Volume 2

St. Andrews Medical Graduates' Association : transactions, [1869-1871] / edited by W. Sedgwick.

Date:
1870-1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: St. Andrews Medical Graduates' Association : transactions, [1869-1871] / edited by W. Sedgwick. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    Case 7.—Acute attach of threatened apoplexy, cured hy leeching. A lively, inteUigeut little girl, aged three years, said to her nurse one morning in June, 1869, Dolly has hit my head. She then became drowsy, and appeared ill during the day. I saw her at five p.m.; she was then pale and prostrate in bed, not Hking to be moved; she had vomited several times. I visited her again at ten p.m. She was still unable to sit up, and the vomiting had con- tinued. Four leeches were then applied to her temple. The vomiting recurred a few times until four a.m., when she fell asleep. On paying my visit the next morning she ran into the hall to meet me, and seemed as well and merry as I ever saw her. She has continued quite well ever since. The next two cases show how ej)ilepsy may be cured, if it be treated by the persistent emplojonent of blood-letting in early life, when this dreadful malady is taking root in the brain of the individual. Case 8.—Recurrence of epileptic fits during eight months, quite cured hy repeated application of leeches. March 17th, 1866, I saw a little girl, set. fifteen months, who was said to have had epileptic fits for the past seven months, un- attended by vomiting. She is first very fidgetty and cross, and then becomes insensible for a time. Two months ago she had three in one day. She had one the day before yesterday, four yesterday, and one this morning. To apply two leeches to the temple. April 13th.—Has remained quite well until this morning. She was very well last evening, but was restless in the night, and at seven a.m. went off into a fit. Two leeches were applied. At one p.m. she appeared very well; a quarter of an hour after she again had a fit. At five p.m. she suddenly uttered a loud scream and again went off into a fit. She remained dull and insensible for half an hour. Two more leeches were applied. 14th.—Had another fit at three a.m. A blister was applied to the neck. Since then she has not had a fit, nor required any further medical treatment, and is now a strong, well grown child of six years of age. Case 9.—Persistent epileptic fits in a young child, cured hy repeated application of leeches. In November, 1862, I took charge of a little girl aged one year. She was then suffering with frequent attacks of fits of an epileptic character and laryngismus stridulus. The fits recurred more or