Memoir of the medicinal action of arsenic : collected from the reported experience of the members of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association, and other sources / by Thomas Hunt.

  • Hunt, Thomas, 1798-1879.
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memoir of the medicinal action of arsenic : collected from the reported experience of the members of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association, and other sources / by Thomas Hunt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    to attribute the colic, in Dr. Thompson's case, to some other cause, because he very properly administered arsenic freely diluted, and on a full stomach ; under which precautions, the stomach and bowels more rarely suffer from small doses. The only conclusion which can be drawn from these cases is, that the administration of excessive doses of arsenic is liable to be attended with temporary inconvenience, the symptoms varying, both in kind and degree, with the mode of administration, and the constitution of the patient; but that these symptoms are neither dangerous nor liable to become permanent; for they uniformly subside upon the discontinuance of the medicine, which may afterwards be safely and beneficially resumed.* It seems necessary to add, that the case of local paralysis following the use of arsenic, read by Dr. Hastings, at the last Anniversary Meeting of the Association, and printed in the Provincial Medical and Surgical Journal, (August 23, 1848, p. 459,) had not occurred when Dr. Hastings kindly responded to my enquiries in January, so that it is not included in my list. I may also here refer the reader to a case related by Dr. Barham, which will be found in his reply to Question 14. It presents, at all events, a fact of interest, under which title Dr. Barham very properly classes it; but whether the symptoms are to be referred to the post hoc, or the propter hoc category, may be considered as still doubtful. The original disease was curious, and the case was treated with too much circumspection to present any strong points of practical instruction. Question IV. Did you ever see it (arsenic,) administered without producing any apparent effect on the system; and if so, in what doses, and how long was it persisted in V * In a letter addressed by me to Mr. Martin, the Secretary of the South Eastern Branch, and read at the Annual Meeting, at Tonbridge Wells, June 28th, 1849, I stated, that out of the records of a multitude of cases, in no one instance did it appear that the medicinal exhibition of arsenic, not always cautiously administered, has proved either fatal or seriously detrimental to the health. At the Annual Meeting, held at Bath in the August following, a Dr. Tunstall, (who has not yet favoured me with his valuable experience in arsenic,) is represented to have denied both the facts and the deductions, because he should otherwise be accessory to the death of thousands I I should be sorry to lead the Doctor into an error; but I cannot alter the facts, whether he deny them or not. The deductions are quite at Dr. Tunstall's disposal, even if he should be accessory to their death.