An Account of the Case of a Boy, Who Had the Malleus of Each Ear, and One of the Incus's, Dropt out. Communicated by the Rev. Philip Morant, M. A. Rector of St. Mary's in Colchester

L. An Account of the Case of a Boy, who had the Malleus of each Ear, and one of the Incus's, dropt out. Communicated by the Rev. Philip Morant, M.A. Rector of St. Mary's in Colchester. Read Nov. 19, 1761. A Young lad, at Manningtree in Essex, "after about three or four weeks of a putrid, malignant, inflammatory fever, attended with a violent scarlet eruption on the skin, and swelling and soreness, and stuffage of the nose, had the malleus of each ear, and one of the incus's, dropt out. Whether or no any of the rest came away unobserved, my friend cannot tell; but these were all he saw. Nor can he say, whether the membrane was destroyed, and discharged with the bones, or only so relaxed, as to give room for the bones to come without it; not having seen the bones, till after they were cleaned. But the consequence is, his having almost absolutely lost his hearing; I say almost, because, though he is quite deaf as to all common voices and sounds, yet some violent and sudden noises seem to affect him. But the organ of both ears seems to be so much destroyed, as to make it highly improbable, that he should ever recover his hearing again. In all other respects, he is very well, and at present in good health. The coming away of those bones seems the effect of an abscess, which affected the contents of the tympanum." Another friend observes, that "his disorder has been a malignant or ulcerous sore throat, as he judges from from the scarlet eruption; and the passage from the back of the fauces into the ear having lain open exposed to its malign influence, an abscess has been formed in the tympanum, which has been destroyed; otherwise the bones could not come out at the other ear." He had learned to read before this unhappy accident, and the people about him write down what they want to make him understand; at least at present, till they have found out a readier method. LI. Observations concerning the Body of his late Majesty, October 26, 1760, by Frank Nicholls, M.D. F.R.S. Physician to his late Majesty. To the Right Honourable George Earl of Macclesfield, President of the Royal Society. My Lord, Read Nov. 26, 1761. The inclosed papers have been laid before the Lord Chamberlain, for his Majesty's inspection; and his Majesty's answer was, That he saw no reason, why they may not be made public. The bursting the ventricle of the heart is a case entirely unknown in physical writers; and must depend on many circumstances, which rarely coincide. I have used my best endeavours, to give a clear and satisfactory account of this very extraordinary affair; and I hope I have succeeded: but, if any thing