with
great difficulty of breathing. The lac ammoniac. somewhat relieved his
breath; but the swellings increased, and his urine was not augmented.
I considered it as a lost case, but having seen the good effects of
the Digitalis, as ordered by Dr. Stokes in the case of Mrs. G----, I
gave him one spoonful of an infusion of [Symbol: dram]ii to half a
pint, twice a day. His breath became much easier, his urine increased
considerably, and the swellings gradually disappeared; since which his
health has been pretty good, except that about three weeks ago, he had
a slight dyspnoea, with pain in his stomach, which were soon removed
by a repetition of the same medicine.

Mr. Shaw likewise informs me, that he has removed pains in the stomach
and bowels, by giving a spoonful of the infusion, [Symbol: dram]iss.
to [Symbol: ounce]viii. morning and night.

A Letter from Mr. VAUX, Surgeon, in Birmingham.

Dear SIR,

I send you the two following cases, wherein the Digitalis had very
powerful and sensible effects, in the cure of the different patients.

CASE I.

Mrs. O---- of L---- street, in this town, aged 28, naturally of a
thin, spare habit, and her family inclinable to phthisis, sent for me
on the 11th of June, 1779, at which time she complained of great pain
in her side, a constant cough, expectorated much, which sunk in water;
had colliquative sweats and frequent purging stools; the lower
extremities and belly full of water, and from the great difficulty she
had in breathing, I concluded there was water in the chest also. The
quantity of water made at a time for three weeks before I saw her,
never amounted to more than a tea-cup full, frequently not so much.
Finding her in so alarming a situation, I gave it as my opinion she
could receive no benefit from medicine, and requested her not to take
any; but she being very desirous of my ordering her something, I
complied, and sent her a box of gum pills with squills, and a mixture
with salt of tartar: these medicines she took until the sixteenth,
without any good effects: the water in her legs now began to exsude
through the skin, and a small blister on one of her legs broke.
Believing she could not exist much longer, unless an evacuation of the
water could be procured; after fully informing her of her situation,
and the uncertainty of her surviving the use of the medicine, I
ventured to propose her taking the Digitalis, whic