Five cases of puerperal fever successfully treated, with remarks / by William Gaitskell.

  • Gaitskell, William.
Date:
1815
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Five cases of puerperal fever successfully treated, with remarks / by William Gaitskell. 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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    ventilated, and dried with stoves; after which the disease teased to make its attacks. In addition to this evidence mav be added that of Dr. Haighton, who was so convinced of its infectious power, that, when it prevailed in his lying-in-house, he was under the necessity of interdicting his pupils from visit- ing out-dpor patients, to prevent the propagation of the virus, Ivone but pregnant women were under its influence; and if they were admitted a month or six weeks before the termination of pregnancy, they were sure to fall sick a few days after their confinement. It appears, therefore, that the effluvia of a pa- tient under puerperal fever is an animal poison sui generis, capable of acting on pregnant females, their situation giving the predisposition necessary for the operation of its influence. Whether a woman can be affected with this fever more than once in her life, my experience does not determine. Candour compels me to observe, that, since my cases oty cui red, my friend Mr. Burrows very kindly and humanely cautioned me on this subject, and to strengthen his opinion, transmitted me the following information. I have since taken the precaution to wash myseli and change my clothes before visiting the uninfected. T he usual mode of communication of infection in private practice is, the being visited by female < fi lends, which I have done all in my power to prevent. Mr. Burrows also informed me, that Dr. Ramsbotham had stated to him the following circumstance illustrative of its contagious liature :—“ A midwife lost a patient in puerperal fever; the next she attended at another part of the town died of it; and then another, at a different part. She was greatly alarmed, and consulted Dr. Ramsbotham what she should do. He pro- perly advised her to quit practice and Rondon for a fortnight. She did so ; and the mischief ceased.” brom these facts we are justified in regarding puerperal fever as decidedly contagious; and it behoves every practi- tioner, when lie meets with the disease, to explain to the f riends of the patient its peculiar nature in this respect; to let no per- son attend upon her but the nurse, and some selected relation or friend ; to exclude all pregnant females from the house ; and not to permit the nurse and her chosen friend to go abroad and visit pregnant women. After the recovery of any case also, the apartment should be well ventilated, white-washed, and .dried by stoves. This precaution may interrupt the propaga- tion of tlie disease, otherwise no person can tell how many may fall sacrifices to it. As a prophylactic, I would recommend, when it prevails in a neighbourhood as an epidemic, that every pregnant female lose blood once, or twice, between the fifth and eighth month, to lessen the phlogistic diathesis, which, should the disease