A gentleman’s son in perfect health, between four and five years of
age, on the third day after inoculation voided a long round worm alive,
after having taken on the preceding night a dose of mercurial physick.
No signs of worms had hitherto been observed in him; and he afterwards
seemed to be quite well, till the symptoms which usually precede the
small-pox came on.
After a very moderate illness, an eruption of about twenty pustules
succeeded, and all complaints then ceased; so that on the 4th day after
the eruption, I proposed, and was permitted, to discontinue my visits
for the present. I called again however on the 6th day, and found him
well as usual, and at play, the pustules being then nearly maturated.
I was informed, however, that in the night of the 4th day, he had been
hot, feverish, and restless; was very well the day following, and hot
again at night, but in a lesser degree; so that this slight illness
did not then give the least alarm. But on the 7th day, early in the
morning, I was called up to visit him as soon as possible, and was
informed that in the beginning of the night he grew extremely hot and
delirious, and soon became stupid, drowsy, and senseless; in which
condition I found him, grating his teeth, with convulsive motions about
the mouth.
The pustules were at this time quite ripe, and looked, as they always
had done, extremely well. His pulse was very quick, though the heat
was now moderate, and the respiration free and easy; but he was so
comatose, as not to be roused, even so much as to open his eyes, by any
disturbance that could be given.
In this alarming situation I desired the assistance of the physician,
who on other occasions had usually attended the family. At our
consultation, which soon followed, it was agreed, that as the
small-pox were very few in number, had always looked well, and were
now completely maturated, the present symptoms must be occasioned by
worms, or some irritating cause in the bowels.
With this view a dose of rhubarb and calomel was immediately prescribed
and exhibited, though we were obliged to open the mouth by force, and
this not without some difficulty. The operation of this medicine was
accelerated by a clyster, and a large fœtid slimy stool, followed by
some smaller liquid ones, was procured that afternoon.
The child, however, seemed to be almost totally insensible during this
time, nor did he yet appear to be in any respect relieved by these
evacuations: blisters therefore were successively applied to the back,
head, and legs, and sinapisms to the feet; leeches were likewise fixed
to the temples, and rhubarb with calomel, after some little interval,
again directed; tin medicines being given between whiles.
By these means, though not till a considerable quantity of slimy and
extremely offensive fæces had been discharged, some signs of amendment
appeared. But the child still remained in some degree comatose till
the fifth day from this attack; after which the progress of amendment
was very quick, and in two or three days he got quite well, and has so
continued.