(seq. 567)

560

Materia Medica

Diuretics

Hydrathorax. I have used it in many cases, but in some it does little or no good.
I have not found it usefull in acites, this is indeed seldom curable in adult
patients, though it is sometimes by emetics or an attack of some other disease.
An Eminent Physician in this City has told me he thought Fox
Glove prejudicial in Acites. I have however cured a boy of 11 years of
age, of this species of the dropsy by Digitalis. Dr Ferrin of
Manchester paid particular attention to the subject, he gave our medicine to
24 patients with dropsy 2 of them were cases of Anasarca, 7 of Acites, 2 of
Hydothorax and the rest were complicated, 3 of these he cured, with
the others he failed, the latter were all those with acites, and several in
whoom the disease was complicated. Dr Darwin thought it best
suited to those patients who had been intemperate in drinking, after
giving the Fox Glove, he adminestered a decoction of Artichoke or the
bark, he also gave grs 1 [1 grain] of opium at bed time. I continued it for
3 or 4 weeks, I have found his remarks to be just and therefore I
think it worth recollecting.

Hydrocephalus. The Digitalis has been given by some
authors but without much success. I thought it advantageous in one
case but it did not cure, the Dropsy often follows the "Scarlatina"
and to this I think the diuretics verry well adapted. I cured one case