bryo state, penetrated the exposed skin of the men, who usually went about without any other coverings than a hat, a shirt, and trowsers, while the officers, who were properly clad, and generally wore boots or gaiters, were thus shielded against them.

The idea of contagion having been suggested, it may not be improper to add, that three drafts of recently impressed men, and a detachment of his Majesty's 56th regiment were received on board, while the worms were most prevalent, without any one of them receiving the disease; and I may add, that two of the Psyche's men were discharged in two other of his Majesty's ships, where they both had Guinea-worms, without communicating the disease to any other person.

47, Hoxton Town, April 25, 1815.

Case of very extensive and unexplained Fracture of the Ribs. By Mr LYON, Surgeon, Paisley.

A. B. a lunatic, was a patient in an hospital, but his relations, wishing to take him under their own care, obtained his discharge. With assistance he walked about twenty yards from the hospital, entered a chaise, and was carried two miles into the country. On the 7th day after his departure, a physician was called to him, who informed me that he found the sternum and many of the ribs fractured, and the patient in a most distressing state, from difficulty of breathing, pain, cough, and other symptoms consequent to the injury. The physician under whose care Mr B. had been while in the hospital, having been informed of his melancholy situation, requested me to visit and examine him. Accordingly, on the 10th day after his departure from the hospital, I went to his relation's house, and, on inquiring for him, was told that he had died about two hours before my arrival. I was permitted to examine the body of the deceased, and found the thorax in a horrid condition, to use his relation's words, "like a shattered basket."

The body was examined the day after death (30th March 1809) in the presence of some friends.

The substance of the brain was uncommonly firm; appear ance of inflammation general over the cerebrum and cerebellum; effusion under the membranes of the brain; ventricles filled with water.

While the integuments of the thorax were removing, at various parts where the ribs were fractured or separated from their cartilages, a fluid, in some places like pus, in others like bloody sanies, oozed out. The sternum was completely fractured transversely at its juncture with the third and fourth ribs. On the left side, the second and third ribs were fractured in two places, and the last was also separated from its cartilage;

1814.

the fourth and fifth ribs were fractured at one place near the
sternal extremity; the seventh rib was fractured at its vertebral
extremity, and the eighth was separated from its cartilage.

On the right side, the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth
were fractured, and the fifth rib was separated from its cartilage.
Five English pints of a nearly transparent fluid were collect-
ed from the cavities of the thorax. The membranes on the
convex surface of the right lung were destroyed for about the
space of three or four inches; and the adhesion between, the
lung and the pleura costalis opposite the fifth rib was so strong,
that a separation could not be effected without boring or cut-
ting. The sharp end of the dorsal portion of the rib penetrated
and adhered to the lung. On separating the adhesion, a small
quantity of pus appeared. The left lung also adhered to the
pleura, and the end of the fractured fifth rib likewise penetrated
its substance. The pleura and mediastinum were highly in-
flamed, and various other adhesions between them and the
lungs had formed. The heart and abdominal viscera were in
good condition.

Diary of the Weather on the Northern Coast of the County of Antrim.

283 29

6

28

289 29 29

4

45 48 54

56

45

49

55

57

31

34 45

42

Barometer, 299 301 302 30 303 303 30
303 302 30

greatest height 30
Barometer, 28239
lowest
Thermometer, 40
greatest height 43
Thermometer, 20
lowest

Wind

293

293 292 289 289 289 Even. 59 64 62 60 54 51 45 Morn. 60 66 65 61 57 50 46 Even. 48 56 56 47 47 25 34 34 45 44 48 57 57 49 S. 15 S. 16 E. 14'S. 17 E. 13 E. 13 S. 21 S. 18 S. 17 S. N.11 S. 13 S. 14 S. 13 E. 14 E. 11 S. 17S. 14. 14 E.

Thunder and Lightning-One day in May, two in July, and one in August.-
Total 4.

The observations are taken by Fahrenheit's Thermometer, and removed from
the influence of either sun or fire.

The figures in the line Wind denote the number of days it blew in that di

rection.

N. B. Snow began to fall on the 3d of January, and was not completely thawed until the 29th of March, continuing on the ground for 85 days.

365

he

ral

th

I SEND for iffers from the fomer Report, and admits of a much better. M. may be compared with observations made at the Rrried any farther, be defective. The rain is given only fnuary last has excited so much attention, I shall make sonced in London on the 27th of December did not affecte marked fine. In the morning of the 2d there was som the next day, and was succeeded by snow on the 4th, whorning of the 27th December, been at the freezing point nt from the 4th to the 15th, when rain followed the snowtinued frost lasted with us eleven days; the wind during thines. The thermometer in the night of the 9th fell to 19°. est temperature of the month..

On Sunday evening the 11th September, there appeared a splendid arch of Aurora Borealis, noticed in most of our newspapers; but on the evening of the 4th November a similar arch appeared in the north, which, though not quite so magnificent, seems not to have been remarked by any person except by those in this immediate neighbourhood. It first appeared between five and six in the evening, and was entirely gone before half after seven o'clock.

The months of November and December were very remarkable for great fluctuations in the Barometer.-On the 16th December, the mercury rose one inch between nine o'clock in the morning and nine at night. During the night of the 15th it fell 9-10ths of an inch.

A Report of the Sick and Hurt during one Year on board a Sloop of War, Complement 125 Men.