which, though not new,* deserves, in my opinion, to be more generally followed. I offer it to your consideration with the greater confidence, that notwithstanding the extraordinary share of attention which professional men have paid to this disease, since the memorable expedition to Egypt, its ravages are still to be deplored, not only as producing great and permanent distress to individuals, but as a national evil. The purulent ophthalmy in adults has never come under my observation, so that I cannot judge how far the practice may be admissible in this form of the disease, but as some of your pupils may hereafter enter into the public service, if you think the following case can supply them with any hints for mitigating the severity of this disorder, you are at liberty to make what use of it you please. In the summer of 1808, when the acute ophthalmy prevailed in this place in a severe and obstinate form, the son of D. MJ, aged 17, was seized with the disease in his right eye. Before I saw him, the cornea had burst, and he had seen none with it for three weeks; the inflammation had attacked the left eye, and, in a few days, he was completely blind. He was bled at the arm, and the eyelids were scarified repeatedly; the head was blistered, and he was frequently purged without relief. Reflecting on the advantages which I had frequently seen derived in other inflammatory disorders from mercurial salivation, I determined to have recourse to it in this instance, as the only chance which seemed to remain of preserving the sight of the left eye, and abating the patient's sufferings. I accordingly put him upon a course of calomel and opium; and had the satisfaction to find, that as the mouth became affected, the inflammation subsided, and vision was restored. There is now staphyloma of the right eye, only a small part at the edge of the cornea on one side remaining transparent; the iris of the left eye is drawn a little towards the inner canthus, giving the pupil an oblong shape, but vision is complete, and the patient has since followed his occupation of a weaver without interruption. Since that period I have employed salivation in many other cases of ophthalmy with the same happy effects; the pain and inflammation always receding, as the salivary glands became affected, and the sight becoming as strong as formerly. The temporary inconvenience from the mercurial disorder, is compensated, not only by the cure of this tedious and dangerous dişease, but in many, by a better state of health than they for some time enjoyed. Allow me to subjoin the case of diseased rectum, of which I spoke to you when lately in this place. * See Riverius. 15th October, 1810.-J. W. sen. aged 59, has been subject to piles for 16 years, which, about four years ago, distressed him much within the gut. After continuing for a year and a half in this situation, he enjoyed a pretty perfect remission for about three quarters of a year, when they returned in the same manner. Six months ago he began to be affected with excruciating pain at the anus; on going to stool matter was observed to ooze from it in small quantities; and, for ten weeks, he has never been able to procure any evacuation without purgatives or clysters. He can bear nobody to introduce the clyster-pipe but himself, the feces are as small as a worm, and indented along the surface; the exertion is succeeded by great heat and pain at the anus, for which he employs fomentations. He has frequently pain and difficulty in making urine, which is deficient in quantity. The penis is shrunk even when he has erections, which are feeble; he has lost his appetite, and he does not perspire. B Ung. Acet. Cupri. 3iss. Nitrat. mit. a 3vi. M. November 12th. With great difficulty and pain, he got a little of the ointment introduced into the gut three or four times a day. After using it three days, the gut began to widen, and in eight or ten days, he says, he never felt in his life more satisfaction than when, instead of being scarcely able to introduce the smallest clyster-pipe, he could introduce two fingers. The bowels are natural; the dysury has left him; the penis has resumed its natural size, and wonted vigorous erections. For ten days he has used a few mercurial pills, which gently affected his mouth. February 6th, 1811. He has continued free from complaints in these parts. . Paisley, 7th February, 1811. MEDICAL REPORT OF GLASGOW INFIRMARY for 1810. List of Patients admitted and discharged, From 1st January, 1810, to 1st January, 1811. Patients remaining in the house, 31st December 1809, 100 957 The list of diseases is so indiscriminate as hardly to deserve notice. The following are some of the most remarkable items in the list for the city: Consumption, 240, aged 232; stopping, 100; chincough, 94; fever, 81; bowel hive, 79; still-born, 70; measles, 51; teething, 28; water in the head, 27; asthma, 26; small-pox, 23.-The circumstance of there being only one of ditference between the sum of the deaths in the two years is remarkable. RAIN in 1810. 1. At Dalkeith. 2. Bothwell Castle. 3. Glasgow. 4. Largs. Remarks. From this Table, it appears that the rain in some parts of the west coast of Scotland is nearly double that in the more inland parts of the country. Can this change have any particular influence on the health of the inhabitants? Are there any diseases peculiar to those situations? Is croup more frequent than in other situations? Dr Cheyne remarks, that croup "chiefly appears in the winter and spring, in low situations, ex-posed to air which has passed over large bodies of water, and is most especially the disease of sea-port towns. Is it frequent in Greenock, a sea-port town, where more rain falls than in almost any other place in Scotland? It appears, from the bill of mortality for the city of Glasgow last year, that 100 have died of stopping. Were these all genuine cases of croup; or are there other diseases to which that term is applied? We can hardly suppose that every eleventh death could be a real case of cynanche tra chcalis, as that disease is now defined and understood; or, if it |