Observations on the tussis convulsiva, or, hooping cough, as read at the Lyceum Medicum Londinense : Wherein the nature, cause, and cure of this disease are endeavoured to be demonstrated, and the practice of exhibiting emetics, shewn to be pernicious and useless / [John Gale Jones].

  • Jones, John Gale, 1769-1838
Date:
[1794]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the tussis convulsiva, or, hooping cough, as read at the Lyceum Medicum Londinense : Wherein the nature, cause, and cure of this disease are endeavoured to be demonstrated, and the practice of exhibiting emetics, shewn to be pernicious and useless / [John Gale Jones]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    21/36 (page 23)
    [ =3 ] this is a difeafe of debility, and that emetics though they afford a temporary relief, ultimately debilitate; yet as thefe fluids are already collected, and as the patient is in a ftate of fuffocation by their retention; what remedy can be found to fupply the place of an emetic, and fucceed fo well in difcharging them from the fyftem ?” To this I immediately anfwer ; flrengthen the fyftem and the fluids will be difperfed; encreale the perfpiration and they will be refolved; prefcribe cordials and they wfill be expelled. This difeafe then being admitted to be a difeafe of debility, any medicine capable of invigorating the whole fyftem will be found to be beneficial; and it is upon this principle and no other that bark, opium, cicuta, and other remedies have proved fuccefsful. That they frequently fail, arifes perhaps from this caufe, that they are depended upon fin- giy, and confidered as fpecifics; but as I have already endeavoured to fhew the non-exiftence of a fpecific in nature, if my pofition be granted, it will be eafy to prove that where the principle is falfe, the fuccefs muft be uncertain. It has been observed by the late Dr. Johnfon, that nothing has ever been well done by a receipt; and I muft confefs that I have attended patients with