_July_ 9th. Mrs. F----, AEt. 70. A chearful, strong, healthy woman; but
for a few years back had experienced a degree of difficult breathing
when in exercise. In the course of the last year her legs swelled, and
she felt great fulness about her stomach. These symptoms continued
increasing very fast, notwithstanding several attempts made by a very
judicious apothecary to relieve her. The more regular practitioner
failing, she had recourse to a quack, who I believe plied her very
powerfully with Daphne laureola, or some drastic purge of that kind. I
found her greatly reduced in strength, her belly and lower extremities
swollen to an amazing size, her urine small in quantity, and her
appetite greatly impaired. For the first fortnight of my attendance
blisters were applied, solution of fixed alkaly, decoction of seneka
with vitriolic aether, chrystals of tartar, squill and cordial
medicines were successively exhibited, but with no advantage. I then
directed Pulv. Fol. Digital. two grains every four hours. After taking
eighteen grains, the urine began to increase. The medicine was then
stopped. The discharge of urine continued to increase, and in five or
six days the whole of the dropsical water passed off, without any
disturbance to the stomach or bowels. As the distension of the belly
had been very great, a swathe was applied, and drawn gradually tighter
as the water was evacuated. As no pains were spared to prevent the
return of the dropsy, and as the best means I could devise proved
unequal to my wishes, both in this and in some other cases, I shall
take the liberty to point out the methods I tried at different times
in as concise a manner as possible, for the knowledge of what will not
do, may sometimes assist us to discover what will.
1780.
_July_ 18th. Infusum amarum, steel, Seltzer water.
_September_ 22d. Neutral saline draughts, with tinct.
canthar.
26th. Pills of soap, garlic and millepedes.
30th. The same pills, with infusum amarum.
_October_ 11th. Pills of aloes, assafetida, and sal martis,
in the day-time, and mercury rubbed down, at night.
_December_ 21st. The accumulation of water now required a
repetition of the Digitalis. It was directed in infusion, a
dram and half to eight ounces, and an ounce and half given
every fourth hour, until its effects began to appear. The
water was soon carried off.
30th. Sal diuretic. twice a day. To eat preserved garlic
frequently.
1781.
_February_ 1st. Pills of calomel, squill and gum ammoniac.
3d. Infusion of Digitalis repeated, and after the water was
carried off, Dover's powder was tried as a sudorific.
_March_ 18th. Infus. Digital. repeated.
26th. Pills of sal martis and aromatic species, with infusum
amarum.
_May_ 5th. Being feverish; James's powder and saline
draughts.
10th. Laudanum every night, and an opening tincture to
obviate costiveness.
24th. Infus. Digitalis, one ounce only every fourth hour,
which soon procured a perfect evacuation of the water.
_August_ 11th. Infus. Digitalis.
_October_ 19th. An emetic, and fol. Cicut. pulv. ten grains
every six hours.
_November_ 8th. A mercurial bolus at bed-time.
16th. Infus. Digitalis.
_December_ 23d. An emetic--Pills of seneka and gum
ammoniac--Vitriolic acid in every thing she drinks.
25th. Squill united to small doses of opium.
1782.
_January_ 2d. A troublesome cough--Syrup of garlic and
oxymel of squills. A blister to the back.
4th. Tincture of cantharides and paregoric elixir.
28th. Infus. Digitalis, half an ounce every morning, and one
ounce every night, was now sufficient to empty her.
_March_ 26th. Infus. Digitalis; and when emptied, vitriol of
copper twice a day.
_April_ 1st. A cordial mixture for occasional use.
Two months afterwards a purging came on, which every now and
then returned, inducing great weakness--her appetite failed,
and she died in _July_.