116 MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



iippear. Where the nervous system is in a depressed state, and an effort at re- 

 action is unsuccessful, from a want of energy in the brain and spinal nerves, 

 ■congestion of the lungs or brain lakes place, which continuing, in the former 

 gives rise to pneumonic inflammation ; the vascular fullness arising altogether 

 from nervous debility. 



ll consider typhoid pneumonia among negroes as an adynamic disease, in which 

 . the nervous energy of t he fatient is directly debilitated by the sedative injluence 

 • of cold.* If reaction take place, the nervous system must be braced up and kept 

 steady, while such means are used to control local inflammation as will not re- 

 duce the general strength. The disease is, then, one of irritation, and not of in- 

 flammation. The blood is altered, and resembles bloody serum — thin, watery, 

 and dark colored. The tendency to sink is so great that general depletion "is 

 highly injurious, and local bleeding must be practiced with great caution. Small 

 doses of calomel, as a general alterative and excitant of the secretions, with cam- 

 phor and opium, and, with much debility, carbonate of ammonia and alcoholic 

 stimuli, producing diflusion, with free vesication, are the important indications 

 required. Laxatives, and not drastic purgatives, aid materially in the treatment. 



Tiic following cases are examples of the mild form of the disease : 



'■'■Feb. 11th, ]842. Chance, eet. 13, complains of pain in the head, ON'-er the 

 eyes ; is giddy ; skin dry, but of ordinary temperature ; tongue slightly furred, 

 redder than natural ; no cough ; pulse small, soft, quick, 130 ; breathing natural. 

 I directed calomel 2 grs. Dover's powder 10 grs. camphor 2 grs. to be given, and 

 repeated in two hours ; each dose to be followed by warm infusion of serpenta- 

 ria ; as soon as he sweats, stop the powders ; early to-morrow give him a dose 

 ■of calcined magnesia." 



" 12fh. Is much better ; pulse below 100 ; sweated freely yesterday ; slept well ; 

 pain in the head very slight ; skin soft. I prescribed the continuance of the in- 

 fusion of serpentaria, with 8 drops of laudanum every third hour until bedtime." 



" 13^^. Is convalescent ; pulse 80." 



'■'■Feb. 11th. Sally, 3Bt. 11, has pain over the eyes ; cough and pain in the 

 chest ; pulse small, 140,. soft ; nostrils run freely ; breathing hurried ; is weak 

 and seems distressed. I prescribed calomel 2 grs. Dover's powder 5 grs. every 

 third hour, with infusion of serpentaria; ?he had taken in the morning salts, 

 which had operated three times." 



" 12th. I found her better ; headache lessened ; pulse 100 ; cough loose ; expec- 

 torates freely ; she sweat freely after three powders. Continue the same treat- 

 ment." 



" IZth. Pulse 80 ; skin soft ; slept well last night ; feels very well but weak ; 

 cough loose." 



Such cases constitute a large number of those which occur, and yield readily 

 to small doses of calomel, combined with opiates and warm, sliinulaiing infusions. 

 In some of the cases there are no other symptoms than of debility and wandering 

 pains in the back, loins, shoulders, or legs. Occasionally an acute pain in the 

 ball of the eye, in the ears or side of the neck, with stillness of the muscles, is 

 present. In severe cases the tonsils, sub-maxillary and sub-lingual glands, are 

 •swollen, with acute pain in swallowing, and these are usually the worst. Where 

 pneumonia becomes developed, the calomel and opiates are continued every third 

 hour, for 36 or 48 hours, aided by the warm infusion of serpentaria and laxatives, 

 with blisters to the chest; usually the symptoms yield in this time, although 

 rthey sometimes run on for six or seven days; this, hoiccver, is not often the case, 

 ■unless depletion be practiced. The hot skin and fever, with bloody expectora- 

 tion, frequently induce the practitioner to draw blood ; but it is u.^ually thin and 

 watery — looking more like a colored serum than blood, and resembling what is 

 taken from dirt-eaters — having but little coagulum, and that loose and nearly 

 ■black. The pulse, though frequent, and sometimes full in these cases, feels 

 more as if filled with air than fluid, and is easily compressed — frequently it has 

 ihe wiry, shattered feeling of anccmia. The blood expectorated is dark colored, 

 and the' expectoration viscid and tenacious ; it is often of a bilious-lookiug fluid, 

 which I consider a favorable indication. 



* Since this article wns vvritlon, I linvc had reason to believe that the sedative bifiuaict of cold is not the only 

 cause. 1 iiiivo seen cases originate in wwin weather, and am disposed to think thnt vuriatious in the elec- 

 ilrical state of the atniosiihere deprive the nervous system of oner^'y. alter the blood, and difpose to this 

 <iiiieR«;. Tlio electiiciU coiiJilion of ihc aimosphcre varica with tcmjj)eraturo und moistm-e. 



