An essay on the wear and tear of human life : and the real remedy for this complaint / by G.T. Hayden.

  • Hayden, G. T. (George Thomas), 1798-1857.
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the wear and tear of human life : and the real remedy for this complaint / by G.T. Hayden. 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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    the atmospliere being saturated with moisture, and there- fore unfit to carry off the excretions of the skin in an in- sensible form. Animal poisons, or putrid effluvia, Avere found by Ma- gendie to destroy dogs about the tenth day. The animals were confined in the upper part of a barrel, the lower part being filled with putrefying animal substances, which were separated from the dogs by a grating. The animals took food, and were even lively, but became much emaciated be- fore death. Putrid water, even a few drops, injected into the veins of dogs, produced sjTUptoms exactly resembling those of yellow fever. The poisons producing infectious disorders are most probably introduced by inhalation.* The greatest pos- sible care should be taken to remove all putrefying and excrementitious matters, more especially in cities and close places; indeed, though there is a popular feeling in favour of this act of common cleanliness—for we often hear it said that, “such things are enough to breed a fever;” yet, still, we find that inattention in this way is by no means confined to the humbler ranks of society, f * “ A nurse in one of the Dublin hospitals, apparently in excellent health, ■was desired by the physican to assist a patient, labouring under fever, to turn in bed. Being very feeble, he endeavoured to support himself by placing his arms round the nurse’s neck, when she suddenly drew back, struck by the offensive odour from his person, and exclaiming that she had caught fever. She in- stantly became cold, pale, and ghastly, and appearing about to faint, had to be removed to her room. Malignant fever of a very severe description succeeded, and lasted for thirteen days.” t I some time ago attended five patients, whose ages varied from seven to eighteen; they were all seized suddenly with a most mah'gnant form of typhus fever, when the disease was not epidemic, nor in the neighbourhood; in fact, there was no local or constitutional cause that could be deemed exciting, but the obstruction of a sewer communicating with a water-closet. The whole atmos- phere of the house was obviously contaminated with eflluvia, which, doubtless, caused the malignant typhoid fever which proved fatal to one of the patients. I