An Account of Some Cases of Dropsies, Cured by Sweet Oil: In a Letter from William Oliver, M. D. F. R. S.

XIII. An Account of some Cases of Dropfies, cured by Sweet Oil: In a Letter from William Oliver, M.D. F.R.S. SIR, Bath, Feb. 19, 1755. Read Feb. 20, 1755. I cannot recollect whether Miss ** had been tapp'd, or not, when you did me the favour to call at my house. But I dare say, an account of her proceedings since will not be unacceptable. Mr. Pierce took from her eleven pints of water. As soon as the bandage could be loosened, Dr. Hartley and I examined the state of her belly. The epigastric region was quite emptied; but we found a great fulness, which extended itself on each side the inguen, towards the back. We put her upon a very spare dry diet, and allowed her but a quarter of a pint of liquids in the twenty-four hours. But tho' her urine much exceeded in quantity what she drank, the swelling increased, and we feared the belly would soon fill again. A lady, who was with her, told us, that, just before she left London, she had heard, that two persons had been cured of confirmed dropfies by being anointed, morning and evening, with common salad oil, which was rubbed into the whole abdomen, for an hour at a time, with a warm hand. We could not refuse the trial of so innocent a method. The Iâtraleiptæ began their operation. About the third day of anointing, the urine was considerably increased, and continued to be so. The fulness gradually decreased, and in a fortnight's time was quite gone. gone. Her appetite, digestion, and sleep, grew natural, and she recovered flesh, strength, and spirits. About six weeks after her first anointing, her menses appeared, and at the end of the next month she had a regular return, of good colour, and in sufficient quantity. I saw her at the public room last week, in as good health as I ever remember her to have enjoyed. You may be sure this recovery was much talked of, and set all the hydropics a rubbing. A man, aged fifty-five, from hard-drinking, and many wrong methods of cure, had been cachectic fifteen years, and had often the symptoms of jaundice and dropsy. Half a year ago, his belly, legs, and thighs, swelled to an enormous size. He was with difficulty moved from his bed to his chair, and was given over, as a person in an incurable dropsy. About three weeks ago, he began to anoint. After three or four days rubbing, his urine was greatly increased; and in a fortnight, his belly, thighs, and legs, were wonderfully decreased, and I saw him a few days ago walking about the town, whereas before he could not move a joint. A woman of seventy years of age, of a thin habit, who got a livelihood by carrying cakes about the town, fell into an ascites. Her belly was so greatly distended, that she was obliged to quit her business, to confine herself to her house, and for the most part to her bed. She anointed. Her urine soon increased in quantity, and continued to do so. She was at my house this week, as lank, as she said, as a maiden, and in as good health as she had enjoyed for many years. These These cases are, I think, sufficient to encourage farther trials. I am, with true respect, SIR, Your most obedient humble servant, W. Oliver. XIV. Observationes Eclipsium Satellitum Jovis habitae Ulissipone in Regio Collegio Beatae Virginis à Necesitatibus nuncupatae, à Joanne Chevalier Cong. Oratorii & Regalis Societ. Lond. Socio, Anno 1754. Read Feb. 27, 1755. Die undecima Januarii, telescopio magno Gregoriano, long. 6 pedum dimidio, nocte clarissimâ, observavi immersionem secundi Satellitis horâ postmeridiana temporis veri, 9h. 4'. 3''. Hac, ac sequentibus diebus, clare conspiciebantur fasciae duae in disco Jovis. Die decima-quinta Januarii, eodem telescopio, caelo etiam claro, observavi immersionem primi Satellitis horâ postmeridianâ temporis veri, 11h. 23'. 58''. Die decima-octava Januarii, eodem telescopio, observavi immersionem secundi Satellitis horâ postmeridianâ vera, 11h. 35'. 30''.