Examination of the prejudices commonly entertained against mercury : as beneficially applicable to the greater number of liver complaints, and to various other forms of disease, as well as to syphilis / by James Curry.

  • Curry, James, -1819.
Date:
1810
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Examination of the prejudices commonly entertained against mercury : as beneficially applicable to the greater number of liver complaints, and to various other forms of disease, as well as to syphilis / by James Curry. 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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    served occasionally to follow its administration in Syphilis, and this administration in many in- stances acknowledged to be ill conducted, that the general dread of the article has arisen; for as hepatic disorder is commonly believed to be rare in this country, a fortiori^ the use of this remedy with a view to remove such disorder, cannot be very frequent, and, of course, its he became suddenly affected with nausea, followed by retch- ing, during which he threw up some bile from the stomach, and soon after passed a considerable quantity downwards, mixed with a matter very much resembling minute portions of cord, or as if the patient had been eating nuts, which had passed through undigested. [The nature of this matter will be particularly considered hereafter; as its occurrence will serve to explain the land of obstruction present, and its complete removal be found the necessary precursor of recovery.] To allay the sickness, a saline effervescing draught was ordered ; and this was the only medicine he required afterwards; as the nausea quickly subsided, bis bowels became regular, and the foeces duly tinged with bile, at the same time that his appetite and sleep were perfectly restored. During the progress of his indisposition, and until the obstruction was removed, the hair had continued to fall off, not only from a great part of the ^ scalp, but had begun to do so from his chin, and from his legs; and the baldness was at last so conspicuous, as to require the use of a wig. But in a short time, as his strength improved, the hair returned to the denuded parts; and bis general health has since continued with fewer interruptions than he had experienced for many years before.