A Method of Conveying Liquors into the Abdomen during the Operation of Tapping; Proposed by the Reverend Stephen Hales, D. D. and F. R. S. on Occasion of the Preceding Paper; Communicated in a Letter to Cromwell Mortimer, M. D. Secr. R. S.

IV. A Method of conveying Liquors into the Abdomen during the Operation of Tapping; proposed by the Reverend Stephen Hales, D.D. and F.R.S. on Occasion of the preceding Paper; communicated in a Letter to Cromwell Mortimer, M.D. Secr. R.S. SIR, Feb. 22. 1743-4. Read Feb. 23. It occurred to me, on your reading, Thursday last, before the Society, the Case of the Woman at Truro in Cornwall, who was cured of a Dropsy, by injecting into the Abdomen Bristol Water and Cohore Wine, after having drawn off a good Quantity of the dropsical Lymph; that, in case of further Trial, that, or any other Liquor, shall be found effectual to the Purpose, it might be more commodiously injected in the following Manner; viz. By having Two Trochars fixed at the same time, one on each Side of the Belly; one of them having a Communication with a Vessel full of the medicinal Liquor by means of a small leathern Pipe: This Liquor might flow into the Abdomen, as fast as the dropsical Lymph passed off through the other Trochar; whereby the dropsical Lymph might be conveyed off, to what Degree it shall be thought proper; and that without any Danger of a Syncope from Inanition; because the Abdomen would, through the whole Operation, continue distended with Liquor, in such a Degree as shall be found proper, by raising or lowering the Vessel with the medicinal Liquor in it. It is probable, that, if the Surface of the medicinal Liquor be about a Foot higher than the Abdomen, it may be sufficient for the Purpose. It were easy to find the Force with which the Abdomen is distended by the dropsical Lymph, by seeing to what Height it arose in a Glass Tube fixed to the Trochar; which Tube being taken away, it might, I suppose, be sufficient to have the medicinal Liquor flow in from a lesser perpendicular Height, than that to which the dropsical Lymph arose in the Glass Tube. I am, SIR, Your humble Servant, Stephen Hales. V. An Extract of John Fothergill, M.D. Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians, London, his Essay upon the Origin of Amber. Read March 1. 1743-4. AFTER all that has been wrote upon the Subject of Amber, its Origin is yet, in a great measure, unknown. Several ingenious Men have searched into this Affair upon the Spot where the Amber is principally gathered: They have related their Observations with great Candour; they have given us the Conclusions they drew from the Facts they discovered; yet without satisfying us intirely about many Particulars. But,