DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70267#0394
354 A WONDERFUL CURE OF 'LAMENESS,
pan), which she described as, and which her neighbours
believed to be, a smart paroxysm of gout. Early in Fe-
bruary 1799, the inflammation and pain entirely ceased;
but the swelling continued, and rather increased ; the joint
of the knee from disuse, became perfectly stiff; and owing
to the very particular size and form of her breast, no re-
lief could be gained from the use of crutches. Free, how-
ever, from pain, the natural cheerfulness of her disposition
returned, with its concomitant circumstance—a wish for
constant society; and as her house stood in a particular
retired lane, she was the more impatient of a confinement,
that amounted to the most helpless state of lameness.—
When the weather became tolerably mild, she was every
morning, at her own earnest desire, carried in her chair to
the gravel-pit by the side of the great road leading to Bir-
mingham, where she could converse with the villagers as
she sat knitting (her usual occupation), and be amused by
the comparative cheerfulness of the scene.—And here it
Was that the remarkable circumstance I am about to relate
took place. At the commencement of the hot weather,
towards the end of May, the ants, or pismires, became so
strangely troublesome to her, that she was sometimes
obliged to avail herself of the help of travellers to assist
her in changing her station. Still, however, they followed
her, and seemed entirely attracted by her now' useless
knee. She was at first considerably annoyed bv those
troublesome insects ; but, in a few days, she became not
Only reconciled to their intrusion, but was desirous of hav-
ing her chair placed where she imagined them most to
abound, even giving them freer access to her knee bv
turning down her stocking ; for she told me, that “ the'
cold numbness she suffered just round the patella, was eased
and relieved by their bite; that it was even pleasurable:”
and, strange to say, they bit her no where else. The
skin
pan), which she described as, and which her neighbours
believed to be, a smart paroxysm of gout. Early in Fe-
bruary 1799, the inflammation and pain entirely ceased;
but the swelling continued, and rather increased ; the joint
of the knee from disuse, became perfectly stiff; and owing
to the very particular size and form of her breast, no re-
lief could be gained from the use of crutches. Free, how-
ever, from pain, the natural cheerfulness of her disposition
returned, with its concomitant circumstance—a wish for
constant society; and as her house stood in a particular
retired lane, she was the more impatient of a confinement,
that amounted to the most helpless state of lameness.—
When the weather became tolerably mild, she was every
morning, at her own earnest desire, carried in her chair to
the gravel-pit by the side of the great road leading to Bir-
mingham, where she could converse with the villagers as
she sat knitting (her usual occupation), and be amused by
the comparative cheerfulness of the scene.—And here it
Was that the remarkable circumstance I am about to relate
took place. At the commencement of the hot weather,
towards the end of May, the ants, or pismires, became so
strangely troublesome to her, that she was sometimes
obliged to avail herself of the help of travellers to assist
her in changing her station. Still, however, they followed
her, and seemed entirely attracted by her now' useless
knee. She was at first considerably annoyed bv those
troublesome insects ; but, in a few days, she became not
Only reconciled to their intrusion, but was desirous of hav-
ing her chair placed where she imagined them most to
abound, even giving them freer access to her knee bv
turning down her stocking ; for she told me, that “ the'
cold numbness she suffered just round the patella, was eased
and relieved by their bite; that it was even pleasurable:”
and, strange to say, they bit her no where else. The
skin