The Case of a Very Long Suppression of Urine. By Ambrose Dawson, M. D. Communicated by William Heberden, M. D. F. R. S.

vessel, and surrounding them with a mixture of salts, described in my former letter, will answer this end. He speaks with so much certainty of its success, that I think it worth the trial, especially when he assures us it never fails. I am, my Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant, London, Dec. 13. 1759. John Ellis. P. S. Small seeds, in their pods, may be preserved by being placed thinly on pieces of paper, cotton or linen cloth, that have been dipt in wax, then rolled up tight, and well secured from air by a further covering of wax. XXV. The Case of a very long Suppression of Urine. By Ambrose Dawson, M. D. Communicated by William Heberden, M.D. F.R.S. Read Nov. 8, 1759. R. W. aged 23 years, tall and well-made, was seized, in the year 1755, with a weakness of one side, which soon went off, leaving only one knee weak and swelled; for which she was admitted into St. George's Hospital. On the 4th of April, 1756, she had a stoppage of urine, and felt no disposition to make any for two days. During the whole month of April, the discharge of urine was very irregular, it having ceased at one time for five days, and at another time for nine days. When the catheter was introduced, little or no urine was found in the bladder. In order to relieve her, she had been directed to use both the warm and cold bath, bleeding, purging, turpentine clysters, and a strong infusion of pareira brava, without any success: cantharides had likewise been given her to the quantity of three grains in a dose; and this dose had been repeated four times in 24 hours; but without any other effect than that of occasioning pains in her throat, stomach, and bowels, with vomiting and purging. A wet towel put round her waist, seemed to do the most good, and brought away some water two or three times; but afterwards ceased to have this effect. From the 26th of April, 1756, she made no water, and felt no want of making it, for many months; yet all this time she could eat once or twice a day, and was able to walk and ride. She was sparing in the use of liquids; she had but little sleep, no sweats, and her skin had no urinous smell: her breathing was often very laborious, with a dry cough: the catamenia were irregular: there were oedematous swellings in her limbs, abdomen, hips, and face; but, by the help of purges, and spontaneous vomitings, which began in the third month of the suppression, these swellings were tolerably kept under. She vomited sometimes every day, and sometimes only every third or fourth day; and tho' these vomitings usually came on presently after dinner, yet what she vomited seemed to be mere urine, without any thing which she had eaten mixed with it. In the beginning of June 1757, the nipples of her breasts chopped, and discharged sometimes a watery humour, sometimes a thick matter, streaked with blood, and sometimes a humour approaching to the colour of urine: all these dif- discharges had an urinous scent, and seemed to lessen her urinous vomitings, which, from this time, became less frequent: but her legs, and especially her body, swelled to an extraordinary size, and she breathed with the utmost difficulty. On the first and second of August, 1757, after a total suppression of urine for above a year and three months, she felt uncommon pricking pains, with great heat all down her back and loins, and about the belly and groin. On the second day, she voided about three ounces of thick, slimy matter, attended with sharp pains in the urinary passages: this water was not high-coloured. The next day, she made water of a truly urinous kind with less pain; and continued to make a little water every day, the pain daily decreasing; and on the 7th she voided about a pint. Since this, she has often had a suppression of urine for ten or fourteen days; and it once lasted two months, during which she had no vomiting; but her body was very much swelled. In July 1759, according to her own account, she did not usually make above half a pint in 24 hours; and sometimes scarce so much in two days. The catamenia were then irregular; her sleep short, and disturbed; she had very little appetite; her legs swelled; and the rest of her body wasted.