An Account of an Extraordinary Tumour or Wen Lately Cut off the Cheek of a Person in Scotland. Communicated to the Royal Society by Dr. Thomas Bower, M. D. and F. R. S.

of the Bottom of the Crater, out of the very middle of the Mountain, contrary to what Borellus imagines, whose Method of explaining the Eruption of a Volcano by an inflexed Syphon, and the Rules of Hydrostaticks, is likewise inconsistent with the Torrent's flowing down from the very Vertex of the Mountain. I have not seen the Crater since the Eruption, but design to visit it again before I leave Naples. I doubt there is nothing in this worth shewing the Society; as to that, you will use your Discretion. E. Berkeley. VI. An Account of an extraordinary TUMOUR or WEN lately cut off the Cheek of a Person in Scotland. Communicated to the Royal Society by Dr. Thomas Bower, M.D. and F.R.S. It is generally acknowledg'd, that the exact Observation of internal Diseases, and the faithful Accounts of external Tumours, and extraordinary Cases in Chirurgery, have contributed very much to the Advancement of Medicine. Hippocrates and Galen, and other ancient Fathers of Medicine, have set us fair Copies of this; and the Moderns, happily following their Footsteps, have illustrated this Matter by many curious Observations and Reflections. The Royal Societies and Colleges of Virtuosi, that are now over all Europe, have taken much pains in this Affair, and have given us many Instances and Examples of Extraordinary Cases in Medicine, which are of great use to all the Practisers of Physick and Chirurgery. According to these laudable Examples I shall, for the Satisfaction of the Curious and Ingenious, give a true and faithful Account of an extraordinary Excrescence cut off from the Cheek of a Man, which weighed Nineteen Pounds, and the Patient entirely recover'd in few Weeks time. I never before saw the like, nor never read of it in any Author, tho' I have consulted many on the Head. This Excrescence is preserved among the Rarities of the College of Physicians at Edinburgh. The Physician concern'd in this Affair, was Dr. Alexander Russel of Elgine, a learned and ingenious Man, and the Operator was the ingenious Mr. George Gordon of Keith, from whom I had the following Information. Alexander Palmer, of the Parish of Keith, in the County of Bamff, in the North of Scotland, now about Fifty Four Years of Age, observed, when about Twenty Seven, a little hard Swelling in the Muscle of the lower Jaw on the Left Side, without any Hurt or manifest Occasion, which at first went on slowly, but afterwards it proceeded more quickly, and the older it grew, it still came on the faster; until it increased to a prodigious Bulk and Weight: From the first Appearance of this Tumour to the total Excision of it, there were about Twenty Seven Years. He had excessive Pains and Uneasines in it, and at last it mightily extenuated and emaciated him, who was otherwise a strong and robust Man. This Excrescence was of the natural Colour of the Skin, and seem'd to be an Atheroma, being a glandulous Substance with several big Blood-Vessels in it, and had Hair growing on it, as on the other Parts of the Body, as may yet be seen. It was almost round and very hard, and was as sensible as any other Part of the Body; for, when the poor Man was working in the Fields, Fields, some six or seven Years ago, he accidentally made a great Gash or Wound in it with a sharp Iron, which was very painful, but was cured by a Surgeon, after the manner of an ordinary Wound; the Cicatrice is still to be seen in it. This Excrecence having grown so big, was attach'd to the Muscle under the Left Eye, call'd Obliquus minor or inferior, to the Ear and its Muscles, and to the Muscle of the lower Jaw, named Deprimens. By reason of its great Bulk and Weight, it could not hang down freely without some Support, therefore it rested on the top of the Shoulder, which made a considerable Dimple in it, that is yet very observable; besides, it was holden up by the Man's Hand in the Day-time, and laid on a Pillow in the Night-season. Some three or four Days before the total Excision was made, the Patient observed this Tumour begin to mortify at the lower end, which made him so uneasy, that he took a Knife and cut off a good part of it. This occasion'd a great Hæmorrhage; so that he reckon'd there was lost a Scots Pint or four Pounds of Blood, before it could be stopt. The Patient, after so great Trouble and Pain, at last applied himself to Mr Gordon, Surgeon of the Place, who made a total Extirpation of it, on the 19th of January, 1717. He made a close Ligature, taking in the Basis of the Excrecence, and all the loose Skin, and contracting it as much as possible, he cut it entirely off with a sharp Rasour. There gush'd out of the Excrecence, after it was cut off, and was lying on the Ground, as near as could be guess'd, two Pounds of Blood; for it was nourish'd by several large Blood-Vessels, perhaps by some Branches of the Carotide Artery much enlarged, and other Blood-Vessels coming from from the Ear, and the Muscles of the Eye and lower Jaw abovementioned. When Mr. Gordon brought it to us, which was full three Months after it was cut off, we cut off with a Knife about a quarter of an Inch broad of the Basis of it; and in that small space we observed four big Blood Vessels. The Basis, as it now appears, is five inches Diameter, which seems too large for the whole side of the Face: So that after the Ex- flection, I think the loose Skin has turn'd backwards, which may make the Basis now appear to big. After all this Blood was lost, the Excrecence was weighed, and was full Nineteen Pound Weight; so that before his own Incision and this Operation, it behoved to be several Pounds heavier, which is a most prodigious Weight to be depending on such a place. This Tumour was of a Spheroidal Figure, and when measured, was Thirty four Inches about by the longest way, and Twenty eight by the broadest. The Haemorrhage, which was great, was stopped by the Vitriolic Powders and other Astringents, and the ordinary Dressing was used. So this great Cure was completed in six Weeks time, and the Patient entirely recover'd, and goes about his Business, to the great Admiration and Astonishment of every body. The Lid of his Left Eye continues still downwards a little, as does that same side of the Mouth, which was occasion'd by the great Weight depending on that side of the Face; but it may be expected they may come again to their right Posture; for the Head, at first after cutting, inclined much to the Right side, by reason of the great Weight on the Left Cheek having been removed; but it now begins to stand upright, since he is perfectly recovered. Tho' the Skin, and even a deal of the muscular part of the Cheek and lower lower Jaw was cut away, yet, according to the Information I have from Mr. Gordon the Operator, it is grown up again, and is of the ordinary Colour of the Skin, and like the other side of the Face; so that there grows Hair on that side of the Face as well as on the other, which he ordinarily shaves; and this is as surprizing as any thing in the whole Affair. I have given a true and plain Account of this extraordinary Case from certain Information; I have contented myself to relate only Matters of Fact, without making any Observations or Reflections on it; for I leave it to the Philosophers and Virtuosi to make their own Reasonings and Refinements as seems best to themselves. VII. An Account of an Experiment to prove an interspers'd Vacuum; or to shew that all Places are not equally full. This Experiment was made before the KING, and HER Royal Highness the Princes of Wales, at Hampton-Court, in the Month of September 1717. afterwards before the ROYAL-SOCIETY, on Thursday, December 5. 1717. and since that, in Channel-Rowe, Westminster, before some Members of the Royal-Society, by J. T. Desaguliers, M. A. F. R. S. as follows. Having had the Honour to make some Experiments last Year before his Majesty and their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales; among others, I shew'd that of a Guinea and a Piece of fine Paper; then of a Guinea and a Feather dropt together from the top of an exhausted Glass Receiver about 20 Inches high; both