Volume 3

The commentaries upon the aphorisms of Dr. Herman Boerhaave ... : concerning the knowledge and cure of the several diseases incident to human bodies / by Gerard Van Swieten ; translated into English.

  • Swieten, Gerard, Freiherr van, 1700-1772.
Date:
1765-1773
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The commentaries upon the aphorisms of Dr. Herman Boerhaave ... : concerning the knowledge and cure of the several diseases incident to human bodies / by Gerard Van Swieten ; translated into English. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    98/524 (page 92)
    Quiet refpiration, reft, and pofture of the body.] For at every infpiration the abdominal mufcles are diftended, and contraded again at the time of expl¬ oration, by which means the contents of the abdomen will be alternately compreffed; therefore the quieter the refpiration, the lefs will the wounded parts be agi¬ tated, and the more eafily united. For the fame rea-' fon too reft is here very neceflary; but the pofture ought to be that in which the patient may remain with the moft eafe, namely, with the body placed a little erecft upon a couch, or fitting nearly in the fame pofture, with the orifice of the wound inclined as much as conveniency will permit, that the blood, matter, and other humours may have a ready dif- charge, without being colleded in the cavity of the abdomen. Thefe are the means proper to be ufed in all wounds of the abdomen, as' alfo after cutting for the ftone, or a fiftula of the anus-, for unlefs the pa¬ tient be not obliged to ftrain upon the ftool in thofe diforders, the very worft confequences may follow, though the operation has been happily performed. It is alfo evident from obfervations, that the moft defperate wounds of the abdomen, attended with the worft fymptoms, have been happily cured by this me¬ thod. It will be fufficient for us at prefent to pro¬ duce only one inftance, which we have already men¬ tioned once before upon another occafion in the com¬ mentary on § 170. numb. 5. A mad-man inflidted eighteen wounds in his abdomen, eight of which penetrated its cavity and injured the contained vifcera. The violent fever, tenfion of the abdomen, difficult and painful refpiration, naufea, vomiting, diarrhoea, afforded a fevere prognofis, infomuch that he was almoft given over. Phlebotomy was repeated feven times in the four firft days, the diet was very thin, compofed almoft entirely of flefh broths, with the addition of lettuce, fiiecory,, purf- lain, and the like mild pot-herbs j perfedl reft was procured