Makers of Modern MedicineWalsh, James J. (James Joseph)
History
Makers of Modern Medicine
Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Medicine -- Biography
Some of Dr. Graves' very particular hints with regard to treatment of
fever show how careful he was in clinical observation. He deprecates
the allowance of very much fluid for patients, since their thirst
cannot be assuaged in that way, and the amount of liquid taken may be
harmful by causing depression. He suggests, therefore, the use of
acidulated water made by means of a little currant jelly or raspberry
vinegar, given in small portions and at regular intervals. Much better
than plain water he considers water to which some light bitter has
been added, such as cascarilla. Small quantities of this will appease
the morbid thirst of fever more effectually and for a much longer
period than large draughts of water.
Even more interesting in these modern times, however, than Graves'
attitude toward the treatment of fever is the position he took with
regard to the habits of life that were best for the consumptive. At
that time tuberculosis of the lungs was considered to be an
inflammatory disease requiring the patient to be in the house most of
the time, carefully protected from cold, and during any rise of
temperature to be kept in warm rooms, without any special
encouragement to take food. Graves and Stokes changed all that, and
for the time completely revolutionized the principles of treatment for
this serious ailment. Alas! their work, notwithstanding the good
results shown in a certain number of cases, failed to attract
widespread attention, and not until our own time did the principles
that they laid down as the rational basis of successful therapeutics
for tuberculosis come to be generally adopted.
Graves insisted that his patients when suffering from beginning
tuberculosis should not be confined to the house, {174} but on the
contrary should be out of doors most of the time. He emphasized what
he called the taking of exercise, but in such a way that he agrees
much more than might be thought with modern ideas on this subject.
Now, it is insisted that tuberculous patients must not overtire
themselves by taking exercise, though they must be in the open air a
large part of the time. Graves explains the exercise that he would
like to have them take by saying that they should spend four or five
hours every day riding in a carriage, or, as he seems to prefer, in an
open jaunting-car. And that they should spend at least as much time
sitting outside in quiet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account