A letter to Mr. George Adams on the subject of medical electricity; from Mr. John Birch, surgeon.

  • Birch, John, 1745?-1815.
Date:
1792
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to Mr. George Adams on the subject of medical electricity; from Mr. John Birch, surgeon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    38/58
    tagc each time he was electrified : at the end of a fortnight, he was able to ride in a coach to my houfe : at the expiration of three weeks, he re- turned his vifits, walking with the help of one flick ; in a month he was perfectly well. A gentleman who had neglected the cure of repeated hernias humerales teflis, applied to me with a very large feirrhus of one of his tetes, which I firft attempted to refolve by mercurial friction, by vomits, cataplafms, and other exter- nal applications. Thefe ariive remedies failing of fuccefs, I confuted Mr. Elfe, who thought caflration the only refource; but as the fper- matic chord w7as not enlarged, he advifed the operation to be deferred till pain approached. During this interval, I propofed to pafs the fhock of ajar, which would contain two quarts of water, through the part; the pain of this fhock was not fo much as I expeefted; the tu- mor, though large and pendulous, was lifted by the adtion of the cremafter mufcle tight up to the abdominal ring; a confiderable heat was felt for fome hours in the part. Nothing further was done for a month, at which period 1 thought the hardnefs not fo honey, and propofed to re- peat the fhock, which was done. He went out of town for another month ; at his return I coulc[