On scarlatina, in a letter addressed to his son : in which is contained cases of angina sine efflorescentia, scarlatina anginosa, benigna, maligan vel angina gangrenosa, and their sequelae : also, observations on various therapeutic agents that have been employed in the treatment of scarlatina / by William Ingalls.

  • Ingalls, William, 1769-1851.
Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On scarlatina, in a letter addressed to his son : in which is contained cases of angina sine efflorescentia, scarlatina anginosa, benigna, maligan vel angina gangrenosa, and their sequelae : also, observations on various therapeutic agents that have been employed in the treatment of scarlatina / by William Ingalls. 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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    erubescence ; a papular eruption beneath the cuticle distinctly felt; the papulae seemed more solid and resisting, and the epi- dermis more dense and rigid than usual; in scratching, white furrows, as if made on the surface overspread with mealy des- quamation, became perceptible ; this appearance, the papulae and the supposed thickened state of the epidermis, were the only indications of the cutaneous membrane being in an altered condition. To these phenomena my attention was attracted by the patient herself. With the view of eliciting erubescence, almost always a concomitant of scarlatina, and moderating the violence of the symptoms, her hands were immersed twice in warm water, and a gentle emetic given with the same intention: these rem- edies, however, were unavailing. To appease the cough, a few drops of the camphorated tincture of opium were given, which, perhaps, owing to the smallness of the doses, were attended with little or no benefit. Opium and its preparations possess undoubtedly the faculty of communicating preternatural activity and force to the vascular system; exciting and increasing animal heat; and irritating and inflaming the skin. Hence, in exanthemata, the utility of opiates is, at least, questionable. From your sister's re- pugnance to mucilaginous drinks and expectorants, they were reluctantly omitted. The recumbent posture, the mastication and the swallowing of refined sugar, were the only curative means employed to mitigate the cough. Oct. 30th. All the symptoms enumerated as existing on the 29th were exasperated ; the subsultus tendinum, start- ings, jactitations, itching and superficial heat were carried to a formidable height, and excited the most alarming apprehen- sions of the issue ; the itching was so intolerable as to require incessant rubbing with the hand to obtain a momentary relief from this troublesome symptom ; the superficial heat was also insufferable ; every attempt to keep the patient cov-