cafe infected at the fame time; therefore, the child not infected by the mother. Dr. Mead afferts, that when a woman in the fmall pox fuffers an abortion, the fetus is generally full of the contagion; but that this does not happen always. This variety, he fays, depends on the state of the mother's puftules when the child is born; that is, whether they are or are not in a ftate of purulence. Whence he has oblerved it fometimes to happen, that on the fecond day from the birth, or the third, or any day before the eighth, the difeafe caught from the mother fhews itfelf in eruptions on the child. "woman, who had long before "fuffered the fmall pox, nursed "her husband, under that dif "eafe, towards the end of her pregnancy; and was brought "to bed at the due time. The "child was dead, and covered "all over with variolous puftules." With refpect to the cafe quoted from Mauriceau, it has been proved by Sir George Baker, (Med. Tranfact. vol. ii. p. 275.) that Dr. Mead drew a conclufion from it directly contrary to the author's meaning. The negative opinion appears evidently to be fupported by that hiftory. Sir George Baker mentions in the fame paper the cafe of two pregnant women who were inoculated at Hertford. They both had the fmall pox favourably, and afterwards brought forth their children perfectly healthy at the ufual time. Both these children, at the age of three years, were inoculated with effect. Dr. Mead here relates the hiftory of a lady of quality, of which this is the fubitance. A lady, in the feventh month of her pregnancy, had the confluent fmall pox, and on the eleventh day of the difeafe brought forth a fon, having no figns of the difeafe on his body; and fhe died on the Sir George Baker likewife menfourteenth day. The infant hav- tions a cafe which fell under the ing lived four days, was feized obfervation of Dr. Clarke of Epwith convulfions, and, the fmall fom." A woman towards the pox appearing, died. The doctor" end of her pregnancy had the infers from hence, that the fuppuration being in fome measure compleated on the eleventh day, the mother's difeafe was communicated then to the fatu, and made its appearance on the child after eight days. If there be no abortion, Dr. Mead pronounces, that the child will ever be free from the disease, unless the birth fhould happen before the maturation of the puftules. He brings a cale to prove, that the fetus in the womb may be infected by the contagion of which the mother does not partake, "A "fmall pox, from which the nar "rowly escaped. Five weeks "after the crifis fhe was delivered "of an healthy female child, who having numerous marks on her "fkin, was judged by all who "faw her to have undergone the "fame diftemper before her birth. "However, at the end of twelve "months the had the fmall pox "in a very severe manner. Both "the mother and child were lately "living at Epfom." Since then we fee that it is very probable, that the fmall pox may be caught from the mother when when he is infected, it may be alked, why does not this happen oftener ? In anfwer to this we may fuppofe, that this is not fo ready a way as when the child is expofed to catch it after the birth, as we find too that a difference can be produced after birth: viz. inoculation is a much readier way of catching it than what is called the natural way. It may likewife be faid, that many women who are with child, and have the fmall pox during pregnancy, do not recover; therefore both mother and child die before the difeafe can have time to produce eruptions upon the child. Finally, in many of thofe cafes, where the mother recovers, there is fometimes produced a mifcarriage, which alfo hinders the infection from taking place in the child. However, many women go through the whole difeafe, and the child fhews no marks of the fmall pox. Thus have I ftated facts relative to the prefent fubject, with fome of the beft authorities on both fides of the queftion; and fhall now leave the reader to form his own judgment. mode of recovering people in Ruffia, who are apparently deprived of life by the principle emitted from burning charcoal, or by the incrutation formed upon the infides of the boors huts when it thaws. People of condition in this country have double windows to their houfes in winter; but the commoner fort have only fingle ones, which is the reafon that, during fevere froft, there is an incruftation formed upon the infides of the glafs windows. This feems to be compofed of condenfed breath, perfpiration, &c. as a number of people live and fleep in the fame fmall room, efpecially in great cities. This excrementitious cruft is farther impregnated with the phlogifton of candles, and of the oven with which the chamber is heated, When a thaw fucceeds a hard frost of long duration, and this plate of ice is converted into water, there is a principle fet loofe, which produces all the terrible effects upon the human body which the principle emitted from charcoal is fo well known to do in this country, where people every day fuffer from it. However, the Ruffians conftantly lay the blame upon the oven, when they are affected by the thawing of the cruft, as the effects are perfectly fimilar, and they cannot bring themselves to believe, that the diffolving of fo fmall a portion of ice can be attended with any bad confequence, when they daily melt larger maffes without danger: yet the oven does not at all account for the complaints brought on at this period; for, upon examination, they generally find every thing right there, and ftill the ugar, or hurtful vapour, remain. ing in the room. feels (or is fenfible of) nothing. There is no fpafm excited in the trachea arteria or lungs to rouse him, nor does the breathing, by all accounts, feem to be particularly affected in short, there is no one fymptom of fuffocation; but towards the end of the catastrophe, a fort of groaning is heard by peo As the effects of both are fimilar, as I have faid above, and likewife the mode of recovery, I fhall only give you an account of the operation of the principle emitted by burning charcoal, and of the method of bringing those people in the next room, which brings ple to life who have been fuffocated them fometimes to the relief of the by it (as I think it is erroneously sufferer. If a perfon only fits in termed); this will fuperfede the the room, without intention to neceffity of giving the history of fleep, he is, after fome time, feiz-. both, or rather it will be giving ed with a drowzinefs and inclinaboth at the fame time. tion to vomit. However, this laft fymptom feldom affects a Ruffian, it is chiefly foreigners who are awaked to their dangers by a naufea; but the natives, in common with strangers, perceive a dull pain in their heads, and if they do not remove directly, which they are often too fleepy to do, are foon deprived of their fenfes and power of motion, infomuch, that if no perfon fortunately discovers them within an hour after this wort ftage, they are irrecoverably loft; for the Ruffians fay, that they do not fucceed in reftoring to life thofe who have lain more than an hour in a state of infenfibility. Ruffian houtes are heated by the means of ovens; and the manner of heating them is as follows. A number of billets of wood are placed in the peech or ftove, and allowed to burn till they fall in a mafs of bright red cinders; then the vent above is fhut up, and likewife the door of the peech which opens into the room, in order to concentrate the heat; this makes the tiles of which the peech is compofed as hot as you defire, and fufficiently warms the apart ment, but fometimes a fervant is fo negligent as to fhut up the peech or oven before the wood is fufficiently burnt, for the red cinders fhould be turned over from time to time to fee that no bit of wood remains of a blackifh colour, but that the whole mafs is of a uniform glare (as if almoft tranfparent) before the openings are fhut, elfe the ugar or vapour is fure to fucceed to mifmanagement of this fort, and its effects are as follows. If a perfon lays himself down to fleep in the room expofed to the influence of this vapour, he falls into fo found a fleep that it is difficult to awake him, but he The recovery is always attempt- · ed, and often effected, in this manner. They carry the patient immediately out of doors, and lay him upon the fnow, with nothing on him but a fhirt and linen drawers. His ftomach and temples are then well rubbed with fnow, and cold water, or milk is poured down his throat. This friction is continued with fresh fnow until the livid hue, which the body had when brought out, is changed to its natural colour, and life renewed; then they cure the violent head head-ach which remains by binding on the forehead a cataplafm of black rye bread and vinegar. In this manner the unfortunate man is perfectly restored, without blowing up the lungs, as is neceffary in the cafe of drowned perfons; on the contrary, they begin to play of themselves fo foon as the furcharge of phlogifton makes its escape from the body. It is well worthy of observation, how diametricaily oppofite the modes are of restoring to life, those who are deprived of it by water, and those who have loft it by the fumes of charcoal: the one confifting in the internal and external application of heat, and the other in that of cold. It may be al ledged, that the ftimulus of the cold produces heat, and the fact feems to be confirmed by the Ruffian method of reftoring circulation in a frozen limb by means of fric. tion with fnow. But what is fingular in the cafe of people apparently deprived of life in the manner treated of is, that the body is much warmer when brought out of the room than at the inftant life is restored, and that they awake cold and fhivering. The colour of the body is alfo changed from a livid red to its natural complexion, which, together with fome other circumftances, would almost lead one to fufpect, that they are reftored to life by the fhow and cold water fomehow or other freeing them from the load of phlogiston with which the fyftem feems to be replete; for although the first ap bath does when a person remains too long in it. In short, I think it is altogether a curious fubject, whether you take into confideration the mode of action of the principle emitted by burning charcoal, and our phlogifticated cruft; or the operation of the fnow and cold water. However, I fhall by no means take upon me to decide, whether the dangerous fymptoms related above are produced by the air in the room being fo faturated with phlogifton as to be unable to take up the proper quantity from the lungs, which occafions a furcharge in the fyftem, according to your theory, or whether fo fubtle a fluid may fomehow find its way into the circulation, and thereby arrest the vital powers; nor fhall I determine whether the livid hue of the body when brought out is changed. into a paler colour by the armofphere fomehow or other abforbing and freeing the blood from the colouring principle, as you have fhewn to be the cafe with blood out of the body: these are curious inquiries that I fhall leave to your investigation. I have only endeavoured to collect facts from a number of natives who have met with this accident themselves, or have affifted in restoring others to life. It is fo common a cafe here that it is perfectly familiar to them, and they never call in medical affist-· ance. I am, &c. taries, 1780. plication of cold water to the hu- From Dr. Duncan's Medical Commen man body produces heat, yet, if often repeated in a very cold atmofphere, it then cools inftead of continuing to heat, just as the cold THE THE following directions for preventing fatal effects from drinking drinking large quantities of fpirits, have been printed and diftributed at Liverpool. They were drawn up by Dr. Houlton of that.. place, in confequence of fome melancholy accidents happening from this caufe, where proper affiftance was not fought for. As fuch accidents are but too common, it is of importance that the moft fuccefs ful practice in thofe cafes fhould be generally known. Many perfons are destroyed fuddenly by drinking large quantities of Spirits. Their first effects are fti. mulant; they quicken the circulation, and occafion much blood to be thrown upon the head. They afterwards prove fedative; they bring on ftupor; lofs of reafon, total; of motion and fenfation, almoft total. Their effects may be partly owing to their entering, in fome degree, into the circulation, but depend chiefly, when violent, on their action on the nerves of the ftomach. In confequence, the brain is affected, and the nervous influence fufpended if not deftroyed. All the parts of the body therefore partake of this infenfibility. As the fkin in fome cafes may be burnt even without feel ing, fo the ftomach and inteftines may be ftimulated confiderably without any effect. The motion of the heart and Jungs is much enfeebled and interrupted, but continues irregularly til death enfues. 1 To refcue the perfon from fo dangerous a ftate is extremely difficult. To counteract these effects by medicine is less likely, both as the power of fwallowing is loft, and as, probably, little or no abforption then takes place. But. we ought to endeavour, ift, to eva 6 cuate the poison: or else, zdly, te dilute it, and thereby weaken its action. With a view to the firft, brifk vomits may be given; but, from the want of irritability of the ftomach, thefe often will not act, unless given early, when they are of great fervice in cafes of intoxication. A dock-porter, who died in the Liverpool Infirmary from this caufe, Feb. 28, 1780, got. down over night, nearly 12 grains of emetic tartar diffolved, yet it produced little or no effect, though he lived till the next day. Purges are alfo proper, but liable, though in a lefs degree, to the fame objections. Sharp gifters may be administered, and will produce fome evacuation, but their operation does not extend far enough. Large glyfters, of water only, or of water in which purging falts are diffolved, thrown up with fome force by a fyringe, might be of more fervice. But Oil has been advised to be given, to help to evacuate the spirit, or to weaken its action. when the inactivity of the ftomach is become fo great, and the danger fo preffing, there feems more reafon to expect fuccefs, from largely diluting that poifon, which we in vain attempt to evacuate. When intoxication has been produced by drinking strong liquors, large quantities of water, or weak liquids, drank are found to leffen it very confiderably. And though the power of fwallowing be loft, yet by means of a pipe (as a catheter) paffed beyond the glottis, or even down into the ftomach, quater might be poured in, in fuch quantity as was judged fufficient to dilute and carry off the liquor in the ftomach. To the water might be added, |