An Account Of The Foxglove And Some Of Its Medical Uses Part 13

CASE CXLVIII.

_Nov._ 8th. Mr. G----, aet. 35. In the last stage of a phthisis pulmonalis, was attacked with a most urgent and painful difficulty of breathing. Suspecting this distress might arise from watery effusion in the chest, I gave him Digitalis, which relieved him considerably; and during the remainder of his life his breath never became so bad again.

CASE CXLIX.

_Nov._ 13th. Mrs. A---- of W----h----, aet. 68. One of those rare cases in which no urine is secreted. It proved as refractory as usual to remedies, and not having ever succeeded in the cure of this disease, I determined to try the Digitalis. It was given in infusion, and, after a few doses, the secretion of a small quant.i.ty of urine seemed to justify the attempt. The next day, however, the secretion ceased, nor could it be excited again, tho' at last the medicine was pushed so as to occasion sickness, which continued at intervals for three days.

CASE CL.

_Nov._ 20th. Mrs. B----, aet. 28. In the last stage of a pulmonary consumption became dropsical. I directed three grains of the pulv.

Digital. to be taken daily, one in the morning, and two at night. She took twenty grains without any sensible effect.

CASE CLI.

_Nov._ 23d. Master W----, aet. 7. Supposed hydrocephalus internus. A grain of pulv. fol. Digitalis was directed night and morning. After three days, no sensible effects taking place, it was omitted, and the mercurial plan of treatment adopted. The child lived near five months afterwards. Upon dissection near four ounces of water were found in the ventricles of the brain.

CASE CLII.

_Nov._ 26th. Mrs. W----, aet. 65. I had attended this lady last winter in a very severe peripneumony, from which she narrowly escaped with her life. When the cold season advanced this winter, she perceived a difficulty in breathing, which gradually became more and more troublesome. I found her much hara.s.sed by a cough, which occasioned her to expectorate a little: the least motion increased her dyspna; she could not lie down in bed; her legs were considerably swelled, her urine small in quant.i.ty. I directed two grains of pulv.

Digitalis made into a pill with gum ammoniac, to be taken every night, and to promote expectoration, a squill mixture twice in the day. Her urine in five days became clear and copious, and in a fortnight more she lost all her complaints, except a cough, for which she took the lac ammoniac.u.m.

It is not improbable that the squill might have some share in this cure.

CASE CLIII.

_December_ 7th. Mr. H----, aet. 42. A large sat man, very subject to gravelly complaints. After an attack in the usual manner, continued to feel numbness in his lower limbs, and a sense of weight across his loins. I directed infusum Digitalis to be given every six hours. Six ounces made him sick, and he took no more. The next day his urine increased, a good deal of sand pa.s.sed with it, and he lost his disagreeable feels, but the sickness did not entirely cease before the fourth day from its commencement.

CASE CLIV.

_December_ 27th. Mr. B----, of H----, aet. 55. Symptoms of hydrothorax, at first obscurely, afterwards more distinctly marked. Many things were tried, but the squill alone gave relief. At length this failed.

About the third month of the disease, a grain of pulv. Digital. was ordered to be taken night and morning. This produced the happiest effects. In _March_ following he had some slight symptoms of relapse, which were soon removed by the same medicine, and he now enjoys good health. For a more particular narrative see case the first, communicated by Mr. Yonge.

CASE CLV.

_December_ 31st. Mrs. B----, of E----, aet. 50. An ovarium dropsy of long continuance. She took three grains of pulv. Digital. every night at bed time, for a fortnight, but without any effect.

CASE CLVI.

A poor man in this town, after his kidneys had ceased to secrete urine for several days, was seized with hickup, fits of vomiting, and transient delirium. After examination I was satisfied the disease was the same as that mentioned at CXLIX. A very experienced apothecary having tried various methods to relieve him, I despaired of any success, but determined to try the Digitalis. It was accordingly given in infusion. At first it checked the vomitings, but did not occasion any secretion of urine.

1785.

The cases which have occurred to me in the course of this year, are numerous; but as the events of some of them are not yet sufficiently ascertained, I think it better to with-hold them at present.

HOSPITAL CASES, Under the Direction of the Author.

The four following cases were drawn out at my request by Mr. Cha.

Hinchley, late apothecary to the Birmingham Hospital. They are all the Hospital cases for which the Digitalis was prescribed by me, whilst he continued in that office.

CASE CLVII.

_March_ 15th, 1780. John Butler, aet. 30. Asthma and swelled legs. He was directed to take myrrh and steel every day, and three spoonfuls of infusum Digitalis every night. On the 8th of April he was discharged, cured of the swellings and something relieved of his asthmatic affections.

CASE CLVIII.

_November_ 18th, 1780. Henry Warren, aet. 60. This man had a general anasarca and ascites, and was moreover so asthmatic, that, neither being able to sit in a chair nor lie in bed, he was obliged constantly to walk about, or to lean forward against a window or table. You prescribed for him thus.

R. Aq. cinn. spt. ?iv.

Oxymel. scillit.

Syr. scillit. aa. ?i. m. cap. cochlear. larg. s.e.xta quaque hora.

This medicine producing no increased discharge of urine, on the 25th you ordered the infusion of Digitalis, two spoonfuls every four hours.

After taking this for thirty six hours, his urine was discharged in very great quant.i.ty; his breath became easy, and the swellings disappeared in a few days, though he took no more of the medicine. On the 2d of _December_ he was ordered myrrh and lac ammoniac.u.m, which he continued until the 23d, when he was discharged cured, and is now in good health.

CASE CLIX.

_November_ 3d, 1781. Mary Crockett, aet. 40. Ascites and universal anasarca. For one week she took sal. diureticus and tincture of cantharides, but without advantage. On the 10th you directed the infusion of Digitalis, a dram and half to half a pint, an ounce to be taken every fourth hour. Before this quant.i.ty was quite finished, the urine began to be discharged very copiously. The medicine was then stopped as you had directed. On the 15th, being costive, she took a jallap purge, and on the 24th she was discharged cured.

CASE CLX.

_March_ 16th, 1782. Mary Bird, aet. 61. Great fullness about the stomach; diseased liver, and anasarcous legs and thighs. For the first week squill was tried in more forms than one, but without advantage. On the 22d she began with the Digitalis, which presently removed all the swelling.

She was then put upon the use of aperient medicines and tonics, and on the first of _August_ was discharged perfectly cured.

The three following Cases were drawn up and communicated to me by Mr. Bayley, who succeeded Mr. Hinchley as apothecary to the Hospital at Birmingham:

s.h.i.+ffnall, April 26th, 1785.