Exhibition : Dr. Samuel Johnson and eighteenth century medicine , 5 January - 2 March 1984 / Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine.

  • Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine
Date:
1984]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Exhibition : Dr. Samuel Johnson and eighteenth century medicine , 5 January - 2 March 1984 / Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    59/72 (page 27)
    27 William Cruikshank and Percivall Pott performed a paracentesis but within a few weeks following the initial drainage of the sarcocele inflammation developed with pain and further swelling. Johnson wrote to Heberden and we know he saw Heberden on or about 24 September but the sarcocele spontaneously drained through the previous puncture site. Here is Heberden's entry for 24 September: Testicle. Old sarcocele was explored by paracentensis; scanty fluid continued to drain from the wound, and swelling lessened with abatement of all symptoms. Under Hydrops on page 200 is the following entry: Dropsy, anasarca yielded to purges and to a small vesication [blistering] on the thigh and vinegar of squill. Dr. Sam. Johnson - and Wimberley - when the dropsical corpse was cut into, the legs, thighs and loins were distended with water, yet scarcely any was found in the belly. Dr. S. Johnson - suffered from an old cough, which had ended in asthma. Infusion of digitalis leaf, 2 ounces of leaf to 8 ounces of water, taken in a spoonful every hour for 9 hours, and 5 ounces of urine were yielded without any nausea, but not without some stomach trouble. He died suddenly in the evening.