No. 2.
Sir,—I did myself the honour to address a letter to you lately, on the effects of injecting a saline solution into the veins of a patient labouring under cholera. We have not frequent opportunities of trying this, which I denominate, admirable remedy, as the disease is decidedly less frequent here; but I have seen it employed in two other cases, in the course of the last two days, with the same excellent effect. Sixty ounces are generally thrown in at once, and repeated at the end of three or four hours. In a case to-day, where I saw fifty-eight ounces injected, (being the third time of performing the operation,) the patient’s pulse, at the commencement, was 180, very small, and very feeble. She was excessively restless, with a feeling of great weakness and tormenting thirst. Before twelve ounces were injected, the pulse began to improve; it became fuller and slower, and it continued to improve until, after 58 ounces had been injected, it was down to 110. Before I left the patient, (a woman,) her condition was altogether amazingly amended. There was a fine glow and a slight perspiration on her face; the veins on the back of her head were well filled; the restlessness was removed, the feeling of excessive weakness gone, and the thirst ceased. The pulse was under 100, free, full, and soft! Verily, sir, this is an astonishing method of medication, and I predict will lead to wonderful changes and improvements in the practice of medicine! I have addressed you upon the subject, as the organ, from your high official station, of disseminating a knowledge of the extraordinary facts referred to. It will, of course, give me great pleasure to enter further into particulars upon any particular point on which you may require information, in reference to the cases that have come under my observation.—I have, &c.
(Signed)
ROBERT LEWINS, M. D.
To W. Maclean, Esq. &c. &c.
In the hands of a man of ordinary dexterity, the common injecting apparatus alluded to in my last will be found to answer the purpose perfectly well; but if the practice I recommend is, as I hope it will be, generally adopted, it will, I conceive, be expedient to advise that a regular and perfect transfusion apparatus be used; at all events, to warn those who inject to beware of allowing air to get into the vein. The tubes, of course, must be filled with fluid, as well as the pipe in the vein, before commencing, and considerably more fluid than it is intended to use ought to be in the vessel from which it is pumped.
R. L.