Neuralgia : its various forms, pathology, and treatment : being the Jacksonian prize essay of the Royal college of surgeons for 1850 : with some additions / by C. Toogood Downing.

  • Downing, C. Toogood (Charles Toogood)
Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Neuralgia : its various forms, pathology, and treatment : being the Jacksonian prize essay of the Royal college of surgeons for 1850 : with some additions / by C. Toogood Downing. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

    200/438 (page 176)
    Saw E. Y. on Jan. 7tli, and ascertained that slie was suffering from genuine tic douloureux. She had great agony in the face—a severe, darting, plunging pain extend- ing from the ear across the cheek—in fact, taking the course of the portio dura and pes anserinus. The terminal branches of the superior maxillary nerve beneath the eye were also affected. The pain was not continuous, but the paroxysms came on occasionally with perfect intermissions. The periodicity was not, however, by any means perfect, nor did they take any particular type. They seemed to be determined by slight and accidental causes. The general health pretty good. Yiscera of the chest and abdomen healthy. The appetite is however bad, and the tongue foul. The bowels also are habitually consti- pated. Upon examination of the mouth found several carious teeth, which I recommended to be extracted as sources of irritation. Patient would not consent to this. As there was evidence of more disturbance of the primse vise in this case than I have usually met with, I determined to try the full effect of remedies directed to that quarter. The bowels were therefore thoroughly unloaded by aperient medicine with croton oil, and a course of alteratives and stomachics. This was persevered in for some time. The result was, improvement of the appetite and cleanness of the tongue, but the pain raged with equal severity. Quinine and arsenic were then tried, with the same result; but seeming rather, in the opinion of the patient, to aggravate the symptoms, the carbonate of iron, in doses of a teaspoonful three times a day, was substituted. Little