An Observation Concerning a Very Odd Kind of Dropsy, or Swellings in One of the Ouaries of a Woman, by Hans Sloane, M. D.

IV. Of the Nature of Silk, as it is made in Piedmont, Communicated by William Aglionby, Esq; F. R. S. V. Two Propositions desired to be Answered. VI. Part of a Letter from Mr. Llwid, to Dr. Tancred Robinson, F.R.S. Concerning a Figured Stone found in Wales: With a Note on it, By Hans Sloane, M. D. I. An Observation concerning a very odd kind of Dropsy, or Swellings in one of the Ovaries of a Woman, by Hans Sloane, M. D. Mrs. Browne, Aged about Twenty nine, of a Sanguine Complexion, had been Married about Four Years, in which time she had had one Child: her Belly swell'd, and she thought she was with Child; she had often great Hysterick Fits, something like those of an Epilepsy, lying in her Fit sometimes without sense or Motion, at other times with great Screaming and idle talk. These, with proper Remedies, were removed at several times with difficulty. Coming to be about six Months gone with Child (as she thought) she began to have some doubt whether it were so or not, because she had her Catamenia very regularly: I was of Opinion she was not with Child, and would have treated her with Steel, and Purgers of Water, as Hydropically disposed Bodies require; but she fancying she felt the the Child stir, put a stop so that Course, and went on expecting the good Hour, having prepared all things for the Child to be Born, and herself during her Lying-in. She delayed the proposed Method, for three or four Months beyond Nine, thinking she had counted wrong; but at last she was persuaded to Medicines, and underwent a very strict Course, as for Hydropick People; her Legs did not swell nor pit, her Belly was unequal, and the Swelling more of the Right-side, so that the Navel was thrust over to the other, or left side. She had also resolving Plaisters applied to her Belly, but all in vain, excepting that with much Anxiety, Gripes, and Trouble, so much Water might be evacuated, as to bring down her Belly three or four Inches; she then consulted other Physicians and Quacks, but in vain; and finding her Breathing very difficult, and reduced to a very narrow compass, she hearkened to a Tapping, or a Paracentesis, which was proposed by some as what would be the means of her Recovery. This was after a suitable Prognostick resolved on, and performed at several times, by discharging great quantities, of first a limp'd thick Serum, as whites of Eggs, insipid and coagulable into the like Substance by heat; it came afterwards to the Colour and Consistence of thin Honey, and Coagulated on Evaporation. In some time she fell into a Fever, with a great Thrush, Hickups, and in about Nine days dyed. Out of whose Body, when Dissected after Death, was discharged some Buckets of the same Watery Substance that had been discharged by the Paracentesis; part of this was floating in the Abdomen, but far the greater voided out of great and thick Bags, some of which were as large as the Stomach, others smaller, many of them rotted to pieces, and all of them in the right Ovary or Testicle: the Uterus, Tuba Fallopiana, piana, and every thing else being found, baring the Omentum which was quite consumed; what was very strange was, that several Bags of the larger size, in this Ovary, contained others smaller within them; and those who were larger, were filled with a Mellaginous Liquor; those smaller with one like Whites of Eggs. Here and there between were Apostems, which were but small, and filled with yellow Matter. The Gall-Bladder was full of several Triangular yellow Stones. She was very lean all over her Body, and never had her Legs swell or pit; nor the noise of Water on her stirring in Bed, till some small time before the Paracentesis, when she fell into so great an Orthopnea, that she could not, unless erect, Breathe.