On the use of the nitrate of silver in the cure of erysipelas / by John Higginbottom.

  • Higginbottom, John, 1788-1876.
Date:
[1847]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the use of the nitrate of silver in the cure of erysipelas / by John Higginbottom. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    ON THE USE OF THE NITRATE OF SILVER IN THE CUEE OF ERYSIPELAS, By John Higginbottom, F.R.C.S.E. Nottingham. (Head before the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association, at the Anniver- sary Meeting, at Derby, Wednesday, August 4th, I847._) I HAVE found lhal if ihe nitrate of silver be applied early, it sub- dues local iuflainuiaiion and irrilaiion, if we employ at the same lime, the most etBcieni means for regulating the digestive organs. At an early period of my practice, in slight cases of erysipelas, I used constitutional remedies alone, hoping that the inflammation would have been arrested ; but having been so often disappointed, I now use both local and constitutional remedies simultaneously, and especially the nitrate of silver. Even in mild cases of erysipelas, in which I did not apply the nitrate of silver, I found the disease very long in duration, and I observed that the patients had sometimes numerous small abscesses requiring the use of the lancet, which might have been prevented altogether by the early application of the nitrate, of silver. The objections I formerly entertained to the very early application of the nitrate of silver, were the pain and inconvenience attending the discolouration of the part on which it is applied, which remains for a week or more, but these objections are trifling compared with the con- tinued severity of the disease, if permitted to run its usual course, particularly on the head, in which there is also great danger of inflam- mation of the membranes of the braiu and of serous eflfusion. I have found that when the inflammation has been subdued by an early use of the nitrate of silver, the constitutional symptoms were immediately relieved ; the constitutional disturbance is directly aggravated by the least increase of local inflammation, and in a few hotn-s, after a decided application of the nitrate of silver, the inflammation is arrested and gradually subdued, and with it the constitutional symptoms cease. Even in idiopathic erysipelas, there is no period of the disease when I would not apply the nitrate of silver. I have never in any cases seen metastasis, or any other bad effect fi I'om the use of this important remedy. When it is necesssary to apply the nitrate of silver over an ex- tensive surface as in erysipelas, I have for some years used the con- centrated solution in the manner proposed by Mr. John Gooch, Surgeon, R.N., in a paper publised in the La7icet of September 15th, 1832, entitled Practical remarks on Erysipelas as it appeared on board His Majesty's ship. Prince Regent. The strength of the so- lution is not given in this paper j I prescribe it in the following manner:— R. ArgeiUi Nitratis.. scr. iv. AciJi Nitrici gtt, vj. Aquas Dislilluto) dr. iv.