Medical Inquiries and Observations, Vol. 2: The Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged by the AuthorRush, Benjamin
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Medical Inquiries and Observations, Vol. 2: The Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged by the Author
Rush, Benjamin
Medicine; Yellow fever -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
In the treatment of the influenza I was governed by the state of the
system. Where inflammatory diathesis discovered itself by a full or
tense pulse, or where great difficulty of breathing occurred, and the
pulse was low and weak in the beginning of the disease, I ordered
moderate bleeding. In a few cases in which the symptoms of pneumony
attended, I bled a second time with advantage. In all these instances
of inflammatory affection, I gave the usual antiphlogistic medicines.
I found that vomits did not terminate the disease, as they often do a
common catarrh, in the course of a day, or of a few hours.
In cases where no inflammatory action appeared in the system, I
prescribed cordial drinks and diet, and forbad every kind of evacuation.
I saw several instances of persons who had languished for a week or two
with the disease, who were suddenly cured by eating a hearty meal, or
by drinking half a pint of wine, or a pint of warm punch. In all these
cases of weak action in the blood-vessels, liquid laudanum gave great
relief, not only by suspending the cough, but by easing the pains in the
bones.
I met with a case of an old lady who was suddenly and perfectly cured of
her cough by a fright.
The duration of this epidemic in our city was about six weeks. It spread
from New-York and Philadelphia in all directions, and in the course of
a few months pervaded every state in the union. It was carried from the
United States to several of the West-India islands. It prevailed in
the island of Grenada in the month of November, 1789, and it was heard
of in the course of the ensuing winter in the Spanish settlements in
South-America.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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