A new pathology and treatment of nervous catarrh : read in the Section on Laryngology and Otology, at the Forty-fourth Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association / by Seth Scott Bishop.

  • Seth Scott Bishop
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A new pathology and treatment of nervous catarrh : read in the Section on Laryngology and Otology, at the Forty-fourth Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association / by Seth Scott Bishop. 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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    ratio between uric acid and urea—1 to 33—is main- tained. Haig claims that by a uric acid-producing diet one can store up in the body several ounces of uric acid in a few years—or by correct diet, not as many grains. He has been on such a diet over eight years with almost never a headache. By eating meat and drinking wine two or three days in any single week he is sure to bring on the migraine. A course of salicylate, salicin, lithium, etc., will remove the excess of uric acid. If an alkali is given it is likely to produce uricacidemia and precipitate an attack of the trouble we are endeavoring to pre- vent. For an attack, then, a dose of acid should be given to free the blood of uric acid, then the salicy- late of sodium should be given for two or three days, or longer, to sweep it o]^t of the body, but the sali- cylate should not be given during the attack, for it may aggravate the symptoms. For a fortnight, or a month, perhaps longer, preceding the regular season of attacks of nervous catarrh, from two to six grains of the salicylate should be given every day or two, in order to get and keep the amount of the acid in the body down to the normal amount. The copious use of the stronger lithia waters is advantageous also. This treatment, combined with proper diet, should be successful, provided that there is no organic dis- ease of the structures, central or peripheral. Any organic disease, hypertrophy, polypus, etc., must re- ceive the necessary surgical treatment. A vitiated condition of the blood, or a depressed condition of the nervous system must be corrected. Excesses of every nature must be avoided. All the organs of the system should receive such attention as to secure the harmonious coordination of their functions, for this treatment is directed against uricacidemia only, as a cause of suffering, but it should not be forgotten that there are other causes that may operate to pro- duce attacks, just as in the case of spasmodic asthma arising from bronchitis, irritating gases and other excitants.
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