140 MEMOIR OF DR WRIGHT. 



may, however, be a chance ; and the Quassia aniara appears 

 to me to be the safest and best antiseptic.' ,, 



About this period he writes to Dr Garthshore : 



" A fever has been raging here, and students of medicine 

 have been the principal suffei'ers. Several of them have died 

 of it, and others are dangerously ill. It is said they caught 

 the contagion in the Infirmary ; and if so, it must be ascribed 

 to a want of cleanliness and ventilation. Students are gene- 

 rally attended by pr6fessors ; and I am not acquainted with 

 the particular treatment they pursue. Dr Gregory makes 

 use of the cold affusion with success ; but there are cases of 

 fever where that alone will not suffice, such as a tendency to, or 

 actual inflammation of the viscera, or congestion in the brain. 

 In such cases, I make very free with mercurials, and with the 

 most marked success ; at the same time, I keep my patient 

 cool and airy, and if need be, apply the cold water generally, 

 or partially, should the feverish heat run high. Of late, seve- 

 ral bad cases of fever were thus treated, and the symptoms 

 were removed in a few days. Indeed, I have never seen a 

 relapse of fever where calomel was duly used. ,,> 



Iii a subsequent letter to Dr Garthshore, he says, 



" I have a good opinion of antimonials in all febrile cases, 

 especially in colds attended with fever and plethora. In ty- 

 phus, I sometimes employ small doses of pulvis antimonialis, 

 conjoined with calomel ; but more frequently the calomel 

 alone ; and, as I told you before, patients so treated have no 

 relapse!''' 



In 1801, Dr Wright was elected a member of the 

 Royal Medical Society ; and, at the close of the year, 

 he was called to the chair of the Royal College of 

 Physicians. 



