Medical reports, on the effects of water, cold and warm, as a remedy in fever and other diseases : whether applied to the surface of the body, or used internally / by James Currie, M.D.

  • Currie, James, 1756-1805.
Date:
1808
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical reports, on the effects of water, cold and warm, as a remedy in fever and other diseases : whether applied to the surface of the body, or used internally / by James Currie, M.D. 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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    to a more airy and convenient part of the fhip; and as he refufed medicines, and even food, he died on the eighth day of his illnefs. By my attention to the fick man I caught the con- tagion, and began to be indifpofed on the 5th of Sep- tember, and the following is a narrative of my cafe, ex- traded from notes daily marked down : I had been many years in Jamaica, but, except being fomewhat relaxed by the climate, and fatigue of bufinefs, I ailed nothing when I embarked. This circumftance, how- ever, might perhaps difpofe me more readily to receive the infection. Sept. 5th, 6th, 7th, Small rigors now and then—a preternatural heat of the (kin—a dull pain.in the fore- head—the pulfe fmall and quick—a lofs of appetite, but no ficknefs at the (lomach—the tongue white and flimy—little or no thirft—the belly regular—the urine pale and rather icanty—in the night reftlefs, with ftart- ing and delirium. fc Sept. 8th, Every fymptom aggravated, with pains in the loins and lower limbs, and ftitfnefs in the thighs and hams. ct I took a gentle vomit on the fecond day of this illnefs, and next morning a decoction of tamarinds; at bed time, an opiate, joined with antimonial wine; but this did not procure deep, or open the port's of the fkin. No inflammatory fymptoms being prefent, a drachm of Peruvian bark was taken every hour for fix hours fuc- ceflively, and now and then a glafs of port wine, but with no apparent benefit. When upon deck, my pains were greatly mitigated, and the colder the air the better. This circumftance, and the failure of every means I had tried, encouraged me to put in practice on myfelf what I had often wiihed to try on others, in fevers fimilar to my own,