Observations on the Diseases of SeamenBlane, Gilbert, Sir
History
Observations on the Diseases of Seamen
Blane, Gilbert, Sir
Medicine, Naval -- Early Works To 1800; Sailors -- Diseases
These are the means proper for stopping the fever in the beginning,
or tending to render its future progress more safe; and though, with
this view, free evacuations have been recommended, yet, if the fever
should go on, great caution is necessary in this respect in the future
treatment, debility being the symptom chiefly to be guarded against.
Purgatives may, indeed, be occasionally necessary, in consequence of
accumulations of bile taking place; but, in general, the evacuations by
stool should not be more frequent than in health; and some of the cases
which were most unmanageable and fatal, were those in which there was
a spontaneous _diarrhœa_. With regard to blood letting, it is always
hurtful after the first two days, unless some inflammatory affection of
a vital part should arise.
The natural evacuation, which may with most safety and advantage be
solicited and encouraged in this disease, is, that by perspiration;
and it is observable, that in those cases for which nature does most,
there is a universal warm sweat, which has generally a very offensive
smell, and seems to be a salutary effort of the constitution to cure
the disease. Where this takes place, little medical assistance is
necessary, except to keep it up chiefly by warm dilution; and there is
no circumstance in which the judgement of a physician is shewn more
than in discerning those cases in which his chief business is to look
on, where nature, being equal to the task, ought not to be disturbed by
the active and officious interposition of art. We should not, however,
aim at producing a profuse sweat, except with a view to effect a
remission immediately after the first evacuations. In the course of the
disease, it is only necessary to keep up a gentle moisture or softness
of the skin.
The head being particularly affected in this sort of fever, the patient
is extremely restless and delirious, especially at night; and there is
a medicine which has a most pleasing effect in procuring both rest and
perspiration. This is a combination of an opiate with an antimonial
medicine, which was administered in the evening with great success;
and the sudorific effect is rendered more certain by the addition of
some saline neutral, especially _Spiritus Mindereri_[92]. I tried
pure opiates in the early stage of this, fever, but found them not to
answer; though in the low[93] fevers of England, and in the advanced
stages and convalescent state of this fever, they are extremely safe
and useful. Pure laudanum is also given by Dr. Lind, at Haslar, with
great success in the height of the disease; but in the West Indies
there is a greater tendency to acrid excretions, and the effect of pure
opium in causing a retention of these, seems to be the cause of its
disagreeing in that climate in the first stage of this fever.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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