Report of a Committee of the associate medical members of the Sanitary Commission on the subject of pneumonia.

  • United States. Sanitary Commission.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of a Committee of the associate medical members of the Sanitary Commission on the subject of pneumonia. 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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    What are the requirements for recovery in the second stage of pneumonia? So far as the local aifection is concerned, the exudation is to be removed ; in other words, resolution is to take place; and, as regards the general condition, the powers of life must he adequate to carry the patient througli the pro- cesses of restoration. The objects of treatment must relate to these requirements. The question, then, is, What can be done to promote resolution of the local affection, and what to aid the powers of life to effect recovery ? First, as regards resolution of the local affection. Antimo- nial jDreparations have been considered to contribute to this object. Laennec, ascertaining by means of physical explora- tion the rapid disappearance of solidification under large doses of tartar emetic, was led to extol this remedy. But at that time cases of pneumonia without any active treatment had not been observed. It is now certain that the solidifica- tion may disappear with great rapidity, not only under differ- ent remedies, but when no remedy is given. Laennec and others naturally enough mistook for the effects of medication the changes occurring in the natural course of the disease. With our present knowledge, preparations of antimony are not indicated for the object under consideration. Given for this object, when uncalled for or contra-indicated by circum- staces relating to the general condition, they are not merely superfluous, but hurtful remedies,—the injury, of course, being proportionate to the extent to which they are given. It is not long since physicians generally deemed it import- ant to give merciiry, with a view of promoting resolution, and to push this remedy to ptyalism. But clinical observation has sufficiently shown that absorption of the exuded matter ffoes on as well without as witli mercurialization. There is no need, therefore, of incurring the depressing effects of this treatment. And if mercurialization be not needed, it is cer-