An Account Of The Foxglove And Some Of Its Medical Uses Part 10

CASE XCIX.

_September_ 30th. Mrs. A----, aet. 38. Hydrothorax and anasarca. Her chest was very considerably deformed. One half pint of the Digitalis Infusion entirely cured her.

CASE C.

_September_ 30th. Mr. R----, of W----, aet. 47. Hydrothorax and anasarca. An Infusion of Digitalis was directed, and after the expected effects from that should take place, sixty drops of tincture of cantharides twice a day. As he was costive, pills of aloes and steel were ordered to be taken occasionally.

This plan succeeded perfectly. About a month afterwards he had some rheumatic affections, which were removed by guiac.u.m.

CASE CI.

_October_ 2d. Mrs. R----, aet. 60. Diseased viscera; ascites and anasarca. Had taken various deobstruent and diuretic medicines to little purpose. The Digitalis brought on a nausea and languor, but had no effect on the kidneys.

CASE CII.

_October_ 12th. Mr. R----, aet. 41. A publican, and a hard drinker. His legs and belly greatly swollen; appet.i.te gone, countenance yellow, breath very short, and cough troublesome. After a vomit I gave him calomel, saline draughts, steel and bitters, &c. He had taken the more usual diuretics before I saw him. As the dropsical symptoms increased, I changed his medicines for pills made of soap, containing two grains of Pulv. fol. Digital, in each dose, and, as he was costive, two grains of jallap. He took them twice a day, and in a week was free from every appearance of dropsy. The jaundice soon afterwards vanished, and tonics restored him to perfect health.

CASE CIII.

_October_ 12th. Mr. B----, aet. 39. Kept a public house, drank very freely, and became dropsical; he complained also of rheumatic pains. I directed Infusion of Digitalis, half an ounce twice a day. In eight days the swellings in his legs and the fulness about his stomach disappeared. His rheumatic affections were cured by the usual methods.

CASE CIV.

_October_ 22d. Master B----, aet. 3. Ascites and universal anasarca.

Half a grain of Fol. Digital. siccat. given every six hours, produced no effect; probably the medicine was wasted in giving. An infusion of the dried leaf was then tried, a dram to four ounces, two tea spoonfuls for a dose; this soon increased the flow of urine to a very great degree, and he got perfectly well.

CASE CV.

_October_ 30th. Mr. G----, of W----, aet. 88. The gentleman mentioned in No. XLVII. His complaints and manner of living the same as there mentioned. I ordered an Infusion of the Digitalis, a dram and half to half a pint; one ounce to be taken twice a day; which cured him in a short time.

On _March_ the 23d, 1784, he sent for me again. His complaints were the same, but he was much more feeble. On this account I directed a dram of the Fol. Digitalis to be infused for a night in four ounces of spirituous cinnamon water, a spoonful to be taken every night. This had not a sufficient effect; therefore, on the 22d of _April_, I ordered the infusion prescribed two years before, which soon removed his complaints.

He died soon afterwards, fairly worn out, in his ninetieth year.

CASE CVI.

_November_ 2d. Mr. S----, of B----h----, aet. 61. Hydrothorax and swelled legs. Squills were given for a week in very full doses, and other modes of relief attempted; but his breathing became so bad, his countenance so livid, his pulse so feeble, and his extremities so cold, that I was apprehensive upon my second visit that he had not twenty-four hours to live. In this situation I gave him the Infusum Digitalis stronger than usual, viz. two drams to eight ounces. Finding himself relieved by this, he continued to take it, contrary to the directions given, after the diuretic effects had appeared.

The sickness which followed was truly alarming; it continued at intervals for many days, his pulse sunk down to forty in a minute, every object appeared green to his eyes, and between the exertions of reaching he lay in a state approaching to syncope. The strongest cordials, volatiles, and repeated blisters barely supported him. At length, however, he did begin to emerge out of the extreme danger into which his folly had plunged him; and by generous living and tonics, in about two months he came to enjoy a perfect state of health.

CASE CVII.

_November_ 19th. Master S----, aet. 8. Ascites and anasarca. A dram of Fol. Digitalis in a six ounce infusion, given in doses of a spoonful, effected a perfect cure, without producing nausea.

1783.

The reader will perhaps remark, that from the middle of _January_ to the first of _May_, not a single case occurs, and that the amount of cases is likewise less than in the preceding or ensuing years; to prevent erroneous conjectures or conclusions, it may be expedient to mention, that the ill state of my own health obliged me to retire from business for some time in the spring of the year, and that I did not perfectly recover until the following summer.

CASE CVIII.

_January_ 15th. Mrs. G----, aet. 57. A very fat woman; has been dropsical since _November_ last; with symptoms of diseased viscera.

Various remedies having been taken without effect, an Infusion of Digitalis was directed twice a day, with a view to palliate the more urgent symptoms. She took it four days without relief, and as her recovery seemed impossible it was urged no farther.

CASE CIX.

_May_ 1st. Mrs. D----, aet. 72. A thin woman, with very large anasarcous legs and thighs; no appet.i.te and general debility. After a month's trial of cordials and diuretics of different kinds, the surgeon who had scarified her legs apprehended they would mortify; she had very great pain in them, they were very red and black by places, and extremely tense. It was evident that unless the tension could be removed, gangrene must soon ensue. I therefore gave her Infusum Digitalis, which increased the secretion of urine by the following evening, so that the great tension began to abate, and together with it the pain and inflammation. She was so feeble that I dared not to urge the medicine further, but she occasionally took it at intervals until the time of her death, which happened a few weeks afterwards.

CASE CX.

_May_ 18th. I was desired to prescribe for Mary Bowen, a poor girl at Hagley. Her disease appeared to me to be an ovarium dropsy. In other respects she was in perfect health. I directed the Digitalis to be given, and gradually pushed so as to affect her very considerably. It was done; but the patient still carries her big belly, and is otherwise very well.

CASE CXI.

_May_ 25th. Mr. G----, aet. 28. In the last stage of a pulmonary consumption of the scrophulous kind, took an Infusion of Digitalis, but without any advantage.

CASE CXII.

_May_ 31st. Mr. H----, aet 27. In the last stage of a phthisis pulmonalis became dropsical. He took half a pint of the Infusum Digitalis in six days, but without any sensible effect.

CASE CXIII.

_June_ 3d. Master B----, of D----, aet. 6. With an universal anasarca, had an extremely troublesome cough. An opiate was given to quiet the cough at night, and 2 tea spoonfuls of Infus. Digit. were ordered every six hours. The dropsy was presently removed; but the cough continued, his flesh wasted, his strength failed, and some weeks afterwards he died tabid.

CASE CXIV.

_June_ 19th. Mrs. L----, aet. 28. A dropsy in the last stage of a phthisis. Infusum Digitalis was tried to no purpose.

CASE CXV.

_June_ 20th. Mrs. H----, aet. 46. A very fat, short woman; had suffered severely through the last winter and spring from what had been called asthma; but for some time past an universal anasarca prevailed, and she had not lain down for several weeks. After trying vitriolic acid, tincture of cantharides, squills, &c. without advantage, she took half a pint of Infus. Digitalis in three days. In a week afterwards the dropsical symptoms disappeared, her breath became easy, her appet.i.te returned, and she recovered perfect health. The infusion neither occasioned sickness nor purging.