REMARKS ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE EXTRACT OF ACONITE IN RHEUMATISM

F.B. Watkins
1840 The Lancet  
644 arm, which induced the symptoms of incipient syncope ; the bowels cleared out fully by a full dose of calomel and jalap, and to take an ounce, every four hours, of a mixture containing ten minims of the tincture of digitalis, ten grains of the nit. of potass, and a small quantity of the pot, tart. of antim. ; whilst at night he was to continue the powders of equal parts of jalap, senna, and bitartrate of potassa, ij, with two grains of calomel. By the continuance of these remedial measures
more » ... or a few days, the acutely febrile symptoms were much relieved ; the pulse lost its hardness and frequency ; the skin became cooler, but remained stiil harsh and dry ; the urine more abundant, and less coagulable by heat; but the dropsical effusion rather increased than diminished, the patient, nevertheless, declaring himself to be much better; the thirst considerable ; free evacuations from the bowels, which were now duly coloured with healthy bile. To continue the powders at night, with the omission of the calomel, and to take the digitalis, in conjunction with the tincture of squills and the nitrate of potassa, every four hours. He being a poor man, and unable to obtain a warm bath, warm sponging was directed to the surface. During the continuance of this case the treatment was occasionally varied, and from the continuance of pain in the back, local abstraction of blood was had recourse to, with very beneficial results; but in about a fortnight the skin had resumed its healthy feel, the digestive organs acted efficiently, appetite returned, and the anasarca diminished rapidly, the urine still remaining albuminous. He subsequently regained his health and strength by tonics and diuretics, the anasarca completely disappeared, and the urine gradually, but entirely, lost all traces of albuminous commixture. A fatal case occurred in a vagrant of abandoned and dissolute habits, addicted to the habitual use of spirits in intoxicating quantities. He was a tall, full, but sicklylooking man, of about 30 years of age. He was brought into the Exeter workhouse with severe febrile symptoms, after sleeping all night under a hedge, anasarca and, eventually, general dropsy, speedily developing themselves, with severe pain in the region of the kidneys, albuminous urine, and deranged hepatic secretion. He was actively treated antiphlogistically, placed in the upright position, bled to incipient syncope, and well purged, and had antiphlogistic diuretics in conjunction, administered frequently. At a subsequent period stimulants were added, from the supervention of symptoms of commencing exhaustion and delirium tremens, from which he experienced slight but transient benefit, as also from puuctures with a cata. ract needle, which the amazing distention of the lower limbs and genital organs de. manded. After similar treatment, continued for about a month, symptoms of arachnitis supervened ; he complained much of head. ach, and soon became insensible and comatose, in which condition he died on the following morning. Putrefaction took place so rapidly, that no post-mortem examination could be made on the following day, circumstances pre. venting such an examination on the same day of his death ; but there is little doubt that the effusion into the arachnoid was the immediate cause of death, and that the kidneys had undergone great, if not irreme, diable, organic changes. The pain in the lumbar region, and the albuminous condition of the urine, continued until the fatal ter. mination. In some otherfatal cases of febrile anasarca, where the symptoms nearly resembled the case just mentioned, these remarks were verified by post-mortem examinations.
doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(02)99880-6 fatcat:bffj6ybgz5fzpdjvdn524on5cq