YANDELL Olt Spasmodic Cholera.



already dead. The most powerful stimulants given internal-
ly, and heat and rubefacients applied to the surface, were in-
capabler ymost generally, of rousing the heart, or restoring
heat to the skin. The susceptibility of the system to the im-
pression of external agents was gone. The vis Medicali, na-
turn as John Hunter expresses it, had given up in despair.
  Nevertheless, a few were reclaimed from this extremity
of the disease. Mr. Hale, an esteemed pupil of mine, was
called, during my illness, to a female laboring under cholera in
this stage. She was poor, and being remote from the popu.
lous part of the city, had received no attention. He gave
her 250 grains of calomel, applied mustard to the extremi-
ties, and left her for the night. When he called next
morning, contrary to all expectation, the calomel had pro-
duced the desired effect, and the patient was relieved. She
has recovered completely, and has since had a child cured
of the same disease by this enterprizing young gentleman.
One or two patients attribute their recovery from a state of
collapse to swallowing pellets of ice. Other cases are re-
ported, in which large doses of calomel seemed to effect the
cure. Brandy, ether, and ammonia were the stimulants usu-
ally resorted to for the purpose of restoring the pulse and
heat. But, as already stated, they rarely produced the effect.
The cold dash was also used in some cases, but without avail.
I may mention here, that Dr. Addams, of Cynthiana, speaks
in strong terms of the efficacy of this remedy, in this stage
of the complaint. He applied it to his patients again and
again, as the heat declined, with the effect of bringing on
reaction'; and it would seem that in this way he was very
often successful. It is, perhaps, scarcely worth stating, that
I prepared the nitrous oxide gas with the intention of trying
its effects upon the system in this stage of the disease, but
was prevented from carrying my views into practice by my
own illness. Prompt, and powerfully stimulating as this gas is,
it was thought that it might impart a temporary vigor, in which
other remedies could be made to act, and which might even
be kept up by a repetition of the substance.
                            C



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