Practical remarks on the endemic dysentery of Colombo, island of Ceylon / by J.W. Fleming.

  • Fleming, Jim (James William)
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Practical remarks on the endemic dysentery of Colombo, island of Ceylon / by J.W. Fleming. 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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    (lyseiitoiy of l.lie West Imlies is particuhuly applicable here, “ The dysentery, like the fever,” says he, “ re- (piires to be taken care of early, for the means that will ' either overcome, or greatly mitigate the disease at the beginning, will not be able to make any impression upon it, after it has continued some time.” In the Treatment the indications to fulfd are : Is^.—'Po subdue the inflammatory action, by evacua- ting the matter contained in the intestines, and, when present, to remove the fever. 2nd.—To lessen the irritation of the canal, and pro- duce a healthy state of its secretion. To answer the first, the remedies most to be relied on, provided the case be seen early enough, are general and local blood-letting, a very rigid attention to diei> the cautious use of mild oleaginous purgatives, and above all, the exhibition of warm water Enemata- General bleeding is very rarely required, except in the strong, robust, and recently arrived Europeans, and ought, almost as a rule, to be avoided in old soldiers, and others of long residence in the low country. The advantages of depletion will, for the most part, be ob- tained by the free apjDlication of leeches over the sef^t of pain, on the perineum, or over the lowest part of the sacrum, and repeating them as often as may be neces- sary until the pain is extinguished. After the employ- ment of these means, a dose of Castor oil Avith Tincture of Henbane should be administered, and followed in about two hours by large Avarm Avater injections, to the extent of four, five, and even six pints, by Avhich the boAvels will be “ effectually opened and accumulated fceces removed, AAdiile the Avarm Avater rather soothes than irritates the inflamed membrane,” and “moreoA'er the effect is ]Aroduced much more speedily than by purgatives given by the mouth.” Warm Avatcr Enemata^ in cases of dysentery, diarrhma and colic, arc unquestion-