_April_ 8th. Mr. B----, AEt. 60. A corpulent man, with a stone in his
bladder, from which at times his sufferings are extreme. He had been
affected with what was supposed to be an asthma, for several years by
fits, but through the last winter his breath had been much worse than
usual; universal anasarca came on, and soon afterwards an ascites. Now
his urine was small in quantity and much saturated, the dysuria was
more dreadful than ever; his breath would not allow him to lie in bed,
nor would the dysuria permit him to sleep; in this distressful
situation, after having used other medicines to little purpose, I
directed an infusion of Digitalis to be given. When the quantity of
urine became more plentiful, the pain from his stone grew easier; in a
few days the dropsy and asthma disappeared, and he soon regained his
usual strength and health. Every year since, there has been a tendency
to a return of these complaints, but he has recourse to the infusion,
and immediately removes them.