A course of lectures on hydrophobia : its history, pathology, and treatment / compiled from manuscript notes of the late Dr. T.S. Holland ; delivered in the theatre of the North Charitable Infirmary and City of Cork General Hospital by T.C. Shinkwin.

Holland, Thomas S.

Date:: [1865]

Credit: A course of lectures on hydrophobia : its history, pathology, and treatment / compiled from manuscript notes of the late Dr. T.S. Holland ; delivered in the theatre of the North Charitable Infirmary and City of Cork General Hospital by T.C. Shinkwin. 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.

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$IIYDROI'IIOBIA : y(i at the same time aconite to the throat, made the patient inhale ether, and gave opiate enemata. Hut Dr. Coalo was the first who caused it to be inhaled by a boy, aged seven years, whom he believed to be suffering from hydrophobia ; the ease tciminated fatally, but it was evidently not an e.\am])le of this disease (Amencau MedicalJournal, \o\. xvii. p. IlO.) In the same volume of this journal, p. 204, is a paper by Dr. Jackson on tliis s\ibject, containing two cases—one by Dr. Peppers, the other by the author—in which chloroform was used ; but these cases do not admit of being used in favour of the trealment by chloroform, as Dr. Jackson’s was evidently not an example of this disease, and the evidence that has been brought forward relative to the utility of this treatment goes no further than to render it highly probable that the intensity of the convul- sive paroxysms may be thereby .somewhat diminished, and it should be used with the intent of lessening the sufferings without any hope of effecting the cure through its action, and its administration in such cases requires particular at- tention, as the convulsions and dyspnoea have been so very much increased by its too concentrated use as to oblige it to be discontinued. The only case of hydrophobia that ever came under my notice was in this hospital. Chloroform was administered, and the p.itient, a fine boy, died under its administration. So strong was the impression left on my mind from the result of the case that, were there no other remedy to be used, I would not dore give it in this fearful affection ; and 1 am strengthened in my views on the use of chloroform by our Professor of Anatomy, Dr. Corbett, who on that occa- sion strenuously opposed its being used, and propost'd tracheotomy. I believe chloroform may be used with the greatest caution in tetanus, certainly not in hydrophobia.$