CASE XCVII.
September 24th. Mrs. R——, of B——, Æt. 35, the mother of many children. After her last lying in, three months ago, had that kind of swelling in one of her legs which is mentioned at [No. VIII], [XXVI], and [XXXI]. A considerable degree of swelling still remained; the limb was heavy to her feeling, and not devoid of pain. I directed a bolus of five grains of Pulv. Digitalis, and twenty-five of crude quicksilver rubbed down, with conserve of cynosbat. to be taken at bed-time, and afterwards an Infusion of red bark and Fol. Digitalis to be taken twice a day. There was half an ounce of bark and half a dram of the leaves in a pint infusion: the dose two ounces.
The leg soon began to mend, and two pints of the infusion finished the cure.
CASE XCVIII.
September 25th. Mr. R——, Æt. 60. Complained to me of a sickness after eating, and for some weeks past he had thrown up all his food, soon after he had swallowed it. He had taken various medicines, but found benefit from none, and had tried various kinds of diet. He was now very thin and weak; but had a good appetite. As several very probable methods had been prescribed, and as the usual symptoms of organic disease were absent, I determined to give him a spoonful of the Infusion of Digitalis twice a day; made by digesting two drams of the dried leaves in half a pint of cinnamon water. From the time he began to take this medicine he suffered no return of his complaint, and soon recovered his flesh and his strength.
It should be observed, that I had frequently seen the Digitalis remove sickness, though prescribed for very different complaints.
CASE XCIX.
September 30th. Mrs. A——, Æt. 38. Hydrothorax and anasarca. Her chest was very considerably deformed. One half pint of the Digitalis Infusion entirely cured her.
CASE C.
September 30th. Mr. R——, of W——, Æt. 47. Hydrothorax and anasarca. An Infusion of Digitalis was directed, and after the expected effects from that should take place, sixty drops of tincture of cantharides twice a day. As he was costive, pills of aloes and steel were ordered to be taken occasionally.