CASE CXIII.
June 3d. Master B——, of D——, Æt. 6. With an universal anasarca, had an extremely troublesome cough. An opiate was given to quiet the cough at night, and 2 tea spoonfuls of Infus. Digit. were ordered every six hours. The dropsy was presently removed; but the cough continued, his flesh wasted, his strength failed, and some weeks afterwards he died tabid.
CASE CXIV.
June 19th. Mrs. L——, Æt. 28. A dropsy in the last stage of a phthisis. Infusum Digitalis was tried to no purpose.
CASE CXV.
June 20th. Mrs. H——, Æt. 46. A very fat, short woman; had suffered severely through the last winter and spring from what had been called asthma; but for some time past an universal anasarca prevailed, and she had not lain down for several weeks. After trying vitriolic acid, tincture of cantharides, squills, &c. without advantage, she took half a pint of Infus. Digitalis in three days. In a week afterwards the dropsical symptoms disappeared, her breath became easy, her appetite returned, and she recovered perfect health. The infusion neither occasioned sickness nor purging.
CASE CXVI.
June 24th. Mrs. B——, Æt. 40. A puerperal fever, and swelled legs and thighs. The fever not yielding to the usual practice, I directed an Infusion of Fol. Digitalis. It proved diuretic; the swellings subsided, but the fever continued, and a few days afterwards a diarrhœa coming on, she died.
CASE CXVII.
July 22d. Mr. F——, Æt. 48. A strong man, of a florid complexion, in consequence of intemperance became dropsical, with symptoms of diseased viscera, great dyspnœa, a very troublesome cough, and total loss of appetite. He took mild mercurials, pills of soap, rhubarb, and tartar of vitriol, with soluble tartar and dulcified spirits of nitre in barley water. After a reasonable trial of this plan, he took squill every six hours, and a solution of assafetida and gum ammoniac, to ease his breathing: finding no relief, I gave him chrystals of tartar with ginger; but his remaining health and strength daily declined, and he was not at all benefited by the medicines. I was averse to the use of Digitalis in this case, judging from what I had seen in similar instances of tense fibre, that it would not act as a diuretic. I therefore once more directed squill, with decoction of seneka and sal sodæ; but it was inefficacious. His strength being much broken down, I then ordered gum ammoniac, with small doses of opium, and infusum amarum, continuing the squill at intervals. At length I was urged to give the Digitalis, and considering the case as desperate, I agreed to do it. The event was as I expected; no increase in the urine took place; and the medicine being still continued, his pulse became slow, and he apparently sunk under its sedative effects. He was neither purged nor vomited; and had the Digitalis either been omitted altogether, or suspended upon its first effects upon the pulse being observed, he might perhaps have existed a week longer.