A Letter from Mr. Atkinson, Surgeon in White-Chappel: Concerning an Imposthumation in the Stomach. To the Same

VI. A Letter from Mr. Atkinson, Surgeon in White-Chapel: Concerning an Imposthumation in the Stomach. To the same. SIR, THE Case you desire a particular account of, was as follows. I had a Patient about seven Years ago, which had a large Tumour on the upper part of her Belly, it was hard and painful, but did not alter the natural colour of the Skin, and had been three Months in coming. I applied a warm Gum Plaister to it, which in about a Fortnights time brought it to a Suppuration. I then applied a Caustick about the bigness of a Shilling; when the Eschar fell off, I saw a solid kind of Substance appear in the Orifice, I laid hold of it with my Forceps, and pulled it gently towards me, upon which there thrust forcibly out a quantity of it, that near fill’d my Hand, so I drest it. Next dressing, the same Substance appear’d again, which on her straining, forced out near twice as much as before. I was at a great loss to determine what this stuff was, but at last concluded it was the Omentum itself, in which Opinion I was confirm’d by some other Surgeons I shew’d it to. I was still in doubt, whether the Stomach was concerned in this Case or not, till the next Removal of the Dressings, at which there spurted out above half a Pint of Ale in a full Stream, which was part of a Pint she had drunk a little while before. I now concluded the Case mortal, however, I ordered her to keep her Bed, to lie constantly upon her Back, and feed on things of easy Digestion. Digestion. The greatest part of what she eat or drank, came through the Ulcer for eight or ten Days, so that I had no hopes of ever curing it, yet contrary to my Expectation in about six Weeks she was perfectly cured, and is now living and in good Health. VIII. An Account of the quantity of Resin in the Cortex Eleutheriae. By Mr. John Brown, Chymist, F. R. S. Dr. Douglas having lately deliver'd in a Paper to be read before this Society, giving an account (from the History of the Royal Academy at Paris) of the Cortex Eleutheria; and among other things having said of it, that Monsieur Boulduc had from one Ounce of the Bark, by means of Spirit of Wine, gotten 5 Drachms of Resinous Extract, there remaining 3 Drachms of Faeces; and that Gentleman's account of some of the Properties of this Bark being founded on the quantity of Resin suppos'd to be contain'd in it: I propos'd to Dr. Douglas and some other Gentlemen of the Society, (who agreed with me in believing, that scarcely any part of any Plant whatsoever would yield that quantity of Resinous Extract) to try the Experiment, which was perform'd after the following manner. I took two Ounces of pick'd Bark, and digested it in rectify'd Spirit of Wine, which was often decanted and fresh Spirit put on, until the Bark would yield no more Tincture. The impregnated Spirit being evaporated by a very gentle heat; there was left two Drachms of Resinous Extract; the remains of