A study of doses / by William Sharp.

  • Sharp, William, 1805-1896.
Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A study of doses / by William Sharp. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    18/48 (page 18)
    thoroughly relaxed motion, I should not have been sur- prised. You already know that jive drops, taken during an attack of diarrhoea seemed to aggravate it; and that the same dose taken when in a normal state of health pro- duced no effect. I did not repeat that dose, but waited a day to be sure that all effect had passed away; on tho 23rd at bedtime I took ten drops. My usual habits were not interfered with on the 24th, but on the morning of the 25th I passed a copious stool, distinctly less consistent than usual, and having a peculiarly pungent and pene- trating odour. I think I am right in attributing it to the oil, as I carefully noted that my diet contained nothing which in an ordinary way would relax the bowels ; this was the only stool on that day. *^Nov. 16, 1889. My experience with Castor oil has been curious. I took thirty drops on Thursday night; noticed no perceptible effect on Friday, as my usual regular habits were not interfered with; on Saturday morning a copious stool, not loose, but with the peculiar odour I noticed before, followed by a slightly relaxed motion in the evening, three on Sunday, and one on Monday morning decidedly loose. This seemed to ex- haust the action of the oil, and since then I have had one stool only per diem, quite natural. . Mr. Richards.—Nov. 2, 1889. I took one-drop doses of Castor oil every morning for four days, when I was obliged to cease, and although naturally subject to loose- ness of the bowels it produced the most decided consti- pation, I am perfectly satisfied as to the action of one- drop doses of the oil upon myself. I next tried five-drop doses—^but with a negative result. I found doses of half a drachm produce slight diarrhcea. A Student.—Mr. Richards writes to me :—Dec. 15, 1889. A friend and myself took, as nearly as possible, yi-^th drop doses of Castor oil with constipation as a result. Dr. Applebe.— Nov. 17, 1889. With regard to the Castor oil, in my own case one drop had no effect, five drops caused constipation ; ten drops acted freely. We have seen that Mr. Seabroke, who was very un- comfortably constipated by the of a drop of Castor