Observations on yaws, and its influence in originating leprosy ; also observations on acute traumatic tetanus, and tetanus infantum / by James Maxwell.

Date:
1839
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on yaws, and its influence in originating leprosy ; also observations on acute traumatic tetanus, and tetanus infantum / by James Maxwell. 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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    the morbid catenation of symptoms would be broken, and the patient have every chance of recovery. So far this holds true in reference to modified cases of idiopathic tetanus, arising from cold, as well as the sub-acute variety of symptomatic tetanus occurring in temperate climates,- where these comparatively mild forms succumb both to this and to other remedies; but the failure of mercury in seve- ral cases where the mouth teas streaming, and where the sys- tem must have been fully saturated by inunction, disproves the assertion that acute symptomatic tetanus yields to this medicine, and leaves us to regret that one of the most ac- tive agents in the mineral kingdom should possess no san- ative influence over this intractable malady. Mosley mentions that many persons have been attacked in the West Indies while under a course of mercury, and expresses his opinion that “ it has killed more than it has cured.” Tobacco.—In idiopathic tetanus I have seen cures effect- ed almost by the agency of this remedy alone; and from hav- ing, likewise, derived valuable assistance from it in sub- duing the inordinate spasms in dry belly-ache, I anticipat- ed much benefit from it in the symptomatic form of the disease; but my hopes have been uniformly disappointed, although it still stands in the foremost ranks for giving a temporary truce to the awful symptoms. Mr. Curling, in his treatise on tetanus, after carefully examining the com- parative merits of various remedies, inclines favourably to- wards the use of this herb, and says, “ I conceive that more has now been adduced in proof of the efficacy of tobacco, than can be advanced in favour of any other remedy yet re- sorted to.” Hydrocyanic Acid—promises to be a valuable adjuvant in