Medical reports, on the effects of water, cold and warm, as a remedy in fever and other diseases : whether applied to the surface of the body, or used internally / by James Currie, M.D.

  • Currie, James, 1756-1805.
Date:
1808
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical reports, on the effects of water, cold and warm, as a remedy in fever and other diseases : whether applied to the surface of the body, or used internally / by James Currie, M.D. 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 i o conclude this part of my fubject, I have known two inftances of this difeafe in horfes, both originating in wounds ; the firft of thefe was treated in the method (irft defcribcd. The cold bach was ufed repeatedly, and large dofes of opium employed in the form of clyfters j but the difeafe terminated fatally. The fecond of thefe occurred in a horfe of Dr. Camplin's about a twelve- month ago in his journey to Bath. The doctor informs me, that he gave him wine and opium, mixing fixty drops of laudanum with every pint of wine, and by this practice he had the pleafure of recovering him, though not till he had drunk as much wine as he was worth. Brandy or gin may perhaps be as iuccelsful in fuch cafes. It may be fuppofed, that thefe inftances of fuccefs in the ufe of the cold bath in tetanus, would lead me to employ it in other convulfive diforders. This has ac- cordingly been the cafe. Of the ufe of the cold bath in fuch diforders I can fpeak with fome confidence, as my experience of it is now of feveral year's duration. In the convulfions of children, I have found the cold bath a mod ufeful remedy, whether the diforder origi- nated in worms or other caufes. I have feldom known it to fail in (topping the paroxyfms, at lead for fome time, and thereby giving an opportunity of employing the means fitted to remove the particular irritation. I mull however obferve, that in early infancy I have ufed it with caution, and generally by arFufion, te'fnpering the water when the weather was cold. I have in gene- ral made the application of cold in this way fudden and tranfient, have employed means to fecure re-action, and have avoided the remedy entirely in all cafes where the vital energy feemed much exhauftcd. With thefe pre- cautions I have feen great fuccefs attend this remedy in-. a variety of inftances. Minutes of feveral of theie j