CASE CXXXVI.
August 6th. Mr. M—— of C——, Æt. 44. Ascites and anasarca, preceded by symptoms of the epileptic kind. He was ordered to take two grains of pulv. Digitalis every morning, and three every night; likewise a saline draught with syrup of squills, every day at noon. His complaints soon yielded to this treatment, but in the month of November following he relapsed, and again asked my advice. The Digitalis alone was now prescribed, which proved as efficacious as in the first trial. He then took bitters twice a day, and vitriolic acid night and morning, and now enjoys good health.
Before the Digitalis was prescribed, he had taken jallap purges, soluble tartar, salt of steel, vitriol of copper, &c.
CASE CXXXVII.
August 10th. Mrs. W——, Æt. 55. An anasarcous leg, and sciatica; full habit. After bleeding and a purge, a blister was applied in the manner recommended by Cotunnius; and two grains of fol. Digital. with fifteen of fol. cicutæ were directed to be taken night and morning. The medicine acted only as a diuretic; the pain and swelling of the limb gradually abated; and I have not heard of any return.
I must here bear witness to the efficacy of Cotunnius's method of blistering in the sciatica, having used it in a great number of cases, and generally with success.
CASE CXXXVIII.
August 16th. Mrs. A—— of S——, Æt. 78. About the middle of Summer began to complain of short breath, great debility, and loss of appetite. At this time there were evident marks of effusion in the thorax, and some swelling in the legs. The advanced age, the weakness, and other circumstances of this patient, precluded every idea of her recovery; but something was to be attempted. Squills and other remedies had been tried; I therefore directed pills with two or three grains of the pulv. Digitalis to be taken every night for six nights, and a saline draught with forty drops of acetum scillit. twice in the day. She took but few of the draughts, seldom more than half one at a time, for they purged her, and she disliked them. The pills she took regularly, and with the happiest effect, for she could lie down, her breath was very much relieved, and a degree of appetite returned. Sept. 4th, some return of her symptoms demanded the further use of diuretics. I was afraid to push the Digitalis in so hazardous a subject, and therefore directed tinct. amara with tinct. canthar. and pills of squill, seneka, salt of tartar and gum ammoniac. These medicines did not at all check the progress of the disease, and on the 26th it became necessary to give the Digitalis again. The pills were therefore repeated as before, and infus. amarum with fixed alkaly ordered to be taken twice a day. The event was as favorable as before; and from this time she had no considerable return of dropsy, but languished under various nameless symptoms, until the middle or end of November.
CASE CXXXIX.
Aug. 16th. Mrs. P—— of S——, Æt. 50. For a particular account of this patient, [see Mr. Yonge's second Case].