Dudley, April 26th,
1785.
CASE of Mr. Ward, Surgeon, in Birmingham.—Related by himself.
In September, 1782, I was seized with a difficulty of breathing, and oppression in my chest, in consequence of taking cold from being called out in the night. My tongue was foul; my urine small in quantity; my breath laborious and distressing on the slightest exercise. I tried the medicines most generally recommended, such as emetics, blisters, lac ammoniacum, oxymel of squills, &c. but finding little or no relief, I consulted Dr. Withering, who advised me to try the following prescription.
R. Fol. Digital. purp. siccat. ʒiss.
Aq. bullientis ℥iv.
Aq. cinn. sp. ℥ss. digere per horas quatuor, et colaturæ capiat cochlear. i. nocte maneque.
He also desired me to take fifty drops of tincture of cantharides three or four times a day.
After taking eight ounces of the infusion, and about twelve drams of the drops, I was perfectly cured, and have had no return since. The medicine did not occasion sickness or vertigo, nor had they any other sensible effect than in changing the appearance, and increasing the quantity of the urine, and rendering the tongue clean. After the last dose or two indeed, I had a little nausea, which was immediately removed by a small glass of brandy.
Birmingham, 1st July, 1785.
Communications from Mr. Yonge, Surgeon, in Shiffnall, Shropshire.
Dear Sir,
I have great satisfaction in complying with your just claim, by transcribing outlines of the subsequent cases, for insertion in your long requested tract on the Digitalis purpurea. The two first of these you will easily recollect, the cures having been conducted immediately under your own management, and the whole may add to that weight of evidence which long experience enables you to adduce of the efficacy of that valuable medicine. I have recited the only instances of its failure which occur to me, but many other, though successful cases, wherein its utility might seem dubious, and also the accounts received from people whose accuracy might be suspected, I shall not for obvious reasons trouble you with.