Dr. Thomas Sydenham (1624-1689): his life and original writings / [edited by] Kenneth Dewhurst.

  • Thomas Sydenham
Date:
1966
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Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Dr. Thomas Sydenham (1624-1689): his life and original writings / [edited by] Kenneth Dewhurst. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    in another appearance and doth that in some months which the other would have done in a few days. [In the margin opposite this paragraph Sydenham has written: Here the cures done by riding are to be brought in reference to the cure of consumptions and morbi obscuri.] This is the great consumption of mankinde in respect not soe much of the number of those that are attaqued there with. For as to that the other two kindes are as frequent to wit those that doe depend upon debilitations, and those that doe depend upon ulcers from pleurisys peripneumonias or any other hurt of the lungs. But in respect of the greatness of the symptoms which at the very first appear to be both by the looke of the patient and all other signes the very same (excepting that of the diarrhaea syntectica which comes not on till the end as well in this as the rest) with the most adult symptoms of the other two. I have not observed this to come on in any other than depuratory years. The curative scope must be directed not to the cough but to the fever and accordingly the patient managed in all respects as in a de puratory fever viz i° bleeding, then vomiting, giveing a clyster every other day rill nth day and then to give cordialls till 14th, then 17th day to purge keepeing the patient all this while in his bed with a fire in the roome and prohibiting flesh, and soe to recon from the time you bleed. 1 Another sort of cough is that which doth proceed from hurts of the lungs that end in abscesses as pleurisys not well carried off but ending in Empyemas in which the matter haveing through neglect caused such impostumation, bleeding which before would have prevented this mischiefe, now comes too late and indeed makes that which is the only cure of such impostumations dangerous, to wit the use of minerali purgeing waters which alone constantly persisted in, cures this disease when as hath been said bleeding hath not been used or very spareingly and a good while before. 2 ' 3 To cure the hooping cough. i° bleed. Then purge 5 or 6 days togeather. This cough is from something in the bloud that puts the lungs into convulsion. It seldome kills anybody, ib. AE. 1 Bodley MS. adds the reference '69, p. 185, AE. 8 Ibid, adds the reference ib, 186, AE. 8 The text of P.R.O., 30/24/47/2 ends here. The remaining paragraph is only in B.L., MS. Locke, c. 42, f. 264.