Mr. W----, aged--. In _June_, 1782, was affected with slight
difficulty in respiration, upon taking exercise or lying down in bed.
These symptoms increased gradually until the end of _July_, when he
complained of sense of weight and uneasiness about the proecordia;
loss of appetite; and costiveness. The urine was small in quantity,
and high coloured; his pulse feeble, and intermitting; he breathed
with difficulty when in bed, and slept little. After the exhibition of
an emetic, and an opening medicine of rhubarb, sena, and sal tartari,
he was directed to take half a dram of squill pill, pharm. Edinburg.
night and morning, with [Symbol: dram]ss sal. sodae in [Symbol: ounce]iss.
infus. amar. simpl. twice a day; and these medicines were continued
during ten days, without any sensible effect. A blister was then
applied to the sternum, and six grains of calomel given in the
evening. The symptoms were now increased very considerably, in every
particular; and the following infusion was substituted for the former
medicines.
R. Fol. Digital. purpur. [Symbol: dram]iii.
Cort. limon. [Symbol: dram]ii. infund.
Aq. bullient. [Symbol: pound]i. per hor. 2 et cola. sumat
cochl. i. primo mane et repet. omni hora.
Sometime in the night considerable nausea occurred, and the following
day he began to make water in great quantity, which he continued to do
for three or four days. The pulse in a few hours became regular,
slower, and stronger, and, in the course of a week, all the symptoms
entirely vanished, and an electuary of cort. peruvian, sal martis, and
spec. aromatic. confirmed his cure.
In _February_, 1784, this gentleman had a relapse of his disease, from
which he again soon recovered by the same means, and is now perfectly
well.