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dry the skin and keep it dry, and that the same dose wouldarrest the sweating of phthisis." One minim of the solution,containing rt1f gr. of hyoscyamine, was injected hypoder-mically in a man suffering from phthisis, perspiring pro-fusely. No effects were produced except a little dryness ofthe mouth, and of this there could be no absolute certainty.If, however, the dose be doubled, and one-sixtieth of a grainbe given, the symptoms produced are constant and wellmarked. Like those caused by atropia, they are-drynessof the skin, mouth, and pharynx ; great thirst; flushing ofthe face; injection of conjunctiva, dilatation of the pupil,and loss of power of accommodation of the eye; pulse in-creased in frequency, the fulness being also increased.There is also headache, giddiness passing on to a semi-conscious condition and sleep.The dryness of the mouth and pharynx were invariably

present, coming on usually within half an hour of theinjection. The skin in some instances became hot as wellas dry, and a rise in the temperature to the extent of 1° inan hour was noted where the full constitutional effects wereproduced. The mouth became dry, thirst being great, butin no instance was this stage succeeded by difficulty inswallowing and hoarseness, nor was the dryness replacedby a viscid, sticky, foul-smelling secretion, as found by Dr.Harley with atropia. The flushing of the face and injectionof conjunctiva were well marked, the pulsation of thecarotids being increased and visible on the surface in a fewobservations; but the pulsation of the carotids and injec-tion of the conjunctiva were frequently absent, althoughthe face was almost always flushed. Dilatation of pupil wasvery obvious, and usually present. Generally speaking, thedilatation was not so great as that due to local application,nor were the effects so permanent, the iris having recovereditself within twelve hours. The power of reacting to lightwas also lost, there being misty vision and loss of accom-modation, usually followed by sleep. The pulse was in-creased in frequency, the increase, however, not being sogreat as is caused by atropia ; the greatest rise noticed withhyoscyamine was 36 pulsations per minute, whereas withatropia 50 or 60 beats per minute above normal have beenrecorded. The average of ten observations with hyos-cyamine (one-sixtieth of a grain each) gave an increase of18, but it was found by increasing the dose that there wasa corresponding increase of pulse: for instance, rh gr.caused an increase of only 8 beats, gr. an increase ofabout 18, and -lõ gr. an increase of 36. The increasecommenced within five minutes of the injection, and hadreached its point of maximum intensity in about half anhour. This increase generally lasted less than an hour,and the frequency of pulse had fallen to its normal con-dition in three or four hours. It was not noticed to havefallen below the normal average, although it lost in strengthas the heart’s action became slower. No irregularity ofthe heart was observed.The headache, giddiness, and tendency to sleep were in-

duced in the majority of instances, but where the headachewas very severe this prevented sleep. The mind was notaffected, and there was no delirium.

Atropia is said to produce unsteadiness of gait. This wasnot noticed except in a patient with locomotor ataxy, inwhom the ataxic condition was greatly intensifled whenunder the influence of this drug. He suffered acute shoot-ing pains in the affected limbs, which were at all times con-siderably relieved by the hyoscyamine. It never causedinflammation at the place of administration.

Effects on the urine.-Iil comparing the action of hyos-cyamine with that of atropia, the results do not appear tobe similar; for it has been pointed out that atropia increaseethe quantity of the urinary water, whereas hyoscyamine, asfar as these observations show, does not affect the secretingpower of the kidneys, or, if it has any action, tends to lesserthe urine. In estimating the amount of urine secreted, th(patients emptied their bladders every hour for at least fou)hours prior to the administration of the drug, the whol(amount was measured, and the average taken. In No. Jthe hourly average before was ten drachms, afterwards iwas reduced to six drachms. In No. 3 the average beforewas ten drachms, which, after the drug, was raised to sixtee)drachms. This is the only time an increase was noticedand on repeating the observation two days afterwards othe same patient, it was found that the average after thhypodermic administration was less by two drachms tha:

it was before. From further observations, the same con-clusion was arrived at-viz., that the secretion of urine isnot increased by hyoscyamine.

ON A CASE OF

NERVOUS IRRITABILITY ASSUMING AHYDROPHOBIC CHARACTER.

BY FLEET SURGEON JOHN T. GABRIEL, R.N.

(Communicated by the DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENTOF THE NAVY.)

S. M--, aged fifteen, second-class boy, came under myobservation on the 1st of June, on account of the troublehe gave in resisting every attempt to place him into a bathin the bath-room, in accordance with the daily practiceamong the boys. The attempt always elicited from himloud shrieks, and caused him to struggle violently, andindeed he evinced the utmost terror of immersion. I

accompanied him to the swimming-tank, where the depthof water is four feet, and on that occasion I witnessed theeffect upon the patient when he was told to go into thewater. He shrieked, his eyes became prominent and fixedin a stare of horror, countenance livid, mouth open, andthe patient gasping and breathless; indeed, he appearedabout to pass into convulsions. On being relieved from hisapprehension of having to go into the water, he instantlyrecovered, and assumed his natural appearance. Theattack struck me as bearing a close resemblance to one ofhydrophobia, according to the descriptions of this maladywhich I had read.

I recommended that the patient should be placed in theschool-list, and not again be forced to go into the water.On questioning him, he stated that when the fear of thebath assailed him, he was seized with an oppressive andacute pain in the right side, at a point corresponding to thediaphragm, and accompanied with extreme difficulty ofbreathing, and that the mere application of water to thechest caused the same sensation, only in a less degree. Thisaccount was quite consistent with the character of theattack. On further questioning the boy, he said the painextended from the lower thoracic region, shooting throughthe right shoulder, and that he felt unable to stand. He

complained also of pain in the side occurring every morn-ing and evening, and that it invariably woke him up atfour A.M., and has done so for the last twelve months. Hestates three years ago he fell into the water, and was nearlydrowned, having been rescued in a state of insensibility, inwhich he remained for two days, and lost the faculty ofspeech for two weeks.With the exception of the above remarkable symptoms,

the boy’s health exhibited no defect. The condition ap-peared to be one depending upon fright arising from theaccident mentioned above, and the attack which always fol-lowed a threat of putting him into the water would appearto depend upon the paralysing effects of fear on the brainand nervous system, and through them upon the muscles ofrespiration, of which the diaphragm seems in this case tohave been chiefly affected, and thrown into a painfullyspasmodic state, preventing inspiration, and, through com-pression of the phrenic nerve, giving rise to the painshooting through the shoulder.Upon this view of the case, the treatment pursued was

the administration of one-thirtieth of a grain of strychninethree times a day, and the application of electro-galvanism.These, combined with gentle and encouraging words, seemto have succeeded in restoring confidence, as the boy nowvoluntarily enters the bath, and declares that he likes it.

VACCINATION IN IRELAND.-During the year ending; September 30th, 1875, there were 137,340 persons vaccinated,

being a decrease of 2247 under that of the preceding year.low these, 94,370 were under one year old when vaccinated,, 25,305 above one year, and other cases (revaccinations?)i 17,665. During the year a slight increase took place in the3deaths from small-pox, in 1874 there being 540 deaths, andiin 1875, 543.