P. S. The second patient, on his relapse, took Digitalis again,
combined with other things.
CASE communicated by Mr. CAUSER, Surgeon, at Stourbridge,
Worcestershire.
Mr. P---- of H---- M----, in the parish of Kingswinford, aged about
60; had been a strong healthy, robust, corpulent man; worked hard
early in life at edge-tool making, and drank freely of strong malt
liquor; for many years had been subject to gout in the extremities;
for a few years past had been very asthmatic, and the gout in the
extremities gradually decreased. When I first saw him, which was
_Sept._ 12, 1779, his legs were anasarcous, his belly much swelled,
and an evident fluctuation of water. His breathing very bad, an
irregular pulse, and unable to lie down. His easiest posture was
standing with his body leaning over a chair, in which situation he
would continue many hours together, labouring for breath, with the
sweat trickling down his face very profusely; the urine in very small
quantity. Diuretics of every kind I could think of were used with very
little or no advantage. Blisters applied to the legs relieved very
considerably for a time, but by no means could I increase the urinary
discharge. Warm stomachic medicines were given, and at the same time
sinapisms applied to the feet, in hopes of enticing gout to the
extremities, but without any good effect.--_November_ 22d. The
swelling considerably increasing, an emetic of acet. scillitic. was
given, which acted very violently, and increased the urinary discharge
considerably. He continued better and worse, using different kinds of
diuretic and expectorating medicines until _September_ 1781, when the
disease was so much worse, I did not expect he could live many days.
The acet. scillitic. was repeated, a table spoonful every half hour,
till it acted briskly upwards and downwards; but without increasing the
urinary discharge.--On the 17th of _September_ I infused [Symbol: dram]iii.
of the fol. Digitalis in [Symbol: ounce]vi. of boiling water, for four
hours; then strained it, and added [Symbol: ounce]i. of tinct.
aromatica.--On the 18th he began by taking one spoonful, which he was
to repeat every half hour, till it made him very sick, unless
giddiness, loss of sight, or any other disagreeable effect took place.
I had never given the medicine before, and had prepared him to expect
the operation to be very severe. I saw him again on the 21st; he had
taken the medicine regularly, till the whole quantity was consumed,
without perceiving the least effect of any kind from it, and continued
well till the evening of the following day, when a little sickness
took place, which increased, but never so as to occasion either
vomiting or purging, but a surprising discharge of urine. The saliva
increased so as to run out of his mouth, and a watery discharge from
his eyes; these discharges continued, with a continual sickness, till
the swelling was totally gone, which happened in three or four days.
He afterwards took steel and bitters; and continued very comfortably,
without any return of his dropsy, until the 7th of _April_ 1782, when
he was seized with an epidemic cough, which was very frequent with us
at that time. His swellings now returned very rapidly, with the
greatest difficulty in breathing, and he died in a few days. Blisters
and expectorating medicines were used on this last return.
Extract of a Letter from Mr. CAUSER.
Mrs. S----, the subject of the following Case, was as ill as it is
possible for woman to be and recover; from the inefficacy of the
medicines used, I am convinced no medicine would have saved her but
the Digitalis. I never saw so bad a case recovered; and it shews, that
in the most reduced state of body, the medicine in small doses, will
prove safe and efficacious.
N. B. The Digitalis, in pills, never occasioned the least sickness.
She took two boxes of them.