On laryngitis from local causes / by J.A. Kingdon.

  • Kingdon, J.A.
Date:
[1851]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On laryngitis from local causes / by J.A. Kingdon. 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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    /zz.) ON LARYNGITIS FROM LOCAL CAUSES. Br J. A. KINGDON, Esa. Head on Thursday, March 20, 1851. The lmbit that prevails among the lower orders (more especially in this metropolis) of feeding their children from the spout of a tea pot, instinctively leads such children to quench their thirst from the spout of the kettle; and thus it is that boiling water, or the steam arising therefrom, often gets into their mouths, and produces what is known as scalds of the fauces. The effects of such accidents will he best illustrated by the following cases:— Case I.—Anne Smith, a sturdy in- fant, scarcely two years of age, was brought to the surgery of St. Bartholo mew’s Hospital, with great dyspnoea, on the evening of October the 20th. The mother stated that it had inhaled the pteam from the tube of a kettle contain- ing boiling water, two hours previously, she felt quite confident that no water could have entered the child’s mouth, as the kettle was nearly empty, and was too heavy for it to tilt. The child seemed frightened at the time, hut no ill effects were noticed until more than an hour after, when it became restless, and began to “ wheeze” in its breathing. On admission, the tongue, lower lip, aud cliiD, were excoriated; the mucous lining of the mouth was congested and tumid ; respiration was very laboured; at each inspiration the nostrils were dilated, the shoulders raised, and the head thrown back: the effort was ac- companied with a loud wheezing sound: the skin of the lower extremities was cool, while that of the upper part of the trunk was hot and dry; pulse rapid, hut not feeble. The child was very restless, and had constant cough. Two leeches were immediately applied under the angles of the jaw, and fomentations used afterwards: the bites bled freely, and afforded much relief, so that, three hours after admission, the child was asleep, breathing in every respect more quietly. On the following day Cal. gr. j. was given, In combination with the eighth of a grain of the Tartrate of Antimony, twice in the twenty-four hours: vomiting followed its adminis- tration, and the urgency of the symp- toms subsided. On the third day, on account of cough and slightly accele- rated breathing, a blister was applied to the sternum with considerable advan- tage ; and at the end of a week the child was playing about at home as well as ever. Case II.—A stout child, about three years old, was admitted under the care of Mr. Stanley, having just before in- haled the steam which was issuing from the spout of a kettle containing boiling water. The head was thrown back- ward; the features were sharp and anxious; the child was very restless, and continually directed its hands to wards the pomum Adami; the respira- tion was hurried on admission, and soon became much more accelerated, espe- cially at intervals, when the dyspnoea became extremely urgent, the counte- nance dusky, the pulse more hurried, until at last the child would sink back on the pillow with a pitiful hoarse cry, and, completely exhausted, fall, asleep for a few minutes. Duiing sleep the respiration seemed much more tran- quil ; but the little patient would sud-