Case of hydrophobia / by Dr. Pinckard.

  • Pinckard, George, 1768-1835.
Date:
[1812]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Case of hydrophobia / by Dr. Pinckard. 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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    Two drachms of ipecacuanha wine, with two grains of tarj tarized antimony, were administered, but scarcely any vo- miting was produced. He threw off a small quantity of mucus, by a convulsive effort, and appeared to be sick, without having the power to vomit. A blister was applied to the thorax, and he was directed to take five drops of the tincture of squills, with the same quantity of ipecacuanha M ine, trcquenlly, during tlie night. Four grains of calomel were likewise given, which produced two evacuations before morning. Mr. Hall repeated his visit at an early hour on Wednesday, Sept. 30th, when he found that the poor child had passed a most restless and distressful night. He had been extremely anxious and disturbed; breathed with a loud noise, as if flatus were constantly rising from the stomach and impeded in the oesophagus; had frequent grinding of the teeth; started in partial convulsions; and his parents said, that ever}' time they “ gave him any thing into his mouth, it evidently made him -worse.” It was now mentioned, incidentally, that the child had been bitten, several weeks before, by a dog. Hearing this remark, Mr. Hall had no longer any doubt respecting the real nature of the disease. At twenty minutes before nine o’clock I visited him. Tile child was then sitting upright, and supporting himself, ivitli considerable firmness, on a woman’s lap. His breath- ing was hurried and anxious, accompanied with a noise as if flatus were proceeding from the stomach, and producing a sense of suffocation, from his not having the power to expel it. His eye was widely opened, and the pupil much dilated. He looked distressed and terrified, and Matched the objects around him with a peculiar quickness. ^Vithout falling into a strong fit of general convulsion, he M’as in constant motion and distortion, from Avhat the M oman m Iio held him termed inward convulsions,” and which, she said, no one could jiitlge of M’itliout feeling them, us she did, by having the child seated on her lap. His pulse m'us very feeble; his skin cold and clammy : he Mas sensible of M-hat passed in the room; and his intellect seemed unimpaired. Hepeated doses of antimony and ipecacuanha had been given to him ■^vithout cfl'cct: M’ind e.scaped occasionally from nis stomach, but he had no vomiting. He M’as anxious for drink, and asked eagerly for milk ; but, M'hen this or any other fluid Mas brought to him, he started back convulsed and shud- dering, and could only take ope hurried sMalloM’, uhich ii9 did with great agitation.