Cases of spasmodic disease accompanying affections of the pericardium / by Richard Bright.

  • Bright Richard, 1789-1858.
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cases of spasmodic disease accompanying affections of the pericardium / by Richard Bright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    effusion, with a rubbing sound, and likewise some pneumonic crepitation at the lowest part of the left lung; but from the distressed state of the patient, and the difficulty of examining the right side in the position in which he lay, I did not think it right to trouble him farther; more particularly as the state of his pulse and his skin appeared at the time to prohibit further depletion. A blister was ordered to the nape of the neck, and the blistered surface on the chest to be dressed with mercurial ointment; a dram of the stronger mercurial ointment was also to be rubbed in every hour on the thighs; a suppository of three grains of opium to be introduced into the rectum; and if at any time the relaxation of the spasm would permit, he was to take pills of calomel, tartarized antimony, and opium, as before ordered. At half-past 2 o’clock p.m. I again saw him. Every thing had been done most strictly as was ordered, but there had been no relaxation of the spasm, and within the last two hours he had experienced two severe convulsive seizures, and another came on while I was present. It was quite epileptic in its character, and the countenance became purple and suffused—the eyes strained—the whole body con- vulsed. His pulse was very feeble, and his skin bathed in a most profuse perspiration. He was quite aware of his situation, though he rambled oc- casionally. He suffered three more distinct epilep- tic attacks, and died at 5 o’clock p.m., within twenty hours of the first appearance of the symp-