^{page 316 note *} Although I am alone responsible for the opinions contained in this paper, it is my duty to state, that all the experiments and observations mentioned in it have been made by me in concert with my able assistant, Mr Alexander Kemp, of whose ingenuity and accuracy I have had constant opportunities of judging.

^{page 320 note *} Dr Simpson informs me, that the purest chloroform he has used not unfrequently causes vomiting. On further inquiry I find that this occurs when it is administered after a full meal. This can easily be avoided, and must not be confounded with the headaches, nausea, and vomiting alluded to in §§ 4 and 5; which symptoms are persistent, and occurred, in my experiments, always with an empty stomach, the experiments being made an hour or two before dinner. Dr Carmichael, assistant to Dr Simpson, has mentioned to me some facts which confirm the view I have taken. At one period, for more than a week, Dr Simpson and Dr Carmichael were kept in a state of continual anxiety by the occurrence, in all the puerperal cases in which chloroform was used, of very unpleasant symptoms, particularly of frequent pulse and other febrile symptoms, lasting for some days. At last, after much annoyance from this cause, it occurred to Dr Simpson that he was using one particular specimen of chloroform, supposed to be of good quality. As soon as this idea occurred, he threw away all that remained, and returned to that which he had generally used. The unpleasant symptoms no longer appeared. (I regret much that I had not an opportunity of examining that specimen; but I may add that the maker, not an Edinburgh one, now produces chloroform of much better quality, though not yet absolutely pure.) But the striking fact is this, that Dr Simpson and Dr Carmichael state, that during the period above alluded to, when that one kind of chloroform alone was used by them, their handkerchiefs became quite offensive from the smell left on them, which even adhered to them after washing. There can, I think, be no doubt that here the oily impurities alluded to in §§ 4 and 5 were present in notable quantity. I suspect that a majority of the specimens mentioned in the Table would have a similar effect, more or less marked. (I have since ascertained that this chloroform, which was much above the average in quality, had not been subjected to the action of oil of vitriol in its preparation, which strongly confirms the view I have taken. W. G.)