EPIZOOTIC DISEASE IN A PIG,

192 before the exhibition of opium, or in com- into the Cholera Hospital, he threw the clothes of that patient down in the pas- bination with it, for whether the state liver which belongs to the dram-drinker sage where the cot for the conveyance of be considered, or the very interesting pa.. I the patients usually stands, and that haythological connexion existing between this ing been very busy in another direction, organ and the brain, when the latter is he forgot to remove them until late at the subject of disease, calomel must be of night. In the evening he saw a little pig benefit in regulating its secretions and of his, aged about six months, and hitherto rousingthe torpidity which attends the " quite stout and well, and a good feeder, Re- rooting among Dillon’s clothes." His organ under such circumstances. straint should never be resorted to, but free daughter Biddy also observed the same. exercise permitted to the individual, the Next morning his daughter told him that the pig was not well, as it did not come beneficial effects of which were very dent in the case of King; and where to its meal as usual at her call. It continued to lie down, and panted very much, patient never attempts injury to himself others, and can be easily controlled having a kind of spasmodic inspiration, common attention, the use of forcible mea- and would neither eat nor drink. Next would day, Monday, it became discoloured about sures, with a strait-waistcoat, &c. be worse than cruel. In the last case ofthe ears, sides of the face, and throat. The the disease which came under my notice, hue was a dark crimson or purplish co(Case 4, Green,) I was induced to try the lour. It lies on either side on which it is effects of anodyne injections in conse- placed, breathes very quick, and with a catch, and is of a decided purquence of the very favourable manner in which they have lately been spoken of ple over its whole surface. It appears and not easily roused, even by conby Baron Dupuytren in his cases of delirium traumaticum, thinking that a similar siderable force ; takes no meat, and scarce. plan of treatment would succeed, and I ly any drink, and passes neither stools nor delayed sending this paper to your va- urine.* The disease, in every particular, that which has been so prevaluable journal until such an opportunity presented itself. In the case alluded to lent during the two last seasons among five enemata were administered without the swine, and, in some respects, the the least benefit; indeed the symptoms form of malignant cholera which has exwere rather increased; in consequence isted among the human species. Quinhas other pigs a little larger and older than they were laid aside, and opium, in combination with camphor, was given by the this one. All three were fed and treated mouth, which answered the desired end. in every respect alike, but only this one This case I saw a few days since, and had to got to the clothes, and this one only is prescribe a continuation of the blue pill, ill; the others are in eat, drink, and sleep, with a mild bitter, the secretions of the well, and effect all the necessary evacualiver not being perfectly restored. The tions with regularity. The sick pig had patient in other respects is in good health, been six or seven weeks in Quin’s possession before it became ill. It may be and at his business. remarked, that he occasionally gave his 98, Guildford-street, Russell-square, pigs a little sulphur in their meat to preApril 21st, 1834. vent disorder. He is a man worthy of credit, and ready to testify to the truth of the foregoing statement. EPIZOOTIC DISEASE IN A PIG, I saw the pig on the third or fourth day, and regularly afterwards. Quin cut one Similar to that prevailing among Stcia2e quite through, but it did not during the last Two Years, and somewhat of its ears also made a deep incision at He analogous to Malignant Cholera, appa- the root of the tail, which also did not rently induced by Contagion from In-

of the ’

’

I

evi the or

by

I

spasmodic

stupid,

resembles two

bleed.

fected

Clothes.

bleed,andhe administered injections which

brought away a few trifling scyballap. The Communicated by JOHN COLVAN, M.D., animal livid seven days from the first Licen. of King and Queen’s Coll. of Phys. in Ireof its illness. On the day after land, M.R.C.S.L., Phys. Armagh City Fever Hos- period its death, Sunday, March 2nd, 1 got a pital, and Armagh Cholera Hosp. butcher who

was

conversant with the dis-

ease in pigs, to open the body in my preTERENCE Quix, town-beadle and careand the following were the appeartaker of the Armagh Cholera Hospital, sence, ances on inspection. Externally.—Ears, states, that on Saturday morning, March 1, sides of the face, hams, and belly, extremely 1834, after the admission of Wm. Dillon* * In the porcine epidemic of last year, dysentery * A man who died of the most malignant cholera, and diarrhoea were among the most promiueut ss symptoms. This year quite the reverse is the c.:n;. and very rapidly. *

DR. BORTHWICK.—LONDON UNIVERSITY

dark-purple

colour.

The entire skin also land

offifty years

193

ago, and I

confidently

similarly discoloured, excepting that believe, that although he only published at the back and sides it appeared to be the results of that practice in 1800, his modified by the hair, on turning up which, contemporaries of that period were well however, the colour proved to be as dark aware of its having been no novelty 1cith as in other places. The carcass was very him for many years before. rigid, and the belly a good deal con- As it is. my intention to republish my tracted. Internal Appearances.-The fat, father’s treatise, together with some obon cutting into the abdomen, was reddish. ! servations which I am now arranging on The bladder was contracted, and contained the present typhus fever of this city, I shall was

about a wineglassful of turbid urine. ! conclude with expressing a hope, that you Peritoneum of a flesh colour, and the in- ,will, in the meantime, assist me in this to render suum cuique. While on testines very much contracted, nearly subject of originality, I shall also prove, quite empty, injected, and of a crimson colour. The spleen, the butcher said, was that upwards of fifty years ago, my father rather larger than natural, but in othersuggested the expediency of evacuating respects quite sound. Liver of the usual the aqueous humour, in order to relieve size and colour ; gall-bladder not very full the acute stage of severe ophthalmitis. of bile, but what it did contain was thick Your obedient servant, and viacid. The stomach externally did G. A. BORTHWICK, M.D. not present an unnatural appearance, but Durnaway-street, Edinburgh, the inner surface was of an orange colour, 22nd April, 1834. apparently from bile, and contained a darkgreen half-digested-like substance; the rugse were very large, and of a reddish tinge, particularly at the greater succulus. THE LANCET. The heart was dark-coloured, and the auricles were full of dark, coagulated blood. The lungs were of a natural character, but London, Saturday, May 3, 1834. a little whiter than ordinary; they did not appear preternaturally contracted. The plurae were flesh-coloured, like the peritoneum. I leave others to draw concluTHE difficulties which we anticipated sions from the foregoing facts. would arise from the discussion, beArmagh, April 12th, 1834. fore the Privy Council, of the Lon-

attempt the

.

don

BLEEDING IN FEVER.

University questior,

sprung

up to an enormous

have

already

extent, and-

vulgar but an expressive phrase of this question on the engrafting of THE LANCET. more comprehensive subject of medical SIR,-As I observe in a recent number of a contemporary publication in London, reform, which is now engaging the best to use a

To the Editor

Dr. Sutton has put forward his claim for precedence in the practice of " bleeding in fever," in reference to the merit of originality on this subject, hitherto yielded to Drs. Clutterbuck, Broussais, and others of modern date,-may I request you will do me the favour to insert this short memorandum in your widely circulated Journal, setting forth in like manner a claim which I make on behalf of my father, formerly surgeon to his Majesty’s 14th light dragoons, in whose work, entitled, " Practical Observations on the Treatment of the Nervous, Putrid, or Malignant Fever," published in Dublin in 1800, the practice of bleeding, as he terms it, in putrid fever, under certain circumstances, is inculcated in strong terms. His successful practice in fever, the result of his fearless use of the lancet, was well known throughout the army in Irethat

- the

attention of the Committee of the House of

Commons, has completely bothered

only several influential members of his Majesty’s Privy Council, but several of the more conspicuous. members of the Legislature. The confusion thus created may be productive of much temporary in. convenience, but we trust, nevertheless, not

that the result will be

beneficial one. always have been to Opposed conferring on the University the privilege of granting degrees in medicine, we cannot but regret that this time, of all others, has been chosen, for urging such a claim as

on

a

we

the attention of the Government and