Proposal for establishing in Edinburgh, and other towns, a newly improved apparatus, for the application of the vapour of water, sulphur, and other medicinal substances, found so efficacious in the cure of rheumatism and diseases of the skin. With a paper upon the subject, which has been submitted to the perusal and received the approbation of Dr Hamilton, Sen. Dr Gregory, Dr Barclay, Dr Farquharson, and Mr Bryce / [William Scott].

  • Scott, William, -1841.
Date:
1820
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Proposal for establishing in Edinburgh, and other towns, a newly improved apparatus, for the application of the vapour of water, sulphur, and other medicinal substances, found so efficacious in the cure of rheumatism and diseases of the skin. With a paper upon the subject, which has been submitted to the perusal and received the approbation of Dr Hamilton, Sen. Dr Gregory, Dr Barclay, Dr Farquharson, and Mr Bryce / [William Scott]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the hot sulphureous waters at Caldas das Reynas in Portugal, at those in the Pyrrenees, and at St Am and near Valenciennes in France, do effect cures in old chronic rheumatism, stiff joints, &c. which hot Baths not impregnated with sulphur, as hot sea-water Baths, will not effect. But that the va¬ pour of water will not cure such cases of long¬ standing chronic rheumatism, stiff joints, &c. which the vapour of sulphur will cure, is a point that, according to the knowledge of the writer of this paper, is not so capable of legitimate logical con¬ clusion as the former point. He understands, how¬ ever, that since the artificial Baths of the vapour of sulphur have been introduced in France, the distinction is always observed in ordering these Baths for such patients, and not the Baths of the vapour of water simply. Again, in cutaneous diseases, it is of value to know whether the vapour of sulphur will produce effects which sulphur used as an ointment will not produce; and the following argument is addressed to the affirmative side of the question. Although sulphur used as an ointment is ad¬ mitted to be a specific in that disease which is vul¬ garly called the itch, yet in many other cutaneous affections, though it is generally recommended, it is not only not a specific, but produces little or no effect, and warm sea-water is often found to be be¬ neficial. Yet in some of these affections, neither the one nor the other, nor indeed any other reme¬ dy, has been found to cure. For the authority of this, see Dr Bateman’s work, Dr Hamilton, jun.