80 On the Salivating Effects 



XXI. On the Salivating Effects of Digitalis Purpurea, 

 or Common Foxglove. In a letter from Dr. Mah- 

 lon Gregg, to Dr. Thomas Walmsley. Com- 

 municated by the latter to the Editor. 



IN my last, I mentioned the death of Miss 



P , and Mr. C 's child. I shall now give you 



a more particular account of these cases, with the ef- 

 fect of the Digitalis. Miss P , I need not tell 



you, was a young lady of a constitution more than 

 commonly robust. She was about eighteen years old, 

 and of a family in which the phthisis pulmonalis was 

 an hereditary disease. When I was called to vi- 

 sit her, I was informed, that she had been ill two 

 months, and that the affections of the lungs was 

 brought on by a cold. I found her labouring under 

 violent inflammatory symptoms, with a dry cough. I 

 advised blood-letting, and insisted upon it, at different 

 times : but I could not obtain her consent. I gave 

 her a cathartic, digitalis, small doses of tartar emetic, 

 &c, but without much good effect. She soon began 

 to spit a purulent matter, and, in a short time, she 

 was much debilitated. I gave calomel, in order to 

 salivate her, but did not succeed. The medicine 

 was omitted, and she took nothing but a mixture 

 made of liquorice with a little anodyne, for a week or 

 more, when I again began with the digitalis. After 

 continuing the use of this for eight or ten days, a co- 

 pious ptyalism came on, which lasted some time, but 

 without producing any good effect. She died a few 

 days after. 



