Zoonomia Volume Ii Part 25

12. _Crusta lactea._ Milk-crust is a milder disease than tinea, affecting the face as well as the hairy scalp of very young children. It is not infectious, nor liable to swell the lymphatics in its vicinity like the tinea.

M. M. Cover the eruption with cerate made with lapis calaminaris, to be renewed every day. Mix one grain of emetic tartar with forty grains of chalk, and divide into eight papers, one to be taken twice a day, or with magnesia alba, if stools are wanted. The child should be kept cool and much in the air.

13. _Trichoma._ Plica polonica. A contagious disease, in which the hair is said to become alive and bleed, forming inextricable knots or plaits of great length, like the fabled head of Medusa, with intolerable pain, so as to confine the sufferer on his bed for years.

ORDO I.

_Increased Sensation._

GENUS VI.

_With Fever consequent to the Production of new Vessels or Fluids._

SPECIES.

1. _Febris sensitiva._ Sensitive fever, when unmixed with either irritative or inirritative fever, may be distinguished from either of them by the less comparative diminution of muscular strength; or in other words, from its being attended with less diminution of the sensorial power of irritation.

An example of unmixed sensitive fever may generally be taken from the pulmonary consumption; in this disease patients are seen to walk about with ease, and to do all the common offices of life for weeks, and even months, with a pulse of 120 strokes in a minute; while in other fevers, whether irritated or inirritated, with a pulse of this frequency, the patient generally lies upon the bed, and exerts no muscular efforts without difficulty.

The cause of this curious phenomenon is thus to be understood; in the sensitive fever a new sensorial power, viz. that of sensation, is superadded to that of irritation; which in other fevers alone carries on the increased circulation. Whence the power of irritation is not much more exhausted than in health; and those muscular motions, which are produced in consequence of it, as those which are exerted in keeping the body upright in walking, riding, and in the performance of many customary actions, are little impaired. For an account of the irritated sensitive fever, see Cla.s.s II. 1. 2. 1.; for the inirritated sensitive fever, Cla.s.s II. 1. 3. 1. IV.

2. 4. 11.

2. _Febris a pure clauso._ Fever from inclosed matter is generally of the irritated sensitive kind, and continues for many weeks, and even months, after the abscess is formed; but is distinguished from the fever from aerated matter in open ulcers, because there are seldom any night-sweats, or colliquative diarrhoea in this, as in the latter. The pulse is also harder, and requires occasional venesection, and cathartics, to abate the inflammatory fever; which is liable to increase again every three or four days, till at length, unless the matter has an exit, it destroys the patient. In this fever the matter, not having been exposed to the air, has not acquired oxygenation; in which a new acid, or some other noxious property, is produced; which acts like contagion on the const.i.tution inducing fever-fits, called hectic fever, which terminate with sweats or diarrhoea; whereas the matter in the closed abscess is either not absorbed, or does not so affect the circulation as to produce diurnal or hectic fever-fits; but the stimulus of the abscess excites so much sensation as to induce perpetual pyrexia, or inflammatory fever, without such marked remissions. Nevertheless there sometimes is no fever produced, when the matter is lodged in a part of little sensibility, as in the liver; yet a white pus-like sediment in those cases exists I believe generally in the urine, with occasional wandering pains about the region of the liver or chest.

3. _Vomica._ An abscess in the lungs is sometimes produced after peripneumony, the cough and shortness of breath continue in less degree, with difficulty in lying on the well side, and with sensitive irritated fever, as explained in the preceding article.

The occasional increase of fever, with hard pulse and sizy blood, in these patients, is probably owing to the inflammation of the walls of the vomica; as it is attended with difficulty of breathing, and requires venesection.

Mr. B----, a child about seven years old, lived about five weeks in this situation, with a pulse from 150 to 170 in a minute, without sweats, or diarrhoea, or sediment in his water, except mucus occasionally; and took sufficient nourishment during the whole time. The blood taken was always covered with a strong cupped size, and on his death three or four pints of matter were found in one side of the chest; which had probably, but lately, been effused from a vomica. This child was frequently induced to swing, both in a reciprocating and in a rotatory swing, without any apparent absorption of matter; in both these swings he expressed pleasure, and did not appear to be vertiginous.

M. M. Repeated emetics. Digitalis? Perseverance in rotatory swinging. See Cla.s.s II. 1. 6. 7.

Mr. I. had laboured some months under a vomica after a peripneumony, he was at length taken with a catarrh, which was in some degree endemic in March 1795, which occasioned him to sneeze much, during which a copious haemorrhage from the lungs occurred, and he spit up at the same time half a pint of very fetid matter, and recovered. Hence errhines may be occasionally used with advantage.

4. _Empyema._ When the matter from an abscess in the lungs finds its way into the cavity of the chest, it is called an empyema. A servant man, after a violent peripneumony, was seized with symptoms of empyema, and it was determined, after some time, to perform the operation; this was explained to him, and the usual means were employed by his friends to encourage him, "by advising him not to be afraid." By which good advice he conceived so much fear, that he ran away early next morning, and returned in about a week quite well. Did the great fear promote the absorption of the matter, like the sickness occasioned by digitalis? Fear renders the external skin pale; by this continued decrease of the action of the absorbents of the skin might not those of the lungs be excited into greater activity? and thus produce increased pulmonary absorption by reverse sympathy, as it produces pale urine, and even stools, by direct sympathy?

M.M. Digitalis?

5. _Febris Mesenterica._ Fever from matter formed in the mesentery is probably more frequent than is suspected. It commences with pain in the bowels, with irritated sensitive fever; and continues many weeks, and even months, requiring occasional venesection, and mild cathartics; till at length the continuance of the pyrexia, or inflammatory fever, destroys the patient. This is an affection of the lymphatic glands, and properly belongs to scrophula; but as the matter is not exposed to the air, no hectic fever, properly so called, is induced.

6. _Febris a pure aerato._ Fever from aerated matter. A great collection of matter often continues a long time, and is sometimes totally absorbed, even from venereal buboes, without producing any disorder in the arterial system. At length, if it becomes putrid by its delay, and one part of the matter thus becomes aerated by the air given out by the other part; or if the ulcer has been opened, so that any part of it has been exposed to the air for but one day, a hectic fever is produced. Whence the utility arises of opening large abscesses by setons, as in that case little or no hectic fever is induced; because the matter is squeezed out by the side of the spongy threads of cotton, and little or no air is admitted; or by tapping the abscess with a trocar, as mentioned in ischias, Cla.s.s II. 1. 2. 18.

In this fever the pulse is about 120 in a minute, and its access is generally in an evening, and sometimes about noon also, with sweats or purging towards morning, or urine with pus-like sediment; and the patients bear this fever better than any other with so quick a pulse; and lastly, when all the matter from a concealed ulcer is absorbed, or when an open ulcer is healed, the hectic fever ceases. Here the absorbed matter is supposed to produce the fever, and the diarrhoea, sweats, or copious muddy urine, to be simply the consequence of increased secretion, and not to consist of the purulent matter, which was supposed to be absorbed from the ulcer. See Sudor calidus, Cla.s.s I. 1. 2. 3.

The action of the air on ulcers, as we have already shewn, increases the acrimony of the purulent matter, and even converts it into a weaker kind of contagious matter; that is, to a material inducing fever. This was ascribed to the union of the azotic part of the atmosphere with the effused pus in Sect. XXVIII. 2. but by contemplating more numerous facts and a.n.a.logies, I am now induced to believe, that it is by the union of oxygen with it; first, because oxygen so greedily unites with other animal substances, as the blood, that it will pa.s.s through a moist bladder to combine with it, according to the experiment of Dr. Priestley. Secondly, because the poisons of venomous creatures are supposed to be acids of different kinds, and are probably formed by the contact of air after their secretion. And lastly, because the contagious matter from other ulcers, as in itch, or small-pox, are formed on external membranes, and are probably combinations of animal matter and oxygen, producing other new acids; but further experiments must determine this question.

It was thought a subject of consequence by the aesculapian Society at Edinburgh, to find a criterion which should distinguish pus from mucus, for the purpose of more certainly discovering the presence of ulcers in pulmonary diseases, or in the urinary pa.s.sages. For this purpose that society offered their first gold medal, which was conferred on the late Mr.

Charles Darwin, in the year 1778, for his experiments on this subject. From which he deduces the following conclusions:

"1. Pus and mucus are both soluble in the vitriolic acid, though in very different proportions, pus being much the less soluble.

2. The addition of water to either of these compounds decomposes it; the mucus thus separated, either swims on the mixture, or forms large flocci in it; whereas the pus falls to the bottom, and forms on agitation a uniform turbid mixture.

3. Pus is diffusible through a diluted vitriolic acid, though mucus is not; the same occurs with water, or a solution of sea salt.

4. Nitrous acid dissolves both pus and mucus; water added to the solution of pus produces a precipitate; and the fluid above becomes clear and green; while water and the solution of mucus form a dirty coloured fluid.

5. Alkaline lixivium dissolves (though sometimes with difficulty) mucus, and generally pus.

6. Water precipitates pus from such a solution, but does not mucus.

7. Where alkaline lixivium does not dissolve pus, it still distinguishes it from mucus; as it then prevents its diffusion through water.

8. Coagulable lymph is neither soluble in diluted nor concentrated vitriolic acid.

9. Water produces no change on a solution of serum in alkaline lixivium, until after long standing, and then only a very slight sediment appears.

10. Corrosive sublimate coagulates mucus, but does not pus.

From the above experiments it appears, that strong vitriolic acid and water, diluted vitriolic acid, and caustic alkaline lixivium and water will serve to distinguish pus from mucus; that the vitriolic acid can separate it from coagulable lymph, and alkaline lixivium from serum.

And hence, when a person has any expectorated material, the composition of which he wishes to ascertain, let him dissolve it in vitriolic acid, and in caustic alkaline lixivium; and then add pure water to both solutions: and if there is a fair precipitation in each, he may be a.s.sured that some pus is present. If in neither a precipitation occurs, it is a certain test, that the material is entirely mucus. If the material cannot be made to dissolve in alkaline lixivium by time and trituration, we have also reason to believe that it is pus."

Experiments on Pus and Mucus. Cadell. London.

7. _Phthisis pulmonalis._ In pulmonary consumption the fever is generally supposed to be the consequence of the stimulus of absorbed matter circulating in the blood-vessels, and not simply of its stimulus on their extremities in the surface of the ulcers; as mentioned in Cla.s.s II. 1. 5.

and Cla.s.s II. 1. 3. 9. The ulcers are probably sometimes occasioned by the putrid acrimony of effused blood remaining in the air-cells of the lungs after an haemoptoe. See Cla.s.s I. 2. 1. 9. The remote cause of consumption is ingeniously ascribed by Dr. Beddoes to the hyper-oxygenation of the blood, as mentioned Section XXVIII. 2.

As the patients liable to consumption are of the inirritable temperament, as appears by the large pupils of their eyes; there is reason to believe, that the haemoptoe is immediately occasioned by the deficient absorption of the blood at the extremities of the bronchial vein; and that one difficulty of healing the ulcers is occasioned by the deficient absorption of the fluids effused into them. See Sect. x.x.x. 1. and 2.

The difficulty of healing pulmonary ulcers may be owing, as its remote cause, to the incessant motion of all the parts of the lungs; whence no scab, or indurated mucus, can be formed so as to adhere on them. Whence these naked ulcers are perpetually exposed to the action of the air on their surfaces, converting their mild purulent matter into a contagious ichor; which not only prevents them from healing, but by its action on their circ.u.mferences, like the matter of itch or tinea, contributes to spread them wider. See the preceding article, and Sect. x.x.xIII. 2. 7. where the pulmonary phthisis is supposed to be infectious.

This acidifying principle is found in all the metallic calces, as in lapis calaminaris, which is a calciform ore of zinc; and in cerussa, which is a calx of lead; two materials which are powerful in healing excoriations, and ulcers, in a short time by their external application. How then does it happen, that the oxygen in the atmosphere should prevent pulmonary ulcers from healing, and even induce them to spread wider; and yet in its combination with metals, it should facilitate their healing? The healing of ulcers consists in promoting the absorption of the fluids effused into them, as treated of in Section x.x.xIII. 3. 2. Oxygen in combination with metals, when applied in certain quant.i.ty, produces this effect by its stimulus; and the metallic oxydes not being decomposed by their contact with animal matter, no new acid, or contagious material, is produced. So that the combined oxygen, when applied to an ulcer, simply I suppose promotes absorption in it, like the application of other materials of the articles sorbentia or incitantia, if applied externally; as opium, bark, alum. But in the pulmonary ulcers, which cannot protect themselves from the air by forming a scab, the uncombined oxygen of the atmosphere unites with the purulent matter, converting it into a contagious ichor; which by infection, not by erosion, enlarges the ulcers, as in the itch or tinea; which might hence, according to Dr. Beddoes's ingenious theory of consumption, be induced to heal, if exposed to an atmosphere deprived of a part of its oxygen. This I hope future experiments will confirm, and that the pneumatic medicine will alleviate the evils of mankind in many other, as well as in this most fatal malady.

M. M. First, the respiration of air lowered by an additional quant.i.ty of azote, or mixed with some proportion of hydrogen, or of carbonic acid air, may be tried; as described in a late publication of Dr. Beddoes on the medicinal use of fact.i.tious airs. Johnson, London. Or lastly, by breathing a mixture of one tenth part of hydro-carbonate mixed with common air, according to the discovery of Mr. Watt, which has a double advantage in these cases, of diluting the oxygen of the atmospheric air, and inducing sickness, which increases pulmonary absorption, as mentioned below. An atmosphere diluted with fixed air (carbonic acid) might be readily procured by setting tubs of new wort, or fermenting beer, in the parlour and lodging-room of the patient. For it is not acids floating in the air, but the oxygen or acidifying principle, which injures or enlarges pulmonary ulcers by combining with the purulent matter.

Another easy method of adding carbonic acid gas to the air of a room, would be by means of an apparatus invented by Mr. Watt, and sold by Bolton and Watt at Birmingham, as described in Dr. Beddoes' Treatise on Pneumatic Medicine. Johnson, London. It consists of an iron pot, with an arm projecting, and a method of letting water drop by slow degrees on chalk, which is to be put into the iron pot, and exposed to a moderate degree of heat over a common fire. By occasionally adding more and more chalk, carbonic acid gas might be carried through a tin pipe from the arm of the iron pot to any part of the room near the patient, or from an adjoining room. In the same manner a diffusion of solution of flowers of zinc might be produced and breathed by the patient, and would be likely much to contribute to the healing of pulmonary ulcers; as observed by Mr. Watt. See the treatise above mentioned.

Breathing over the vapour of caustic volatile alkali might easily be managed for many hours in a day; which might neutralize the acid poison formed on pulmonary ulcers by the contact of oxygen, and thus prevent its deleterious quality, as other acids become less caustic, when they are formed into neutral salts with alkalis. The volatile salt should be put into a tin canister, with two pipes like horns from the top of it, one to suck the air from, and the other to admit it.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Secondly, the external ulcers in scrophulous habits are pale and flabby, and naturally disinclined to heal, the deposition of fluids in them being greater than the absorption; these ulcers have their appearance immediately changed by the external application of metallic calxes, and the medicines of the article Sorbentia, such as cerussa and the bark in fine powder, see Cla.s.s I. 2. 3. 21. and are generally healed in a short time by these means.

Induced by these observations, I wished to try the external application of such powders to ulcers in the lungs, and constructed a box with a circulating brush in it, as described in the annexed plate; into this box two ounces of fine powder of Peruvian bark were put, and two drams of cerussa in fine powder; on whirling the central brush, part of this was raised into a cloud of powder, and the patient, applying his mouth to one of the tin pipes rising out of the box, inhaled this powder twice a day into his lungs. I observed it did not produce any cough or uneasiness. This patient was in the last stage of consumption, and was soon tired of the experiment, nor have I had such patients as I wished for the repet.i.tion of it. Perhaps a fine powder of manganese, or of the flowers of zinc, or of lapis calaminaris, might be thus applied to ulcers of the lungs with greater advantage? Perhaps air impregnated with flowers of zinc in their most comminuted state, might be a better way of applying this powder to the lungs, as discovered by Mr. Watt. See Dr. Beddoes on Pneumatic Medicine.

Johnson.

Thirdly, as the healing of an ulcer consists in producing a tendency to absorption on its surface greater than the deposition on it; see Sect.

x.x.xIII. 3. 2. other modes of increasing pulmonary absorption, which are perhaps more manageable than the preceding ones, may be had recourse to; such as by producing frequent nausea or sickness. See Sect. XXIX. 5. 1. and Art. IV. 2. The great and sudden absorption of fluid from the lungs in the anasarca pulmonum by the sickness induced by the exhibition of digitalis, astonishes those who have not before attended to it, by emptying the swelled limbs, and removing the difficulty of breathing in a few hours.