A letter to Dr. Chambers ... on several important points relating to the nature and proper treatment of gout / by Sir Charles Scudamore.

Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to Dr. Chambers ... on several important points relating to the nature and proper treatment of gout / by Sir Charles Scudamore. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    1 have met with examples of severe occa- sional head-ache, being the disorder of the early part of life, yielding to gout occurring at a later period, and this becoming the established disease of the constitution. Asthma is sometimes exchanged for gout; and I have known a few instances in which this conversion of disease has been reversed : now and then also the two disorders alternate. Pain of a gouty nature appears to attack the external parts of the head occasionally; and one patient, whom I saw affected in this way, described his sufferings in the strongest lan- guage ; expressing that he thought his head was covered with an iron helmet; that some- times it was opening and shutting; and now and then as if being stabbed with knives. One gentleman, on the occurrence of a fit, has confusion of the head with giddiness, a dif- ficulty of articulating his words, great nervous- ness, and exceeding agitation of spirits ; and this state continues more or less during the stay of the gout. It does not always happen there- fore that the paroxysm confers the benefit of removing the distress of the nervous system. c 2