Practical observations on the intermittent fever of Peru ... / [Mathie Hamilton].

  • Aliquis.
Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical observations on the intermittent fever of Peru ... / [Mathie Hamilton]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    short period only. During some time, it was sold at a great price, and was much adulterated, which, to- gether with the behef, that in many cases it induces severe cephalic symptoms, such as tinnitus aurium, headach, deafness, and general restlessness,—these have had the effect of making it much less used than at first. The cinchona, in powder, is seldom used in Peru. That which is brought ft-om Europe is said to be adulterated; and in Peru it is not convenient to reduce the bark to a powder sufficiently fine to be used with success in Intermittent Fever. Besides, the gastric organs are, in most cases, so exceedingly irritable, that the powder in any form is inadmissible. Therefore, the cinchona, in decoction or infusion, is generally used; and, when combined with a vegetable acid, of which there are various at command, it is more acceptable to most patients, and agrees better with the stomach, than the powder. The infusion may often, with benefit, be united with acidum sul- phuricum; and, in some cases, where there is reason to believe that there is acidity in the stomach, mag- nesia, or the carbonate of potass, are excellent ad- juvants; the latter being less irritating to a weak stomach than the subcarbonate. In Peru, the cinchona should never be given along with milk to a patient with Intermittent Fever; nor should milk in any form be taken by one who is in a state of convalescence from that disease. Peruvians, even in health, view with horror such a mixture as that of milk or cream with strawberries, or any acid or subacid fniit; and any medical man who sanctions the use of leche sobre el acido,” would be considered muy salvage”'—a very savage. Though the de- coction of bark is often used by the natives, the infu- sion is better, as the boiling drives off the aromatic principle, which seems to be useful. The kind used should always be the red table-bark, if it can be ob- tained, “cinchona oblongifolia,” which grows on the eastern frontier of the department of I^a Paz. After the disease has been removed, it is requisite to ]ier-