Medical reports, on the effects of water, cold and warm, as a remedy in fever and other diseases : whether applied to the surface of the body, or used internally / by James Currie, M.D.

  • Currie, James, 1756-1805.
Date:
1808
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical reports, on the effects of water, cold and warm, as a remedy in fever and other diseases : whether applied to the surface of the body, or used internally / by James Currie, M.D. 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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    3*7 / CASE VII. F. G. a foldier of the 30th regiment, aged 33, fell under my care on the 9th of June, 1792, during the prevalence of the epidemic in that regiment, of which I have already given an account. He was in the 9th day of the difeafe—his pulfe 100 and feeble—his heat 104 deg.—his third was very great—his tongue foul and black—frequent cough occurred, with ftreaks of blood in the expectoration—and petechias appeared all over his body. His mind was at all times confufed, and at times he was completely delirious. I directed that his ftrength should be fupported by adminiftering a bot- tle of wine every day, with an equal quantity of gruel •>— that every night he fhould take an opiate draught, and that a complete operation of his bowels fhould be pro- cured by a clyfter adminiftered daily, and if this did not fucceed, by a few grains of calomel. I alfo directed that a bucket full of falt-water fhould be thrown over him immediately, and repeated according to circumftances. In a few minutes after the affufion, the heat was 98 de- grees—the pulfe 98—his mind was more calm and col- lected : two hours afterwards he had relapfed into nearly his former ftate, Jbm the night was parTed more tran- quilly. The whole of this practice was continued with nearly the fame refult, till the 12th day of the difeafe, the affufion having always been performed in the even- ing, and fometimes at noon alfo. The fever continued its ufual period, but on the 12th day, the heat having funk to its natural ftandard, the cold affufion was thence- forth omitted; we however, fpunged the whole body once or twice a day with vinegar.—The patient was in a ftate of convalefcence on rhe 18th day from the firft attack.