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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    as yet been resorted to; and although the amendment thus far was manifest, yet the leading characteristics of the case being considered, my knowledge of the sulphur fumigations did not allow me to calculate on the progressive improvement of the patient, nor on the permanency of the benefit which he had already received, without the conjoint aid of mercury; I therefore felt it my duty to urge my doubts to Captain T. He consulted Sir B. C. Brodie, who was also of opinion that mercury was necessary to establish a cure; and, there being no continuous surface free from ulcers, on which the mercurial ointment could be rubbed, he was ordered fifteen grains of blue pill every twenty-four hours, with decoction of sarsaparilla, and to continue the fumigations. He com- menced the mercury on the 6th of October. On the 9th he was under the influence of the medicine, which was di- minished to ten grains. On the 10th it was further dimi- nished to five grains in the twenty-four hours. On the 12th it was needful to discontinue the medicine altogether; he, however, went on with the sarsaparilla and the fumigations. The rapid progress now made will perhaps be most readily conceived when I state that by the 17th every ulcer had healed ; that the pains in the shins and the nodes had gone; and that the coppery redness had left the face, and was dis- appearing from all the healed patches on the surface of the body and limbs. From this date the patient’s recovery proceeded with the same celerity as from the first of the treatment. He soon left London convalescent, and only taking the sarsaparilla. In all, he took but thirty-four fume baths between the 26th of September and the 6th of November. This was the whole of the treatment resorted to, with the exception of one dose of castor oil, which was directed with a view of abating sali- vation. It may be said from the speedy recovery in this case, that there was a favourable idiosyncrasy, which disposed the system to be readily influenced by the treatment. It might be so; but I have treated many similar cases with like success. No relapse occurred, and years have now gone by since Captain T. has felt as well as ever he did. 1 have often had to observe the beneficial influence of the sulphur fume baths, not only in venereal, but in other obsti- nate ulcerations. The stimulus of the sulphur in a state of vapour certainly agrees well with indolent sores generally, and even disposes venereal ulcers to heal, as is instanced in the above case; yet I cannot conceive that the sulphur fumi- gation alone would have done permanent good in such a case; the aid of mercury was further necessary. It is the combi-