An Account of a very odd Monstrous Calf.

By the same Noble person was lately communicated to the Royal Society an Account of a very Odd Monstrous Birth, produced at Limmington in Hampshire, where a Butcher, having caused a Cow (which cast her Calf the year before) to be covered, that she might the sooner be fatted, killed her when fat, and opening the Womb, which he found heavy to admiration, saw in it a Calf, which had begun to have hair, whose hinder Leggs had no Joynts, and whose Tongue was, Cerberus-like, triple, to each side of his Mouth one, and one in the midst. Between the Fore leggs and the Hinder-leggs was a great Stone, on which the Calf rid: The Sternum, or that part of the Breast, where the Ribs lye, was also perfect Stone; and the Stone, on which it rid, weighed twenty pounds and a half; the outside of the Stone was of Grenish Colour, but some small parts being broken off, it appeared a perfect Free-stone. The Stone, according to the Letter of Mr. David Thomas, who sent this Account to Mr. Boyle, is with Doctor Haughteyn of Salisbury, to whom he also referreth for further Information.

A Remarkable Account of a Liver, appearing Glandulous to the Eye; communicated by Mr John Brown, Chirurgeon of St Thomas Hospitall in Southwark; in a Letter to one of the Secretarys of the Royal Society. SIR,

I SendI send you here the figure of the Liver of an Hydropical Person, a Patient of our Hospitall, (as it was accurately taken by Mr Faithorn,) which I thought so curious as to be worthy the notice of the Royal Society, and therefore have presumed to communicate it to you.

The Person was about 25 years of age, a Soldier in one of his Majesty's Regiments here in Town; who contracted his distemper by drinking much water, when he could not stirr from his duty, and catching cold at nights in being upon the guard: He was under the care of our Physicians for some time, by whose directions his swellings did by times abate; but afterwards it was observed, that the method which had been beneficiall to others, had not here the like success, his swellings returning upon him as before; so that there was nothing more now to be thought of, but a Paracenthesis; which operation however we judged very hazardous, by reason of the time of the year; and for that the Patient was very much emaciated; yet he being so much swell'd, that it was uneasy to him to ly in his bed, he importun'd us very often, and with great earnestness, that the Operation might be performed. Whereupon we taking Hippocrates rule, In casu ancipiti præstat Remedium anceps, quam nullum; and thinking it better to attempt a cure that might be but barely possible, then to abandon him to the certain expectation [1267] of death; a Paracenthesis by the Physicians consent and directions, was made by me the fourteenth of November last part, whereby we drew from the Patient about 3 pints of Brinish Liquor, and within 4 days after as much more, the next day morning he dyes, and his death as was found upon dissection, was partly occasioned by a mortification upon his Scrotum and Penis.

This Operation was performed to the satisfaction of the Physicians and Chirurgeons that saw it, and by it the Patient had some ease for the present.

Upon opening the body, I believe I took out about 24 quarts of water; he had a large inflammation upon the Peritonæum; all his other inward parts not much disaffected, except the Liver; which now I am going to describe to you.

Its magnitude was not extraordinary, but rather seemed less then usuall, but that which was very remarkable (and I think the like case scarce ever observed by any Author,) and seems much to confirm the opinion of the Learned Malpighius, is this; It consisted in its concave, convex, and inward parts of glands, which (with the Vessels) made up the whole substance thereof; these glands contained a yellowish Ichor, like so many Pustulæ, and was I suppose part of the bilious humor lodged in the same, tho otherwise the Liver between the glands was of its usuall reddish colour. In the bladder of Gall, we found a soft friable stone, but otherwise nothing considerable further in that part. The Liver was opened before the Physicians of our Hospitall Dr Dawkins, and Dr Briggs, as also Dr Tyson, and others who had the curiosity to see it; at which place Mr Faithorn was likewise, who then took that draught which I now present to you; so that this being attested by so good Judges, I need add no more but that this case by them all was thought worthy to [1268] be presented to your excellent Society, which therefore at their request I have adventured to do, hoping you will favourably interpret this presumption of,

December 15th 1685. London. Sir, Your faithfull Servant J. BROWNE.