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Ju a few years, they not only maintained themselves, but acquired a surplus to pay him a rent, and the old Count lived to see his domains four-fold in value, and the freemen, whom he had reared from a state of slavery, enjoying ten-fold happiness. One of the Count's estates was traversed by four great roads; in the centre where they met, he lived to see a statue erected to himself, as a monument of their gratitude. This was erected solely at their expence.'

"At Tortola, Lettsom commenced practice, and, in the course of five months, succeeded in amassing nearly 20001. half of which he gave to his mother: with the remainder he returned to London, with the view of following the steps of the great Dr. Fothergill.

*In September 1768, he landed at Liverpool, and after spending, a short time with Samuel Fothergill, at Warrington, arrived in London. In October he set off for Edinburgh, and attended Dr. Cullen's clinical lectures, and his lectures on the institutions of medicine. He also attended Dr. F. Home on the materia medica; after which he proceeded to Paris, Spa, Aix-la-Chapelle, and other situations favourable to the obtaining of medical knowledge, or the reception of invalids for the benefit of change of air, the drinking of particular waters, &c. He had obtained from eminent men several letters of introduction to the professors and principal literary characters in these countries, which were of the greatest use. many of these distinguished persons he maintained a correspondence for many years. Among these were the celebrated Macquer, Le "Roy, Vicq d'Azyr, and Dr. Dubourg, to whom he was introduced by a letter from the celebrated Dr. Benjamin Franklin,

With

"After visiting the different schools, he took his degree of Doctor of Medicine at the University at Leyden, on the 20th of June, 1769. His thesis was entitled, Observationes ad vires Theæ pertinentes;" and was inscribed to his patron Dr. John Fothergill, to his guardian Samuel Fothergill, and to his old master Abraham Sutcliff.

* Soon after graduating, he returned to London; and, in 1770, having become a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians, he commenced practice under the protection of Dr. Fothergill. In this year also he was elected an Honorary Member of the PhysicoMedical Society of Edinburgh.

1

*** Dr. Lettsoin was now rapidly rising in his profession, and he determined upon forming a matrimonial connexion with an amiable young lady, the daughter of Mr. Miers, a wealthy tin-plate-worker, resident in Cannon-street. This desirable event took place on the 81st July, 1770: an union formied on the most durable basis, increasing in strength every year of their existence. There could not be a more tender, engaging, or attentive partner than the Doctor, whose perpetual solicitude, the writer of this has repeatedly bad the happiness of observing, was particularly directed to the increase of her comforts. She lives to deplore her irreparable loss. By this marriage Dr. Lettsom acquired a very considerable fortune, which enabled him to exercise those acts of beneficence (which had hitherto

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been

been in a degree confined) upon a more extended scale. His libe rality, however, laid him open, on many occasions, to the impositions of hypocritical knaves, whose deep and dark designs he was un fortunately far from suspecting.

"In this year he was chosen a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries; and, in the following one, a Fellow of the Royal Society."

A very minute account follows of Dr. Lettsom's practice and writings; after which

"The most painful part of the author's duty now commences......... a recital of the circumstances connected with the dissolution of Dr. Lettsom. For some time he had been attending a gentleman whose case proved fatal, and he was desirous that the body should be examined: this was chiefly performed by the Doctor himself, on the 22d of October, 1815. He remained in a cold room for two hours, and, on the following day, felt chilly and unwell, but not so as to excite much alarm. On the 25th the following letter was transmitted to the author:

"DEAR MR. PETTIGREW,

"I was attacked yesterday with a severe rigor of fever, which sent me to bed at six o'clock in the afternoon, and I had a dreadful night; but I rose at ten this morning somewhat better, and shall endeavour to visit a few patients, and, as early as I can after my home patients, seek a retreat in bed; so that, to my great regret, I cannot attend the Philosophical Society without danger to the health of Your's sincerely,

“‹ Sambr. Co. Oct. 26, 1815.

J. C. LETTSOM. "For the last twenty-seven years I have not been confined illness."

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"On the 27th the author visited him, and, alas! found him la bouring under a strong rigor-(a severe cold shivering fit,) indicative of approaching fever, and complaining of great soreness of his arms, '1⁄2 which he (Dr. Lettsom) considered to be rheumatic. The necessity for great care was immediately urged; and he was requested to see his friend Dr. Babington. He, however, observed that he should be better in a few days, and that he wished for no one to attend him. At that time he had a poor patient resident in Whitecrossstreet, whom he was determined to visit, against which his friends strongly contended, but fruitlessly. He went out, and returned, literally unable to get out of his carriage, and suffering the most acute pain upon any attempt to be assisted. In the evening he was visited by his friends Dr. Babington and Mr. Norris, and was confined to his room. The next day his disease assumed a more distinct character, and he was unable to move in his bed without assistance, yet sustaining, with the greatest fortitude, the most excruciating pain. In this situation, his anxiety for his patients was unabated-he requested the author to visit them, and was eager to know the progress of their diseases. Perpetual inquiry was directed

to

to the Philosophical Society, and respecting the arrangements for the approaching Anniversary, concerning which he was so interested that he said, provided he was only able to sit, and not even to speak on that occasion, he would attend it.

"On the 30tlf he appeared improved, but on the 31st great debility came on, attended with slight delirium, which terminated his valuable existence on Wednesday the 1st of November, between three and four o'clock in the morning. A life like his was calculated to render its close painful to his survivors only; and he died without a groan.

"Intelligence of this melancholy event soon spread throughout the metropolis: hundreds of persons walked up Sambrook-court to view the mansion of its late owner, in order to ascertain the truth of the report. The Medical and Philosophical Societies suspended their meetings until the usual funeral ceremonies were performed. The Monday following his interment, a tribute of respect and gratitude was paid to his memory by the Medical Society, in adopting the following Resolutions:

"Resolved,

That the Society receive the account of the decease of their late much-valued associate with feelings of deep regret for his loss; of unfeigned respect for his memory; and of gratitude for the numerous services rendered by him to the Society.

That the above Resolution be entered in the minutes, and subscribed by the President; and that a copy be transmitted to his son, Samuel Fothergill Lettsom, Esq.'

"In the subsequent Anniversary ration in March, by Dr. Clutterbuck, a very appropriate eulogy on his character was introduced, his services to the Society acknowledged, and his loss feelingly and justly lamented.

"The meetings of the Philosophical Society of London were suspended until the 21st of November, which day was appropriated to the delivery of an Eulogy by the writer of this Memoir. This was composed at the particular request of the Council of the Society, and the eulogist selected from among the members in consequence of his intioracy with the worthy Doctor, and his introduction of him to the Society.". 1:

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126

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS,

IN THE

DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF PHYSIC, SURGERY, AND MEDICAL PHILOSOPHY.

Transactions of the Medical Society of London.
Vol. I. Part II. 1817.

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Art. I.-On Epilepsy; by JOSEPH ADAMS, M.D. &c."President of the Society.

THIS THIS is the first paper, systematically written, that has been offered to our notice on this formidable disease. Our last Collectanea, therefore, consisted of a long extract, by which our readers will comprehend the general intent of the author. The remainder of the paper contains a minute description of the acute epilepsy. The treatment (bleeding and other evacuations before the expected period of a return of paroxysms) exactly accords with his opinion of the disSeveral cases are detailed; and, in all which have appeared under the form of acute epilepsy, the mode of treatment has been completely successful.

ease.

A few remarks follow on the chronic epilepsy, in which, with much candour, the author admits he has been as completely foiled, and seems sceptical in his opinion of the va rious remedies recommended by others. For the diagnostic' distinction between the acute and chronic epilepsy, we must refer to the paper.

Art. II. Observations on the Treatment of Croup by HENRY BLEGBOROUGH, Esq. Surgeon.

is ta

The object of this practical and truly valuable paper shew, that, whatever may have been the success of other practitioners, the author has been disappointed in every at tempt at arresting the progress of the disease, excepting by. the assistance of mercury in large doses. Mr. Blegborough's meaning will be best expressed by the two following cases.. "Case V. On the 13th of October, 1807, I was called to sɛɛ

Cave, a girl aged two years: she had the usual symptoms of catarrh, which continued without much variation till the morning of the 22d, when the cough, difficulty of breathing, and fever, were somewhat increased; the child had been frequently purged, and had taken lact. amygd, with nitre. On the 23d, in the morning, I was sent for early: the child had passed a very restless night, had

much

much fever, hoarse and difficult breathing, and ringing congh; in fact, all the symptoms of croup. Dissatisfied with the remedies which I had before employed, I wished, though with the same general intention of diminishing the force of the circulation in the first instance, and subsequently of effecting the removal of the collected mucus, if, in despite of every thing, as before, it should be formed, to employ a different agency; and, having seen the good effect of nauseating doses of antim. tartarizat. in keeping down the circula tion, and in taming the violence of athletic men under the influence of maniacal attacks, I determined to rest my first intention upon this remedy, and to employ full vomiting in the after stage, if my patient should arrive at it. Accordingly, a solution of this medicine, in the proportion of gr. iij. to an 3 of water, was given, to the effect of keeping up a continued and very distressing degree of nausea, from the morning of the 23d till about two o'clock P. M. of the 24th, during which time the circulation was very languid: there was, of course, no disposition to take sustenance of any kind, and the disease certainly, during this time, made no perceptible progress. I had not, however, the full confidence of the parents of this child, and I had certainly no cause to be too confident in my treatment of croup; I therefore readily assented to their proposal of taking another opinion, the result of which was the substitution of very rigorous purging with jalap and calomel for the nauseating process, a change with which the parents were much pleased, from the distress which the constant nausea occasioned. The effect of the purgatives was fully produced; but the disease rapidly increased, and the child died, from suffocation, on the evening of the 25th. On making this case the subject of conversation in the presence of a young gentleman, lately from Edinburgh, he informed me that Dr. J. Hamilton, Professor of Midwifery in that University, recommended frequent doses of calomel; but he could give me no account of the quantity of the doses, or of the frequency with which they were to be repeated. Having myself had the advantage of attending the doctor's class in 1779, I referred to my notes taken at that time, but could find only the following vague expression on the subject of this article- Calomel has been warmly recommended.'

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Case VI.-On the 16th of January, 1808, I was called to see Frederick Bidwell, of Paternoster-row, Spitalfields, a strong healthy boy of nearly four years. It was quite unnecessary to ask one ques tion in order to determine the nature of his disease. He had, on the 15th, the appearances of having taken cold; but he went to bed without much complaint, passed a quiet night, coughed a good deal during the morning of the 16th; but his mother did not notice the unusual noise till three in the afternoon of that day: at seven she sent to me. The countenance was turgid, the shoulders were greatly elevated, the breathing very laborious, and the sense of strangulation extreme; tongue white, skin hot, pulse 150. I immediately deter mined to try calomel largely, in consequence of the above sugges tion, and because I did not know what better I could do; not, however, without taking advantage of the debilitating treatment

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