An inaugural dissertation on the use of the Digitalis purpurea in the cure of certain diseases : submitted to the public examination of Samuel Bard, M.D. President ; the vice-president and professors of the college of physicians under the authority of the university of the state of New-York, for the degree of doctor of medicine, on the fourteenth day of May, 1811 / by Thomas Edward Steell, of New-Jersey.

  • Steell, Thomas Edward, 1788 or 1789-1818.
Date:
1811
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural dissertation on the use of the Digitalis purpurea in the cure of certain diseases : submitted to the public examination of Samuel Bard, M.D. President ; the vice-president and professors of the college of physicians under the authority of the university of the state of New-York, for the degree of doctor of medicine, on the fourteenth day of May, 1811 / by Thomas Edward Steell, of New-Jersey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    ( 5^9 ) Dropsies. According to nosological arrangement digitalis would be rejected in the cure of this class of dis- eases, for though it sometimes has a diuretic effect, its powerful sedative operation would coun- teract its other qualities in these cases of debility. Were it not that they sometimes take on a febrile appearance, digitalis would perhaps be totally inad- missible. I am informed that our celebrated coun- tryman. Dr. Rush, in his lectures delivered in the University of Pennsylvania, always treats of the febrile states of dropsies. It is certain that these complaints do sometimes appear with a consider- able degree of excitement, and here the exhibition of our medicine would be indicated. Hence we are enabled also to account for the salutary ope- ration of powerful evacuating remedies in dropsies after bleeding, as calomel and jalap, practised by Dr. T. Sim,* of Virginia. Let us examine the different species of dropsy, and observe how the principle of our practice will apply. Hydrocephalus. We have the testimony of Dr. Quin, as before observed, in favour of foxglove in the internal dropsy of the brain. Also of Dr. Rush,! that this is a disease of excitement. Thus practice and theory give to each their mutual support. • See Medical Museum, toI. i. p. 316. t Medical Inquiries,