CASE VII.
February 11th. Mr. E——, of W——, Æt. 61. Hydrothorax, ascites and anasarca, consequences of hard drinking. He had been attended for some time by a physician in his neighbourhood, who had treated his case with the usual remedies, but without affording him any relief; nor could I expect to succeed better by any other medicine than the Digitalis. The dried leaves were not to be had; and the green ones at this season being very uncertain in their strength, I ordered four ounces of the roots in a pint decoction, and directed three spoonfuls to be given every fourth hour, until it either excited nausea, or a free discharge of urine; both these effects took place nearly at the same time: he made a large quantity of water, the swellings subsided very considerably, and his breath became easy. Eight days afterwards he began upon a course of bitters and deobstruents. The dropsical symptoms soon increased again, but he had suffered so much from the severity of the sickness before, that he was neither willing to take, nor I to give the same medicine again.
Perhaps this patient might have been saved, if I had been well acquainted with the management and real doses of the medicine, which was certainly in this instance made very much too strong; and notwithstanding the caution to stop the further exhibition when certain effects should take place, it seems the quantity previously swallowed was sufficient to distress him exceedingly.
CASE VIII.
March 11th. Mrs. H——, Æt. 32. A few days after a tedious labour, had her legs and thighs swelled to a very great degree; pale and semi-transparent,[5] with pain in both groins. After a purge of calomel and rhubarb, ung. merc. was ordered to be rubbed upon the groins, and the following decoction was directed:
R. Fol. Digital. purp. recent. ℥ii.
Aq. puræ. ℔i. coque ad ℔iss et colatur. adde.
Aq. cinn. sp. ℥iv. M. capiat. cyath. vinos. parv. bis quotidie.
The decoction presently increased the secretion of urine, and abated the distension of the legs: in a fortnight the swelling was gone; but some days after leaving her bed, her legs swelled again about the ancles, which was removed by another bottle of the decoction on the 21st of April.