IN THE LOCKED JAW, &C. 339 



piously after it, and slept much in the intervals. Medicines 

 and cold bath to be continued as before. 



March 30. — Much better : the spasms are not so frequcut ; 

 and he himself remarks not near so violent as before. He 

 speaks distinctly, and swallows better, but complains much 

 of his neck being Stiff, and also the hips and lower extremi- 

 ties. The cold bath and medicines continued. 



April 2. — Free from all complaints, except the pain in 

 his hip, and a soreness in his mouth. He had in all ta- 

 ken ninety grains of solid opium, and three ounces of strong 

 mercurial ointment were rubbed in. The cold bath, and 

 every medicine, discontinued. 



A gentle spitting came on, which lasted a few days ; he 

 perfectly recovered of his late alarming disorder, and his 

 foot is now (June 21.) almost well. 



I leave you to make your own observations on this case ; 

 but, if you attend to the suddenness of relief from the 

 cold bath, you will be led to conclude that the mercury 

 had no share, as it could not so soon act. 



I am of opinion that opiates, and the cold bath, will an- 

 swer every intention in the tetanus, and such like diseases; 

 for, whilst the opium diminishes the irritability, and gives 

 a truce from the violent symptoms, the cold bath produces 

 that wonderful tonic effect, so observable in this and some 

 other cases. Perhaps the bark joined with these would ren- 

 der the cure more certain. May we not, then, have failed in 

 many cases, by using opiates alone in large doses ; or what 

 probably is worse, with the warm bath instead of the cold bath? 

 And have we not reason to suspect that the increased doses 

 of opium (that seemed requisite when the warm bath was 

 used), may have proved pernicious ?" 



J. D. 

 v 2 



