1855.] 



ON THE TRANSFUSION OF MILK, 



191 



Extractive matters soluble in alcohol and -water 3-32 

 Do. do. in water only 12-33 



Salts as in lymph "-ll 



Salts — chloride sodium. 

 Lime — sulphate and phosphate. 

 Other soluble salts — jjeroxide of iron. 

 Earthy salts. 



Case 1st. 



Thomas Harrison, aged -10, a native of Ireland, a farmer, resident 

 near Brockville, admitted into the Cholera Sheds, General Hospital, 

 July 10th, 1854, states that he -was quite well when he left his home, 

 and for some time after leaving the steamer ; indeed, until the 

 evening of July 9th, -n-hen he was seized, about 10 o'clock, with 

 nausea, accompanied almost immediately with tendency to fainting and 

 diarrhoea. He continued ill throughout the night, and received no 

 benefit from the medicines which were then administered. Finding 

 that he was seriously ill, he was brought to the Hospital. On his 

 arrival, 10 o'clock a.m., he was placed in bed, covered with warm 

 iilankets, and was given hydrg. submur. gr. s. dry on the tongue, merely 

 washing it down with a little iced water. His countenance was pale 

 and cadaverous, sunken and cold, particularly the alee of nose, the 

 tongue was contracted, pointed, and cold as ice ; fingers shrivelled, 

 cold, and pointed ; vomiting of liquid, having all the characters of 

 similar fluid passed constantly and freely from bowels; cramps in 

 bowels VQjry severe, less so in legs; pulse small, contracted, 120; 

 breath cold : gave calomel every 20 minutes ; at 11 o'clock, vomiting 

 continuing, he got — 



R. Argenti; nitr : gr. j. 



Aq. distill, oz. j, ft. haust. 

 To be taken every half hour. 



At 1 o'clock p.m. — Finding that there was no improvement, but, on 

 the contrary, that the symptoms had not yielded, I proposed to ray 

 friend and colleague. Dr. Ilodder, to follow out a plan of treatment 

 which had already been discussed between us, namely, that we should 

 transfuse warm fresh milk into the veins. Dr. Hodder coinciding in 

 my opinion, and satisfied with the physiological data on which that 

 opinion was based, readily assented to the operation. Previous, how- 

 ever, to undertaking one of so serious a nature, as we then deemed it 

 to be, I sought the advice of some other medical friends, among the 

 number. Dr. Widmer, who, by message, as I could not see him, re- 

 quested us to be very cautious as to what we did, least, in case of im- 

 mediate death, the public mind should become excited. One of my 

 colleagues, also, could not bring his mind to approve of the step. We 

 determined, therefore, to delay the operation until there could scarcely 

 be a doubt that death was imminent. At about 3 o'clock the prostra- 

 tion had greatly increased ; the man lay on his back, with his eyes 

 sunken, countenance of ashy hue, hands cold, tongue equally so, breath 

 drawn, in gasping sighs, and the pulse gone from the wrist. AVe now, 

 therefore, commenced the operation. Dr. Hodder kindly undertook 

 to introduce the tube and to inject, whilst I superintended the procur- 

 ation of the milk. An ordinary glazed earthen-ware bowl was placed 

 in warm water at the temperature of the blood. A cow, which was 

 grazing close at hand, was brought up to the shed, and the nurse, with 

 great care, keeping the teat close against the side of the vessel, to pre- 

 vent frothing, drew off the milk in sufficient quantity ; the sj'ringe — a 

 brass, anatomical injecting i oz. syringe, made by Neeves of London — 

 having been warmed, was now filled with the fresh living milk. Dr. 

 Hodder with considerable care introduced it into the tube previously 

 inserted, and tied in the median vein ; by a slow, steady motion the 

 fluid was pressed on, while a gentleman present kept his finger on 

 the pulse ; in a few seconds the pulse was distinctly felt, first weakly, 

 then more perceptibly, until at last he exclaimed, " How the pulse 

 rises!" almost simultaneously the eyes responded, the half-closed lids 

 being raised, the lustreless orbs giving utterance to the relief w^hich 

 was being given, while deep and well-drawn inspirations told how 

 reaiUly the lungs responded to the -vital tide which now flowed towards 

 them. Three syringes full having been passed into the system, the 

 following effects were noticed — repeated sighing the breath being drawn 

 deeply and fully, with evident sensations of relief ; the pulse quite per- 

 ceptible and steady, 100 in the minute ; the voice, which was unearthly 

 before, was clear, though not strong ; and whereas, before the opera- 

 tion he was perfectly careless and, indeed, reckless as to his personal 

 safety and the care of his family, almost his earliest thouglits were 

 directed to the welfare of his children and wife. Thcarin being bound 

 up, Harrison, with much strength, turned himself on his side, and dc- 

 Bired to sleep. Kno\ring that,^ tinder the condition to which bo had 



been reduced, it was not at all probable that he would be enabled to 

 keep up the animal heat of his body, care was taken, by artiflcial 

 means, to attain this desirable end ; while, therefore, hot bottles were 

 placed against his feet, his chest, body, arms, and spine were ordered 

 to be rubbed with hot turpentine, and hot flannels were to be kept 

 constantly over his body ; and as nutriment he was supplied with small 

 quantities of strong beef tea whenever he would take it, with white of 

 egg and brandy and water, an oz. of brandy, to white of two eggs. 



At 8 o'clock p.m. — Had some good natural sleep ; no vomiting, 

 bowels not moved once, no cramps ; surface requires to be kept artifi- 

 cially warm ; if the applications are discontinued becomes cold ; ex- 

 presses himself greatly relieved, but still feels very weak, has by no 

 means so great thirst as before, kidneys have acted. Treatment con- 

 tinued. 



July 11th. — Has had a tolerable night, bowels moved twice, dis- 

 charges coloured with bilious matter, passed water, has vomited this 

 morning a free quantity of bile ; pulse quite perceptible, 100, and 

 easily compressed ; no cramps or pain in limbs. My friend, Dr. 

 Clarke, whose valuable services at the General Hospital are too well 

 known to require any commendation from myself, suggested the de- 

 sirableness of administering a gentle laxative, with a view of procuring 

 a freer discharge of matter from the bowels. Accordingly, it was de- 

 termined to administer at even-time a couple of grains of pil. hydrg., 

 and a tea spoonful of ol. recini, and continue warm applications. 



July 12th. — Medicine has acted freely, but not too much so ; he has 

 vomited a large quantity of bile ; pulse very much impioved ; is now 

 painfully sensitive to the application of turpentine, which at first 

 only produced an agreeable glow of heat ; enjoys his beef-tea, and 

 takes his brandy and egg. He had after this a troublesome bilious 

 diarrhcea, but progressed towards convalescence, and left Hospital 

 convalescent. 1 learned on Wednesday last, January 23d, that he 

 was yet alive, and in good health. It was noticed that many patients 

 bore white of egg and brandy with cod-liver oil, when the stomach 

 rejected other nutriment. 



Case 2d. 

 Mary Hall, an Irish woman, married, and the mother of four child- 

 ren, the youngest being an infant at the breast. This patient had come 

 into Toronto with her husband to attend the demonstration made by 

 the Orange Society. She was quite well on leaving home, and remained 

 during the day at a small tavern on Queen Street ; in the aftei-noon she 

 was seized with distinct symptoms of cholera. At 10 o'clock p.m., I 

 saw her for the first time. In order to procure for her efiicient atten- 

 dance, she was with some difficulty persuaded to enter the Hospital 

 Sheds. On her arrival she was placed in a comfortable warm bed, 

 and was ordered 



Argenti. nitrat. gr. j. 



Aq. distill, oz. j, ft. haust. 

 Every half hour. To have beef-tea, and brandy and egg. 

 July 13th. — She has passed a restless night, and although the vomit- 

 ing was considerably lessened, yet the discharge of rice-water evacu- 

 ations from the bowels continued ; her pulse was extremely feeble and 

 quick; countenance pinched and of ghastly hue; tongue cold and 

 pointed ; tossing about her arms, and sighing ; careless about her fate, 

 and is not roused by any reference to her children or husband. Dr. 

 Hodder, equally interested with myself in the history of the disease, 

 and anxious to do all in his power to mitigate its horrors, came to the 

 sheds, and witnessing the condition of the poor woman, at once agreed 

 to perform transfusion. The same precautions were adopted in this 

 case, as were found necessary in that of Harrison, and with like re- 

 sults. At the time the tube was put into the vein she was pulseless, 

 and although she could be roused, yet was incapable of answering 

 questions, and altogether she presented a hopeless appearance. Two 

 syringes full, equal to 8 oz., of the fresh warm milk from the same 

 cow which afforded the supply to Harrison, were injected into the 

 vein. .'Vs soon as the operation was comiiletcd, she expressed the 

 greatest relief, and seemed irresistibly impelled to draw deep and fre- 

 quent inspirations. The arm being bound up, as with Harrison, so 

 with this patient — a desire to sleep was manifested, and turning over 

 on her side, she composed herself to slumber. Hot bottles were kept 

 not only to her feet but about her body, and she was rubbed with hot 

 turpentine, and then swathed in warmed flannels. At evening visit she 

 was evidently improved, had some sleep, the renal secretion was re- 

 stored ; her pulse was steady and quite perceptible ; countenance 

 relieved, and not so pale and ashy ; no TomitiDg, nor discharge from 

 bowels. 



