Cases of intermittent fever, in which bleeding was employed in the cold stage / [John Mackintosh].

  • Mackintosh, John, -1837
Date:
[1828]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases of intermittent fever, in which bleeding was employed in the cold stage / [John Mackintosh]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    25th.—Passed a bad night; no headache. Habeat Tinct. opii gtt. xxx. h. s. 26th, 27th, 28th.—-Same report, “ doing well;” bowels regular. 29th.—Says he feels pretty well, but that he has occasional headaches. 30th and 31st.—Had slight paroxysm each day, with some headache ; pulse not higher than 96. April 1st.—Another paroxysm with severe headache after a bad restless night. Capilljtio abraso applicentur hirudines xx. licpetatur pulvis laxans. 2d.—Experienced another paroxysm at half-past nine this morning; still complains, although he is perspiring, of oppression at prsccordia, difficulty in inflating the lungs, and headache; had a restless night; sixteen of the leeches only fastened ; they bled well, relieving his head for the time. Applicentur hirudines xii. capiti, et repetatur pulvis laxans. Feels better; no paroxysm ; had a bad night, during the whole of which the perspiration continued ; leeches bled well, and relieved the head com¬ pletely. From this time to the 8th he gradually improved, having had, however, a slight paroxysm on the 4th, 6th, and 8th. Next day he began the use of the quinine in five grain doses, and suffered no return. He took in all 116 grains, and he was discharged cured on 24th. Case V.—William Macauley was admitted into the Royal Ordnance Hospital on Wednesday 31st May, labouring under a severe hot fit, attend¬ ed with the usual symptoms, great headache, severe pain in the back, loins, and limbs; great oppression of praecordia, extreme heat, thirst, and gene¬ ral uneasiness; tongue loaded ; pulse hurried. This stage lasted for five hours before perspiration appeared. This was the second paroxysm with a day intervening. June 1st.—Had no sleep during the night, but feels pretty well to-day; two stools. 2d.—Had a severe cold stage at 2 p. m. which lasted till 4. Fie was vi¬ sited at 5 p. m. when he was in the hot fit, suffering from all the symptoms formerly described. 5d.-—The sweating stage did not appear last evening till 8 o’clock. Has had no sleep ; two stools; tongue clean. 4th.—The paroxysm took place at 1 o’clock p. m. this day; about 12 o’clock the pulse was counted, and was found to beat 84, and oppressed ; the precursory symptoms had just commenced ; at half-past 12 the pulse was 66, and still more oppressed. This rigor was very severe ; the tremors of his body shook the bed, and his sense of cold was unsupportable, at the time that a thermometer placed under the tongue stood at 100. He com¬ plained of great oppression ; pain of back and loins; respiration difficult and hurried. The rigor was allowed to be formed for 10 or 12 minutes be¬ fore a vein was opened, which was effected with difficulty, owing to the tremors. He bled from a small orifice until 24 ounces were drawn, which occupied 16 minutes, when the rigor ceased, and all its unpleasant symp¬ toms. June 5th.—Last evening he began to complain of a severe pain in the back and head, with thirst. Heat 105° ; pulse 115, but soft. Relief soon followed the exhibition of 40 drops of laudanum in an ounce of the spirit of mindererus; passed a good night with much perspiration ; says he feels quite easy to-day; much easier than he has been at any time since the first paroxysm; bowels slow. Had attacks of a slight nature on the 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, and the following report was made on the 15th. Health evidently improving ; sleeps well; bowels regular; tongue clean and moist; thirst diminished.
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