On the efficacy of the secale cornutum in haemorrhage and leucorrhoea, and on its effects in gonorrhoea / by G. Negri.

  • Negri, Gaetano.
Date:
[1833]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the efficacy of the secale cornutum in haemorrhage and leucorrhoea, and on its effects in gonorrhoea / by G. Negri. 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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    Cask XIT.—“ .1. A. L., ret. 19, applied to me Nov. 5tli, 1833. Has gonorrhoea for the first time; symptoms severe. Ordered the sccale. “ 8th. Discharge more copious ; ardor urinre severe.—Secale omitted. “ Ordered carbonate of soda in barley-water or linseed, tea. “In this case I did not expect much benefit from the secale, but was resolved to try it. Every medical practitioner is aware, that a first gonorrhoea is much more severe and indomi- table than when the patient has had the dis- ease frequently, or when the acute symptoms have ceased. But, as I have known cubebs repeatedly arrest gonorrhoea in the acute stage, I saw no objection to employ the secale cor- nutum.” From the above facts it appears to us quite evident, that the secale coruutum has a pecu- liar action on the mucous membranes; but if exhibited when there is a state of acute in- flammation, their morbid secretion may be considerably increased. On the contrary, when a more chronic form of inflammation exists, the secale cornutum may have a beneficial in- fluence in arresting their preternatural dis- charge. These deductions being in perfect accord- ance with what has been already remarked on the efficacy of the ergot of rye in hremorrhages and leucorrhoca, we think Dr. Spajrani’s as- sertions on this point pretty correct. If any sedative or anti-stimulant property on the ca- pillary vessels of the mucous membrane may be ascribed to the secale cornutum, as Dr. Spajrani is inclined to believe, we do not know. It is true, that in Case IV. of gonor- rhoea, where did exist redness and swelling round the orifice of the urethra, this appear- ance subsided under the influence of the secale; and that, in some instances of hremorrhage, the patients were complaining of great general prostration and faintness; but others, on the contrary, felt stronger, and their pulse appeared to us more excited ; when, in Cases VII. and XII. of gonorrhoea, the inflammatory symp- toms were considerably increased. Are some of the former symptoms to be ascribed to the narcotic influence on the nervous system, rather than to any real sedative properly of this remedy ? We are inclined to believe so. We were much pleased in finding out that MM. Trousseaux and Maisonneuve are of the same opinion on this point. (See Lancet, March 30th, 1833.) Now, to give a more satisfactory idea of our results on the employment of the secale cornutum in hremorrhages and leuc.orrhcea, we put down all the different instances of both in the following Tabular Form indicating the result of all the Cases of Hcemorrhages and Leucorrhoca which came under our observation, from the 16th of April, 1832, to theAlh of Nov., 1833, and were treated with the Secale Cornutum. Different Forms of the Disease. Total number of Cases. Successful Cases. Unsuccessful Cases. Remarks. Menorrhagia. 12 8 4 ♦ We include in the whole number the case treated by Dr. Macmichael, at the Mid- dlesex Hospital. t We put down as an un- successful case the first attack of the disease of Elizabeth Pil- cher (Case VI.), although in the second, the secale turned out very beneficial when given in proper doses. Hremorrhage from the rectum. 2 2 — Hrematemesis. 4 * 3 It Epistaxis. l 1 — Hremoptoe. • 1 1 — Leucorrhoca. 10 7 3 Total. 30 22 8 plate We did not put down in this table the cases of gonorrhoea because they were re“ lated merely to show the effects, and not the efficacy, of the secale cornutum on that disease’ All we can say, from the limited number of observations on this subject, is, that perhaps the ergot of rve may be found of some service in the more chronic form of that disease. Of the unsuccessful cases of menorrhagia, the first was a woman who had a copious loss of blood from the vagina, with great tender- ness at the lower part of the abdomen, and pains round the groins and loins. Her pulse was such as would have induced us to blicd her, had we not wished to try the sccale cornutum in this case, which was the second that had come under our observation, since we began to employ this remedy. Five grains of the seca'e were ordered to be taken three times a day. The powders were taken foe two days, and the pains and loss of blood were considerably iucreascd. They were suspended;