The physiognomy of mental diseases / by Sir Alexander Morison.

  • Morison, Alexander, 1779-1866.
Date:
1840
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The physiognomy of mental diseases / by Sir Alexander Morison. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

    471/482 (page 289)
    In theTablo, as originally constructed, 1 had included the treatment in «ach case, but on account of the great similarity in this respect, in order to avoid repetition, and to render it less complicated,! shall, in a summary way, mention the jemedies employed. In all the cases; moral means tending to modify the intellectual organ, by the exercise of its functions have been employed ; among these, are included the i-emoval of exciting causes; the regulation of the visits of friends, of employment and amusements, and of religious commu- nication ; the patients have been protected from injuring themselves, or others, suitable classification has been adopted, and attention has been paid to regularity in taking meals, exercise, and sleep. In addition to these termed general remedies, medical means, suited to the nature of each case, and, calculated to remove, or relieve the constitutional disturbance, with which the mental disorder may have been complicated, have been employed. In some cases abstraction of blood has been made, very rarely by general blood-letting, more frequently, local abstraction has been em- ployed by cupping and by leeches, applied on the head or neck, occa- sionally in the nostrils, and about the pudenda. Emetics have very seldom been given with the view of producing vomiting, but nauseating doses of emetic tartar, have in many instances been successful in shortening the duration of violent excitement. Purgatives administered at intervals have been much employed ; these have been calomel, rhubarb, jalap, senna, and castor oil, occasionally oil of turpentine, and croton oil; milder aperients have also been employed continuously, in particular, sulphate of magnesia and aloes, the former in peppermint or other distilled water, infusion of roses, or of gentian, the latter in the compound decoction of aloes, which has been efficacious, as an emmenagogue, in a considerable number of cases. Diaphoretics and diuretics have been prescribed in some cases, pre- parations of antimony, guaiacum, nitrate, acetate, and supertartrate of potass, spirit of nitrous aether, and acetate of ammonia. Antispasmodics have also been given, in particular camphor, ammonia, valerian, galbanum, &c., and sedatives, including preparations of opium, of morphia, of hyosciamus, and digitalis. In a few instances a course of mercury has led to recovery; it has appeared to render the constitution susceptible of the action of curative 'y means previously ineffectual.