Philosophical transactions, Vol. L. Part I. For the year 1757.: Giving some account of the present undertakings, studies, and labours, of the ingenious, in many considerable parts of the world.Various
History
Philosophical transactions, Vol. L. Part I. For the year 1757.: Giving some account of the present undertakings, studies, and labours, of the ingenious, in many considerable parts of the world.
Various
Science -- Periodicals
the 20th of the same month, when, finding no material alteration for
the better, he ordered her a brownish mixture, of which she was to
take four spoonfuls every four hours; which, he informed me, was a
decoction of the bark; and says, on taking this, she was better, as the
mortification seemed inclined to stop. But as it was a bad case, he
advised the woman to be carried to an hospital: and in this condition
was she brought in, when she was immediately put into a course of the
bark, taking a drachm of the powder every four hours; and in 48 hours
taking it there was a perfect separation of all the mortified parts.
She was then ordered to take it only three times in 24 hours; and
pursuing this method for eight days, there was a very good digestion
from the parts above the mortification.
The mortified part became now so offensive, that the poor woman pressed
me much to take off her hands, assuring me she would go through the
operations with good courage, being very desirous to live, though in
this miserable condition.
On the 12th of July I took off both her hands: I had very little more
to do, than saw the bones, nature having stopped the bleeding, when she
stopped the mortification. In a day or two after, I took off all the
toes from both feet, and now discontinued the bark, the parts appearing
in a healthy and healing condition; which went on so for five weeks,
when, on a sudden, the parts began to look livid, her stomach failed
her, and she was feverish; but, upon taking an ounce of the bark, in 36
hours her sores began again to look well. She was not suffered to leave
off the bark so soon this time, but continued taking it twice a day for
a month. She is now almost well: that part of her face, from whence the
nose mortified, was healed in seven weeks; the stumps of both arms are
intirely healed; and both feet are well, only waiting for one piece of
bone scaling off, which I believe will be in a very short time; and she
is now in good health.
The person, who gave her this medicine, is a Barber and Peruke-maker
at Bow. I applied to him several times, to inform me what it was he
had given her. The affair was talked of so much in his neighbourhood,
and the man threatned by the woman’s husband, that for a long time I
could not get him to tell me, till I told him, I had been informed
where he bought the medicines; and the time of the day, that he had
them, corresponding with the time of his giving them to the woman, and
that I knew it was tincture of myrrh, he at last told me, that he had
frequently given the above quantity of an ounce and half of it in an
ague; that it had never done any harm; and hardly ever failed to cure.
Upon which information, I carried some tincture of myrrh to the woman,
who tasted it, and is well assured it is the same liquor the barber
gave her in her ague-fit.
I am, with respect,
Your obliged and obedient Servant.
Richard Grindall.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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