Extract of a letter dated Cincinnati, November 9, 1814, from Dr. N. Crookshank to Dr. Peter Wilson, Columbia College.

"On the 4th of June last, about meridian, a dark cloud appeared in or near the southwest point of the horizon, having the usual appearances of electricity, as was known, by the hemispherical or convex appearances of various parts on the superior sides of the different shelves composing it; while the lower part appeared parallel to the earth. Some light clouds were seen to move with great rapidity from the northeast, and appeared to meet the former; when both seemed to rise perpendicularly several degrees, so as to attain an extraordinary height. I then predicted hail, which presently fell, of uncommon size. Several ere picked up after the shower, which ended in rain, too large to put into a cup four inches in diameter. Others were picked up in the time of the fall, thirteen, fourteen, and even fifteen, inches in circumference: yet, strange to tell, no material damage was done, though the width of the shower was five miles, and twenty or thirty in length; the tract of the largest hail, in centre of the former, about a mile. It appeared to consist of several clouds detached from each other, and moving in echelon, so as to appear as if the hail had fallen in stripes. Providentially there was but little wind, and the number of hail stones comparatively few. The larger pieces appeared to be aggregated of numerous others, which were likewise composed of smaller ones. Some, however, of more than ordinary size, appeared single, as if they had been snow balls immersed in water, and refrozen. The largest of these I saw resembled the section of a large hen's egg. About 5 P. M. the same afternoon, a hot or very warm current of air passed over, of such temperature and composition, as to threaten those who breathed it with instant death. Their only remedy was by stooping down near the earth. It actually did prove fatal to the leaves, and parts of leaves of many vegetables, by which means its traces were discovered above sixty miles, along and near the Ohio river.

Near Cincinnati it whitened the points of the green blades of a whole field of oats. Its causes are a proper subject of investigation for your society; and I cannot help thinking, that whoever discovers them, must become a literary creditor to those who have derived the sirocco wind from the sandy deserts of Arabia.

"N. B. The current of hot air happened entirely out of the tract of the hail, to the southward and eastward of it."

A Case of Fungus Hamatodes. By GEORGE LANGSTAFF, Esq. Surgeon, New Basinghall Street. Communicated by William Lawrence, Esq.

[From the London Medico-Chirurgical Transactions for 1812]

JOHN WHITEHORN, a boot-maker, about 30 years of age, of middle stature, rather corpulent, and of that sallow complexion peculiar to a female whose constitution has been much impaired by long obstruction of the catamenia, applied to me on the 24th of October, 1811, respecting a small tumour on his left shoulder, situated just below the spine of the scapula.

It was about the size of a cherry, and had a blueish red appearance.

In the situation of the swelling, there had been, from the time of birth, a large mole, which, eighteen months ago, had gradually fretted into a sore. From the latter a painful and occasionally bleeding fungus sprung up. Previously to this time, his general health had been exceedingly good.

Two other tumours, each about the size of a small nutmeg, had formed in the left axilla about a fortnight before I saw him. They were free from pain; and the skin covering them had its natural appearance.

I cut away the tumour from the shoulder on the 26th of October. The operation was attended with considerable bleeding from numerous small vessels. The removed part consisted of a firm purple vascular mass, originating from the cutis.

A disposition to the formation of fungus retarded the healing of the wound for five weeks; and the cicatrix had not a natural appearance.

The swellings in the axilla gradually increased, and united into one mass, which grew constantly larger, in spite of the employment of various local means, such as leeches, cold washes, and different stimulating applications. The health became affected, and the functions of the bowels particularly disturbed: small doses of mercury, purgatives, and tonics were employed; and a low diet enjoined.

By December the swelling had increased so much as to occupy the whole axilla, from the pectoralis major to the latissimus dorsi; and it seemed to extend outwards, between those muscles, so as not to press on the axillary nerves and vessels. Its circumference and base were as hard as a cancerous breast: the body of the tumour was elastic, and seemed divided into sacculi containing fluid: the surface was irregular, and the prominences gave a feeling as of fluid contained in cysts. The skin was much stretched and discoloured: it had a purpleish hue, not unlike that of erysipelas; but its temperature was natural. There was no pain until the end of November, when a violent attack took place, with considerable fever: these subsided, leaving the patient occasionally subject to darting pain in the swelling.

One of the prominences at the upper part of the tumor enlarged considerably, and the integuments became thin. It evidently contained fluid, and was very painful when touched; but there had been neither throbbing nor heat in the part. It continued in this way for some time, causing great suffering and disturbance in the constitution. I determined to make a small puncture, to give the patient a chance of relief, and gain some knowledge of the nature of the tumour.

Four ounces of dark coloured blood flowed from the open. ing; and the discharge was followed by immediate relief.

I closed the aperture, which was much smaller than that usually made in phlebotomy, with adhesive plaster; but a con

siderable quantity of sanies and ichor flowed through it for nearly a fortnight, greatly debilitating the patient.

The tumour increased but little after this period, nor was pain complained of till the 12th of January, when excruciating and darting sensations were felt in the swelling, on the side of the neck, and along the under part of the arm. These were sometimes so severe, that the patient supposed he should not survive them. The circumference of the tumour now became considerably enlarged, the prominent parts continued elastic, and the integuments were of a deep purpleish red colour. The continued pain and constitutional derangement, accompanied with difficulty of breathing, confined him to bed from the 19th of January, and were not alleviated by any local or general treatment.

On the 8th of February, the tumour measured six inches and a half in the long axis, and six in the short; the central point began to project into a nipple-like eminence, which was apparently only covered with cuticle. It was surrounded by a beautiful deep red and purple coloured disk, the diameter of which was two inches and a half; the skin from this part to the extent of the swelling, was gradually shaded with purple and red streaks. It bore considerable resemblance on the whole to a large inflamed female breast. To the violent pain already described, darting sensations were added, passing from the axilla through the chest, and accompanied with dyspnea. During the paroxysms of pain, the pulse was from 100 to 120 in a minute; and on its abating sometimes as low as 69.

On the 20th the integuments of the nipple-like projection assumed a dirtiesh white appearance, at the most prominent point, and an ichorous discharge exuded.

The cuticle separated on the 22d, and exposed an opening about large enough to admit the end of a probe, through which a considerable quantity of blood and ichor oozed. Instead of a fungous growth, there was only a granular state of the surrounding cutis. The tumour still increased, and measured on the 25th nine inches by seven.

Feb. 27. The discharge was still copious and perfectly inodorous; which indeed had been the case from its commencement. The integuments, at the centre of the tumour, were of a brownish red appearance, and so very thin to a considerable extent, that I was inclined to think they would give way.

Feb. 29. The discharge was not lessened, the edges of the ulcerated part were beginning to cicatrize, but the aperture showed no disposition to heal. I introduced through it the whole length of a common sized probe; it took an oblique direction towards the axilla. The discharge was not increased when the probe was withdrawn; although it might have been supposed, from the fluctuation, that a large quantity of fluid was contained in the centre of the tumour.

Another round, hard and painful tumour, about the size of a pea, was discovered on the shoulder, half an inch from the one last mentioned.

March 1.-The swelling still increased in the horizontal direction, though there had been a considerable discharge of blood with serum; the integuments were of a brownish red colour, and felt extremely thin. A fourth tumour, similar to those on the shoulder, presented itself about an inch above the upper absorbent inguinal glands. His health now declined rapidly, he was much emaciated, and complained of constant and violent pains in his loins and chest, and his respiration was hurried on the following day.

March 2.-The discharge from the small aperture had greatly diminished; the tumour was much increased, all the patient's sufferings aggravated.

March 6.-From the last date to the present, the lateral increase of the swelling had been astonishing, as its transverse measurement was now fourteen inches. The skin, about two inches above the part which burst and afterwards was cicatrized (except the small aperture through which the fluid had oozed more than a fortnight,) was extremely thin, prominent, and likely soon to give way.

The circle, where the integuments first ulcerated, was con