Thoracentesis and its general results during twenty years of professional life : remarks made at a stated meeting of the New York Academy of Medicine, held April 7, 1870 (by invitation) / by Henry I. Bowditch.

  • Bowditch, Henry I. (Henry Ingersoll), 1808-1892.
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thoracentesis and its general results during twenty years of professional life : remarks made at a stated meeting of the New York Academy of Medicine, held April 7, 1870 (by invitation) / by Henry I. Bowditch. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    chief part of the air he drew in was loaded with emanations from her lungs. As she was, at that time, in the last stages of phthisis, those lungs were probably ulcerated, and possibly some irritating matters may have escaped with the expired air, and have been in- haled by the husband. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS, ARISING FROM THESE CASES. While we may feel assured that contagion, as held by Morgagni and the Italians, is, at least in this country, a delusion—we may feel, I think, equally assured that we should warn a wife or a sister or near female friend from devoting herself too closely to the attend- ance upon a consumptive husband, sister or friend. For the sake of the attendant as well as the sick one, sleeping in the same bed, or even in the same room, should be avoided. If, however, this can- not be prevented, then we should try to eliminate all deleterious in- fluences as much as possible. The room should be thoroughly venti- lated and cleansed daily. The attendant should eat regularly and pay especial attention to the digestive system. The diet should be nourishing and simple. It would not be amiss for her to take some wine daily. She should walk daily out of doors, and not con- fine herself to the sick chamber week after week without release. In actual attendance she should beware of inhaling the breath of the invalid. Disinfecting agents might, with advantage, be used in the spittoons. In a word, every good hygienic influence sliould be brought to bear upon the attendant. At the same time I would have the community understand that, with such care, there is scarcely a trace of danger in any case, save that of a sister, or a wife whose husband is so miserably exacting or thoughtless as to demand that she should sleep with him during his illness. The danger of the health being injured in these latter cases is great, even if the above hygienic rules be strictly adhered to. The best plan is not to allow a sister or a wife ever to take the sole charge of the invalid. When- ever it is possible, let a regular hired attendant assume all the hard- er work, and sleep in the room, if need be, at night, or, still better, in an adjacent room. The wife or sister should be in the room only during the day, and even then with proper and regular intervals of removal to the fresh air. These rules it may often be impossible to carry out; still oflener, they will not be. Nevertheless, I believe our cases fully show that they are simply rational and right, and rules that the contagionist and anti-coutagionist ought alike to adopt.