Reply of William A. M'Dowell to Dr. Yandell's rejoinder, in a controversy relative to cure of consumption.

  • M'Dowell, William A. (William Adair), 1795-1853.
Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reply of William A. M'Dowell to Dr. Yandell's rejoinder, in a controversy relative to cure of consumption. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    cases in bo advanced a stage that the symptoms unequivocal- ly indicated the character of the disease, independently of the physical signs, and that were also adjudged to be genuine ca- ses of regular fixed consumption, by other respectable physi- cians, corroborative of my own judgment. The treatment in these cases, was pretty much the same in all of them, va- ried but little except on account of the accession of complica- ting disorders, and essentially the same with that which is re- commended and unreservedly detailed in my treatise on con- sumption, to which 1 refer the reader; in place of giving an elaborate detail of it in repetition in each case. Cask. II.—August 14, 1824. Visited Mrs. , aged 23, of Fincastle, Virginia; she had been affected with trouble- some cough, frequently attended with pains in the chest—for which little else than expectorants and a strengthening plas- ter had been prescribed. She had gradually emaciated for a period exceeding twelve months. At the time of my visit she had bloody tuberculous expectoration, which had been preceded, e lew days, and was still accompanied, with hectic lever and copious night sweats; fauces pale; tongue clean, and of fiery red color; tonsils enlarged, pale, and studded with lumps of white curdy matter; stomach dyspeptic; men- struation had been absent the last four months, and had been scant and irregular several periods previous to discontinuance; pulse frequent and hard. By bleeding, * blistering, emetics, expectorants, light fluid diet, &x., the irritable and inflammatory tendency was suffi- ciently reduced in three weeks to admit the use of mild tonics, and more nutritious diet; which was borne well, and was gradually increased, until on the 23d of October, she was put upon full doses of chalybeates, and allowed diet chiefly of annual food; and free use of toddy, porter, wine, &c, health gradually improved through the winter; although the cough continued, and was several times accompanied with bloody • I am satisfied now that this was unsuited to the case and injurious.