Epidemic of scarlet fever at Donaldson's Hospital during the autumn and winter of 1861 / by James D. Gillespie.

  • Gillespie James D. (James Donaldson), 1824-1892.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Epidemic of scarlet fever at Donaldson's Hospital during the autumn and winter of 1861 / by James D. Gillespie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    Case 30.—J. S., hearing boy; admitted Gth January, with headache, sore throat, and high fever; vapour apparatus to be employed, and the cooling mixture given at intervals. 7th, Pulse 104 ; throat slightly injected ; no trace of eruption. 8th, Pulse % ; better. 9th, Has been vomiting all the morning; very weak ; to get some sherry. 10th, Last night this boy was very ill, having had frequent vomiting, his pulse being very feeble, and with intense pain in the head ; there were also distinct subcrepitant rfiles over the whole chest, but more especially on the left side ; the pulse was irregular; and at times the boy became very cold, and seemed to be sinking; a mustard blister was applied to the chest; bismuth in large doses was tried to allay the vomiting; and brandy in frequent small quantities was prescribed; the vapour-bath was again applied to the trunk and extremities, producing profuse diaphoresis ; his head was much relieved by this application, but the sickness continued; pulse 92; very weak; the bronchitic affection has entirely disappeared, and his breathing is now quite easy ; to-day a large mustard poultice is to be applied to the belly, and the brandy and bismuth are to be continued. 9 p.m., Feels much better; has been only once sick, and has retained a cup of strong coffee; pulse, 96. 11th, A change for the worse again took place last night about midnight, the boy becoming violently delirious, the pulse very rapid, and the sickness recur- ring; he frequently gave utterance to most discordant screams; to-day he complains much of pain over the temples ; pulse 140 ; he is very restless, and occasionally delirious ; head to be shaved, cold applied, and the vapour-bath to the lower extremities. 8 p.m., No better ; almost quite insensible, but can be roused; gives frequent utterance to very peculiar screams; pulse 145; a fly blister to be applied to the head, and five drops of the tincture of capsicum to be given when the delirium is high. 12th, Slightly better to-day ; fever not so high ; now much quieter; has had four doses of the capsicum ; pulse 118 ; bowels to be moved by injection ; urine thick, but abundant; density 1025; no trace of albumen; he has been fed on beef-tea, and milk mixed with lime- water, which remained on the stomach. 8 p.m., More delirious ; would not permit anything to pass his lips all the afternoon; pulse now weak, 100; ^ almost quite unconscious ; extremely restless, and constantly screaming ; pupils natural. At 11 p.m. he became quieter, but shortly after midnight breathed his last. Case 31.—A. C., deaf mute boy; admitted 7 th January, with high fever; foul and dry tongue, red at tip and sides ; has been vomiting; throat slightly injected ; skin on chest very slightly mottled, but barely perceptible, as he is much marked by small-pox ; pulse 142, weak ; to have the vapoui apparatus applied. 8th. Profusely sweated ; has been delirious all night; now quieter; pulse 92 ; tongue brown, and very dry ; no eruption now perceptible ; has had severe attacks of vomiting; urine abundant. 9th, Last night the delirium again became excessive, and he was very violent, giving utterance also to the same sort of screams as were observed in the last case ; the vomiting resisted every method tried to arrest it; at half-past three this morning he became quieter; but at half-past six was found by the nurse to be dead, having breathed his last without any perceptible struggle ; this was the biggest and strongest boy in the hospital, and during his residence there he had been remarkably healthy. ... . . . r „ „„ j Case 32.—A. R., hearing girl; admitted 7th January, with high fever, and a distinct mottled eruption on the chest and abdomen ; throat very slight y affected ; eyes suffused ; tongue white, with enlarged papillae; pulse 124 ; was sent to the sick-room in the middle of October, and lay for five days v»ith * mild form of the same symptoms, but no eruption then perceptible. Jth, Eruption well out, but only on the chest; a thick white fur on tongue, peeima off in some places, leaving a bright red, raw surface, with enlargec papi1 • 10th, Eruption now involving legs and arms ; pulse 112. 12th, Oesquam. _ commencing, leaving red, bloody-looking miliary points ; urine, density 1UUJ, no traces of albumen. 15tli, Pulse 72. 20th, Convalescent. No a bumimuia. Case 33. J. M., hearing girl; admitted 7th January, with high eA ,