An improved mode of employing mercury by fumigation to the whole body, exemplified by cases of its success. ... in various obstinate diseases of the skin, and especially in syphilitic affections / by Jonathan Green.

Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An improved mode of employing mercury by fumigation to the whole body, exemplified by cases of its success. ... in various obstinate diseases of the skin, and especially in syphilitic affections / by Jonathan Green. 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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    “ Tiie Success attending the Treatment is mainly to be ATTRIBUTED TO THE PERFECTNESS OP THE APPARATUS, AND TO ITS DUE MANAGEMENT. “ It will be observed, that contrary to the more usual cus- tom, I use the grey oxide of’ mercury, the hydrarg. oxid. cinerum. I have used it for thirty years in preference to the hydrarg. binoxidum; hydrarg. bisulphuretum, or any other preparation of mercury. I prefer it, as it does not make the patient cough, which the latter preparations usually do, and on account of the grey oxide being easily volatilized—not so with the other oxides of mercury, which require the heat of a common fire, say 1000° to 1200°. “ It will be observed, too, that in the two cases brought forward salivation was produced, although in both cases after various attempts, and ample time for trial, mercury could not in any form be made to take hold of the system, as it is called. Salivation is not usual from the use of mercurial fumigations; from their use we can arrive at the beneficial influence of the medicine, without any of the distressing or often injurious effects of mercury, so commonly witnessed from the ordinary way of introducing the medicine. A tumid, swollen and red state of the gums, and tenderness at the roots of the teeth, and that kept up for a proper time, is all the inconvenience that I find needful to submit the patient to, to produce the desired effect. If after these symptoms are produced, and the mercurial fumigations are continued, the flow of saliva, the prostration, and all the other symptoms of the full use of mercury are sequences, as from the routine administration ol the medicine, I question whether it is ever desirable to produce the distressing and prostrating effects of mercury, as shown when a patient is in a full state of salivation ; as I find that all the beneficial influence sought or expected is arrived at by merely keeping the mouth gently affected for a due time by the mercurial fumigations. And that the mercurial fumiga- tions influence or pervade the whole System, I think there can remain no doubt; for relapses must be very rare, after a due course of mercurial fumigations, if they ever do take place, for, as far as my own practice has gone, I am not aware of a single case of relapse. “ It should be recollected that in the two cases brought under notice, salivation to some extent was produced, more so than, I believe, was necessary. But it should be borne in mind that these were two test cases for the fair trial of mei- curial fumigations alone, and no other medicine during the trial, in either case, was to be resorted to. Ibis was stiin- gently observed in either case, and the result was as heiein put forth. “These were also two face cases, with the nasal and throat