_December_, 1782. A poor woman, who had been afflicted with an ague
during the whole of her pregnancy, and for two months with dropsical
swellings of the feet, legs, thighs, abdomen, and labia pudenda; was
at the expiration of the seventh month taken in labour. On the day
after her delivery the ague returned, with so much violence as to
endanger her life. As soon as the fit left her, I began to give her
the red bark in substance, which had the desired effect of preventing
another paroxysm. She continued to recover her health for a fortnight,
but did not find any diminution in the swellings; her legs were now so
large as to oblige her to keep constantly on the bed, and she made
very little water. I ordered her the infusion of Foxglove three times
a day, which, on the third day, produced a very copious discharge of
urine, without any sickness; she continued the use of it for ten days,
and was then able to walk. Having lost all her swellings, and no
complaint remaining but weakness, the bark and steel compleated the
cure.
Extract of a Letter from Doctor JONES,
Physician, in Lichfield.
Anxious to procure authentic accounts from the patients, to whom I
gave the Foxglove, I have unavoidably been delayed in answering your
last favour. However, I hope the delay will be made up by the efficacy
of the plant being confirmed by the enquiry. Long cases are tedious,
and seldom read, and as seldom is it necessary to describe every
symptom; for every case would be a history of dropsy. I shall
therefore content myself with specifying the nature of the disease,
and when the dropsy is attended with any other affection shall notice
it.
Two years have scarcely elapsed since I first employed the Digitalis;
and the success I have had has induced me to use it largely and
frequently.