CASE VIII. R. D., aged 37, at his death, 1839. He was the brother of George Davidson, subject of the first case in this Essay. He began to labour as a miner, with his brother, in early life, at Pencaitland coal-work. He first began as a coal-miner, and after being so engaged for five or six years, he removed to Penston coal-work, which adjoins. He continued healthy for a considerable length of time, and at his brother's death, December 1836, he was free to all appearance from any affection of the chest. He returned, 1836, to Pencaitland coal-work, where he engaged as a stone-miner, knowing that such employment was destructive to life; and from that change he dated the commencement of his disease. Cough, palpitation, dyspnoea, headach, quick pulse (90 in the minute), made their appearance, soon after he began trap labour, and these symptoms gradually increased, till he was laid aside in the course of two years, (1838,) when he first expectorated black sputum.[14] As his exhaustion advanced, the carbonaceous expectoration became more copious, and he discharged from the lungs at an average twelve ounces of fluid, resembling liquid blacking, daily; and he died in a manner similar to his brother, Case No. 1. Some weeks previous to his death, his pulse rapidly sank to about 45 or 50, and became exceedingly feeble;--cold extremities, oedema of the legs and arms, lividity of lips, eyelids, and ears, preceding dissolution. _Post-mortem examination._--The chest was contracted; the ribs unyielding, with extensive adhesions of the pleurae. Both lungs were of a dark-blue colour, much puckered from patches of false exudation. There was extensive effusion into both cavities of the chest; and the right lung showed carbonaceous infiltration throughout its whole extent. The superior lobe was excavated, so as to contain a small orange; and about six ounces of thick, black matter were found in it. The middle lobe was crepitant, though soaked with black fluid; several impacted lobules were scattered throughout its substance. The inferior lobe was indurated, resembling a piece of moist peat. The left lung was cavernous in both lobes, and the cysts were empty, the contents having been expectorated. A small portion of the upper lobe was pervious to air. There were several enlarged bronchial glands at the root of both lungs; and the tracheal glands contained black fluid. The liver was large, and its substance soft. _Head._--There was extensive congestion of the blood-vessels of the brain, with effusion into the lateral ventricles. The viscera of the abdomen were extensively congested, with slight effusion into the peritoneal cavity.