A few facts respecting the therapeutic use of pure oxygen, forgotten by the faculty but of peculiar importance to suffering invalids and their physicians / by S.B. Birch.

Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A few facts respecting the therapeutic use of pure oxygen, forgotten by the faculty but of peculiar importance to suffering invalids and their physicians / by S.B. Birch. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    At l(>igth she consulted respecting oxygen. A thick, perfectly black s ibstance surrounded the wliole of the muscles of the leg, witii intervening deep and painful ulcers, exuding a most offeiisiye ichonjus black discharge. The breast was very hard and painful; she had no sleep except from opium, and was in a most exhaii>iiid state. Recovery could not be expected, but oxygen was administ, led as a forlorn hope. In three weeks the vital powers were so i:iu< h increased as to enable the parts to throw off daily large black slou Jis. Healthy action was soon set up, and with the aid of some other gi-i tle remedies, she was in two months completely cured; her breast also being quite well. NEURALGIC PAINS IN THE FACE, JAWS, AND TEETH. Miss , naturally of good constitution, had been for twelve yeara afflicted with constantly recurring attacks of swelling and pains, lasting frequently for weeks and months at a time. Many teeth had been extracted, various physicians had tried everything—medicines, change of climate, but all failed. At length the severity of the paroxysm became so intolerable that two hundred drops of laudanum did not procure an hour's sleep for many weeks ; and in consultation it was considered necessary to perform a very severe surgical operation upon the face. Dr. Hili, however, after much difficultj', induced the other medical gentlemen to consent to give a fair trial to oxygen, before resorting to the extreme measure. The first dose of gas took away all pain, and without any opium she had seven hours' continuous sleep. The paroxysms of pain of course returned occasionally, but by continuing the oxj^gen daily for three weeks, she got quite rid of her sad complaint, which had previously rendered life miserable. EPILEPSY WITH PARALYSIS. Ann Bridges, 17 years of age, was suddenlj'^ seized with a kind of epileptic fit, which, after violent fever for some weeks, terminated in complete paralysis of the left side. After the trial of all means of cure in succession for four years, she was pronounced incurable. At length she could with difficulty cross the room, even with crutches. Oxygen was then tried, and in a few weeks she perfectly recovered, and was aljlo to work as usual. AGUE, ENLARGED SPLEEN, DROPSY, ETC. Mrs. Priest, Strand, was seized vnth intermittent fever in Essex For three years all the remedies of different physicians failed to relieve her. At last she became so weak as seldom to be out of bed for more than two or three hours at one time. Enormous enlargement of the spleen took place, and it gradually occupied the whole of the left side of the abdomen, causing dropsy of the lower extremities. The liver also was affected. After some hesitation she was put under oxygen treatment. in ten days the paroxysms of fever were shorter and less violent; in a fortnight the ague disappeared;—a month after- wards she was perfectly cured. Some enlargement of the spleen still remained, but was of little consequencb, and afterwai-ds gradually dis- appeared. Ll! pa it