CASE III.
Mr. W——, aged—. In June, 1782, was affected with slight difficulty in respiration, upon taking exercise or lying down in bed. These symptoms increased gradually until the end of July, when he complained of sense of weight and uneasiness about the prœcordia; loss of appetite; and costiveness. The urine was small in quantity, and high coloured; his pulse feeble, and intermitting; he breathed with difficulty when in bed, and slept little. After the exhibition of an emetic, and an opening medicine of rhubarb, sena, and sal tartari, he was directed to take half a dram of squill pill, pharm. Edinburg. night and morning, with ʒss sal. sodæ in ℥iss. infus. amar. simpl. twice a day; and these medicines were continued during ten days, without any sensible effect. A blister was then applied to the sternum, and six grains of calomel given in the evening. The symptoms were now increased very considerably, in every particular; and the following infusion was substituted for the former medicines.
R. Fol. Digital. purpur. ʒiii.
Cort. limon. ʒii. infund.
Aq. bullient. ℔i. per hor. 2 et cola. sumat cochl. i. primo mane et repet. omni hora.
Sometime in the night considerable nausea occurred, and the following day he began to make water in great quantity, which he continued to do for three or four days. The pulse in a few hours became regular, slower, and stronger, and, in the course of a week, all the symptoms entirely vanished, and an electuary of cort. peruvian, sal martis, and spec. aromatic. confirmed his cure.
In February, 1784, this gentleman had a relapse of his disease, from which he again soon recovered by the same means, and is now perfectly well.