The village-pastor's surgical and medical guide, in letters from an old physician to a young clergyman, his son.

  • Skrimshire, F. (Fenwick), 1774 or 1775-1855.
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The village-pastor's surgical and medical guide, in letters from an old physician to a young clergyman, his son. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    78/448 (page 62)
    adult you may give sixty drops of laudanum with half a wine-glassful of brandy in about a quarter of a pint of hot water; you will also be careful not to expose the patient to the cold unnecessarily, and instead of the continued immersion of the in- jured parts in cold water, or the free application of cold in any other way, consider this, if left to your own judgment, as one of those severe cases which require the early application of oil of turpentine. The dose of laudanum, and also the quantity of brandy, in such a case, must of course vary with the age, and constitution, and previous habits of the patient. To a youth of about fifteen, or to a deli- cate female, half the above dose would be ample, and to a child of five years you should give only ten drops of laudanum and about two tea-spoonfuls of brandy. Should the shivering or sensation of chilliness and the depressed state of pulse not abate in a very few minutes, more brandy may be given by only a single tea-spoonful at a time even to an adult, with a desire that he hold it as long as he can in his mouth before swallowing it; as, when thus given, I believe its effect to be more speedily and universally diffused. If the sufferings of the patient be not materially mitigated after a few hours, it may be advisable to repeat the lau- danum ; but by this time it is to be hoped that you will have resigned so formidable a case into the surgeon’s hands. In cases of less danger, which may be supposed