Asiatic Cholera: A treatise on its origin, pathology, treatment, and cureWhitney, Elijah
History
Asiatic Cholera: A treatise on its origin, pathology, treatment, and cure
Whitney, Elijah
Cholera
In confirmation of this, we may, with great propriety, adduce the
testimony of Dr. Wallis on the loss of nerve-power, and the process
through which the result is produced, who observes, that "the phenomena
which are exhibited when the deleterious air has been drawn into the
lungs are these: the great gastro-pulmonary nerve is either wholly or
partially paralyzed, the consequences are the cessation of all its
functions either wholly or partially. This great nerve is a nerve of
function, and performs the functions of digestion and respiration, and
influences all secretions."
Hence it appears the nervous power generally, as before observed, is
very early and essentially impaired, and to such an extent that there
can be no rational hope of relief, unless some remedial agent can be
found that will exercise such a controlling influence and power, as
shall be adequate to restore the tone of the nervous system.
Hence, we are forced to the conclusion that the prominent, leading,
and most urgent symptoms requiring special attention, are "the Algide"
or loss of temperature, the loss of nerve-power in the ganglionic and
pneumogastric nerves and their branches, the altered or disorganized
condition of the blood, the impaired or obstructed circulation, and
the early and direct tendency to congestion. These are the prominent
and essential features to be observed in the treatment. They are too
intimate, dependent and inseparable, to warrant any attempt to mark the
precise order of their development. They are the essential phenomena,
proceeding equally and directly together from the primary cause and
disease action, and strictly constitute the complex character of the
cholera, and exhibit its main, distinguishing features, which must
necessarily govern and dictate the maxims of rational practice in
the treatment of this disease. The object, then, of first importance
is to restore the lost temperature, the caloric already eliminated,
and prevent its further depression; to restore, at the same time,
the lost nerve-power to the nerves again; to arrest the process of
disorganization of the blood, and equalize the circulation; to relieve
and suspend the congestion; and then, according to all the experiments
which have been made, the consequent and dependent phenomena of the
cramps and the vomiting and the purging will disappear.
SECTION III.--DIFFERENT MODES OF TREATMENT.
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