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CASE III. F. T. This case was one of peculiar severity. The subject of it was a young female, 19 years of age, who had laboured under bad coughs, oppression of the chest, great pain in breathing, and other symptoms for five years previously. She latterly coughed up blood, and pieces of a solid substance of a brownish colour, which she thought were portions of the lungs. Her complaint had now attained to such a height, that it was deemed impossible for her to survive many weeks-indeed it was astonishing after such protracted lingering that she should be alive at all. The expectoration from her lungs was excessive, and her night perspirations so great, that her bed and linen every morning were thoroughly saturated as if they had been put in water. Hectic fever was more particularly severe in the morning. When I first took her case in hand her appetite had totally failed, her bowels were very irregular, and her whole frame so weak that she could scarcely move without assistHer breathing was dreadfully oppressed during the fits of coughing, and death by suffocation seemed at those times inevitable. I immediately ordered a mixture for inhalation, which she carefully attended to three times a day, and in a few days found great relief. Internal medicine was also administered, and her diet regulated with great exactness. The warm bath, as also vinegar and water, were occasionally employed. After six or eight weeks' perseverance in this plan, her improvement was satisfactory in the highest degree -it was quite delightful to witness the change in her. Expectoration was greatly diminished, and could be effected without difficulty -the night perspirations and hectic fever gradually left her-she attained a good appetite, and I allowed her to take porter and mild animal food every day for dinner. At the end of three months her strength and health were completely restored, and she discontinued all medical treatment.

On any little attack of cough or cold she instantly applies the means I recommended, and never experiences the slightest inconvenience.

I cannot draw this little Tract to a conclusion, without quoting the authority of two very eminent living characters in defence of the system I advocate; they are Dr. Elliotson, whose profound knowledge of medicine is scarcely to be surpassed, and Dr. Willson, physician to the West London Infirmary.

"The medical profession," says Dr. Elliotson, "have been much to blame for neglecting the inhalation of

various substances, and allowing their patients to die under the old 'jog-trot' system, well established as unsuccessful; and the duty they owe to themselves and their patients demands that they should not persist in affording alleviations only, when there is the slightest possibility of accomplishing more good than before by any new means." He adds, "It shows a very narrow mind to set one's face against attempts at improvement; and I, therefore, give credit to all my medical brethren who suggest any thing new, and still more to those who make exertion to carry such things into effect."

Dr. Willson wrote several able papers on the beneficial effects of medicated inhalations in pulmonary consumption, and published them in the "Lancet" in the years 1841 and 1842. In one place he has the following striking passage referring to the subject of inhalation. “I know full well the extreme difficulty that presents itself of combating the old and confirmed prejudices, entertained by the majority of my profession and the public, against the curability of Consumption, and I must admit that medical records but serve to strengthen such conclusions; but an enlightened and liberal profession should be open to conviction, free to embrace facts, and earnest to solicit inquiry."

The testimony of two such individuals as these who are at the head of their profession, is surely sufficient to open the eyes of the public, and convince every unprejudiced person of the superiority of this method over that which has unfortunately been practised, with such loss of human life, up to the present time. The system of inhalation involves no theory difficult to be understood—it is merely plain, common sense, divested of all mystery and uncertainty-for when the case of any patient is curable at all, it must surely be by those means which can gain a direct access to the part af

fected. It is on this principle that Galvanism is so efficacious in Rheumatism, Asthma, Torpidity of the Liver, &c.-because the Galvanic fluid can be immediately directed to the particular parts of the body which need relief, and thus make them the circuit of communication through which its influence must necessarily pass. Just so it is with inhalation in diseased lungs-the remedy is at once applied to the very parts which require it: but such is not the case with the usual method, and hence its utter failure in almost every instance. Seeing then that the general treatment of consumptive patients is unsatisfactory, and productive of much distress both to themselves and their near relatives, and knowing well that the healing art is capable of conferring far greater benefit in such cases, I have not hesitated to state my experience and opinions freely to the public. My desire in doing so, is to reiterate the important fact that Consumption is not incurable, but that means are now within our reach, which, when properly applied, will most assuredly save the lives of thousands who are now regarded as doom'd and irrecoverable objects.

NOTICE.

There are some other diseases on which the Author has bestowed especial attention, and in the treatment of which his plans have been rewarded with unusual success. They are Gout, Rheumatism, Indigestion, and Diseases of the Eyes.

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