766

gave her the next dose of calomel, half ascruple. At this time there was greatprostration of strength, the breath and thesurface of the body were cold; purging;the dejections now appeared like ricewater: vomitine.

Mr. Clarke, who now saw the patient,gave it as his opinion that she would sinkunless stimulants were given. I thereforemade her take a table. spoonful of brandy,with one of hot water, and twenty drops oftinct. opii at short intervals, continuing thecalomel in half-scruple doses. Under thistreatment, together with warmth applied tothe extremities, hot bricks, &c., a decided

improvement took place. I therefore wenton with it until midnight, having givenhalf scruple doses of calomel every hour,but diminishing the quantity of tinct. opiito five drops as a dose after the first twohours. Sickness, however, I should haveobserved, was continually present, and Icould perceive some portion of calomel inwhat was rejected from the stomach. Therewas now no spasm, no pain in the epigas-trium ; the surface of the body was be-coming warm, and of its usual colour, and,in a word, from this time she gradually im-proved. The calomel was now diminishedto five grains for a dose, and so continueduntil six A.M., when reaction had fullytaken place. She was in fact convales-cent. She has been seen during the dayby Mr. Clarke, Mr. Searle, &c.; no urinewas secreted.

CASE 2.—The next case was that ofS. Connell, aged 2, whose mother was suf-fering from the disease. He was attackedthis morning at three A.M., and as I was onthe spot, I saw him at the onset. He hadall the usual symptoms. I gave him threegrains of calomel immediateiy, with a tea-spoonful of brandy and water. This wa,continued at intervals of an hour, and ]soon had the pleasure of seeing the littlEfellow free from all urgent symptoms.

CASE 3.---Margaret Toomey, aged 28,living in the same lane, was taken ill on

Tuesday morning. She was seen by an-other medical man, and under his and Mr.Clarke’s care had’gone on improving. Shehad had a mustard emetic in the first in-stance, which much relieved her. WhenI was called to her about four o’clock thismorning, she was suffering from severe relapse. All the symptoms were much ag-gravated. She took immediately a scrupleof calomel, and forty drops of tr. opii, withbrandy and water, and in this instance theeffect produced was as from a charm. Shewas made to follow the same treatment asin the other cases. In all these instances

(with others) the patients have gone

ll1tO the febrile ’stage, and are under treat.ment. I remain, Sir, your obedient ser.

vant,CHAS. EDw. BLAIR.

20, Canterbury Place.Wednesday Evening, Feb. 15, 1832.

CHAS. EDW. BLAIR.

CASE OF CHOLERA AT LIMEHOUSE.

THOMAS W. BARNETT, Surgeon.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR,—A case of spasmodic cholera havino-

occurred in this parish, terminating in deathfourteen hours from the commencement ofthe disease, I forward the case for insertionin your valuable Journal. I am, your obe.dient humble servant,

THOMAS W. BARNETT, Surgeon.

CASE.

Mary Ferguson, a stout young woman,aged 25 years, with a child at breast 13months old, obtained her living by shore-raking and begging ; re sided in a dreadfullyfilthy room up two pair of stairs, No. 2,White’s Rents, Limehouse, in the most ex.treme state of poverty. On Saturday night,the llth of February, was perfectly well.About 4 o’clock on Sunday morning, wasattacked with vomiting, purging, and severecramps in the legs and thighs, which con-tinued until seven, when the extremitiesand face assumed a peculiar blue colour, atwhich time the vomiting and cramps beganto abate, but the dejections passed involuli-tarilv. I first visited her at half-nast two.when I observed the above blue colour ; thedejections passing off involuntarily, having, the appearance of dirty gruel ; the surfaceof the body cold, particularly the extremi-ties ; skin of the fingers corrugated ; tonguerather cold, a little furred, and moist; per-fectly sensible, but the power of utterancediminished; eyes sunken; tunica conjunc-tiva gorged ; face contracted ; breath colderthan natural ; no pulsation to be felt in theradial or brachial arteries. Treatment :-Stimulants (e. g. brandy, ammonia, &c.),opium, friction, and dry heat.Died at a little past six in the evening.P. S. By the consent of Mr. Livingston,

overseer, she was removed to a detached

building belonging to the workhouse, wherehe (Mr. L.) afforded every assistance thatlaid in his power.

Limehouse, February 15, 1832.