Practical observations on diphtheria and erysipelas / by Charles Bell.

  • Charles Bell
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical observations on diphtheria and erysipelas / by Charles Bell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    where even under his treatment it proved fatal in eleven cases out of twenty, thus showing a mortality nearly equal to that of cholera; and, at the same time, indicating how urgently some remedy or mode of treatment was required, which, by the blessing of Providence, might diminish the fatal tendency of the disease. It is true that Dr. Begbie remarks that this large proportion of deaths, however, must not be considered as indicating the average mortality from the disease. The number of the whole is too small to enable us to draw any accurate conclusion; while it must be kept in mind that my attendance in almost all cases was requested only on account of their more than usual severity. This may be perfectly correct; but I feel well assured that, had the treatment I have recommended been used from the com- mencement in all the cases he has reported, he would have been enabled, in all human probability, to have given a more favorable account of his experience. This opinion seems to me to be justified by the result of the cases in which he employed the treatment. In the first edition of this paper I did not think it neces- sary to report all the cases of diphtheria which had come under my notice, as my object was merely to publish a new mode of treating the disease; I therefore referred only to those cases in which the whole treatment had been used. Had I not limited myself to such cases, I would have men- tioned others in which I had employed the muriated tincture of iron with remarkable advantage. The first of these occurred in the case of a cook in the service of a family residing in Edinburgh, who came under my care about twelve years ago. This patient was apparently in immi- nent danger, as her general health was much impaired, and her throat covered with a very dark deposit; but immedi- ately she was put under the chalybeate she began to im- prove, and rapidly got well. The next case was that of a young lady of a naturally delicate constitution, who came from England to spend the winter in Edinburgh. I was requested to see her on the 13th November, when she seemed to be suffering from a common cold, which did not confine her to bed. She had running at the nose and sore throat, which I touched with caustic. On the 14th her throat was more swelled and painful. Caustic was again applied, and I ordered her to have a draught at bedtime containing the spirit of Mindererus and antimonial wine.
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