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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    3 toms pulfe 108, heat 100 deg.—The cold affufion was immediately directed—two minutes afterwards the heat was 96 deg.—three minutes afterwards 98 deg.—the pulfe 98. This patient experienced great relief. The affufion was repeated on this and the following day—a gentle diaphorefis always fucceeded it, with tranquil deep, and on the third day the fever was completely removed. CASE VI. A young lady of 19, in the 7th or 8th day of typhus, became my patient, Sept. 26, 1794. Her pulfe was 112 and feeble, heat 101 deg. She had great pain in the head, and much proftration of ftrength, her eyes were fuffufed and dull—her tongue furred—her fpirits greatly depreff- ed. Saline medicines were ufed for this patient, with lemonade for her ufual drink, and moderate quantities of wine were given mixed with water. The burning fen- fation in the palms of her hands and temples was afTua- ged by frequent fpunging with vinegar, and every evening at fix p. m. three or four gallons of cold brine were thrown over her. The happy effects fo frequently de- fcribed, were in this cafe particularly ftriking:—The pulfe fell almoft immediately to 90, the heat to its na- tural ftandard, and the head-ache vanifhed—a gentle diaphorefis followed, with eafy fleep:—in a few hours, however, the feverifh fymptoms returned, and towards the hour of fix in the evening, the fever was in its highest ftate of exacerbation. At this hour therefore the affufion was repeated with the fame happy effects—though the fever returned as before, it was in a milder form j the fame practice was continued, and on the fecond of Oc- tober, fhe was entirely free from the difeafe.