Pulmonary consumption, pneumonia, and allied diseases of the lungs : their etiology, pathology and treatment, with a chapter on physical diagnosis / by Thomas J. Mays.

  • Thomas Jefferson Mays
Date:
1901
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Pulmonary consumption, pneumonia, and allied diseases of the lungs : their etiology, pathology and treatment, with a chapter on physical diagnosis / by Thomas J. Mays. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

    467/542 (page 469)
    For several reasons it seems that the ice-bags are more practical than the cold compresses, which are recommended by Niemeyer. In the first place they are dry, and do not wet the bed clothing; second, their cold effects are more uniform and decided, because they retain a low temperature longer; and, third, it is not necessary to change them oftencr than every two or three hours unless the patient has a high degree of fever. This not only saves work, but obviates the troublesome manipulation referred to by this writer. How, then, is cold to be applied, and how long must it be continued? The afTected area is to be surrounded with ice, contained in rubber bags, which are wrapped in thin towels. If there is a great deal of fever the towel is to be omitted. The number of ice-bags which are to be applied in any case depends on the degree of fever which is pres- ent and on the size of the area which is inflamed. If the fever is not very high and the disease is confined to the front or lateral base on one side only, two bags should be applied over this area, and as a precautionary measure an- other bag should be applied to the opposite base; for pneu- monia appears to have a tendency to involve the correspond- ing area on the other side. If the exudation e.xtends to the side and back, and for a considerable distance upwards, three or four bags should be applied front, laterally, and as far back as possible. If the affection is extensive, and in- volves both lungs, put on as many ice-bags as are necessary to cover the whole area. One of the worst patients in the author's experience required nine bags to cover the whole chest, sides and front, and at the same time two bags were applied to the head. The length of time during which cold is to be applied de]>ends in a great measure on the degree of fever which is present. If the temperature falls to or near the normal point, and shows a tendency to remain there, the ice may be gradually removed. It is best, however, not to remove all the ice-bags, even though the temperature is nor-