Observations on the therapeutic action of croton oil in certain nervous disorders / by P.S.K. Newbigging.

  • Newbigging, Patrick Small Keir, 1813-1864.
Date:
[1841]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the therapeutic action of croton oil in certain nervous disorders / by P.S.K. Newbigging. 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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    OBSERVATIONS ON THE THERAPEUTIC ACTION OF CROTON OIL IN CERTAIN NERVOUS DISORDERS. By P. S. K. Newbigging, M.D., F.R.C.S.E., One of the Medical Officers of the New-Town Dispensary, &c. &c. (From the Edin. Med. and Surg. Journal, No. 146.) The cases .in which croton oil has been chiefly administered have been those where an active purgative was considered neces- sary the smallness of its dose allowing it to be given in circum- stances where other effectual medicines could not be employed. Although mention is made by Dr Con well of Ins having used the oil of the Croton tiglium in a case of obstinate constipation, in an individual affected with tic douloureux, it was not supposed to possess any specific influence on this disease until lately, when Sir C. Bell brought it into notice by his successful treatment ot such cases. I am aware that its specific effect on neuralgic com- plaints is by no means generally allowed by the profession, and that many instances may occur where this medicine can be ot no avail, as in cases of organic disease. The very beneficial results however which have followed its administration in several cases ot epilepsy’, and of severe neuralgic pains connected with tic dou- loureux, which have come under my observation, both in this country and abroad, would seem to indicate, in my opinion, the possibility of there being some specific influence in the croton oil, apart from its merely purgative action. In the hope that, from an accumulation of facts, some data may be ultimately arrived at for determining this question, one of great importance, I have thought it proper to give a short statement of a few of the more marked of these cases. It is not my intention to enter fully into the details of each case. I shall content myself with mentioning generally its history and results.