A paper on diphtheria : read before the New York Academy of Medicine, January 1861 / by James Wynne.

  • Wynne, James, 1814-1871.
Date:
1861
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A paper on diphtheria : read before the New York Academy of Medicine, January 1861 / by James Wynne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    to accomplish it. Friday and Saturday were days of intense agony. He went from chair to chair, from bed to lounge, trying every posi- tion that might bring breath, and with it ease.* At his own urgent .solicitation, tracheotomy was performed, which gave but temporary relief, and he died on the following Sunday. The following account of Dr. Cooke's case was furnished by Profes- sor Willard Parker, who was his attending physician: I was requested to visit Dr. Cooke, of Brooklyn, December 16th, 1860. He was a man of active habits, in full practice, aged about 60, but seemed not more than 50; ,he had never been sick before. About two weeks before I saw him he had been called to attend a severe case of diphtheria. After a few days' attendance, he complained that he had contracted the disease. He became feverish; his throat was very sore, and swollen; he lost his appetite, and complained of great prostration. He saw some few patients at his office, and attempted to go out to attend to some business, but soon found himself too weak to walk. On the 14th his brother, a physician, urged him to give up business and take care of himself. He was unwilling to yield to this advice. On the 16th the Dr. saw his brother again, and found him so ill that he determined to remove him to his bro her's residence in New York. After the removal, I saw the patient at about 10, p. m. The features of his case were very unfavorable. He was in bed; skin hot and dry; pulse 120, small and feeble; respiration indicative of exhaustion; tongue thickly coated; throat sore, swollen, livid, and all the parts covered with an inspissated mucus; neck on right side tumid, and pain in the right ear; no appetite, but thirsty for water; the bowels had been acted upon by blue pill and other cathartics; kidneys acted well. Prescribed at once gargle of pure brandy and tr. capsisi, quinine, brandy and water, beef tea. 17.—My patient seemed to feel better; pulse had dimin- ished in frequency, and was fuller; bowels were somewhat tumid and irritable; the stimulating and tonic course was pursued. 18.—Re- mained about the same. 19.—Contrary to advice, the patient got out of^bed and visited the water-closet, and became exceedingly pros- trated; he was not permitted to make the attempt to rise again. The pulse ranged from 120 to 130, and was irregular; the tongue became very dry and black; he could lie only on the back; the skin was dry and parchment-like to the feel; there was a general cedema; vibices on the ears. 20.—The urine was examined, but contained uo albu- * Gross' American Medical Biography, p. 834.