On the transfusion of milk : as practised in cholera, at the cholera sheds, Toronto, July, 1854 / by James Bovell.

  • James Bovell
Date:
[1854]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the transfusion of milk : as practised in cholera, at the cholera sheds, Toronto, July, 1854 / by James Bovell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    16/20 page 14
    to perform transfusion. The snmc precautions were adopted in this ciise, as were found uecessai'y in that ot Harrison, and with like re- sults. At the time the tube was ]>ut into the vein she was pulseless, and although she could be roused, yet was incapable ot answering questions, and altogether she presented a hopeless appearance. Two syringes full, equal to 8 oz., of the fresh warm milk from the same cow which afforded the supply to Harrison, w’ere injected into the vein. As soon as the operation was completed, she expressed the greatest relief, and seemed irresistibly impelled to draw deep and fre- quent inspirations. The arm being bound up, as with Harrison, so with this patient—a desire to sleep was manilested, and turning over on her side, she composed hei'self to slumber. Hot bottles were kept not only to her feet but about her body, and she was rubbed with hot turpentine, and then swmthed in warmed flannels. At evening visit she was evidently improved, h.ad some sleep, the renal secretion was re- stored ; her pulse was steady and quite perceptible ; countenance relieved, and not so pale and ashy ; no vomiting, nor discharge from bowels. Ordered to have beef-tea, and brandy and egg. July 14th.—Improving, although very w'eak; has had occasional vomiting of bile, and has had several bilious evacuations. She was carefully watched, allowed to have nothing but beef-tea and brandy and egg occasionally, and was finally dischai’ged convalesing on tlie 17 th July. Two other cases were transfused by myself, both immediately after being brought into hospital, and when in articulo mortia ; the one a man named James Pickles, and the other a female. In the last case it was quite evident that life was ebbing fast; and to complicate her difficulties, the veins were so empty and small, that I was for some time foiled in my endeavours to find one; after some difficulty, I succeeded in getting a pipe into the vein of the arm, and injected two syringes full, equal to 8 oz ; the effect was to recall the pulse at the wrist, to en- liven the countenance, and rostoi’e strength and fulness to the voice From the lateness of the period at which the operation was performed, and from the disease h iving nearly done its work ore she was brought into Hospital, her rally was only temporary; for four or five hours she gave promise of ainendineut, ami seemed greatly relieved; but afterwards she again began to sink, without, how^ever, any renewal of the diarrhoea or vomiting, and finally died on the following morning. In reference to this case,* I think it right to sbite that I inte»ided to transtuse a second time, but, being seized with alarming illuc.ss, neither in it nor in any case was the operation repeated. The next cases are kindly furnished me by one of our most industri- ous medical pupils, Mr. John Mackenzie, whoso devotion to the sick during the whole of the cholera visitation was truly praiseworthy, and deserved to be honourably rewarded by the Hoard of Health. lYhen
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3