The evidence of Sir Wm. Gull, F.R.S., physician to her Majesty.

  • Gull, William.
Date:
1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The evidence of Sir Wm. Gull, F.R.S., physician to her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    He had been drinking, I presume, up to the last moment ? I could not say, but I have no doubt he had a lar^ amount of umcon- sumed stuff in him. When was he brought into the hospital ? In the evening, and he died about a quarter-past ten. I could not say I was sure that state was directly from the alcohol ; but directly or indirectly it was. Lord Cottesloe: Would that state of things lead to spontaneous combustion. It is the nearest condition to it, and it makes it reasonable to suppose that there are conditions under which that result might arise. Earl of Onslow: In the case of an habitual drunkard to whom drinking has become second nature, would you, when he leaves it off, recommend any tonic or any drink by which he might gradually accustom himself to abstinence from alcohol ? Nothing beyond good food. Would that supply the craving ? It would not at first supply the craving, but it would ultimately over- come It; almost all our tonics, so considered, are tinctures which contain alcohol. Dr. Brunton mentioned quinine; what do you say about that ? I have no eiqierience of its value in such cases. He says “ One of the best things I believe to be what was tried by Mr. Fox ID Bedford Gaol, namely carbonate of ammonia with e^entian and it IS still better if a little tincture of capsicum is added to it”? * But I suppose if Mr. Fox, in Bedford Gaol, had tried good food, the r^idt probably would have been the same. I confess that I should have tried the good food alone. Lord Cottesloe: But the good food applies to a period, whereas the admmistration cf a tome is temporary. But that does not show that the man would not have been just as well without It; he has only the experience of the tonic; he has no expene.nce without the tonic. of the tonic is not so much, I apprehend, to help the patient as to keep him from going to drink? n**’'!* necessary; if I had the nearest relative given to dnnk I wo.ild not give them anything but good food. By good ^od I do one fhln^ ° ^ Liebig’s extract of meat for one thing; that has been a favourite thing with me to advise • when people are exhausted they might take Liebig’s extract of meat in’ water ^ -“o' Yes, It is not very palatable, but it is very useful Is it always nasty ? Si *'^’nk it is nasty, but der/ustibus, of course. I would like to rpv tinctly, as regards the tonic,that that would be only shifting the condition^ St£rheSro^f?h®“'^®‘^‘^ alcoholisatfonTsug^L- mg that the ladies of the upper classes were accustomed to take So.