Report on the epidemic fever of Edinburgh : an account of the symptoms and treatment / by William Henderson. Analysis and details of forty-seven inspections after death / by John Reid.

  • Henderson, William, 1810-1872.
Date:
[1840-?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the epidemic fever of Edinburgh : an account of the symptoms and treatment / by William Henderson. Analysis and details of forty-seven inspections after death / by John Reid. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    that were bled and recovered, as ascertained in 28 cases, was eleven days and two-thirds, up to the commencement of convalescence. The average of the 24 that had wine was fifteen days. Deaths.—Of the ninety-six cases, seven died; or, subtract- ing cases that were admitted after all prospect of benefit from treat- ment was over, five died, giving a proportion of deaths, resulting from a cautious and sparing use of stimulants, and occasional blood- letting, of 1 in 19, or, including the 2, 1 in 14 nearly. Dates of the Blood-letting.—Thirty were bled on or before the eighth day of the disease, two as late as the eleventh, one on the twelfth. The two fatal cases were bled, the one on the seventh day to twenty ounces,—died on the thirteenth,—the other on the sixth to fourteen ounces,—died on the ninth. Ages.—One was aged 49 ; 35 and below 40 there were 2 cases ; 30 and below 35, 4 cases ; 20 and below 30, 14 cases; 14 and below 20, 12 cases. The cases that died were aged 23 and 29. Appearance o f the Blood and state of Symptoms.—In 10 cases the blood was natural in colour and the crassamentum firm ; in two of these the venesection was practised after the eighth day, viz. on the eleventh and twelfth. Four of them had some cough with much pain of the chest, aggravated by full inspiration before the blood-letting ; two had abdominal tenderness ; four had chiefly severe headach, general distressing soreness, and restlessness. In 5 the pulse was above 120, small and firm; in the others between that and 90, and of good strength. In all of these cases speedy relief to pain was the consequence of the loss of blood ; in two, however, not till the evacuation was repeated once and twice re- spectively. In one case the favourable change was temporary, and death happened six days after. In 6 cases the blood was distinctly sizy; in 2 cupped also. Five of them were bled between the fourth and the eighth days; 1 on the tenth. Before the evacuation, 5 had severe head- ach, and either much general soreness or tenderness of abdomen, or pain of the chest, with cough; 1 had much soreness, oppres- sion, and pain of throat, without headach. The pulse ranged from 100 to 126. mostly small and tense; in 1, 126, and full; in another, 100, and moderate. The effects were in all, after a first or second bleeding, much relief or total removal of the pains, and feelings of oppression ; and in 5 the pulse had fallen in frequency on the following day from 16 to 26 beats. In 4 cases the crassamentum, in other respects ntitural, pre- sented a greenish or olive tint on the surface. These were bled between the fourth and eighth days, with permanent relief to the previous ])ains in the head and chest. In 6 cases the crassamen- tum, though natural in colour, had less firmness than that of 1