Of the cholera.

  • Currie, William, 1754-1828.
Date:
[1798]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Of the cholera. 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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    OF THE CHOLERA. J. HE chief fymptoms in this difeafe are a vomiting and purging concurring together, or fre- quently alternating with one another. And the eva- cuations both upwards and downwards are manifeitly mixed with bile. From this laft circumftance the difeafe appears to depend upon an increafed fecretion of bile, and its copious effufion into the alimentary canal. This effufion of bile irritates, and excites the motions abovementioned. When the difeafe begins with violence the fpafmodic contractions of the inteftines are foon communicated to the abdominal mufcles, and very frequently to thofe of the limbs. In this manner the difeafe frequently in- creafes rapidly in violence, till the ftrength of the patient is greatly and often fuddenly exhausted, while a coldnefs of the extremities, cold fweats, and faintings coming on, an end is put to the patient's life, fome- times in the courfe of one day. In other cafes the difeafe is lefs violent, continues for a day or two, and then ceafes by degrees ;. though fuch recoveries feldom happen without the afliftance of re- medies. In many cafes of young children a diarrhoea returns after the vomiting has ceafed, and after continuing to harrafs the patient for many weeks, proves fatal. The attack of this difeafe is not preceded or accom- panied with febrile fymptoms, and though during its courfe, both the pulfe and refpiration are frequent and irregular, yet thefe fymptoms are generally fo en irely B removed