain .. .. inn...SW.. 9cloud.. rain.clou.. SW.. 20 clou... fair.... SW.. 30 fair

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40 45 51 fair. cloud....

50 27 24 rain.. fair ... cloud... W.

30th December. Snow covers the ground. Ice an inch and half thick. Jan. 1. Heavy fall of snow in the night, and morning of the 2d.

3. Though wind at S. W. snow falling, and the temperature sensibly warmer, the thermometer falls to 27, and in the evening to 25.

4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Wind from N. and N. E. with a sensation of cold far beyond the degree indicated on the thermometer. Atmosphere very dry. Ice from four to six inches thick.

9. The approach of a change indicated by the hygrometer returning to the humid point; on the 10th, an entire break up of the frost with light rain followed by very dense fog.

13. When rain was falling, the hygrometer rises to the dry side of the scale; and on the 15th and 16th, when fair, shews considerable humidity.

Prince's-Street, Cavendish-Square, Jan. 29, 1811.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

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We are indebted to an intelligent writer who signs himself SENEX, for some wholesome advice. The case, however, which called forth his animadversions, in our apprehensions hardly de served them. He observes respecting it." I have never visited America; yet I would not give credit to any person, with whom 1 was not well acquainted, however respectable, who should tell me of opening arteries in wrists and ankles. I could never hear it without suspecting that he intended to impose upon my understanding; and I shall never read it without hoping it to be an oversight of the writer-or printer."

We assure SENEX that in this instance there was no mistake of the printer, and we cannot for a moment suppose that any medical gen. man, much less Dr. Harrison, would attempt to deceive us with a false relation. Whatever opinion may be entertained of the propriety of taking blood from the arteries, at the wrists or ankles, the operation is practicable. Senex will find his wish for a case in fa. vour of the Eau Medicinale d'Husson, gratified in our present Num. ber. We shall be happy to receive the Case of Change of Colour in a Lady," resembling that related by Mr. Goodwin in a re cent Number.

We have been favoured with Communications from Dr. Bradley of Huddersfield, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Eagland, and Mr. Harro.

The Communication from A. B. which has been accidentally overlooked, will appear in our next Journal, with the extract from the Repertory, with which A. B. wishes it to be accompanied.

Printed by E. Hemsted, Great New Street, Fetter Lane.

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Printed for R. PHILLIPS, by E. Hemsted, Great New Street, Fetter Lane, London.

To the Editors of the Medical and Physical Journal.

Dr. Bradley on an epidemic Puerperal Fever.

GENTLEMEN,

1

IN the west-riding of this county we have had, for more

than twelve months past, an epidemic puerperal fever, which has excited such alarm among pregnant females, especially in some of the larger towns, as to induce many to remove to distant places for the period of their confinement. From the best information I can collect, this fever has been exceedingly fatal, insomuch, that for several months after its first appearance, none, I believe, recovered.

I have not yet learnt that any medical man has favoured the public with remarks on this most formidable complaint, in which, I am happy to say, my experience has been very circumscribed; and I am therefore incompetent to offer any pathological information, as the result of extensive practice. I have seen but six of these cases, three of which were in the last stage of the complaint, and only survived a few hours after first seeing them. A fourth, I attended at an earlier pe riod of the disorder, but was not more successful; and the two last (of one of which I can only give a summary detail), and which constitute the subject of this communication, I have sent you for insertion, if you deem them worthy of a place in your Journal. These involve neither much novelty nor interest, but with regard to their therapeutic or medical treatment, they may not only afford some practical hints, but matter of reflection to a few of my provincial brethren.

Mrs. Wood, aged thirty-two years, of a full habit and a sanguine constitution, was eighteen hours after delivery of her first child, on the 6th of December last, seized with a severe rigor, succeeded by nausea, heat, and great pain in the hypogastric region, especially towards the left side. Eleven hours after this attack, I found her complaining of great pain, soreness, and tension of the lower part of the abdomen, (No. 145.) insomuch,

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insomuch, that she could scarcely bear its being touched. Her pulse was at 122, small, thready, and irregular. She had great thirst, with a tongue a good deal furred, and inclinable to be yellow, and was costive. She made water tolerably well, but the lochia was in very small quantity, and flowed irregularly, and there were no signs of lactation. The pain in her belly was so severe, as to prevent her receiving any rest, and to confine her to one position; for she was the easiest when laid on her back or rather inclining to the right side. Her respiration was also rather obstructed, yet she was without either cough, or pain in the chest, but complained of head-ach.

About three hours previous to my seeing her, she had lost eighteen ounces of blood from the arm, which appeared rather sizy, and somewhat relieved her pain. She had likewise taken opening medicine which had not operated. I ordered her fifteen grains of the hydrarg. subm. in a bolus, to be taken immediately, drinking after it a scruple of jalap, and eight grains of purified nitre, made into a draught, and clysters, consisting of a pint of warm watergrucl, well sweetened with coarse sugar, with the addition of a spoonful or two of castor-oil, to be frequently injected. She was also ordered to dilute well, by drinking large quantities of balm-tca, water-gruel, barley-water, &c.; and her diet to consist of tea, cocoa, and weak chicken-broth. After an interval of six hours, I found the medicine had operated five times, and that her pulse was no quicker, and rather less irregular. Her tongue, also, was in no respects worse, and she declared that every motion had procured her additi onal relief. Ordered of the hydrarg. subm. and pulv. jalap, each six grains, to be given in the form of a bolus, swallowing after it a draught, consisting of the solution of a dram of the magnes. sulph. and to be repeated every four hours, with the exception of the hydrarg. subm. and jalap being reduced to five grains each dose. Whence, it will be seen, that in the first twenty-four hours she took thirty-three grains of hydrarg. subm. thirty-seven of jalap, and half an ounce of magn. sulph. These, with the occasional administration of clysters, procured about ten copious motions. In the evening her pulse continued the same in number as in the morning, but was less irregular, and more distinct. Her thirst also was diminished, and her tongue no more furred, and was less yellow. The pain and soreness of the abdomen were greatly relieved, and she felt little of them, except on motion or pressure, A considerable circumscribed hardness, however, occupied the hypogastric region, especially towards the left side. This appeared to me to be internal, and

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