A practical treatise on the efficacy of stizolobium, or cowhage, (the Dolichos pruriens of Linnaeus) internally administered, in diseases occasioned by worms. To which are added, observations on other anthelmintics of the West-Indies ... / [William Chamberlaine].

Chamberlaine, William, 1749-

Date:: 1792

Credit: A practical treatise on the efficacy of stizolobium, or cowhage, (the Dolichos pruriens of Linnaeus) internally administered, in diseases occasioned by worms. To which are added, observations on other anthelmintics of the West-Indies ... / [William Chamberlaine]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$f 6: ] piroxy{ms, ‘attacking irregularly, and increafing, ‘in violence and frequency, for upwards of a yearand a half. “In thefe fits, of whofe approach he had no warning, he would fuddenly fall down, and continue, bereft of fenfe, in ftrong convulfions, fot upwards of an hour. The belly was fometimes contracted or drawn in towards the fpine; at other times much {welled, with furface of the abdomen; and a moft excruciating pain in the ftomach accompanied the other fymptoms, throughout the whole ef this tedious diforder. | C-SI cy . Fuly 28, 1792. HANNAH BESTON, Pooi’s-buildings, Gray’s inn-lane, aged 35, had been from the violence of feveral bad fymptoms caufed by afcarides, and the renia cucurbitina (the argience of both which were afcertained by her difcharging at ifferent times feveral of the former, alive, and portions of the lat- ter), reduced to fo debilitated a {tate as rendered her at laft to- tally incapable of following her occupation (that of a laundrefs.} She had applied, at various times, to three different medical gen- tlemen, and afterwards to a difpenfary, where every powerfal anthelmintic had for a long time. been tried under the direction of a very judicious and humane phyfician, without producing any good effect, or the leaft diminution of her torments. Dif- appointed of finding the wifhed-for relief, fhe determined te feek it elfewhere, and applied foon afterwards to my friend Dr. Willan, who, on enquiring into, and hearing the parti- culars of her cafe, gave her a direction to my houfe, with a line, requefting I would try the Cowhage with her. She perfever- ed in taking it for near a fortnight before any material alteras tion was perceived: I defired her to take double her ufual quantity. Ten days afterwards fhe called to inform me, that the had paffed a moft incredible number of both forts; and one day in particular, they came away fo faft, almoft every quarter of an hour, without ftools, as to oblige her to defift from any fort of bufinefs whatever, and prevented her even from walking out of her apartment. - joy and gratitude, in order:to fhew me a Tape-worm which thé had difcharged that morning: it was true Yenia Cucurbitina, _meafuring between three and four yards, and was alive. She faid it was but a very fmall part of what the had paffed the fame morning: that the reft came away moftly in a lump, and that her reafon for bringing no more, was becaufe fhe thought a fmall piece of it would be fufficient for me to look at. : ; rom$