ter, to puncture the skin with a needle or lancet, in a number of places. After the leeches have filled themselves and lose their hold, they should be placed on a plate or saucer, and have their heads covered with salt, which occasions them to vomit up the blood with which they have gorged themselves. After this they should be put into water just warmed. If it be desirable to keep up the bleeding, the part may be immersed in warm water, or cloths dipped in warm water may be applied to it. If the bleeding is to be stopped, a little fine flour, or pressure with a fold or two of dry linen, will usually effect what is wished.

In all local phlegmonous inflammations, whether from injury or any other cause, leeches afford one of the most effectual modes of relief, and they are often invaluable. In slow inflammations taking place in the large joints, or near them, in ecchymosis, in boils, whitlows, in schirrus, when painful, and when there are hopes of effecting a cure, leeches constitute an impor tant remedy.

Test of Arsenic.

In the London Medical and Physical Journal, for August, 1812, Mr. Joseph Hume, of Long-Acre, reclaims from Doctors Marcet and Roget the credit of first publishing, in the Philosophical Magazine, the property of silver as a delicate test of the presence of arsenic.

On Ipecacuanha.

To the Editors of the London Medical and Physical Journal.

GENTLEMEN,

You possibly may remember, that in my small publication of August 1801, on diseases of the army, &c. I have mentioned that I first prescribed decoctions of ipecacuanha as injections in dysentery, at Columbe, in the island of Ceylon, in the year 1797, when I was surgeon of his majesty's 19th regiment of foot.

It affords me much pleasure to state, that, during my residence in France for upwards of these last nine years, I have had many opportunities of observing the good effects of ipecacuanha decoctions, not only in dysentery, but also in internal piles, and in flatulent distension of the bowels, from whatever cause they may have arisen.

While at Verdun in France, I likewise received a very satisfactory account concerning the effects of the same medicine from Mr. Connin, surgeon of the navy, who was made prisoner of war in the Mediterranean. He asserted to me, that during last war, while on the same station, he lost many men of dysentery; but that, during the present war, although he had the charge of a considerable number of sick laboring under dysentery, yet he did not lose one patient.. This astonishing difference of success he attributes chiefly to ipecacuanha injections.

Since my return to London, I also have obtained very satisfactory additional information on the same subject from my friend, Mr. Archibald Barklimore, surgeon, of High Street, Bloomsbury.

In a letter from our mutual friend, Mr. Baird, surgeon in the Hon. East-India Company's service, to Mr. Barklimore, dated Tigris, off the Cape of Good Hope, 18th May, 1810, the following passage is contained: "With regard to professional news, little has occurred in our ship to afford opportunity for observation. I cannot help mentioning, however, (because it gives me much pleasure,) that a case has lately occurred in which the valuable remedy that our friend Clark communicated to us has been very successful in curing dysentery. One of the ship's company, who had been afflicted with dysentery for several weeks, and who had been much reduced by mercury, (which seemed to be the cause of the disease,) was snatched from the jaws of death by the ipecacuanha given in clysters. Mr. Graham, surgeon of the ship, consulted me when he had lost all hopes of his patient's recovery. At this time his evacuations were generally slimy, mixed with blood, and he sometimes pas*sed liquid stools of the colour of coffee. I recommended the ipecacuanha, and, though my hopes of its being beneficial were by no means sanguine, I was delighted to find that the poor man

was soon relieved by it. India."

I expect to do much good with it in

Another letter to Mr. Barklimore from Mr. Baird, dated Port Louis, Isle of France, 5th Dec. 1810, contains the following observations: "I was attached to the 22d regiment, and embarked with Colonel Kelso, in the Illustrious, 74, with a detachment of 175 men, We had a long passage, and were sickly. Dysentery made dreadful ravages amongst the ship's company. Nearly 70 men died of it in nine weeks. I was very fortunate in only losing three, and two of these were old bad cases. I used Clark's remedy freely with much advantage."

In a third letter from Mr. Baird to Mr. Barklimore, dated Port Louis, Mauritius, 10th Nov. 1811, the subsequent remarks are made: "I have mentioned to you before how successful I had found Clark's mode of treating dysentery. I have daily opportunities of confirming it. Most of my fellow-labourers have been in a situation to judge of its effects, and have all, I believe, adopted it. I did not fail on these occasions to do him the justice of quoting him as the teacher of the practice. A few days ago I went into a bookseller's shop here, and, in rummaging over a parcel of medical books, his little work presented itself to my agreeable surprise. I was not long of buying it, you may be sure. I have derived the greatest pleasure from a perusal of it, and shall certainly consider myself indebted to him for much valuable practical information."

Hence it would seem that the use of decoctions of ipecacuanha in dysentery will soon become general. It would therefore be highly gratifying to me, and probably very beneficial to mankind, if your readers who may have prescribed the remedy in question would acquaint the world at large, through the me 'dium of your valuable Medical Journal, with the effects produced by it under their directions.

I here think proper to mention, for the information of those who have not seen my publication of 1811, that the form of decoction which I found most successful in adults, was about three drams of ipecacuanha boiled in a quart of water down to a pint, strained, and given all at once as a lavement. In cases of internal piles, for reasons that must appear obvious to every one, it

is in most instances unnecessary to administer more than half a pint of the medicine at a time.

I have the honor to be, gentlemen,
With the utmost respect,

Your most obedient servant,
THO. CLARK, M. D.

No. 17, Denmark-street, Soho, June 17, 1812.

From the London Medical and Physical Journal, for August, 1812. Cases of Small-Pox after Vaccination; copied from the Minute Book of the original Vaccine-Pock Institution, Broad-street, Golden-square.

We have been permitted to transcribe the following most interesting minutes from the Record Book of the original Vaccine Pock Institution-an institution distinguished for its independence and courage in the assertion of truth during the violent contentions of other opposing parties.

MAY 5, 1812. Mrs. Ancell, shopkeeper, No. 3, King-street, Five-fields, Chelsea, attended this day to state that she had three children ill of the small-pox after vaccination at this institution, and a fourth ill of the natural small-pox, not previously vaccinated.

On consulting our registers, it appears that these three cases of asserted failure, had gone through the cow-pock at this institution, viz.

1. Mary Anne Ancell, No. 401 on Dr. Nelson and Mr. Carpue's list, was vaccinated March 31, 1801, then eleven months old, at the breast, with eight-day matter, and went through the affection in a regular manner; with one fine large vesicle.

2. John Ancell, No. 1736 in Dr. Nelson and Mr. Doratt's list, was vaccinated Jan. 24, 1804, then fifteen months old, with eight day matter, producing four distinct vesicles, and the usual satisfactory scabs.

3. Lucy Ancell, No. 2664 in Dr. Nelson and Mr. Doratt's list, vaccinated Sept. 3, 1805, with eight-day matter, then five months old; had six well characterised vesicles, viz. three on each arm, and two subsequent distinct scabs.

Friday, May 8.-Dr. Domeir and Dr. Pearson reported that they had visited the above patients last Wednesday, May 6.— That they found one of the children, viz. John, had not more than thirty small black and brown scabbed eruptions, smaller than the small kinds of chicken-pock, and was in other respects pretty well. That Mary had a very numerous eruption, but distinct, and most of them were scabbed. Lucy had a still more numerous eruption; indeed, they were confluent on the arms and face; they were of the vesicular or bladdery kind, and in several parts bags of lymph hung from them; her face was swelled, and her eyes closed up for a day or two, but she is now walking about. George was exceedingly ill with the confluent sort; also bladdery, and more extensively confluent even than the former. The throat seemed a good deal affected, the respiration laborious, and the eyes almost closed up. The smallpox was in the neighbourhood at the time these children were taken ill; and many children had from time to time attended at the shop of this family when recovering from the small-pox, although they had not immediate intercourse with Mrs. Ancell's children.

It appears, upon the inquiry of the above physicians, 1. That Mary Anne, now aged twelve years, began to sicken twelve days ago, viz. last Friday week, April 24th; the eruption came out on Sunday the 26th. 2. John, now nine years of age, began to sicken the day following, viz. last Saturday but one, April 25th; the eruption came out on the Monday following. 3. Lucy, now aged seven years, sickened last Monday week, April 26th; and the eruption came out on Wednesday following. 4. George, aged four years, who had not been vaccinated, began to be ill last Tuesday week, April 27th; and the eruption came out on Thursday, April 30th.

Tuesday, May 12.-Dr. Pearson reported, that he had again visited the children of Mrs. Ancell on Saturday evening last: Mr. Ewbank had also visited them on Friday. Mrs. Ancell had likewise attended at Dr. Pearson's lecture-room yesterday, with the three children, recovering from the small-pox after the cowpock. He is sorry to report that the child, George, ill of the