Medical clinics of the Hospital Necker, or, Researches and observations on the nature, treatment, and physical causes of diseases. Tr. from the French.

  • Bricheteau, I. (Isidore), 1789-1861.
Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical clinics of the Hospital Necker, or, Researches and observations on the nature, treatment, and physical causes of diseases. Tr. from the French. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Lamar Soutter Library, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Lamar Soutter Library at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

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    These are met by small doses of Dover's powders, which excite copious sweats. On the 27th, the cure appears to be perfect; the Dover's powder is still continued in the dose of twenty grains. The patient has half allowance of food. On the 28th, he left the hospital, feeling only a slight stiffness in the limbs, and tottering in his gait. If the tartarised antimony seems to have failed in this case, it cannot be denied that it exerted an energetic action, as it mani- festly diminished the velocity of the circulation ; and, moreover, the absence of every kind of evacuation proved that there was a perfect tolerance on the part of the affected organs. It is evident that we were in too great haste to give the tartarised antimony; and it was continued because the patient was in no danger. It appears certain that if blood-letting had been premised, the disease would have yielded, as it afterwards did, to the loss of blood. What occurred in this case tends to support the Italian contro- stimulant physicians, who employ tartarised antimony and blood- letting concurrently in pneumonia. We are of opinion that it is better to premise blood-letting in all cases, where the medical con- stitution does not contra-indicate its use. This case may likewise aid in clearing up two points in the treatment of diseases by the tartarised antimony in a large dose. 1st, Its stupefying narcotic action on the circulation—which was strikingly evinced in this case by the rapid reduction of the pulse from 84 in the minute to 52. 2d. The tolerance which was cha- racterised by the want of evacuations. This phenomenon it is unquestionably wrong to regard as a sign of the efficacious action of the antimony in a large dose; as in our patient, the system of medication had not complete success. Another remark, which it appears to us important to make, is this : When the tolerance is established from the first, in those that are treated by tartarised antimony in a high dose, there is no reason to apprehend unpleasant symptoms ; even when the medicine does not act efficaciously. In this case, as in many others that have fallen under our observation, no unpleasant effect was produced on the digestive organs. ACUTE ARTICULAR RHEUMATISM. Cure by the tartarised antimony in five days. A chambermaid, aged 33 years, of strong constitution and san- guine temperament, was attacked on the 7th of Septemper, 1833, with general indisposition, chilliness, anorexia, headache, and lassi- tude in the lower limbs. On the following day she felt acute pains in the knee joints, soon followed by redness and swelling. On the following days, the joints of the feet, and afterwards those of the upper limbs, became in turn the seat of rheumatic pains, and of other inflammatory symptoms, which are the neces sary concomitants.