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To the Royal Society.
Read July 12,
1764.
AS nothing tends more to illustrate the nature of uncommon diseases than the examination of morbid bodies after death, I take the liberty of communicating the following history.
Mr. W. aged twenty eight, consulted me at the latter end of November 1763. He had for about two months laboured under great difficulty of respiration, for which he had taken great variety of medicines without any relief. He had been largely bled, which, without helping his respiration, had greatly depressed and weakened him. The air of the country, where he had resided some time, made not the least alteration in his complaint, which daily grew worse.
When I saw him, his breathing was exceedingly difficult; the heat of his flesh moderate; his pulse too quick, beating about an hundred strokes in a minute, and withall low and thready, indicating great want of fluid in the arterial system. He coughed very frequently, and what he expectorated was viscid; but neither purulent nor bloody, and in no great quantity. He was without thirst. His nights were almost without sleep, on account of the diffi-
