Obs. The intermitting pulse should seem to have been owing to effusions of water in some of the cavities of the breast, as it disappeared on the removal of the waters.
CASE II.
Mrs. C—— of K——, Æt. 80. Orthopnœa, with sense of oppression about the prœcordia. Unable to lie down in bed for some nights past. Anasarca of the lower extremities. Urine very scanty. Complaints of six weeks standing. Had taken sal. diuret. c. ol. junip.—Calom. c. jalap, et gambog.—Et ol. junip. c. ol. Terebinth. without effect.
Feb. 7. Infus. Digital. e. ʒiii. ad aq. &c. ℥viii. cochl. ii. 4tis horis. Ordered to drink largely of infus. baccar. junip. The third dose produced great nausea which continued ten hours, during which time the urine made was about a quart. The next day her apothecary directed her to begin again with it. The second dose produced vomiting. During the next twenty hours she made two quarts of water, about four times as much as she drank.
From this time she took no more of the infus. Digital. but continued the inf. bacc. junip. until about March 2d, when all the swellings were gone down, her respiration perfectly free, and she herself quite restored to her former state of health. On the 29th she had an attack of jaundice which was some time after removed; since which she has enjoyed a good state of health, excepting that for some little time past her ancles have been slightly œdematous, which will I trust soon yield to strengthening medicines.
CASE III.
Mrs. M—— G——, Æt. 64. Has had sore legs for these thirty-four years past. Orthopnœa. Sense of oppression at the prœcordia. Pulse intermitting. Legs anasarcous. Urine scanty, high-coloured.
Infus. Digital. c. ʒiss ad aq. bull. ℥viii. cochl. ii. 4tis horis.
Took six doses, when nausea was excited. Urine a quart during the course of the night. The flow of urine continued, and complaints relieved. Sal. Mart. c. extr. gent. and afterwards with the addition of extr. cort. for which last ingredient she had a predilection, confirmed the cure.
On the same day the next year I was called in to her for a similar train of symptoms, excepting that the pulse was but just perceptibly irregular.