M.DCC.LIX.
THE
CONTENTS
TO
Part II. Volume L.
| LIX. | AN Account of the Effects of Electricity in paralytic Cases. In a Letter to John Pringle, M. D. F.R.S. from Benjamin Franklin, Esq; F.R.S. | p. [481]. |
| LX. | Observations on the late Comet in September and October 1757; made at the Hague by Mr. D. Klinkenberg: In a Letter to the Rev. James Bradley, D. D. Astronomer Royal, and F.R.S. and Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris. Translated from the Low Dutch. | p. [483]. |
| LXI. | Remarks on the different Temperature of the Air at Edystone, from that observed at Plymouth, between the 7th and 14th of July 1757. By Mr. John Smeaton, F.R.S. | p. [488]. |
| LXII. | An Account of the Earthquake felt in the Island of Sumatra, in the East Indies, in November and December 1756. In a Letter from Mr. Perry to the Rev. Dr. Stukeley, dated at Fort Marlborough, in the Island of Sumatra, Feb. 20. 1757. Communicated by the Rev. Wm. Stukeley, M. D. F.R.S. | p. [491]. |
| LXIII. | Concerning the Fall of Water under Bridges. By Mr. J. Robertson, F.R.S. | p. [492]. |
| LXIV. | An Account of the Earthquake in the West Parts of Cornwall, July 15th 1757. By the Rev. William Borlase, M. A. F.R.S. Communicated by the Rev. Charles Lyttelton, LL. D. Dean of Exeter, F.R.S. | p. [499]. |
| LXV. | Some Observations upon the Sleep of Plants; and an Account of that Faculty, which Linnæus calls Vigiliæ Florum; with an Enumeration of several Plants, which are subject to that Law. Communicated to Wm. Watson, M. D. F.R.S. by Mr. Richard Pulteney of Leicester. | p. [506]. |
| LXVI. | An Account of the Case of a Boy troubled with convulsive Fits cured by the Discharge of Worms. By the Rev. Richard Oram, M. A. Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Ely. | p. [518]. |
| An Account of the same Subject, in a Letter from Mr. John Gaze, of Walket, in the County of Norfolk, to Mr. Wm. Arderon, F.R.S. Communicated by Mr. Henry Baker, F.R.S. | p. [521]. | |
| LXVII. | An Account of the extraordinary Heat of the Weather in July 1757, and of the Effects of it. In a Letter from John Huxham, M. D. F.R.S. to Wm. Watson, M. D. F.R.S. | p. [523]. |
| LXVIII. | An Account of the fossile Thigh-bone of a large Animal, dug up at Stonesfield, near Woodstock, in Oxfordshire. In a Letter to Mr. Peter Collinson, F.R.S. from Mr. Joshua Platt. | p. [524]. |
| LXIX. | A Discourse of the Usefulness of Inoculation of the horned Cattle to prevent the contagious Distemper among them. In a Letter to the Right Hon. George Earl of Macclesfield, P. R. S. from Daniel Peter Layard, M. D. F.R.S. | p. [528]. |
| LXX. | Trigonometry abridged. By the Rev. Patrick Murdoch, A. M. F.R.S. | p. [538]. |
| LXXI. | An Account of Two extraordinary Cases of Gall-Stones. By James Johnstone, M. D. of Kidderminster. Communicated by the Rev. Charles Lyttelton, LL. D. Dean of Exeter. | p. [543]. |
| LXXII. | A remarkable Case of Cohesions of all the intestines, &c. in a Man of about Thirty-four years of Age who died sometime last Summer, and afterwards fell under the Inspection of Mr. Nicholas Jenty. | p. [550]. |
| LXXIII. | Of the best Form of Geographical Maps. By the Rev. Patrick Murdoch, M. A. F.R.S. | p. [553]. |
| LXXIV. | A short Dissertation on Maps and Charts: In a Letter to the Rev. Thomas Birch, D. D. and Sec. R. S. By Mr. William Mountaine, F.R.S. | p. [563]. |
| LXXV. | Cases of the remarkable Effects of Blisters in lessening the Quickness of the Pulse in Coughs, attended with Infarction of the Lungs and Fever: By Robert Whytt, M. D. F.R.S. Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and Professor of Medicine in the University of Edinburgh. | p. [569]. |
| LXXVI. | A remarkable Instance of Four rough Stones, that were discovered in an human urinary Bladder, contrary to the received Opinion; and successfully extracted by the lateral Method of Cutting for the Stone. By Mr. Joseph Warner, F.R.S. and Surgeon to Guy’s-Hospital. | p. [579]. |
| LXXVII. | Observations on the Limax non cochleata Purpuram ferens, The naked Snail producing Purple. By John Andrew Peyssonel, M. D. F.R.S. Translated from the French. | p. [585]. |
| LXXVIII. | New Observations upon the Worms that form Sponges. By John Andrew Peyssonel, M. D. F.R.S. Translated from the French. | p. [590]. |
| LXXIX. | Account of an Experiment, by which it appears, that Salt of Steel does not enter the Lacteal Vessels; with Remarks. In a Letter to the Rev. Thomas Birch, D. D. Secret. R. S. By Edward Wright, M. D. | p. [594]. |
| LXXX. | A Dissertation on the Antiquity of Glass in Windows. In a Letter to the Rev. Tho. Birch, D. D. Secret. R. S. By the Rev. John Nixon, M. A. F.R.S. | p. [601]. |
| LXXXI. | An Account of an extraordinary Case of the Efficacy of the Bark in the Delirium of a Fever. By Nicˢ. Munckley, M. D. Physician to Guy’s-Hospital, and F.R.S. | p. [609]. |
| LXXXII. | An Account of an Earthquake felt at Lingfield in Surrey, and Edenbridge in Kent, on the 24th of January 1758. By James Burrow, Esq; R. S. V. P. | p. [614]. |
| LXXXIII. | An Account of the Case of the First Joint of a Thumb torn off, with the Flexor Tendon in its whole Extent torn out. By Robert Home, late Surgeon to the Thirtieth Regiment of Foot, and Surgeon at Kingston upon Hull. In a Letter to John Pringle, M. D. F.R.S. | p. [617]. |
| LXXXIV. | An Account of the late Discoveries of Antiquities at Herculaneum, and of an Earthquake there; in a Letter from Camillo Paderni, Keeper of the Museum at Herculaneum, and F.R.S. to Tho. Hollis, Esq; F.R.S. dated Portici, Feb. 1. 1758. | p. [619]. |
| LXXXV. | A further Attempt to facilitate the Resolution of Isoperimetrical Problems. By Mr. Thomas Simpson, F.R.S. | p. [623]. |
| LXXXVI. | Observations on the Alga Marina latifolia; The Sea Alga with broad Leaves. By John Andrew Peyssonel, M. D. F.R.S. Translated from the French. | p. [631]. |
| LXXXVII. | An Account of the distilling Water fresh from Sea-Water by Wood-Ashes. By Capt. William Chapman: In a Letter to John Fothergill, M. D. | p. [635]. |
| LXXXVIII. | Observatio Eclipsis Lunaris facta Matriti a Pª. Joanne Wendlingen, Societatis Jesu, in Regali Observatorio Collegii Imperialis ejusdem Societatis, Die 30 Julii 1757. | p. [640]. |
| Observatio Eclipsis Lunaris, facta ab eodem, eodem modo, eodem loco, iisdemque instrumentis, Die 24 Januar. Anni 1758. | p. [642]. | |
| LXXXIX. | Observations upon a slight Earthquake, tho’ very particular, which may lead to the Knowlege of the Cause of great and violent ones, that ravage whole Countries, and overturn Cities. By John Andrew Peyssonel, M. D. F.R.S. Translated from the French. | p. [645]. |
| XC. | A Catalogue of the Fifty Plants from Chelsea Garden, presented to the Royal Society by the worshipful Company of Apothecaries, for the Year 1757, pursuant to the Direction of Sir Hans Sloane, Baronet, Med. Reg. & Soc. Reg. nuper Præses, by John Wilmer, M. D. clariss. Societatis Pharmaceut. Lond. Socius, Hort. Chelsean. Præfectus & Prælector Botanic. | p. [648]. |
| XCI. | An Historical Memoir concerning a Genus of Plants called Lichen by Michelli, Haller, and Linnæus; and comprehended by Dillenius under the Terms Usnea, Coralloides, and Lichenoides: Tending principally to illustrate their several Uses. Communicated by William Watson, M. D. F.R.S. | p. [652]. |
| XCII. | An Account of the fossil Bones of an Allegator, found on the Sea-shore, near Whitby in Yorkshire: In a Letter to John Fothergill, M. D. from Capt. William Chapman. | p. [688]. |
| XCIII. | De rariori quadam Orthoceratitis Specie, in Suecia reperta, tractatus: in literis a Nicholao de Himsel, M. D. Riga Livono, ad Gul. Watson, M. D. R. S. S. | p. [692]. |
| XCIV. | A further Account of the Effects of Electricity in the Cure of some Diseases: In a Letter from Mr. Patrick Brydone to Dr. Robert Whytt, Professor of Medicine in the University of Edinburgh, and F.R.S. | p. [695]. |
| XCV. | An Account of the Black Assize at Oxford, from the Register of Merton College in that University. Communicated by John Ward, LL. D. With some additional Remarks. | p. [699]. |
| XCVI. | A Description of the Plan of Peking, the Capital of China; sent to the Royal Society by Father Gaubil, è Societate Jesu. Translated from the French. | p. [704]. |
| XCVII. | An Attempt to improve the Manner of working the Ventilators by the Help of the Fire-Engine. In a Letter to Tho. Birch, D. D. Secret. R. S. from Keane Fitz-Gerald, Esq; F.R.S. | p. [727]. |
| XCVIII. | An Account of some Experiments concerning the different Refrangibility of Light. By Mr. John Dollond. With a Letter from James Short, M. A. F.R.S. Acad. Reg. Suec. Soc. | p. [733]. |
| XCIX. | An Account of some extraordinary Effects arising from Convulsions; being Part of a Letter to John Huxham, M. D. and F.R.S. from William Watson, M. D. R. S. S. | p. [743]. |
| C. | An Account of an extraordinary Storm of Hail in Virginia. By Francis Fauquier, Esq; Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, and F.R.S. Communicated by William Fauquier, Esq; F.R.S. | p. [746]. |
| CI. | An Account of an extraordinary Case of a diseased Eye: In a Letter to Matthew Maty, M. D. F.R.S. By Daniel Peter Layard, M. D. F.R.S. | p. [747]. |
| CII. | An Account of the Heat of the Weather in Georgia: In a Letter from his Excellency Henry Ellis, Esq; Governor of Georgia, and F.R.S. to John Ellis, Esq; F.R.S. | p. [754]. |
| CIII. | The Invention of a General Method for determining the Sum of every 2d, 3d, 4th, or 5th, &c. Term of a Series, taken in order, the Sum of the whole Series being known. By Thomas Simpson, F.R.S. | p. [757]. |
| CIV. | Observatio Eclipsis Lunæ Die 30 Julii 1757. habita Olissipone à Joanne Chevalier, Congregationis Oratorii Presbytero, è Regiâ Londinensi Societate. Communicated by Jacob de Castro Sarmiento, M. D. F.R.S. | p. [769]. |
| CV. | Singular Observations upon the Manchenille Apple. By John Andrew Peyssonel, M. D. F.R.S. Translated from the French. | p. [772]. |
| CVI. | Abstract of a Letter from Mr. William Arderon, F.R.S. to Mr. Henry Baker, F.R.S. on the giving Magnetism and Polarity to Brass. Communicated by Mr. Baker. | p. [774]. |
| CVII. | An Account of the Sea Polypus, by Mr. Henry Baker, F.R.S. | p. [777]. |
| CVIII. | A Description of the fossil Skeleton of an Animal found in the Alum Rock near Whitby. By Mr. Wooller. Communicated by Charles Morton, M. D. F.R.S. | p. [786]. |
| CIX. | A Dissertation on the Phœnician Numeral Characters antiently used at Sidon. In a Letter to the Rev. Tho. Birch, D. D. Secret. R. S. from the Rev. John Swinton, M. A. of Christ-Church, Oxon. F.R.S. | p. [791]. |
| CX. | Of the Irregularities in the Motion of a Satellite arising from the Spheroidical Figure of its Primary Planet: In a Letter to the Rev. James Bradley, D. D. Astronomer Royal, F.R.S. and Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris; by Mr. Charles Walmesley, F.R.S. and Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Berlin, and of the Institute at Bologna. | p. [809]. |
| CXI. | Some Observations on the History of the Norfolk Boy. By J. Wall, M. D. In a Letter to the Rev. Charles Lyttelton, LL. D. Dean of Exeter. | p. [836]. |
| CXII. | Observations upon the Corona Solis Marina Americana; The American Sea-Sun-Crown. By John Andrew Peyssonel, M. D. F.R.S. | p. [843]. |
| CXIII. | An Account of several rare Species of Barnacles. In a Letter to Mr. Isaac Romilly, F.R.S. from John Ellis, Esq; F.R.S. | p. [845]. |
| CXIV. | A further Account of the poisonous Effects of the Oenanthe Aquatica Succo viroso crocante of Lobel, or Hemlock Dropwort. By W. Watson, M. D. F.R.S. | p. [856]. |
| CXV. | Extract of a Letter to John Eaton Dodsworth, Esq; from Dr. George Forbes of Bermuda, relating to the Patella, or Limpet Fish, found there. | p. [859]. |
| CXVI. | A Discourse on the Cinnamon, Cassia, or Canella. By Taylor White, Esq; F.R.S. | p. [860]. |
LIX. An Account of the Effects of Electricity in paralytic Cases. In a Letter to John Pringle, M. D. F.R.S. from Benjamin Franklin, Esq; F.R.S.
SIR,
Read Jan. 12, 1758.
THE following is what I can at present recollect, relating to the effects of electricity in paralytic cases, which have fallen under my observation.
Some years since, when the news-papers made mention of great cures performed in Italy or Germany, by means of electricity, a number of paralytics were brought to me from different parts of Pensylvania, and the neighbouring provinces, to be electrised; which I did for them at their request. My method was, to place the patient first in a chair, on an electric stool, and draw a number of large strong sparks from all parts of the affected limb or side. Then I fully charged two six-gallon glass jars, each of which had about three square feet of surface coated; and I sent the united shock of these thro’ the affected limb or limbs; repeating the stroke commonly three times each day. The first thing observed was an immediate greater sensible warmth in the lame limbs, that had received the stroke, than in the others: and the next morning the patients usually related, that they had in the night felt a pricking sensation in the flesh of the paralytic limbs; and would sometimes shew a number of small red spots, which they supposed were occasioned by those prickings. The limbs too were found more capable of voluntary motion, and seemed to receive strength. A man, for instance, who could not the first day lift the lame hand from off his knee, would the next day raise it four or five inches, the third day higher; and on the fifth day was able, but with a feeble languid motion, to take off his hat. These appearances gave great spirits to the patients, and made them hope a perfect cure; but I do not remember, that I ever saw any amendment after the fifth day: which the patients perceiving, and finding the shocks pretty severe, they became discouraged, went home, and in a short time relapsed; so that I never knew any advantage from electricity in palsies, that was permanent. And how far the apparent temporary advantage might arise from the exercise in the patients journey, and coming daily to my house, or from the spirits given by the hope of success, enabling them to exert more strength in moving their limbs, I will not pretend to say.
Perhaps some permanent advantage might have been obtained, if the electric shocks had been accompanied with proper medicine and regimen, under the direction of a skilful physician. It may be, too, that a few great strokes, as given in my method, may not be so proper as many small ones; since, by the account from Scotland of a case, in which two hundred shocks from a phial were given daily, it seems, that a perfect cure has been made. As to any uncommon strength supposed to be in the machine used in that case, I imagine it could have no share in the effect produced; since the strength of the shock from charged glass is in proportion to the quantity of surface of the glass coated; so that my shocks from those large jars must have been much greater than any, that could be received from a phial held in the hand.