Forchheimer's Therapeusis of Internal Diseases (Volume 1)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1919 Excerpt: ...which parenchymatous diseases of the nervous system were permitted to germinate and reach full growth while the patient was supposedly under his physician's care. For reasons that are obvious, progressive physicians everywhere have discarded the routine administration of mercury by mouth. There are but very few occasions left in which this form of mercurialization may still be recommended. The most effective and most readily applied form of mercurial therapy is by inunction. The inunction method consists in rubbing into the patient's skin a varying amount o: mercurial ointment, --an average dose being considered one to two drams (4-8 gm.). This quantity is placed in a waxed paper and the patient is directed to rub its contents into the body, selecting a different part for each subsequent rubbing. After twenty minutes to one-half hour's rubbing the ointment will probably have disappeared and a piece of flannel bandage may then be tied around the part, which is to remain there during the night. The parts chosen for this purpose are the flexor surfaces, --groins, bends of elbows, the popliteal spaces, and the inner surface of the thighs. To facilitate absorption of the ointment, the skin is made more supple by the taking of a lukewarm bath before each rub and of a full hot bath every fourth night. Thirty rubs constitute a course of treatment. Between each mercury course a period of iodid administration is interposed. The iodid of potassium ol sodium is prescribed in doses, beginning with 30 drops of the saturated solution, gradually increased to one dram (4 gm.), three times daily after meals, taken in liberal quantities of milk or water. Having taken iodids for a period of four weeks, the mercurial rubs are again resumed and another course of treatment is finis...