CASE CXXXVIII.
August 16th. Mrs. A—— of S——, Æt. 78. About the middle of Summer began to complain of short breath, great debility, and loss of appetite. At this time there were evident marks of effusion in the thorax, and some swelling in the legs. The advanced age, the weakness, and other circumstances of this patient, precluded every idea of her recovery; but something was to be attempted. Squills and other remedies had been tried; I therefore directed pills with two or three grains of the pulv. Digitalis to be taken every night for six nights, and a saline draught with forty drops of acetum scillit. twice in the day. She took but few of the draughts, seldom more than half one at a time, for they purged her, and she disliked them. The pills she took regularly, and with the happiest effect, for she could lie down, her breath was very much relieved, and a degree of appetite returned. Sept. 4th, some return of her symptoms demanded the further use of diuretics. I was afraid to push the Digitalis in so hazardous a subject, and therefore directed tinct. amara with tinct. canthar. and pills of squill, seneka, salt of tartar and gum ammoniac. These medicines did not at all check the progress of the disease, and on the 26th it became necessary to give the Digitalis again. The pills were therefore repeated as before, and infus. amarum with fixed alkaly ordered to be taken twice a day. The event was as favorable as before; and from this time she had no considerable return of dropsy, but languished under various nameless symptoms, until the middle or end of November.