An Account Of The Foxglove And Some Of Its Medical Uses Part 6

_July_ 18th. Infusum amarum, steel, Seltzer water.

_September_ 22d. Neutral saline draughts, with tinct.

canthar.

26th. Pills of soap, garlic and millepedes.

30th. The same pills, with infusum amarum.

_October_ 11th. Pills of aloes, a.s.safetida, and sal martis, in the day-time, and mercury rubbed down, at night.

_December_ 21st. The acc.u.mulation of water now required a repet.i.tion of the Digitalis. It was directed in infusion, a dram and half to eight ounces, and an ounce and half given every fourth hour, until its effects began to appear. The water was soon carried off.

30th. Sal diuretic. twice a day. To eat preserved garlic frequently.

1781.

_February_ 1st. Pills of calomel, squill and gum ammoniac.

3d. Infusion of Digitalis repeated, and after the water was carried off, Dover's powder was tried as a sudorific.

_March_ 18th. Infus. Digital. repeated.

26th. Pills of sal martis and aromatic species, with infusum amarum.

_May_ 5th. Being feverish; James's powder and saline draughts.

10th. Laudanum every night, and an opening tincture to obviate costiveness.

24th. Infus. Digitalis, one ounce only every fourth hour, which soon procured a perfect evacuation of the water.

_August_ 11th. Infus. Digitalis.

_October_ 19th. An emetic, and fol. Cicut. pulv. ten grains every six hours.

_November_ 8th. A mercurial bolus at bed-time.

16th. Infus. Digitalis.

_December_ 23d. An emetic--Pills of seneka and gum ammoniac--Vitriolic acid in every thing she drinks.

25th. Squill united to small doses of opium.

1782.

_January_ 2d. A troublesome cough--Syrup of garlic and oxymel of squills. A blister to the back.

4th. Tincture of cantharides and paregoric elixir.

28th. Infus. Digitalis, half an ounce every morning, and one ounce every night, was now sufficient to empty her.

_March_ 26th. Infus. Digitalis; and when emptied, vitriol of copper twice a day.

_April_ 1st. A cordial mixture for occasional use.

Two months afterwards a purging came on, which every now and then returned, inducing great weakness--her appet.i.te failed, and she died in _July_.

INTERVALS.

From _July_ 9th, 1780, to _December_ 21st, 171 days.

From _December_ 21st to _February_ 3d, 1781, 34 days.

From _February_ 3d to _March_ 18th, 44 days.

From _March_ 18th to _May_ 24th, 66 days.

From _May_ 24th to _August_ 11th, 79 days.

From _August_ 11th to _November_ 16th, 98 days.

From _November_ 16th to _January_ 28th, 1782, 74 days.

From _January_ 28th to _March_ 26th, 57 days.

None of the acc.u.mulations of water were at all equal to that which existed when I first saw her, for finding so easy a mode of relief, she became impatient under a small degree of pressure, and often insisted upon taking her medicine sooner than I thought it necessary.

After the 26th of _March_ the degree of effusion was inconsiderable, and at the time of her death very trifling, being probably carried off by the diarrha.

CASE XLIV.

_July_ 12th. Mr. H----, of A----, aet. 60. In the last stage of a life hurried to a termination by free living, dropsical symptoms became the most distressing. He wished to take the Digitalis. It was given, but afforded no relief.

CASE XLV.

_July_ 13th. Mr. S----, aet. 49. Asthma, or rather hydrothorax, anasarca, and symptoms of a diseased liver. He was directed to take two grains of Pulv. fol. Digital. every two hours, until it produced some effect. It soon removed the dropsical and asthmatic affections, and steel, with Seltzer water, restored him to health.

CASE XLVI.

_August_ 6th. Mr. L----, aet. 35. Ascites and anasarca. Pulv. Digital.

grains three, repeated every fourth hour, until he had taken two scruples, removed every appearance of dropsy in a few days. He was then directed to take solution of merc. sublimat. and soon recovered his health and strength.

CASE XLVII.

_August_ 16th. Mr. G----, of W----, aet. 86. Asthma of many years duration, and lately an incipient anasarca, with a paucity of urine.

He had never lived intemperately, was of a chearful disposition, and very sensible: for some years back had lost all relish for animal food, and his only support had been an ounce or two of bread and cheese, or a small slice of seed-cake, with three or four pints of mild ale, in the twenty-four hours. After trying chrystals of tartar, fixed alkaly, squills, &c. I directed three grains of Pulv. fol.

Digital. made into pills, with G. ammoniac, to be given every six hours; this presently occasioned copious discharges of urine, removed his swellings, and restored him to his usual standard of health.

CASE XLVIII.