The Harveian Lectures on prognosis and treatment in pulmonary tuberculosis : delivered before the Harveian Society of London on November 1st, 8th, and 15th, 1900 / by Robert Maguire, M.D.

  • Robert Maguire
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Harveian Lectures on prognosis and treatment in pulmonary tuberculosis : delivered before the Harveian Society of London on November 1st, 8th, and 15th, 1900 / by Robert Maguire, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    mucous membrane, and the same irritation cauees tbe excessive secretion of mucus. An opiate will relieve both and is not, I think, counter-indicated. Though it is somewhat outside our present subject, I may here mention the results of the treatment on bronchiectasis. As you know, scarcely anything can have a fouler smell than the sputum from this complaint, and at times so bad is this symptom as to incapacitate the patient from intercourse with his fellows. A patient came under my care at Brompton who had been supposed to be suffering from this, though I found that he really had a tuberculous cavity of the base of the lung with pleural adhesions, which kept the walls of the cavity constantly stretched. This was a similitude of bronchiectasis. His sputum was very offensive, so much so as to render it un- desirable to keep him in the same ward with other patients. It separated on standing into the three usual layers. At this time I had not given a greater injection than two cubic centimetres and that by the syringe. After even the first injection distinct improvement was observed in the condition of the sputum. It became almost devoid of odour, less purulent, and much less copious. He left the hospital much improved. I have treated a few typical cases of bronchiectasis similarly and with like, though not such immediate, results. But my last case requires special mention. My colleague, Dr. Percy Kidd, asked me to apply the method to one of his patienis at the Brompton Hospital. The patient was a, country policeman whose bronchiectasis and accompanying condition were so bad that he had been warned to leave the force if he could not get better. He was really unfit to associate with his fellow men. He had been treated by inhalations in our guaiacol room, but when I saw him he was in a wretched condi- tion, although he had showed some slight improvement. At this time he was coughing up much more than a pint per day of very foul sputum. I began with the two cubic centi- metres of injection on each day and afterwards administered 50 cubic centimetres of injection by means of the burette. He rapidly improved and when I last saw him he was expectorating only three ounces of matter which had only a faint odour. He then had to leave the hospital in order to report himself so as not to lose his pension, but I have little doubt that he could have been permanently cured. [Since delivering the lectures I have tried, by modifying the vehicle, to use a greater strength of the formic aldehyde solution. At present I will not give details, but I think the result can be accomplished. I purpose bringing the whole matter before one of our societies at an early date in order that it may be adequately discussed.] Printed at The Lancet Office. 423, Strand, W.C
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