Report of two hundred and four interesting cases, selected from among those treated by Doctor E. Fellerer, resident physician of the Orange Mountain Hydropathic Institution, South Orange, New Jersey.

  • Fellerer, E. (Edward)
Date:
1853
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of two hundred and four interesting cases, selected from among those treated by Doctor E. Fellerer, resident physician of the Orange Mountain Hydropathic Institution, South Orange, New Jersey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    The lady was about 9 months under treat- ment, but left the establishment perfectly cured, and able to take an exercise of five miles daily. Treatment according to indicating symptoms. ANiEMIA. (Privation of Blood.) Case 1.—Mrs. , aged 55 years ; pale complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. In consequence of sickness at different times (intermittent and bilious fevers, &c.) the whole system is suffering greatly from relaxation and lassitude. The complexion of the lady has as- sumed a white waxy hue ; the lips, tongue, and mucous lining of the mouth are all pale,—the eyes are surrounded with bluish circles,—the skin is wrinkled, but at times puffed up with disease. The muscular power is small, at any exertion she is soon tired and has to go to bed. She has a sensation of sinking in the region of the stomach, and feels at this place particularly great weakness when walking. She complains of great weakness in the vertebra, between the shoulders and also of having frequently at- tacks of neuralgia all over the left side, and violent pains in the eyes, in consequence of which she feels an increased irritability and a chilliness alternating with heat. Her digestion is very poor. Constipation alternates with col- liquative diarrhoea. Pulse low and slow; I have twice found it under 60 per min. Hands and feet cold. As the situation of the lady was of so deli- cate a nature, great caution had to be observed in her treatment. She improved much from the beginning, until a chronic diarrhoea took place, which weakened her considerably. But after being cured of this evil, she gained strength anew, and her system felt in every respect benefited. I had an opportunity of seeinc the lady last winter, at home, and she assured me that her health was better than it had been for three years. The treatment, of course, was regulated by the prevailing symp- toms of her disease- Oase 2.—Miss , 38 years of age, pale and of feeble constitution, brown hair and blue eyes. . Together with symptoms indicating a rapid loss of muscular power and relaxation of the nervous system, the circulation of the blood is so slow and feeble that the pulsations are hard- ly 60 in a minute. There is almost no develop- ment of heat; the patient is always cold, and her feet particularly so. A cold bath almost freezes her. The menses are regular, but of rather a watery nature, and immediately sup- pressed whenever her feet get wet. Digestion poor, and there is to all appearance a complete relaxation of the mucous membrane of the in- testinal canal. She is costive at times. The right kidney seems to be in a state of sub-inflam- mation, for the patient complains of soreness there, extending to the bladder. The urine is often turbid, and contains a sediment like phos- phate of ammonia. By the use of mild baths the patient im- proved so much, that she could be packed every other day in a wet sheet, and in the course of six weeks we could go over to colder and colder baths. She finally could bear perfectly cold baths, and felt daily better. The circula- tion of the blood was accelerated and the vitality considerably increased. Thus she left the establishment, very much improved. Case 3.—Mrs. , pale, corpselike com- plexion, black eyes and hair. Grief and troubles, restless nights, and tic- douloureux in the face for six years, have re- duced the patient to a state of complete exhaus- tion. The skin is relaxed and feels as cold as ice. Palpitations of heart and dyspnoea occur, particularly when ascending hills. The pulse is low and uncommonly slow ; the veins of the skin a reddish violet. Feet cold. The ner- vous sensibility is extreme, hence occur weep- ing and fainting every day. Sleepiness and weakness of the eyes. Digestion very de- ranged ; her meals rise from the stomach, ac- companied with a great quantity of acid. Obstinate constipation. Menstruation without fixed periods, but always profuse and exhaust- ing. The debility of the patient was overcome in a great measure, but from letters received since her departure, the benefit was not permanent. I do not wonder at it; returning to her old way of living, and eschewing too early the treat- ment with water, it was to be expected. My prescription during her stay was, packing in wet sheet, wet bandage over the abdomen, half and sitz-baths from 70° down to 65°, and drinking frequently small quantities of water. SCROPHULOSIS. (Scrofula.) Miss , 20 years of age, blonde, with blue eyes, a tender white skin, deceptive red cheeks and lips of a bright red. Was from her childhood of a very weak constitution, and disposed to sickness from an abnormal mixture of the juices. The glands have been swollen from her earliest youth ; sometimes they are hard and at other times soft. In her fourteenth year they began to break, and continued to dis- charge a pus-like, scrofulous matter character- istic of this dyscrasia. At the same time came on a curve in the spine towards the left. (Sco- liosis.) Menstruation in small quantities, and