Col. William Scollay, aged fifty-two, of a plethoric habit of body, was attacked, in the year 1805, with dyspnœa and palpitation of the heart, attended with irregularity of the pulse, and œdema of the lower extremities. By the aid of medicine, the dropsical collections were absorbed, and he recovered his health, so far as to follow his usual occupations, nearly a year; but was then compelled to relinquish them. The symptoms afterwards underwent various aggravations and remissions, till the beginning of the winter of 1808-9, when the attacks became so violent, as to confine him to the house. His face was then high coloured. The faculties of his mind were much impaired. The dyspnœa became more constant, and was occasionally attended by cough; the palpitations rather lessened in violence; the pulse was more irregular, and exceedingly intermittent. The abdomen and inferior extremities were sometimes enormously distended with water, and afterwards subsided nearly to their usual size. One of the earliest, most frequent, and distressing symptoms, was an intense pain in the head. About two months before death, a hemiplegia took place, but after a few days disappeared. This so much impaired the operations of the mind, that the patient afterwards found great difficulty in recollecting words sufficient to form an intelligible sentence. During the existence of the last symptom the pulse was regular. He gradually expired, on the 15th of March, 1809. DISSECTION, FIVE HOURS AFTER DEATH. EXTERNAL APPEARANCE. The countenance was somewhat livid and pale; the lips were very livid. The chest resounded, when struck, except over the heart. The abdomen was tumid, and marked by cicatrices like those of women, who have borne children. The superior extremities were emaciated, and marked like the abdomen. The lower extremities were œdematous. THORAX.