Letters concerning the internal dropsy of the brain : to Charles William Quin, M.D. ... from William Patterson, M.D. ...

Date:
1794
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letters concerning the internal dropsy of the brain : to Charles William Quin, M.D. ... from William Patterson, M.D. ... Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    j i I i { ! t I j C 57 ] opinions. He fuppofes, indeed, that the hydroce- phalus internus may, at times, be founded on hy- dropick tendency ; but he is certain, that the fre- quent caufe of the difeafe is inflammation, of which eff'ufion is the confequence. And in fupport of this doctrine, he tells us that he has obferved, “ that, in children of a puny and delicate conftitution, the diforder is generally much flower and lefs violent in its approach, than in thofe of firmer and more robufl habits, although the unhappy victims of it have com- monly been children of the rudefl: health, and of the moft: active and lively difpofitions.” As to the cure of the difeafe, he is convinced, with me, that the indifcriminate ufe of mercury is extremely injurious, and hopes it will in future be employed with more circumfpedion. At the fame time, confidering the eminent men who have re- commended it, he does not wifh, in certain circum- fiances, to difcountenance its application. In faft, he had no reafon to fpeak favourably of it; for in ten cafes, which came under his care, and in which the mercurial treatment was purfued, the event proved fatal. Had thefe ten unfortunate cafes, with many others of the like kind, been included (which they were not) in my comparative view, the number of unfuccefsful examples would have exceeded much pore confiderably that of the fuccefsful. I have the honour to be, &c.