The common sense of cholera / by a practical practitioner.

  • James Hutchison Stirling
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The common sense of cholera / by a practical practitioner. 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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    “ Heat,” he whispers—how peculiar is the whisper! —“ heat;” and he lifts his dusky, crooked hand: down to his shrunken bowels. Heat, internal heat, it tortures him : no draught can slake it or assuage. And yet, how cold the whole surface of his body! | Cold, cold ; dark, dark ! Suddenly, with fearfully rapid toss, with fearfully muffled cry, he startles you ! j “ Cramp,” he whispers with wild eagerness, “ cramp! ” 0 soothe his agony ! Rub—press—squeeze those knots upon his legs,—before,—behind ; those others on his arms—up—down—here—there. Such suf- fering, such ghastliness, and with a head as clear as diamond : ’tis Cholera ! Having, in this manner, viewed the body, w< proceed, in continuation of our inquest, to take the evidence. How came all this ? What was its be-] &■ ginning? What was its progress ? What were its! antecedents generally ? A day ago—two days ago—it may be, three day! I ago, the subject of our inquiry was in his usua health; or, at most, he complained only of a little I indigestion. For half a day—one day—two days] perhaps,—a simple diarrhoea followed. Gradually however,—or, in truth, it may. be suddenly,—tb loose stools of this diarrhoea became more and mor frequent, more and more copious, and, at length! colourless. Vomiting, also, of a matter similar tj that of the latter stools came on : and these event i issued in the prostration of strength, the cramp: and general ghastly condition we now behold. iU: it! Indigestion, purging, vomiting! Purging of