Читать книгу Pharmacologia онлайн

140 страница из 211

Thus then do Diuretics, in some cases, cure by Evacuating, while in others, as in the instance above cited, they Evacuate by curing.

A case has lately occurred in my own practice, which not only affords a striking illustration of the present views, but is well calculated to convey to the inexperienced practitioner a very instructive lesson of caution. A man of the age of thirty-five, of the most dissolute habits, was attacked after a debauch of several days’ continuance, with inflammatory symptoms in the chest; a very large quantity of blood was suddenly abstracted, and the bleeding was repeated after the interval of a few hours. The respiration became laborious, and I was desired to visit the patient; I found that little or no urine had been evacuated since the attack, and that there were evident symptoms of effusion, the legs were swollen, and the difficulty of breathing was rapidly increasing. Under these circumstances I directed a large dose of Ammonia with some stimulating diuretics, which were to be repeated at short intervals. On the following day the distressing symptoms had subsided, a large quantity of urine had passed, and the patient expressed himself greatly relieved; unfortunately, however, in consequence of a slight increase of his distress in the evening, an injudicious friend in attendance, took more blood from the arm—the dropsical effusions rapidly increased, and life was extinguished in the course of three days by confirmed Hydrothorax.