An inaugural dissertation on mercury : embracing its medical history, curative action, and abuse in certain diseases / by John W. Francis, A.B. Vice-President of the Medical and Surgical Society of the University of New-York.

  • Francis, John W. (John Wakefield), 1789-1861.
Date:
1811
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural dissertation on mercury : embracing its medical history, curative action, and abuse in certain diseases / by John W. Francis, A.B. Vice-President of the Medical and Surgical Society of the University of New-York. 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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    petite, nausea, and vomiting; the functions of the chylopoietic viscera become greatly disturbed, espe- cially those of the liver; and from its very powerful effects upon the digestive organs, the whole intestinal canal soon participates in the disorder. It exerts a no less powerful influence upon all the secretory and excretory vessels of the body, as in those of the mouth and fauces, trachea, bronchia?, and lungs, and not unlike the preparations of antimony, paralyses the action of the minute and distant vessels, especially those of the lymphatics. From this most general operation, a languor of the whole system is produced, the constitution at large becomes affected, and symp- toms highly indicative of general derangement and nervous irritability ensue. These effects, however, are much more readily induced in particular indi- viduals or habits of body than in others ; and as re- marked before, an intimate relation exists between the operation of this medicine, and the age, sex, con- stitution of the patient, temperature, &c. A small dose of calomel, given in the infantile state, has been followed by convulsions, and sanguineous discharges from the alimentary canal.* In some in- stances, the same preparation of mercury, in small doses, has excited a preternatural action of the blood- vessels, and haemorrhage from the lungs; thus predis- MS. Notes of Hosack's Lectures on the Mat. Med.