Essays on the theory of convulsive diseases / by Marshall Hall.

  • Marshall Hall
Date:
[1848]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Essays on the theory of convulsive diseases / by Marshall Hall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    more frequent ease, the excitant or excitants, whatever these may be, must be carefully sought out, removed, and avoided. But, as a rule, in all cases, the influence of all excitants, all excitants of emotion and of reflex action, must be absolutely removed. For, even in the centric affection, it may be undue excitability only which is induced, and the attacks may de¬ pend upon external excitants. The augmented arterial action within the gums and the alveolar processes must be subdued by deep, diffused, and repeated scarification of the gums, conducted with every pre¬ caution, to avoid excitement of a mental kind. The stomach should be emptied forthwith. This may fre¬ quently be readily done by irritating the fauces with a feather, or the finger; or a dose of ipecacuanha may be given; and then such diet should be administered, according to such rules, as may prevent the presence and delay of undigested matters in the stomach. A new and healthy nurse, and asses’ milk given by means of the bottle, are resources of the utmost moment. The intestines should be promptly washed out by means of ample enemata of tepid water, and they should then be kept well relieved, gently free indeed, by means of mild but efficient, aperient medicine. I have great reason to suspect the existence of undue acidity, not only in the stomach, but in the course of the in¬ testinal tube, in these cases; and I strongly recommend ant¬ acid aperients, such as a combination of the bicarbonate of potassa, and the carbonate of magnesia, in the proportion of one-fourth and three-fourths, in some proper aromatic or ape¬ rient vehicle, and repeated so as to produce the double effect of neutralizing the gastric acid and moving the bowels. The next object is, to guard the little patient against every injurious impression from the external atmosphere. When the north-east winds prevail, or the air is cold or damp, the patient’s bed should be surrounded, at intervals of about one foot, by three distinct curtains or tents of gauze, or of net; the air of the room should be protected from partial currents, be well supplied with hygrometric moisture, and be main¬ tained at a temperature of 65° Fahr.
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