CASE CXXVI.
April 17th. Mr. F——, Æt. 59. A very fat man, and a free liver; had long been subject to what was called asthma, particularly in the winter. For some weeks past his legs swelled, he had great sense of fullness across his stomach; a severe cough; total loss of appetite, thirst great, urine sparing, his breath so difficult that he had not lain down in bed for several nights. Calomel, gum ammoniac, tincture of cantharides, &c. having been given in vain, I ordered two grains of pulv. fol. Digitalis made into pills, with aromatic species and syrup, to be given every night. On the third day his urine was less turbid; on the fourth considerably increased in quantity, and in ten days more he was free from all complaints, and has since had no relapse.
CASE CXXVII.
May 7th. Miss K——, Æt. 8. After a long continued ague, became hectic and dropsical. Her belly was very large, and she had a total loss of appetite. Half a grain of fol. Digital, pulv. with 2 gr. of merc. alcalis. were ordered night and morning, and an infusion of bark and rhubarb with steel wine to be given in the day time. Her belly began to subside in a few days, and she was soon restored to health. Two other children in the family, affected nearly in the same way, had died, from the parents being persuaded that an ague in the spring was healthful and should not be stopped.—I know not how far the recovery in this case may be attributed to the Digitalis, but the child was so near dying that I dared not trust to any less efficacious diuretic.
CASE CXXVIII.
June 13th. Mr. C——, Æt. 45. A fat man, had formerly drank hard, but not latterly: last March began to complain of difficult breathing, swelled legs, full belly, but without fluctuation, great thirst, no appetite; urine thick and foul; complection brownish yellow. Mercurial medicines, diuretics of different kinds, and bitters, had been trying for the last three months, but with little advantage. I directed two grains of the fol. Digital. in powder to be taken every night, and infus. amar. with tinct. sacr. twice a day. In three days the quantity of his urine increased, in ten or twelve days all his symptoms disappeared, and he has had no relapse.
CASE CXXIX.
June 17th. Mr. N——, of W——, Æt. 54. A large man, of a pale complexion; had been subject to severe fits of asthma for some years, but now worse than usual. The intermitting pulse, the great disturbance from change of posture, and the swelled legs induced me to conclude that the exacerbation of his old complaint was occasioned by serous effusion. I directed pills with a grain and half of the pulv. Digital. to be taken every night, and as he was costive, jallap made a part of the composition. He was also directed to take mustardseed every morning and a solution of assafetida twice in the day. The effect of this plan was perfectly to our wishes, and in a short time he recovered his usual health. About half a year afterwards he died apoplectic.
CASE CXXX.
Mary B——. A young unmarried woman. Her disease appeared to me a dropsy of the right ovarium. She took an infusion of Digitalis, but, as I expected with no good effect. She is still, I am informed nearly in the same state.