An inquiry how far consumption is curable : with observations on the treatment, and on the use of cod-liver oil and other remedies : with cases / by James Turnbull.

Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inquiry how far consumption is curable : with observations on the treatment, and on the use of cod-liver oil and other remedies : with cases / by James Turnbull. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    to these symptoms was afterwards added haemoptysis. There was increased clearness of sound on percussion; but this aflFecting the summit of the lungs chiefly, ren- dered it difficult to ascertain, by physical examination, to what extent tubercles might be deposited, though the symptoms left no dou])t as to their presence. He had persistent pain in the left side of the chest, rather low down, and just below the level of the left nipple; where there were, while the spitting of blood lasted, a few bubbles of mucous rhonchus, indicating that this was the seat of the disease. Having observed the an- tagonistic effect of emphysema in other cases, I ven- tured, notwithstanding the apparently hopeless character of the symptoms, to hold out some prospect of recovery. The spitting of blood was stopped by means of turpen- tine ; and counter-irritation, by croton-oil huiment, and the use of sedatives, with expectorants, relieved the cough and difficulty of breathing, so that he was enabled to go to the country for change of air, and to take tonics. He returned in December, much im- proved ; and though he has seldom been long free from cough altogether, yet he has enjoyed a fair share of health, considering that he has emphysema of the lungs along with tubercles. He had some return of haemoptysis at the beginning of this winter, after which he took cod-liver oil with much benefit. In this case I have no doubt that emphysema was a chief cause of preventing, and still continues to repress, the progress of the tubercular disease. I had also in the two following cases, where the patients died of another