seized with pains of the most excruciating character in the abdomen and right lumbar region, in consequence of which, I was sent for, and informed by the boy who came after me, that the woman was laboring under a very severe attack of colic, and would die soon if something was not done to relieve her. On arriving at the house and examining the patient, I found the tongue coated, the pulse quick and full, the abdomen tender and slightly tympanetic, the woman vomiting stercoraceous matter. In about an hour after I arrived, I gave her half a grain of the acetate of morphine, repeating every fifteen minutes until she had taken two grains, which relieved her pain at the time, but it returned in about six hours, when she again vomited: fecal matter. Gave her large and frequent injections without any effect; applied croton oil to the abdomen in order to bring on a desire to go to stool and evacuate the bowels, but it failed to produce an operation, I then tried tobacco, but unsuccessfully. The woman continued to suffer greatly, unless fully under the influence of opiates. Warm applications had been kept up all day. In the evening she sunk into a stage of collapse-extremities cold, pulse very rapid and weak, and deficient in force and volume. From this condition she was roused by means of stimulants, freely administered, She was very weak, and on being raised up in bed fainted twice in consequence-once in my absence. At night, myself and partner, Dr. T. W. Newsome, succeeded in passing into the rectum a long tube, and injected, by means of a stomach pump, over a quart of warm soap suds; but, like all the other injections which had been given so freely during the day, it appeared to do no good. Not discouraged, however, we administered it a second time, and succeeded in introducing the tube to a greater extent and in injecting three pints of fluid. This had the desired effect; a passage was effected, and the operations were large and good; the stimulants were required very freely; 'the pains in the abdomen disappeared, but the tenderness remained for some time afterwards. The patient from that time forward rapidly improved, and in about ten days from

the time the first evacuation was obtained, she was able to be up and attend to her domestic duties.

CASE 2. A lady, (Mrs. N-, of S.,) about thirty-three years of age. She had suffered for a long time with dys pepsia and neuralgia, and sometimes with bilious colic. Thought she had an attack of this kind on Tuesday night; was better, however, on the following day, when she was attacked with sharp lancinating pains in the back and abdomen, and violent retching and vomiting. On Wednesday evening, May 23d, I visited this case in connection with Dr. Smith. We gave her one-quarter grain of morphine, and finding that the pains were still severe, and the vomiting continuing, gave a tumbler full of warm water, thinking that possibly the vomiting depended entirely on the presence of some substances in the stomach. After the water was thrown off, we administered a quarter of a grain more of morphine, and in about half an hour gave her another dose. The vomiting, after that, stopped, and the patient seemed to rest easy until about 12 o'clock that night, when there was a return of pain similar to cramp. Morphine was again given, followed with strychnine, in solution, in doses of one-thirty-sixth of a grain every four hours, for the purpose of relieving the pain, which, it was thought, might be neuralgic. The next morning, Thursday, May 24th, the vomiting was not so frequent as the night before. Gave hydrg. chl. mite five grains every four hours, in form of pill. Patient seemed somewhat better; the pains in the abdomen still continued, and a large blister of cantharides was applied over its whole surface; ordered injections to be given every two hours. She then appeared to rest easy; spent a much better night, and seemed greatly improved for a short time. Friday, May the 25th, the pain got worse and the vomiting re-commenced. Administered hydrg. chl. mite in small doses, and dressed the blister with simple ointment, sprinkling over it two grains of morphine, which relaxed the system and caused the patient to rest easier. Her pulse was soft and regular; did not denote much intestinal irritation; the skin soft; the abdomen not

distended and not very tender. Administered pills of hydrg. chl. mite, ext. of colycinth and castor oil, in large doses. Seemed to be better; then gave copious injections af warm soap suds every two hours-one of them containing about a drachm of aloes-but the obstruction in the bowels was not removed. The patient, however, seemed easy, although the countenance appeared anxious; the lancinating pains in the abdomen and back were at times very severe; the morphine was continued, and a small quantity of salts added to the injection. The next morning, Saturday, May 26th, she was no better. It seemed impossible to obtain an operation on the bowels; the vomiting was very frequent and severe, and a large amount of stercoral matter was thrown up. Gave the melted lard in large doses without any effect; fecal matter in small quantities continued to be thrown from the stomach. The long tube was then introduced, and stimulant injections, as large as possible, were thrown into the intestine, but without avail. Our patient began to sink; and although everything which promised relief was tried by Dr. Smith and myself, and Dr. Brantley, who had been called in consultation on Saturday morning, with Prof. Hemming, who had also visited the case, yet we could accomplish nothing; and at 12 o'clock on Sunday, May the 27th, she breathed her lastdying easy, after an illness of only four days. There was but little increase of tenderness in the abdomen on pressure, and the pains in the back and abdomen continued to the end. Stercoral matter was voided by the mouth up to the time of death. No evacuation from the bowels was obtained from the time she was first attacked. No post mortem examination of the case was made.

Domestic Practice.

BY A. C. C. THOMPSON, M. D., SANDERSVILLE, ga.

(Continued from page 71.)

In every part of the physical world, life and action are maintained by the circulation of matter. Above, below, around, within and without, all is circulation; all is action.

This beautiful and unceasing circulation of matter occurs in every department and ramification of nature. In the distillation of vapors and the pluvial torrent; the pearly dew-drop and the rushing cataract; the murmuring rivulet and the storm-lashed ocean; the slow disintegration of rocks and the terrific eruptions of volcanoes; the microscopic fungus and the banyan of India; the invisible animalcule and the cetacean monster.

We will not stop to contemplate this interminable series. of circulations, which might afford employment for a lifetime; but proceed to complete our brief outline of the systems in human physiology.

The Circulating System is reparative; its chief functions being to convey the nutritive elements, elaborated in the digestive system, to every part and tissue of the body for assimilation, and to eliminate from the body those elements that have become infected with the principle of decay.

The organs of the circulating system are, the heart, arteries, veins and capillaries. The blood is the medium for transmitting the building materials to the wasting tissues, and also for carrying off a large portion of the waste matter from the system.

The chyle, after being collected from the intestinal canal by the lacteals as before mentioned, passes upward through a tube called the thoracic duct, and is poured into a large vein (the left subclavian,) situated under the left clavicle, or collar bone. Here it mingles with the venous blood, and by this means a constant supply of nutritive matter is afforded.

Blood taken from an artery presents a bright scarlet color. This is the pure blood which is sent out from the left ventricle or cavity of the heart, and forced through the

The blood drawn
This is the blood

arteries to every part of the system. from the veins has a dark purple color. returning to the heart, after it has passed through the various tissues, distributed its assimilating elements, and imbibed a considerable quantity of waste carbonaceous matter, which gives it the dark purple color. This dark venous blood cannot enter the arterial circulation again until it is purified. For this purpose, after being received into the right ventricle of the heart, it is sent to the lungs, where it parts with its carbon, becomes purified, is sent back to the left ventricle of the heart, and forced out through the arterial circulation as before described.

The nutrition of the various tissues, and the change from arterial to venous blood by the collection of waste materials, is effected in the capillaries, which are very fine microscopic vessels interwoven through the tissues like net-work, and forming the connecting links between the arterial and venous circulations.

The Respiratory System performs three important functions. It converts the newly received chyle into blood, it disengages the waste carbon from the blood, thereby rendering it pure, and it maintains animal heat, by the chemical action which takes place between the elements of the blood and the oxygen of the inhaled air.

The chief organs in this system are, the larynx, (Adam's apple,) the trachea, (windpipe,) the bronchial tubes and the lungs.

The lungs are those light porous bodies vulgarly called lights, which fill the greater part of the cavity of the chest. They are filled with little air-cells, and when the dark venous blood meets with the air in these cells a portion of the oxygen of the inhaled air combines with the carbon of the blood, forming carbonic acid gas, which is exhaled, and another portion of oxygen combines with the newly received chyle converting it into albumen, fibrine, caseine, &c., which are the reparative elements of pure blood.

If respiration should cease but for a few moments, the impure blood would act as a poison, and death would ensue.