Whilst occupied with the preceding pages, I received the following communication from my friend, Mr. Jukes; which I subjoin as the strongest corroborative evidence of the efficacy of the practice under our consideration.
“Great Peter-Street, Westminster, February 27, 1821.
In compliance with your request, I send you an account of the effect of Acupuncturation on our friend Mr.Scott.[9] I received an urgent message on the morning of the 18th inst. from that gentleman, requesting I would visit him instantly. I found him in bed; and, with a countenance expressive of much anguish, he informed me, that for three days he had been suffering severely from pain in the loins, which he attributed to leaving a warm room during one of the late foggy nights. Within the last 12 hours it had acquired such a degree of violence that even respiration was insupportable, except the body were fixed in such positions as permitted the least possible motion. An attempt to resume the erect posture, produced violent spasmodic action of the muscles of the back, which appeared to be communicated by sympathy to those of the abdomen and chest, impeding respiration with a convulsive effort; nor could any motion of the body be made without producing this distressing effect. Neither fever nor general derangement was present; the secreting organs of the body properly performing their function, proved the external locality of the disease. In this state of things, Acupuncturation presented itself to us as likely to afford relief, and it was therefore immediately resorted to.
“I applied an exhausted cupping glass upon the integuments, opposite to the second lumbar Vertebra, and midway between this bone and the edge of the Latissimus Dorsi muscle, which was the part referred to as the most concentrated spot of the disease. As soon as a needle had penetrated to the depth of an inch, a sensation arose, apparently from the point of the instrument, which the patient described as resembling that which is produced by the passage of the electric aura, when elicited to a metallic point, diffusing itself at first to some distance around the part, and then extending itself up the side to the Axilla. This sensation continued to be felt for the space of a minute, when a violent pain struck into the right iliac region, immediately above, and corresponding with the line of, the Crista of the Ilium. No pain was now felt in the back, except a dull aching of about two inches in breadth on the right side of the spine, extending from the lower part of the neck to the Sacrum; corresponding with the situation and course of the Longissimus Dorsi Muscle. The pain above the hip now began to subside and in the space of three minutes from its commencement, had ceased altogether.