A Relation of an Hydropical Case, in Which the Gall Bladder Was Distended to an Unusual Bigness. By Mr James Yonge, F. R. S. Surgeon at Plimouth

formerly shewed me in the Lord Roberts his Garden against the Ferry, to whom both he and his Father were Gardiners. Virginia Plane-tree. Ray 1707. Platanus Occidentalis aut Virginianus Park. 1427. Platanus Occidentalis pilulis minoribus Herm. H. Leyd. 499. Platanus Novi Orbis foliis Vespertilionum alas referentibus, globulis parvis Alm. Bot. 300. This differs from the Oriental Plane in having its Leaves hoary and less jagged, with Fruit smaller and not so rough. Mr. John Tradescant first brought this into England from Virginia, a little before the Year 1640, since which time it has been much increased, and makes a very Ornamental shady Tree, interspers'd between Horse-Chestnuts and Limes, to whose Magnitude it commonly grows. III. A Relation of an Hydropical Case, in which the Gall Bladder was distended to an unusual bigness. By Mr James Yonge, F.R.S. Surgeon at Plimouth. Mrs. Dyer was about 30 Years old, a Mother of several Children, and very healthful till last January, when, after frequent watching upon an extraordinary occasion, she was vexed with a Pain in her Belly, like the Cholick, but proved the Dropsy Ascites; and grew so fast in despite of all I could do to help it, that March the 9th, being almost suffocated, I was forc'd to tapp her by an hollow Needle in the usual Place, and to repeat the Operation so often as she filled: And by that way discharged the several Quantities of Water, at the times here under mentioned. Pints. | Month | Date | Pints | |---------|------|-------| | March | 9th | 9 | | | 14 | 8 | | April | 2 | 12 | | | 16 | 10 | | May | 17 | 14 | | | 31 | 14 | | June | 14 | 14 | | | 24 | 14 | | July | 7 | 17 | | | 21 | 16 | | | 30 | 16 | | August | 6 | 14 | | | 17 | 14 | | | 26 | 13 | | Sept. | 1, 6, & 22 | 11½ | | Octob. | 1 | 3 | | | 30 | 15 | In the space of Eight Months I drew Two hundred fourteen Pints and an half of Water. All the while I was pumping that out, I endeavour'd by all the means I could to stop the leak within, but in vain: She dy'd November 4. 1711. and opening her Belly, we found the following remarkable and incredible Things. From the Belly issued 14 Pints of a greenish Serum, mixt with a very purulent Matter, not a little fetid. The Intestines, especially the Colon, almost every where Livid, and adher'd in many places to the Peritoneum, altho' they had been so long Immersed in Water. The Omentum was also black, and almost consumed. The Liver, which I expected to be indurated, was free of all Faults, only two Superficial Ulcers on the Left Lobe. Both that and the Peritoneum (which are usually full of Hydatides in Dropsical Persons) were wholly free of them; but on the Stomach and Guts were many such. But we were mightily surpriz'd, to find a great Bladder distended like that of an Ox, to fill up almost the whole Region of the Liver and Ventricle, and adhering to the adjacent Parts so firmly, that we could not separate them without difficulty, and get it out whole. Our surprize, at such a prodigious Appearance, turned into Astonishment, when we found it the Gall Bladder, and that by its Distention it had torn the Liver asunder; one part of which adhered to the Left side of this monstrous Cystis, and another part behind it, towards the Back; and both expanded with it, and fastened to it, like as the temporal Muscle to the Scull. The whole weighed Ten Pounds and Twelve Ounces. It had no Passage to let out the Matter it contained, altho' we squeez'd it hard to that purpose; nor could we find any by Probes: So that we were forced to make way by a Knife, and so let out of it seven Pints of a black Liquor like Coffee; which having stood one Night in a Bason, near a Quart of thick yellow Feces subsided. The Liquor in this Bladder, and what we found in her Belly after her Death, added to what was evacuated before by Paracentesis, amounts to 235 Pints. Besides the prodigious quantity of Matter which fill'd this great Bag, we found several pieces of Membranes like Gut, or Bladder cut into pieces: What it was, or how it came there, I can't Conjecture. It was very wonderful, that during the whole time of her Sickness, she ejected by Urine near as much as she drank; and yet by Computation, she leaked into the Abdomen near a Pint every 24 Hours, from March to November. When her Belly was near full, her Thighs and Legs used to swell, and grew discoloured like an approaching Gangren; but both went off after tapping, by the help of Friction, and a warm Lotion. The Bladder, and adhering part of the Liver, is drying, to be sent you by the first opportunity. There were four of the Faculty present with me, who can testify the truth of this Report. IV. A Description of the Head of a monstrous Calf. In a Letter from the Reverend Mr. John Craig, Vicar of Gillingham in Dorsetshire, to William Burnet, Esq; F. R. S. SIR, The strangeness of the following Relation will easily excuse me for troubling you so soon with another Letter. A Butcher did (this Morning) bring me in the Head of a Calf (which he had taken out of a Cow's Belly.) The Upper Jaw was divided into two halves, as far as to the Dura Mater: Each half had a distinct Eye and Nostril: And the Under Jaw was bent round so entirely, that it lay exactly between the two halves of the Upper Jaw, making the Tongue lie upon the Forehead, about two Inches above the Teeth of the Under Jaw, and in the Fissure of the Upper Jaw. This Preternatural Division of the Upper Jaw was not covered with Hair, but with a Cutis of a florid Colour. The Calf was come to its full time, and made great struggles when the Butcher knock'd the Cow on the Head; which by some Symptoms they judg'd would have