prefence of a violent fea breeze: the weather has been remarkably dry and hot, and at times fultry:-it was impoffible to ufe the leaft exercife, without being heated; and it was almoft impoffible to get heated, without being immediately chilled by the breeze. It is the foldier's life to be much expofed, and it is his cuftom to be careless of himself :when he is fatigued or heated, he haftens to cool himself in the breeze or night air; and perhaps throws off his cloaths, and often lies down and fleeps in that condition ;-if he is wet, he dries his cloaths, linen, and fkin together: -by these means, perfpiration, the great fountain of health in hot climates, is fuddenly stopped, and febrile ftri&tures occupy the whole furface of the body. A flux following thefe data, will diftinguish itself by an inflam matory diathesis; and its progrefs will confequently be rapid. the tongue is greatly furred, and fometimes of a brown or black colour; apthæ appear but feldom. -This is the general account of thofe who experience the violence of the difeafe, and survive the firft week; but many who were feized at the fetting in of the flux this fpring, perifhed within that time. The curative indications areto cause a revulfion to the surface of the body and to cleanfe the inteftines: -The difeafe being rapid, the cure depends on performing thefe things as fpeedily as poffible. Experience having fhewn, that the coinmon methods and medicines hitherto ufed, fall far short of obtaining the important point of revuifion in proper time, and fupporting it, the practice will ftill be deficient, if we cannot find means adequate to that purpose. The inductive confiderations are, to bleed whenever it can be done with fafety; to cleanfe the prima via; to check the impetus with which the circulation is determined on the inteftines, diftending and bursting the coats of the veffels; to remove the fpafın from the veffels of the furface of the body, and to caufe a diverfion there: all these must be done immediately, that the revulfion may be effectual. The general fymptoms are, a chillness in the beginning, fucceeded by feverish heats; gripings and frequent fmall motions; fickness of the ftomach, and fome times retchings; copious purging foon follows, with green, brown, or yellow watery ftools; thefe are now mixed with, or fucceeded by, great difcharges of blood; the ftools vary in fætor and appearance, according to the periods of the difeafe, or as they are more or lefs retained: a confiderable degree of fever brings on the difeafe and accompanies it, with fome; with others but little ;-eafe; the neceflity is obvious where fmall, bloody, flimy tools, con- the patient is young, plethoric, tinually harafs the patient in the with fever and full pulfe. laft ftages, particularly at nights; Bleeding being an operation of great confequence in the flux, the cure is generally begun with it, repeating it as the fymptoms authorife:-there are but few inftances where it may not fafely be done in the beginning of the dif After bleeding, a vomit of ipecacuanba cacuanha is to be given, which commonly relieves the ftomach from a load of acid, poraceous, bilious impurities:-but our great expectation from vomiting is, that its action on the mufcular fibres of the stomach, forces open the extreme arterial capillaries, forwards the circulation to the furface of the body, and induces to fweat. An opiate after its operation is neceflary. After the vomit and opiate, it is proper to empty the bowels; but with caution, in cafe the patient is weak; and in fuch a manner as not to increase the determination of the blood there, and divert it from the furface; for then we should lofe the ground gained by the vomit, and counteract our principal defign.-An antimonial that acts much upon the skin, and purges at the fame time, is what I always use. The prime via being cleanfed, and the revulfion begun, it must be completed by fudorifics, that the disease may be thrown off by fweat. This will be effected by uniting an opiate with a diaphoretic, and adminiftering it as occafion requires. Laudanum and antimonial wine combined, is a medicine that caufes little or no irritation, and is a pleafant and certain diaphoretic it is always neceffary in the flux, when a fweat is intended by antimonial or other emetic medicines in fmall dofes, to add laudanum, to take off their irritation; by which means, their dofes and effects may be greatly extended. James's powder i admirably well calculated to anfwirft intentions in this dif feffes this great adv at though it shall effectually cleante the prime via properly given, it never fails to excite a plentiful fweat, and terminates on the skin. This double operation (if I may fo call it) perhaps has made it fo decifive in obftinate fevers. When the diaphorefis is begun, I cover my patient with his blan ket (which no foldier fhould be without), and take care that the wind is not admitted directly upon him. I do not fuffer him to uncover himself, but order whatever he wants to be brought to him, and fupply him copioufly with warm mint, fage, balm, or oatmeal tea; and now and then give him a bafon of gruel, or thin flour pap, with a spoonful or two of good found white wine, as free as poffible from acidity. When the fudorific process has been fuccefsfully continued, all the fymptoms grow milder; and if the patient breaks out in a rash, or efflorefcent eruptions, or boils, the difeafe will foon vanish. In cafe the flux continues ob. ftinate, and the sweats do not go on kindly, it will not only be requifite to carry off the morbific humours, by a dofe of the antimonial purgative, but repeated vomits of ipecacuanha are to be given.-In this cafe, the circulation has not been enough diverted from the intestines, to produce a full and fufficient diaphorefis; it is therefore neceffary to give a fresh impulfe to the fibres, by the action of vomiting, for in vomiting, the action of the ftomach, and the contraction of the abdominal vifcera, forces the blood to the furface, and upper parts of the body. Another cause of obftinacy in the the flux, is indurated fæces lodged in the intestines;-and though the patient fhall have been repeatedly purged, and taken nothing but fluids during his illness, it is amazing what lumps of excrement will fometimes be brought away by a repetition of the antimonial purgative, after an interval of feveral days ;-for which reafon, when the fweats have been plentiful, the pulfe moderate, and the flux ftill continues obftinate, we may fufpect this to be the cafe. The extraordinary appearance thefe balls of excrement fometimes acquire, from a long retention amongst difeafed fecretions, have induced fome to whimfical fuppofitions concerning their caufe, and component principles. I purfue this method, regulating it as occafion may require, or particul aroccurrences fuggeft, un til the patient is in a condition for bark, and other tonics and corroborants. The flux will continue troublefome in fome fubjects, from mere weakness and relaxation of the veffels, without any material gripings or feverifh fymptoms:here I never hesitate to give bark with fnake-root and wine. In all complaints of the bowels, particularly in the dyfentery, the bark fhould never be given in fubftance; it caufes irritation, and gripings; and either brings back the difeafe, or fills the patient with obftructions:-a trong decoction therefore is ever to be preferred. As the flux is always increafed at the approach of night; fo, for fome time after, it has abated, the pulfe quickens, and the patient grows feverish in the evening. This is an admonition, that we fhould defift from the bark, and give a gentle diaphoretic at night. The remaining acrimony, which fometimes keeps up a small irritation after every other fymptom is removed, may be corrected with abforbents, and carried off before the ufe of the bark; or at any fubfequent period, if it fhould recur, with rhubarb and magnefia, or any mild cathartic. During the convalefcent state of those who have been much reduced, and to prevent a relapfe, a flannel fhirt or jacket, worn next the fkin, is of fingular benefit. When the bowels have fuffered confiderably by the flux, and cannot recover their tone, but from weakness are subject to returns of that complaint, or to diarrhoea or tenefmus, on the leaft expofition to cold; a flannel jacket worn next the skin will be found almoft a certain remedy, and preventive. Such occafional cloathing is very useful to officers and foldiers on fervice in hot climates, expofed to rains, dews, or night air; or to put on after having been wet, fatigued, or heated, that perfpiration may not be fuddenly checked, and that the body may cool gradually. - It is to be obferved, when the attack is fudden and violent, it will be neceffary to overtake the difeafe with opiates and cordials, before any recourfe to its principles can be adopted; otherwife the patient may be exhausted and funk beyond the recovery of me. dicine. Here I cannot help expreffing my concern, that the aggravated fymptoms which return in the morning, have not put an end to the the cuftom of giving pills of opium at night. When opium is given alone, and continued for any time, after its cordial effects are over, it weakens the veffels, injures the nerves, caufes a ftrangury, and lowers the powers of life: the humours, instead of being diffipated, accumulate in the diseased parts, that when the conftipation is off, the blood rushes forth with increased violence, and accelerates the patient's end. In the far advanced state of the difeafe, we find the mefenteric veffels and glands enlarged, and obftructed; the glandulæ peyerianæ of the inteftines thickened, their coats tumified, relaxed, abraded, and haftening into a state of fphacelation opium in this. fituation must increase and multiply every evil. The real ufe of opium is, to arreft the hurry of the difeafe; to procure time to put fome rational means of cure into execution; to give other medicines their intended effet, and to ease those tormi na which fometimes are intolerable. Here the matchless power of opium raifes our admiration. In the preceding history it will appear, that the flux is not confined to particular feafons and fituations;-that, what have been commonly confidered as univerfal remote caufes, only give the type to the disease;-and that its general caufe, producible various ways, is obftructed perfpiration. The flux that prevailed laft autumn, was attended with many of those causes that are called remote:- Auguft, September, October, and the beginning of November, were remarkably clofe, and fultry, with frequent rains; the great discharge of perfpira. tion, from the rarefaction of the blood, in fuch a season, relaxes the extremities of the perfpirable veffels, and fubjects them to fud. den fpafm, and collapfion. The camp dyfentery, in low, damp, marthy, countries, in the autumnal feason, has all the concomitants and type of a flux in hot climates after heavy rains;-there will be lefs difpofition to inflam mation, and the fluids will tend more to a state of diffolution-yet it is a fever turned upon the inteftines, for want of a free and regular perfpiration, from the thicknefs and moisture of the atmosphere. The irritation thus produced on the bowels, foon caufes a violent determination of blood there; and as the circulation is diminifhed in the vessels of the furface of the body, it is increased in those of the intestines. By this increased action of the arteries, the progress of the blood is impeded, in the minute ramifications of the veffels;-hence hæmorrhage, and extravafation:-an immediate revulsion is therefore neceffary:-it must be exten five, but fuitable, that there may be no mischief done by increafing the debility incident to the dif ease. Bleeding cannot be performed in every fubject, nor in every stage or condition of a flux;-cathartics only cleanse the affected parts; emetics are limited to anfwer cer. tain purposes; diaphoretics have never been used, in a manner nor extent fufficient to produce an ef fect; and the custom of expofing patients patients to partial currents of cold air, prevents nature from doing any thing towards the cure. The type of the disease, being duly attended to, will indicate the quantity, and nature of the evacuations neceffary to facilitate revulfion; and it is fafely and effectually completed, by a careful continued courfe of fudorifics, kept up in extent proportioned to the difeafe. Thus have I communicated what I conceive to be the general caufe of the dyfentery of the Weft-Indies, which has been fo deftructive to the troops-and entered into a fhort difquifition of its nature, and explained the method I have followed in its cure.I have avoided the detail of minute defcriptions, circumftances, and particular cafes, as not coming with in my defign; which is, to explain my method of cure, applicable to the cause I have affigned of this disease, and comprised in the following confiderations; that the dyfentery is a fever of the inteftines; that the caufe is obfructed perfpiration; and that the cure is in calling back the circulation to the surface of the body, and increafing the fenfible perfpiration by the most active fudorifics. Defcription of a newly invented Machine for Raking Summer Corn Stubbles, by Mr. George Bofwell of Piddletown, Dorfet. From the Letters of the Bath Agriculture Society. Gentlemen, A BOUT three years fince I found fome difficulty in proVOL. XXIV. a curing hands to take up my lent or fummer corn in the method ufually practifed in this county, that is, by forking the fwarths into cocks, and raking the ground with hand-rakes by women. Men are generally employed in forking it. It therefore occurred to me that an inftrument might be made to anfwer the purpofe of raking it by hand. I knew the Norfolk method of doing it by drag-rakes (as they are called), drawn by men; but the men were wanting elfewhere. I had often seen horfe-rake, made for gathering the gramen canine or couch-grafs together upon fallow lands, and knew a farmer who had ufed it for his mown wheat ftubbles; but this rake being drawn from the end of the beam by the horse, dragging the ends of the teeth upon the ground collected fuch quantities of weeds, grafs, earth, and ftones with it, as nearly to render the corn of no value; befides, it could not be used for close-mown ftubbles at all. Having for many years used the Norfolk ploughs here, I thought a rake might be fo conftructed as to go on the breaftwork of one of thefe ploughs in the fame manner as the plough itfelf is used. I therefore had one made nine feet and a half long, and the teeth fix inches afunder. Upon applying it in the place of the plough on the breaft-work, I found it anfwered extremely well, except that when it met with any confiderable obstruction at one end, it drew the other end aflant. remedy this inconvenience, I took away the pillar (the part of the breaft-work that the beam refts upon, and which is raifed higher, H То or |