The practice of medicine, according to the plan most approved by the Reformed or Botanic Colleges of the U. S : embracing a treatise on materia medica and pharmacy ; illustrated with numerous engravings ; designed principally for families / by J. Kost.

  • Kost, J., 1819-1904.
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The practice of medicine, according to the plan most approved by the Reformed or Botanic Colleges of the U. S : embracing a treatise on materia medica and pharmacy ; illustrated with numerous engravings ; designed principally for families / by J. Kost. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    toms; and this is most apt to be the case, when it arises from causes that act immediately on the mucus membrane of the intestines. In general the fever is developed before the prop- er dysenteric symptoms show themselves; sometimes more or less diarrhoea, with tormina, [severe pain,] precede the occur- rence of the febrile irritation; and occasionally mucus and bloody stools with tenesmus, [ineffectual straining at stool,] are the first symptoms. From the commencement of the dis- ease, throughout its whole course, little or no feces, [natural stools,] are discharged spontaneously—the stools consisting entirely of intestinal mucus, mixed with more or less blood. Tenesmus is one of the most constant and characteristic at- tendants on this affection; and the violence of this painful symptom affords us a pretty accurate measure of the violence and degree of danger of the disease. There is often consid- erable pain and difficulty experienced in voiding urine. The tormina are extremely violent and distressing, particularly just before the urgent calls to stool are experienced; and a constant soreness is felt in the abdomen. Sometimes the stools consist almost entirely of intestinal mucus, very little or no blood being mixed with it. In most instances, however, a considerable portion of blood is discharged with the mucus, and in some cases the evacuations consist almost wholly of blood. These dysenteric discharges usually have a very pe- culiar disagreeable smell, but no fetor in the beginning of the disease; but in the advanced period of violent and dangerous cases, they frequently possess a pungent and cadaverous smell; and often acquire a corroding and sanious character.—(Eb- crle.) Treatment.—The writer has had much experience in the treatment of dysenteries, and consequently favorable oppor- tunities of testing all the most popular plans that have been proposed; but the following, in his hands, has proved decided- ly the most successful:—Give to an adult, a large tea spoonful of the neutralizing mixture, once every two hours, until the bowels are well cleansed, which may be known by the change of the stools and the relief the patient gains from the effects of the medicine. Now let the patient drink freely of a strong infusion, made by scalding two ounces of either astringent tonic, bayberry, or cranesbill, in a quart of soft water, adding, (after straining ity) four table spoonfuls of white sugar, a gill of brandy, and an ounce of compound tincture of myrrh.— This preparation, if taken in wine glassful doses every two hours, after the neutralizing mixture has done its work, will. in most instances, soon relieve the looseness.