A Letter from Richard Richardson, M. D. and F. R. S. to Sir Hans Sloane, Pr. R. S. &c. Inclosing a Paper from William Wright, Surgeon, concerning a Large Piece of the Thigh-Bone, Which Was Taken out, and Its Place Supplied by a Callus

or Three Degrees out of the Level, I shall not trouble myself or others about it; only further observe, that when Grounds are declining much, and very uneven, if the Table stands horizontal, unless the Sight or Mark on the lower Part is so high as its Top makes a Level with the upper Part of the Table, which is seldom done, or practicable, I do not see why such a Stress should be laid on the Instrument's being level, when neither the View by the Index, nor the Measure of the Line, either can be, or is taken horizontally: If the Sight of the Index stand nearly perpendicular at every Observation, it is more than sufficient for any Exactness requisite in a Survey. II. A Letter from Richard Richardson, M.D. and F.R.S. to Sir Hans Sloane, Pr. R.S. &c. inclosing a Paper from William Wright, Surgeon, concerning a large Piece of the Thigh-bone, which was taken out, and its Place supplied by a Callus. SIR, I take this Opportunity of inquiring after your Health by my Son, who waits upon you with the inclosed, and Part of the Os Femoris accompanying it [see Tab. I. Fig. 6.]. As the Case appeared to me something remarkable, I thought proper to communicate it to you. It was drawn up by Mr. Wright, a Surgeon, in Bradford, in the West-Riding of this County, who performed the Cure; and a few Days ago, ago, for my Satisfaction, brought the Person hither, who that Day had walked Nine Miles before Noon. I examined the Part where the Bone was taken out, which is on the Inside of the Thigh, about Four Inches above the Knee; and found the Thigh quite strait, but rather thicker than the other, where the Callus supplies the Defect of the Bone taken out. He appears to be very well and healthy, and makes no Complaint of any Weakness, or Uneasiness, in the Part; neither is he in the least lame. He brought the Bone, which I herewith send, some time ago, and, at my Request, drew up the Case: You may make what Use of it you please: I really believe the Contents to be true; and shall be glad of all Opportunities of obliging you: If any thing farther occurs to me worth your Notice, you may be sure I shall give you an Account of it. I find a Case of this kind in Ruysh's Museum Anatomicum, Pag. 172. but he gives no Account of the Cure; neither is it so extraordinary in itself, as it is only Part of the Os Tibiae which is separated; and this which I send you, appears to me to be the whole Substance of the Bone, except what was eat away before it was taken out. Your very humble Servant, Bierley, Jan. 16. 1739-40. Richard Richardson. SIR, THIS Bone is Part of the Os Femoris, taken out of a young Man's Thigh, viz. 20 Years old, about the latter End of March 1738. His Name is Hird Ramsden, he lives at a Place called Braithwait, near Kighley. His Lameness was occasioned by a Fever, Fever, which was translated into his Thigh, where it impostumated, and was afterwards opened; but, not healing again, left Three or Four carious or fistulous Ulcers, which discharged a great Quantity of Sanies, and fetid Matter. In this Condition he had been Six or Seven Years, before I was concerned for him; and was looked on as incurable; this continual Discharge had reduced him almost to a Skeleton. I examined his Ulcers with my Probe, and found in one of them, which was on the Inside of his Thigh, a rotten Bone: I dilated the Orifice with Gentian and Sponge Tents, and afterwards I laid it open about Three or Four Inches: I then dressed it with Tincture of Myrrh, and Dossils of dry Lint; and at every Dressing, over the carious Bone the Powder of Rad. Aristot. Myrrh, and Euphorb. in order to promote Exfoliation: With these Applications the Bone began to loosen, which looked much larger than I expected. I was afraid of making another Incision because of the Crural Artery, which lay very near the Place where the Bone was taken out: I therefore chose rather to do it gradually by dilating the Orifice, than run the Risque of another Incision. The same Dressing was continued, and the spongy Flesh kept down with the Powder of Mercur. præcipit. rub. & Alum. Ust. aa. At every Dressing I raised the Bone with a hooked Instrument, and in about Four Months time I got it quite out. The Cavity was afterwards kept open for some time, with Dossils of dry Lint, to make way for some loose Pieces that were left behind. The Ulcer, after it was well digested, healed up in a little time. During this time his Knee was very much contracted, which was afterwards extended by the Use of emollient Fomentations. He now is perfectly sound, and in a good State of Health, walks strait, and his Thigh is not any shorter than the other. This is the true State of the Case. I am, SIR, Bradford, Jan. 15. 1739. Your humble Servant, William Wright. III. An Account of a monstrous Foetus, resembling a hooded Monkey: Communicated by Mr. William Gregory of Rochester. A Woman, aged 44, of an athletic Body, conceived with Child a little before Christmas 1730. upon which ensued all the usual Symptoms of Pregnancy. Soon after Conception, some Fellows who travel the Country, with a Bear and a Monkey, placed themselves before the Woman's Door, in order to make Diversion for the Populace. The Monkey had a Hood on, which reached to his Shoulders, of which the Woman took prodigious Notice; and all the time the Monkey was playing his Tricks, in turning over a Stick, &c. the Woman could not keep her Eyes off from him. Some small time after, the Woman met a Man of a thin, pale, dismal Aspect, upon whom she looked very earnestly, and thought his Face to be (to a Tittle) like the Monkey's Face. When the Woman was quick with Child, and the Foetus began to move, the Woman felt it turn over and